RFID deployed at US nuclear facility wins AIM award

Argonne National Laboratory's challenge was to assist the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in modernizing its management of the life cycle of nuclear materials throughout the DOE Complex while enhancing long-term safety, safeguards, and security, through the development of an integrated RFID system.

The solution was ARG-US, an RFID technology that features long-life, customizable sensor tags with an integrated communication platform for real-time tracking and monitoring of nuclear and other hazardous materials during storage, processing, transportation, and disposal.

Patented in September 2011, ARG-US also offers benefits that enhance the environmental health, safety, and protection of materials and personnel in operations involving sensitive nuclear and other radioactive materials, streamlining information management and inventory control, and extending the lifetime maintenance cycles of storage drums.

"We are extremely honored to be selected by the leading RFID organization for our ARG-US applications,” said Dr. Yung Liu, Group Leader, Argonne National Laboratory. "DOE and its contractors have already demonstrated the value of the government's investment; private companies are also planning many related products, and we plan to continue developing this technology for potential use in treaty verification and other remote monitoring needs," added Dr. James Shuler, Program Manager, Department of Energy.

During the submission process, AIM received more than a dozen nominations which highlighted a vast range of RFID implementations. After a thorough review and analysis, a committee comprised of AIM experts selected Argonne National Laboratory as the initial recipient. "We were thrilled to have such a high level of interest for the debut of this prestigious program,” Mary Lou Bosco, AIM's COO stated.

"The level of thought leaders in our industry is amazing and there are so many compelling solutions today contributing to the growth and faster adoption of RFID. It was a very difficult decision to select just one recipient, but we are confident Argonne National Laboratory will prove a great model for future award winners.”

About AIM

For 40 years, AIM has served as the association and worldwide authority on automatic identification, data collection and networking in a mobile environment. AIM members are manufacturers, distributors, resellers and end-users of bar code, RFID, RTLS and mobile computing solutions. AIM is dedicated to accelerating the growth and use of Automatic Identification and Mobility technologies and services around the world.

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