The transponder (avio.tag®), which was developed by Lufthansa Technik Logistik in cooperation with project partners Harting, Lufthansa Systems and the Center for Intelligent Objects at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, is the first of its kind to satisfy the rigorous requirements of maintenance operations in the aviation industry. The tag enables the identification of components that are located outside the airplane cabin for the first time. The technology deployed here allows contactless radio identification of unambiguous device data over a distance of several meters.

The American magazine "Design News" has certified these features of the avio.tag® and presented it with the "Golden Mousetrap" award.

"Design News" has been awarding prizes for technical innovation and creativity in product design for more than two decades. This year the "Golden Mousetrap" Awards were presented in the four main categories: Electronics & Test, Automation & Control, Design Tools, Hardware & Software, as well as in Materials & Assembly. A jury of experts selected a total of 95 finalists and 18 winners from the record number of submitted entries.

The RFID transponder was one of the winners in the Materials & Assembly category, not least due to its innovative material. "The tag is based on a unique technology: 3D-MID", explains Albert Birkicht, HARTING AG Managing Director in Switzerland, where the transponder is produced. "A laser activates the surface of a part manufactured from a specially developed plastic. The activated surface area is chemically metallized in such a way that an antenna field is created. This manufacturing method is called LDS (Laser Direct Structuring). The data for the structuring are generated directly from the CAD data and processed in the laser system, enabling structuring without making masks."