Dry inlay
Inlays
What is it?
A dry inlay is identical to a wet inlay but without the adhesive backing. It is the bare chip-on-antenna-on-substrate, ready to be embedded into another product – inserted into a card, laminated into a label, or moulded into a hard tag. Dry inlays are the starting point for most RFID tag manufacturing.
How it works
Same construction as a wet inlay: IC bonded to an etched or printed antenna on a PET substrate. The lack of adhesive means it must be attached via lamination, heat bonding, or encapsulation. This gives manufacturers full control over the final form factor and attachment method.
Use cases
- Smart card manufacturing
- Hard tag production
- Embedded product authentication
- Wristband manufacturing
- Laundry tag encapsulation
Pros
- Maximum flexibility for downstream manufacturing
- No adhesive to interfere with encapsulation processes
- Slightly lower cost than wet inlays
- Can be embedded in any form factor
Cons
- Cannot be used standalone – requires further conversion
- Same environmental limitations as wet inlays before encapsulation
- Handling requires care – exposed IC is fragile
Specifications
| Power type | Passive – powered by reader signal |
|---|---|
| Frequency | UHF (860–960 MHz) or HF (13.56 MHz) |
| Read range | UHF: up to 12 m; HF: up to 10 cm |
| Lifespan | 5–10 years |
| Price range | $0.02–$0.12 per unit at volume |
| Environmental rating | Must be encapsulated for any environmental protection |