Bar code labels are affixed to packaged goods and transported from the manufacturing plant to the retail shelf, forming an intelligent tool for today's fast-moving supply chain. Barcode labels are the key to improving efficiency in every industry, from automotive to pharmaceuticals. Poor barcodes can result in product recalls, fines, production delays, lost customers, and increased manufacturing costs.
Due to pressure from larger retailers, the packaging industry has pushed equipment manufacturers to higher and higher standards to solve problems at the source, and manufacturers of coding and marking have responded positively.
“The ubiquitous bar code is still the passport for most products in any supply chain, and can be replicated continuously according to the printing standards for all downstream barcode scanners,†said Mike Utley, Linx's sales manager of printing technology products. "Linx
The IJ600 Pulse Inkjet Printer is equipped with barcode online validation and validation options for those who need it.
"E Center will print UCC/EAN128 and ITF-14 barcode-guided fiberboard boxes for ink jet printing. It will be used by Tesco and Sainsbury and will require suppliers to check/confirm the carton barcodes immediately after printing and confirm it at least every 8 hours according to ISO 15416. We are working with our customers to provide solutions that meet these requirements."
There are currently two completely different systems available. The first involves packaging code management software and the second uses online data validation.
Elimination of human error
Claricom offers packaging code management software that eliminates human error and maximizes the efficiency of date and traceability coding operations. It is designed to eliminate manual operations, remove hazards, and ensure accuracy, flexibility, and efficiency. It can recover costs in 12 months.
The new feature of the Claricom software system is the CLARiFY software package, which is particularly suitable when the product life is determined by factors other than the packaging date. Coding rules can change frequently with factors such as licensing or promotions.
“Because the product code is extremely complex, manufacturers often need to deal with proprietary knowledge, intuitive and various verbal or written instructions,†said James Butcher, general manager of Claricom. “Human error is unavoidable if the operator is required to calculate product shelf life, for example, based on cooking date, or to ensure that it has the correct month date number.â€
CLARiFY eliminates human errors by providing intuitive tools for setting encoding rules, including nominal date offsets for various products, and allowable date encoding ranges. You can also set other date rules, such as avoiding the monthly date and weekly date rules.
It can be used to print visual categories of coded information appearances that are easy to track, and to explain any changes made by the planning department, as well as other relevant instructions, such as promotional flash tag requirements.
It can also set aside space for regulators to sign the end of production operations when they can confirm the information and make it part of the quality assurance system.
Butcher explained. "Promotions may only account for less than 10% of production, but they account for more than 30% of coding/packaging errors. These abnormalities occur from time to time. CLARiFY can manage these abnormalities and thus eliminate human errors." The CLARiNET network is used together to provide automatic communication of encoded information to encoding and labeling equipment, as well as integrated packaging inspection and barcode verification.
Online confirmation
Printronix has developed a device that can validate data online without relying on intermittent off-line sampling, provided the supermarket approves that the device is fully identifiable.
The heat transfer bar code solution includes a data manager and a closed-loop quality control system to monitor the bar code process. The data manager is designed to minimize the costs associated with barcode scanning and data accuracy failures.
By verifying the linear and PDF417 bar code print quality, online data validation ensures that the scanner reads the bar code correctly. It is characterized by using printed post-reading techniques to carefully analyze each printed barcode to ensure compliance with the most stringent standards. If the label fails the verification test, it is fed back to the printer for invalidation, then reprinted and verified again.
The judging of such systems can only be achieved by a large number of supermarkets and large retailers. James Butcher confirmed that CLARiFY consulted with key retailers during development and most of them actively collaborated with Claricom to promote software to suppliers. At the same time, Prontronix
Anne Sharp's marketing communications manager said: "ODV has a proven track record in increasing bar code scanning rates; a large retailer reported a 48% increase in eight months, significantly reducing labeling, maintenance and labor costs."
Applied to the farm
The new poultry egg legislation in the United Kingdom was implemented on January 1, 2004, which is conducive to tracking all poultry eggs consumed in the market. All production sites must be registered and assigned an identification number. The new legislation classifies breeding methods into four categories: organic code [0]; free grazing code à ; shed code á; cage code a. It also specifies the need to print the origin code and the manufacturer's identification code. An explanation of the code must also be printed somewhere in the poultry box.
To this end, the British Farmers Federation (NFU) organized a conference for this, and several inkjet printer manufacturers were invited to attend the meeting to share their views and opinions on the best methods proposed by manufacturers.
Domino highly recommends that the fully integrated A200 encoder is the best choice for the perfect fit with the current system. These systems are designed to "attach" to machines already used for egg production and are compatible with most egg classifiers. These include self-cleaning print heads and reliable/stop nozzle sealing characteristics for stop/start operations.
The A200 Egg Encoder print head can print up to four lines, exceeding the new legislative requirements and the current best level of the Lion logo. Domino also manufactures inks that are specifically used for egg coding. The 445RD ink has a drying time of 2 seconds and can be kept until the eggs are cooked.
Other CIJ printers, such as the new Linx 6800EC, are designed for poultry egg producers and packers. This equipment was developed based on Linx's experience as a leading supplier of CIJ printers for the poultry trade in the Netherlands, and printed identification codes for poultry eggs for export. The printer is designed to allow short runs and shell textures for different eggs to meet temperature and humidity changes. You can also select up to three lines of text or logos.
Easy installation is also a topic that Linx respects. "Manufacturers of all sizes know that the Linx 6800EC has many advantages because it can be easily installed on all existing hierarchical production lines - Moba, Staalkatt, and older Ben Nevis graders," said Roger James, product manager.
Videojet also offers high-end solutions. In addition, thanks to dedicated software, Videojet printers can be installed on all major grading systems, including Moba, Staalkat, Diamond, and Ben.
Nevis.
The company can connect its equipment to read, confirm and camera systems. Videojet's parent company, Danaher, recently acquired Accu-Sort, which allegedly heralded the arrival of a new era of online product coding and identification.
Accu-Sort manufactures linear and holographic laser bar codes and 2D scanning devices with high-quality bar code scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), measurement and image capture capabilities.