SLPA8000r

The New SLPA8000r Encodes, Prints and Applies Bar Code and RFID Labels at Manufacturing Speeds; CPG Companies Can Print and Apply Bar Codes Today and Upgrade to RFID Labeling Tomorrow, Ensuring Asset Protection of Their Printing Equipment Investment.

IRVINE, Calif. - Printronix Inc. (NASDAQ:PTNX), the leading integrated supply-chain printing solutions manufacturer, today introduced the SLPA8000r to give consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies the ability to tag their products and shipping cases with bar code or radio frequency identification (RFID) labels. The new SLPA8000r is the first bar code printer applicator on the market with the ability to upgrade to RFID labeling in the field, providing users with a risk-free investment path to RFID adoption. In addition, the new SLPA8000r offers the industry’s highest-speed RFID encoding, capable of exceeding 100 cases per minute.

“Printronix has removed the speed barrier that has impeded the adoption of RFID printing in production environments,” said Andy Chapman, chief technology officer and senior vice president, engineering and product marketing, Printronix. “CPG companies need the capability to encode, print and verify RFID and bar code labels at high speeds, and the SLPA8000r answers this call by encoding, printing and applying tags in excess of 100 cases per minute.”

New Printer Applicator Provides Migration Path to RFID Printing

Whether users require an automated slap-and-ship system or an in-line production printer applicator to integrate into their manufacturing process, the SLPA8000r will meet their needs. Its field upgradeability feature allows organizations to deploy a model that prints bar code labels only now and upgrade easily to RFID printing later.

The SLPA8000r is built on Printronix’s MP2 Smart encoding technology, the industry's leading technology platform designed specifically to EPCglobal™ Gen 2 encoding specifications. The printer applicator offers users broad-ranging functionality:

Offers predictable and reliable RFID implementation with Gen 2-certified hardware
Interoperable with the widest range of Gen 2 tags while offering continued support of EPC Class 0, 0+, 1 and Philips UCode 1.19 protocols
Yields 99.8 percent encode and read performance, according to user reports
Reliability Drives RFID Adoption in Supply Chain

The SLPA8000r is an evolution of Printronix’s SLPA7000r print-encode-and-apply system introduced in June 2004. Since then, Printronix has deployed more RFID printer applicators among Wal-Mart’s top 100 suppliers than any other manufacturer and earned the top market share position in North America, according to CB GroupUSA.

“Printronix was responsible for nearly 40 percent of the RFID printer applicator market in 2005,” said George Gilfoil, managing director, CB GroupUSA. “Our research indicates that buyers in North America select a printer applicator based on its product reliability, expected maintenance requirements, product features, and manufacturer service-and-support capabilities. With the SLPA8000r, Printronix’s unique bad tag management system and patented MP2 encoding technology have been combined to deliver a reliable applicator to the RFID market place.”

“Reliability cannot be underestimated as one of the most significant factors in brand selection,” said Andrew Moore, product line manager, Printronix. “We’re proud of the fact that end users rely on Printronix’s history of delivering reliable products and services when choosing their RFID printing solutions. Our SLPA8000r printer applicator will become an integrated part of a material production system. The value of the products transported through these systems is often measured in thousands of dollars per minute. Thus, downtime can be very costly to organizations. By using the SLPA8000r, customers can mitigate risks and count on dependable up time and usability.”

The SLPA8000r is available now in North America through Printronix or its network of system integrators and partners.

About Printronix Inc.
Since 1974, Printronix Inc. (NASDAQ:PTNX) has created innovative printing solutions for the industrial marketplace and supply chain. The company is the worldwide market leader in enterprise solutions for line matrix printing and has earned an outstanding reputation for its high-performance thermal and fanfold laser printing solutions. Printronix also has become an established leader in pioneering technologies, including radio frequency identification (RFID) printing, bar code compliance and networked printer management. Printronix is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. For company information, see www.printronix.com.