Factory
Inside the Proud Tek Factory
RFID Manufacturing
Quick answer
A walk through how Proud Tek actually makes RFID products. Ten automated production lines across two Shenzhen factories, every value-added step in-house — wet-inlay assembly, card and label lamination, anti-metal ferrite backing, encoding, laser numbering and final QC. We do not outsource the steps that decide whether a deployment survives a customs audit, a brand-owner inspection or a 200-cycle laundry test.
- Ten automated production lines across two Shenzhen factories — cards, labels, on-metal tags, wristbands, keyfobs and reader bundles.
- Chip-vendor agnostic: NXP / Infineon / Impinj / Alien / EM / Quanray inlays bonded in-house.
- 100% functional read test on every encoded unit; documented test report shipped with every order.
- 2008 Founded — 18 yrs continuous operation
- 40+ Countries shipped to
- 6 Product families in-house
- 100% Functional read-test on every encoded unit
- NXP
- Infineon
- Impinj
- Alien
- EM Micro
- Quanray
- ISO 9001:2015
- RoHS 2011/65/EU
- REACH SVHC
- FCC Part 15 / 18
- CE EN 300 330
At a glance
Use these short answers to decide whether this page matches the project before moving into the detail.
Production at a glance
Wet-inlay assembly — chip-to-antenna bonding for HF and UHF in-house. Card lamination — PVC, ABS, PETG, recycled-PVC, wood and transparent stocks.
What buyers usually verify on-site
Production capacity scales with chip allocation, not factory floor space. ESD-controlled assembly stations for sensitive chip handling.
Next step
Ready to move forward? Start your inquiry to get specific answers for this project.
Schedule a factory visit or auditProduction capacity by line
Capacity is reported here as line-count and shift coverage, not weekly piece-count — RFID throughput depends almost entirely on the encoding scheme and the chip family in play, not on raw machine speed. We post conservative committed capacity per program once chip allocation is confirmed.
Six core line types, end-to-end ownership
Each line below is operated in-house by Proud Tek staff. We do not subcontract assembly to job shops; the same operators who built the pilot lot are the ones who build the production order, which is why first-run defect rates tend to stay flat across program lifecycles.
Line 1 — Wet-inlay assembly
Chip-to-antenna bonding for HF (13.56 MHz) and UHF (860-960 MHz) inlays. PET / PI substrates from approved roll-stock vendors. Conductive adhesive cure at controlled temperature; reject any inlay that fails initial readability QC at the line.
Line 2 — Card lamination
PVC, ABS, PETG, recycled-PVC and transparent substrates. Hot-roll lamination at controlled pressure and dwell time. Inlay placement accuracy held tight enough for face-to-face MIFARE Plus / DESFire encoding to be reproducible.
Line 3 — Anti-metal lamination
Ferrite-backed inlays for on-metal IT asset, tool and equipment tagging. Read range against steel and aluminum surfaces validated per SKU; result reports filed with the production traveler.
Line 4 — Encoding and personalization
UID lock, NDEF programming, GS1 SGTIN-96 encoding, custom block writes. MIFARE Plus / DESFire / NTAG 424 DNA key diversification with optional escrow of master keys per customer instruction.
Line 5 — Print and marking
Four-color offset for high-volume art runs, screen printing for white-ink and metallic overlays, hot stamping for foil branding, laser engraving for consecutive serialization, variable-data inkjet for QR / barcode overlays.
Line 6 — QC, packaging and warehouse
Final functional read test on every encoded unit. AQL sampling for visual and dimensional inspection. Packaging variants: bulk poly bag, individual sleeve, retail blister, custom branded box. Bonded warehouse for distributor safety-stock programs.
Materials and supply chain
We treat material sourcing as a quality lever, not a cost lever. The inlay roll-stock, PVC sheet, conductive adhesive and ferrite backing are all qualified vendors with parallel sources for risk mitigation.
- Inlay substrates — PET / PI roll-stock qualified from two parallel vendors; cut-sheet inlays inspected for thickness and dimensional stability before line entry.
- Card stock — PVC, ABS, PETG, recycled-PVC; FSC-certified paper and bamboo composite stocks available on request.
- Conductive adhesive — silver-loaded epoxy from named vendors; cure cycle validated per chip family.
- Ferrite backing — automotive-grade ferrite sheet for on-metal SKUs; tested against representative steel and aluminum substrates.
- Chip allocation — direct allocation channels with NXP / Infineon / Impinj / Alien / EM; authorized-distribution backup for spot demand.
From PO to dispatch — production workflow
Once a production order is released, the program runs to a documented traveler. Every step generates a record retained in the quality archive for at least seven years per ISO 9001 requirement.
- Day 0 — PO received, traveler issued
Production traveler issued with chip allocation, encoding scheme, artwork files and packaging spec locked. Material kit pulled from stockroom; raw-material lot numbers attached to the traveler for full traceability.
- Days 1-5 — Assembly and lamination
Wet-inlay assembly or card lamination runs to the traveler. First-piece QC at line start, then in-process AQL sampling. Reject rate logged; out-of-spec lots quarantined before the next step.
- Days 6-10 — Encoding and marking
Encoding station runs the locked scheme. Every encoded unit gets a functional read test; failed units rejected at the line. Laser engraving, hot stamping or print runs as specified.
- Days 11-14 — Final QC, packaging, dispatch
AQL final inspection on visual and dimensional attributes. Packaging per spec; box-level barcode / RFID outer-pack labeling if requested. Shipment release after document pack (CO, COC, packing list, test reports) is signed off by QA.
Customer audits and factory visits
We welcome buyer audits — they reduce procurement risk on both sides. The list below covers what we typically accommodate; non-standard audit scope (third-party social compliance, environmental, IT security) is scoped per program.
- Buyer engineering audits — open access to wet-inlay, lamination, encoding and QC lines, by appointment.
- Quality system audits — ISO 9001:2015 document review, training records, calibration logs, corrective-action archives.
- Third-party audits — TÜV, SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas and BSCI / Sedex visits accommodated when the program requires them.
- Pre-shipment inspection — buyer or buyer's QC agent can attend final AQL inspection in-house at no additional charge.
- Virtual factory tour — live video walk-through available for buyers who cannot travel; we schedule against your time zone.
Compliance documentation shipped with every order
Every shipment leaves Shenzhen with the documentation buyers actually need at customs and at brand-owner intake. Certified third-party test reports can be commissioned on a per-program basis.
- Commercial invoice and packing list with chip family, SKU code and encoding lot per line item.
- Certificate of Origin (Form A / GSP / FORM E / Form F) per destination market.
- Certificate of Conformity for radio compliance (FCC / CE / MIC / CCC as applicable).
- Material declarations — RoHS, REACH SVHC, California Prop 65 on file by SKU.
- Functional test report — sample lot of encoded units with read-range and decode-rate data.
- ISO 9001:2015 certificate copy on request; recertification cycle dates publicly traceable.
Useful next pages
Use these linked product, guide and comparison pages to keep the next click specific and practical.
Plan a factory engagement
The most common ways procurement and engineering teams engage with our Shenzhen operation.
Verify our credentials independently
Pages on this site that document the standards, certifications and editorial work behind the production floor.
FAQ
Do you have a minimum production order quantity?
Production MOQs are typically 1,000-5,000 pieces per SKU for stocked chip families and standard form factors. Custom anti-metal, on-textile and specialty substrates carry higher MOQs because they require dedicated tooling or substrate runs. Pilot orders at lower volume are negotiable for qualified buyers planning a recurring program.
Can you handle multi-million-unit annual programs?
Yes. Multi-million-unit annual UHF inlay and HF card programs run on dedicated reel-to-reel encoding lines with 24/7 shift rotation when needed. Chip allocation is confirmed before commitment; we do not promise capacity that depends on a chip family we cannot lock in.
How do you handle chip allocation when global supply is constrained?
We maintain direct allocation channels with NXP, Infineon, Impinj, Alien and EM, plus authorized-distribution backup for spot demand. During constrained periods (e.g., 2021-2022 MIFARE shortages), we communicate allocation availability up front and offer chip-substitution paths where the deployment context allows.
Are buyer factory visits welcome?
Yes. We welcome buyer engineering audits and pre-shipment inspection — both reduce procurement risk on both sides. Visits are scheduled by appointment; we accommodate buyer's QC agents on-site at no charge. Virtual tours are available for buyers who cannot travel.
What is included in the compliance documentation pack?
Every shipment ships with: commercial invoice, packing list, Certificate of Origin per destination market, Certificate of Conformity for radio compliance (FCC / CE / MIC / CCC), RoHS / REACH SVHC material declarations, and a functional test report on the encoded lot. Third-party test reports (TÜV, SGS) can be commissioned per program when needed.
How long are quality records kept?
Production travelers, encoding logs, QC records and material certificates are retained for at least seven years per ISO 9001:2015 documented-information requirements. Records can be pulled by SKU code or encoding lot if a buyer needs traceability for a field issue or audit.
Sources & references
Primary standards, OEM datasheets and regulatory documents cited by this article. All URLs were verified on the access date shown below.
Proud Tek is a Shenzhen-based RFID & NFC manufacturer supplying hotel chains, transit operators, event venues and retail brands worldwide. Every order includes free samples, RF testing and dedicated project support.
Get a Quick Quote
Tell us about your project and we'll respond within one business day. Fields marked (asterisk) are required.