Metalcraft
Seamless Tracking of Medical Equipment

South Dakota’s primary hospital, Monument Health, has five centers, 38 medical clinics, and specialty centers. Many assets, like wheelchairs, pumps, and diagnostic equipment, are constantly in use and, at times, loaned across their facilities. Hospitals must also ensure these assets comply with existing medical regulations, which can be cumbersome considering their vastness. A simple tag, like a bar code, can help manage these assets, making all the difference in ensuring their availability and usability in the nick of time.

Providing Monument Health and many other hospitals quality high-frequency and ultra-high frequency passive RFID tags and barcodes is Metalcraft, a pioneer in this field for over 70 years. Its robust asset management system helps hospitals gather real-time data on medical assets.

“Our biggest selling product in the healthcare space is our universal line of RFID tags with the most excellent read range,” says Julia Deets, VP of marketing and CX at Metalcraft.

Among the diverse portfolio of RFID solutions Metalcraft provides is its universal RFID, notable for its one-size-fits-all qualities. The asset tag employs a patented inlay design with passive RFID technology that can be read regardless of the surface on which it is placed, be it metal, plastic, or wood. Metalcraft’s universal RFID is a long-standing client favorite and available in various sizes and thicknesses with onsite printing options.

Besides universal RFID, its photo-anodized product line— metal and foil barcode labels—is also one of the most sought-after.

These tags are resistant to chemicals and physical abrasion, including extreme temperatures. This is especially useful because medical equipment is subjected to similar conditions during autoclave or sterilization.

“Being a manufacturer and not just a supplier enables us to understand the science of label making and assure clients our tags can withstand critical conditions,” says Deets.

Before initiating the tag manufacturing process, Metalcraft uses a communicative approach to understand client needs and arrive at a suitable solution. It starts by asking them questions to comprehend their goals, work environment, schedule, and budget. Tags are designed and tested internally based on these parameters, and Metalcraft supplies clients with different sample versions to evaluate in their workplace. The tags are then fine-tuned to the last detail of the adhesive to produce a finished product. This approach also enables Metalcraft to customize design inlays for its customers, maximizing tag performance.

It offers its inlay services to end users via multiple channels, including a value-added reseller network and the guidance of system integrators worldwide. In a similar instance, Metalcraft assisted the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health track healthcare assets spanning 147 hospitals, health centers, clinics, and administrative buildings. Each Ministry facility had numerous assets, including wheelchairs, diagnostic equipment, and pumps, that had to be immediately located for patients. The Ministry, on the advice of OGTech, an Osman Group systems integrator headquartered in Egypt, collaborated with Metalcraft to approve one of the Middle East’s largest RFID deployments, tagging over one million assets across the UAE.

Underpinning this system’s excellence is Metalcraft’s strong team of industry veterans with decades of expertise in the asset management industry. Its team carries an optimistic attitude toward problem-solving and is invested in the company’s growth through its employee stock ownership plan. Metalcraft has a net promoter score of 82 and continues building solid relationships with its clients as a world-class go-to provider of medical asset management solutions.