An antenna plays a key role in an enterprise's RFID technology system, yet not all requirements are the same and certainly individual environments vary enormously from one sector of the livestock industry to another. The Flexitenna has been developed by Sapien as a flexible aerial with multiple uses. Made of a tough yet maleable rubber, the Flexitenna is designed to be utilised in a variety of situations where other more structured or stiff-board antennae would not be suitable.

The Flexitenna is incredibly robust. The rubber material of the Flexitenna is only 15mm thick but is extremely hard-wearing and allows for bending and manipulating around irregular spaces. It can be flexed around small enclosures for reading sheep or bobby calves, or used in marking races or cradles. The rubber material is able to withstand constant buffetting from livestock and even when mounted for use on trucks or within the crush, the Flexitenna will not sustain any damage through animal contact, unlike many other antennae. Its flexible, sturdy material also makes the Flexitenna very portable, as there is no danger of damage in transit when shifting from one operation to the next.

Another advantage of the Flexitenna is its multiple size formats. It ranges from 800 to 1250mm in length and can be customised to fit a specific space. The combined sizes and material of the Flexitenna mean it can be easily employed in a number of ways - crush-side, on trucks or loading ramps, for sheep or cattle. The Flexitenna can be manipulated to suit your needs and often allows a task to take place in an otherwise prohibitive space, such as sheet-steel weigh areas, or at the entrance to truck doorways, where other stiff-board antennae could not function.

The Flexitenna can be used in single or paired formats, depending on the requirements of the task. Two Flexitennae can be plugged into one reader to effectively double your reading zone. This is useful on trucks, for example, placed either side of the doorway leading on to the truck, or on loading ramps, where paired Flexitennae can be mounted either side of a race to read animals moving in either direction. Prattley or Rudweigh crates can be easily fitted with smaller paired Flexitennae also.