Until a few years ago, plastic chip cards had been used only in top-class business centers, government institutions and secure facilities. They guaranteed the highest level of security and protected the restricted areas against trespassing. However, the technology was rather primitive in that period.
Smart cards are becoming more and more popular nowadays. The main reason is the spread of RFID technology and, accordingly, a decrease in the price of chip products. Although very popular, smart cards have a few disadvantages, such as insufficient protection against counterfeiting. It has become much easier to copy information from the chip memory and forge the ID device. Therefore, chip manufacturers and the smart card manufacturers are constantly developing new ways of protection.
RFID technology has become rather widespread lately. It is now used in most access control systems, loyalty programs, electronic tickets and room keys. All this became possible due to the multiple functions that smart cards have.
How are smart cards manufactured?
There are two ways to make contactless smart cards. They are: sheet-fed printing and template printing.
White plastic sheets are used in production. They are coated with a primer to make the paint adhere to a smooth surface. The front and back card sides are printed on these sheets. Chips with antennas are attached to a separate inner layer. The card itself consists of several layers: laminated layer – front side – inner layer – back side – laminated layer. All these layers are cured in an oven at a certain temperature.
Laminated layers protect the card from mechanical damage and paint abrasion, even with active use.
The second method includes printing on ready-made templates. Card blanks also consist of three layers: inner layer + 2 sheets of white plastic. Printing is performed by special printers. However, there is a certain drawback: the paint is not sufficiently resistant to damage (in comparison with the first method).
How does the smart card work?
The inner layer is the one that is "responsible" for the proper operation. It contains a crystal (microcircuit) and an antenna. We use such tags as EM-Marine and Mifare. They are passive tags, that is, they do not require an additional power source. As soon as the chip approaches the reader, the antenna creates a current that makes the microcircuit operate. Then the reader and the chip exchange information.
What types of customization are available?
Contactless cards must have chips installed. But since they differ from standard plastic cards only in thickness, you can customize its chip. For example, we apply such elements as barcodes or QR codes, magnetic stripes and numbers, scratch-off fields and signature strips. We can also print the owner's photo on the card.
All this customization is required to further protect the card from counterfeiting. Besides, it helps gradually transfer the security system from barcode readers to contactless readers.
Please note that electronic cards can't be embossed. Embossing involves mechanical extrusion of the ID number on the card surface. A microcircuit and an antenna attached to the inner layer can be damaged when the card is embossed.
Where are smart cards used?
ID devices are becoming more and more popular in various areas of application. They have a large number of functions.
- ACS passes. The smart card is a convenient ACS identifier that will instantly identify the owner and grant or deny access to the company or department. An employee will only need a single card to open the parking gate, enter the building, open and close his/her locker, enter the production area, and even pay for lunch in the canteen.
- Multi-function smart cards for fitness centers, swimming pools, etc. Contactless chips are used to confirm the customer identity, and implement an individual approach to the clients. For example, you can use a smart card to inform your customers about promotions, account status and membership renewals. Besides, the fitness center employees can view all the information about how often a particular client attends classes, what he/she prefers to buy at the bar, and who his/her personal trainer is.
- Loyalty cards. As a rule. chips are rarely installed in discount cards, bonus cards, gift certificates, etc. They are generally installed when additional protection is needed, for example, for VIP client cards. As a rule, chips are complemented by other customization methods, such as barcodes, magnetic stripes or numbering.
- Business cards. Plastic business cards replaced paper business cards long ago, and now they are often supplied with NFC chips. What advantages do such business cards have? Such business cards are convenient for a large company. They can be printed with corporate information, but the data of a personal manager can be written to a tag. In this case, the client will only need to bring the business card to the phone with NFC system in order to receive up-to-date information.
- NFC smartphone cards. Almost every smartphone is a portable reader. If it has an NFC function, then it will definitely be able to read the tags and write information on them. Smart cards can be part of a board game, a hotel key, etc.
We offer smart cards for any area of application, with any customization options, chips and designs. Our managers will help you choose the most effective solution for your business. Please fill out the form and we will call you back soon.