Xerafy, a provider of industrial RFID solutions for asset and inventory tracking, has developed its Metal Skin® Series of printable on-metal RFID labels, to bring reliable RFID identification to metal assets and other demanding industrial applications. The award-winning label series combines on-metal RF performance with printable face stock, industrial adhesive bonding, and durable construction, providing organizations with a flexible labeling platform for tracking high-value assets, equipment, inventory, and components.
Co-developed with Fortune 1000 companies, the Metal Skin® Series addresses applications where conventional RFID labels may struggle, particularly when tags need to be attached directly to metal. The labels are designed for high-value items, metal assets, and mixed-material equipment, supporting applications ranging from work-in-process (WIP) inventory and MRO materials to hospital equipment, IT devices, electronics, returnable assets, and complex supply chains.
Printable RFID Identification for Metal Assets
A key feature of the Metal Skin® Series is its combination of RFID functionality with a printable label format. The laminated face stock supports thermal-transfer printing, allowing organizations to add information such as asset IDs, serial numbers, barcodes, logos, and human-readable data directly to the labels.
The labels can also be printed and encoded on demand using industrial RFID printers from manufacturers including Zebra, SATO, and TSC. For deployments where labels need to arrive ready for use, Xerafy provides additional support through its Service Bureau and engineering capabilities, including custom printing, EPC serialization, chip encoding, and application-specific configurations.
Xerafy uses flexible 3M industrial adhesive construction to help the labels bond securely to flat, curved, and irregular surfaces. This allows Metal Skin® labels to be deployed across different asset geometries while maintaining a conventional label-style form factor.
Built for Demanding Industrial Environments
Beyond printability, the Metal Skin® Series is designed for environments where labels can encounter challenging operating conditions. According to Xerafy, the series features IP-rated construction and resistance to water, dust, temperature variation, industrial handling, moderate solvents, caustics, and acids, depending on the model.
The labels incorporate RFID chip options from Impinj and NXP, including Gen2X-enabled configurations. These options are intended to support accurate item-level identification in environments containing large numbers of assets and metallic objects.
Multiple Metal Skin® Options for Different Tracking Requirements
Rather than providing a single label configuration, Xerafy offers the Metal Skin® Series in multiple sizes and configurations to address different asset dimensions, available mounting space, read-range requirements, and printing workflows.
- Metal Skin® Mercury 86 Max: Designed for applications requiring extended RFID performance, the Mercury 86 Max provides a read range of up to 13 meters on metal, making it the longest-range option in the series. Its printable surface provides space for barcodes, serial numbers, logos, graphics, and other asset information.
- Metal Skin® Mercury 95 Max: The Mercury 95 Max is the largest printable label in the Metal Skin® Series, providing an extended printable area for organizations that need to display more asset information. It can accommodate identifiers such as barcodes, serial numbers, graphics, and logos, while its NXP chip option supports RFID operation on metal and plastic surfaces.
- Metal Skin® Delta: At as little as 0.4 mm thick, the Delta offers an ultra-thin option for applications where a low-profile RFID label is required. Its flexible construction helps it conform to curved, irregular, and space-constrained surfaces. Delta labels can also be printed and encoded using standard industrial RFID printers without requiring a dedicated on-metal printing extension kit.
- Metal Skin® Platinum: The Platinum family is designed as a universal RFID labeling option, balancing label dimensions and RFID performance for asset and inventory applications. It can operate on both metal and plastic surfaces, making it suitable for environments such as warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and supply chains.
- Metal Skin® Titanium: Developed for smaller assets where mounting space is limited, the Titanium range provides a compact on-metal RFID labeling option. The Titanium M830 is identified by Xerafy as the smallest on-metal UHF RFID label in its current portfolio and incorporates the Impinj M830 chip with Gen2X support. Potential applications include electronic devices, IT assets, medical supplies, handheld equipment, and other high-value items.
The broader Metal Skin® portfolio also includes specialized configurations for requirements such as slim labeling, tamper evidence, HF/NFC tracking, liquid resistance, and additional chip-memory options.
Supporting RFID Deployment from Printing to Encoding
Xerafy has designed the Metal Skin® Series not only around RFID performance but also around deployment flexibility. Labels can be supplied in rolls for field printing and encoding, while organizations that do not want to perform these processes internally can use Xerafy’s Service Bureau.
The service supports printing of logos, asset IDs, serial numbers, barcodes, QR codes, and human-readable information, as well as EPC serialization and chip encoding. This gives organizations the option of receiving pre-printed and pre-encoded labels that are ready to be applied to assets.
By combining printable identification, on-metal RFID performance, industrial durability, adhesive mounting, and multiple form factors, the Metal Skin® Series gives organizations a range of options for integrating RFID into existing asset and inventory management processes. From warehouse inventory and production control to maintenance operations, IT asset management, and complex supply chains, Xerafy is positioning the series as a practical RFID labeling platform for environments where reliable identification on metal is essential.
Click here to learn more about the Metal Skin® Series from Xerafy.