New Products
At the recently held Pack Expo show and conference, a host of new products related to printing and labeling technologies was introduced. Here is a sampling of those products.
High-volume label dispensing systems are using stepping motor drive technology developed by SIG Positec Automation Inc. Asynchronous dispensing of labels requires manually setting the labeling speed of the system to approximate the moving speed of the product. This requires no encoder to determine labeling speed. Considered cost efficient, this operation mode is normally used in the mass production of products with rarely or never-changing product feed speeds.
Synchronous dispensing utilizes an encoder to continuously monitor the product velocity and position. Products of high volume, or those in need of critical accompanying labels, are marked using the synchronous method.
Is it a bar code label or a radio frequency (RF) tag? Actually, it’s both. The Kennedy Group is now offering what it terms its RFID System for returnable and reusable plastic containers and pallets, as well as other products that require tracking and asset management. These tags prevent misidentification and allow for easy trackability. By integrating two identification systems, you can continue to use visual label systems while incorporating an RFID system. A variable information label identifying the contents of the container is placed on the placard. When the contents in the container change, the label can easily be removed and a new label adhered. The RFID tag can also be used with nameplates, which can be printed with logos in multiple colors, sequential bar code numbering and variable information.
Hosting Web pages on a bar code printer may seem like a strange idea, until you think about the utility of having forms available from anywhere in the world. This technology is rapidly becoming popular with all the major printer companies for customers with offices all over the world.
Intermec Technologies Corporation’s programmable bar code printers (the EasyCoder series) let clients create Web-based forms that are accessible from any standard Web browser and hosts those pages on the printer itself. The printers are programmed using Fingerprint, Intermec’s BASIC language, a highly capable and adaptable software programming language that allows companies to manage bar code data. It can control the label printer and the applications.
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration—Oswego has introduced advanced technology for automatic data collection on cartons, boxes and parcels. The company’s distribution technologies unit has developed a carton optical character recognition (OCR) and video coding subsystem product that automatically reads labels, addresses and bar codes on cartons. Image capture capabilities range from a single side up to six sides.
Data on non-bar coded cartons previously had to be captured using manual data entry and processing. This system eliminates that chore. It can capture data from six sides of a carton and integrate machine-printed or handwritten label information, along with bar coded labels. ADF
Need Information?
For more information on print-and-apply labeling as well as ink jet printing, check the following sources:
Avery Dennison, averydennison.com/vip
B&H Labeling Systems, bhlabeling.com
Cognitive, 800-525-2785
Datalogic, 859-689-7000
Diagraph Corp., 314-739-1221
Epson America Inc., ea.epson.com
Flexible Information Systems, labelvision.com
FoxJet Inc., 817-795-6056
Iconotech, iconotech.com
Imtec Inc., 603-354-7207
Intermec Technologies, intermec.com
Kennedy Group, kennedygrp.com
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, lockheedmartin.com
Marconi Data Systems, 630-860-7300
Markem Corp., markem.com
Paragon Labeling Systems, paragonlabeling.com
Printronix Inc., printronix.com
PSC Inc., 716-265-1600
QuickLabel Systems, 877-757-7978
Sato America Inc., 408-745-1300
SIG Positec Automation Inc., sig-positec.com
Tharo Systems Inc., tharo.com
Uniform Code Council, uc-council.org
Weber Marking Systems, webermarking.com
Welch Allyn Inc., 315-685-8945
Willett America, us.willett-group.com
Zebra Technologies, zebra.com
