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Tag: labelling

TSC Printronix Auto ID makes strategic appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

TSC Auto ID Technology has created a new position to champion its On-Site Service Program, which is now available across its entire range of industrial and industrial enterprise printers. Jaime de Sousa has been appointed to the role of Service Program Specialist.

De Sousa joined TSC Printronix Auto ID from Matica Technologies AG where the position he held was Global Head of Technical Support. His focus is to identify and work with new service providers in certain regions as well as develop existing ones. He’ll also be assessing customer satisfaction, creating protocols and standardising the On-Site Service Program and warranties.

TSC Auto ID Technology says de Sousa is excited to be joining TSC at such a period of growth for the company. His considerable experience and computer science engineering background will also strengthen TSC Printronix Auto ID’s technical support team.

“My goal is to grow and enrich the service portfolio, to increase confidence in both the products and the TSC and Printronix Auto ID brands so that, in time, we continue to be the first choice for customers,” says de Sousa.

The On-Site Service Program can be bought at the same time as any new TSC industrial printer or Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise printer, or it can be purchased later. It was designed to help minimise business disruption for known service costs. The Program sees TSC devices maintained by certified TSC technicians and includes labour costs, travel expenses (up to 150km) and genuine spare parts (excluding print heads, cutting parts and components damaged by users).

For both resellers and customers, On-Site services will help improve efficiency, help control costs and maximise profit, guarantee the availability of support and offer quick resolution of any printer issues.

Amine Soubai, Managing Director TSC Auto ID Technology GmbH, described the strategic appointment as further evidence of the company’s commitment to improving its service offerings: “Jaime’s sole focus will be on developing, optimising and enhancing our technical service offers and customer service programs and his work will really complement the resources we already have.”

Viziotix software powers warehouse robots and drones

Posted on by David Priestman

Viziotix, a French SAAS startup, provides barcode scanning software that is helping to accelerate the digitisation of the warehouse (including robotic inventory counting). The new company provides computer-vision software that enables drones and robotics-based solutions to scan barcodes using their on-board cameras.

As the robot or drone makes its sweep of the aisles, racks and pallet locations, the camera streams images to a processor running the Viziotix scanner library. Here the images are rapidly scanned for barcodes and the decoded barcode data is sent to the inventory application and then to the WMS.

“We are leading the transformation and digitisation of the warehouse and distribution centre,” says Cedric Mollon, CEO at Viziotix. “Our software enables the scanning of 1D and 2D barcodes on pallet and rack barcode labels using cameras integrated into robotic applications and we have overcome the challenges of distance, lighting and movement blur to make this possible.

“In this application, a particular challenge is to find all the codes, even at the extreme edges of the image, and even when the resolution is very low – because the pixels are spread over whole pallets and not just focused on the shipping label. We find all the codes and this is what makes us unique.”

The four founders of Viziotix set up the company after discussions with logistics automation solution providers and associations.

“We realized,” Mollon continues, “many warehouses still do manual counts and that the companies designing automation solutions were being held back because they were not getting the barcode performance, or support they needed, to perfect their products and take them to market. To make automation viable you need near 100% efficiency in barcode detection and you need to scan very large image files in milli-seconds.

“Because of our extensive background in barcode scanning, we knew we could solve these problems and do it up to 10x faster than current solutions. Viziotix may be new, but we founders have a combined experience in this technology of over 60 years.”

doks.innovation GmbH, an early customer for the company, provides a robot & drone-based system for warehouse inventory analysis. “We chose Viziotix for our automated inventory management solution ‘inventairy’,” says Mike Becker, Managing Director & Co-Founder at doks. innovation. “Our thorough competitive analysis showed that the Viziotix software outperforms the other solutions available on the market today both in terms of reading rate and speed.

“Going forward, we believe that our robotic drone solution, ‘inventairy’, and Viziotix software, makes for a powerful solution for the digitisation of logistics.”

Viziotix software is fully released and SDKs are available. However, as a SAAS company it plans to continue to improve and release new versions of the barcode scanning software and provide the highest levels of support to its customers. It also plans to add new functionality given that robotics in the warehouse is still relatively new and evolving.

According to Mollon: “Automated inventory solutions are already replacing manual cycle and wall-to-wall counts, reducing the costs of errors, improving delivery times and therefore lowering overall warehouse costs. But by continuous improvement and with new data capture technologies, there is the potential to offer even more value, accelerate the roll-out and extend automation to picking and other use-cases inside and outside the four walls.”

TSC offers on-site servicing across entire range

Posted on by Keith McKinley

TSC Auto ID Technology EMEA GmbH’s comprehensive On-Site Service Program, previously only available across Europe on its Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise devices, is now available across its entire range of industrial and industrial enterprise printers, TSC and Printronix Auto ID.

Businesses cannot afford prolonged production and packaging downtime, they need to reliably produce barcode labels on demand. Even short, unplanned disruptions and failures can add time delays and costs upstream and downstream. By making the On-Site Service Program available across the complete range of TSC industrial and Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise printers, customers can now benefit from increased operational availability, consistently high print quality and longer life for the hardware itself.

“Whether you’re a large or small company, you don‘t need unpleasant surprises, in supply chain productivity, you need to keep things moving and ensure your printers are performing optimally at all times,” said André van Swaaij, Manager Services and Customer Solutions TSC Auto ID Technology EMEA GmbH.

The On-Site Service Program can be purchased with any new TSC industrial printer and Printronix Auto ID industrial enterprise printer, or added later. It helps not only keep businesses up and running but also gives them known service costs. The Program ensures TSC devices are kept in good order by certified TSC technicians and include labour costs, travel expenses (up to 150km) and genuine spare parts*. By only using genuine components, TSC ensures compatibility and longevity of the printers.

Bringing service programmes on TSC printers in line with Printronix Auto ID devices means TSC can now consistently and cost-effectively support both brands and enable customers to remain at peak productivity at all times.

“Having tailor-made service and maintenance contracts on both TSC and Printronix Auto ID industrial and industrial enterprise printers helps companies forecast service costs over a fixed period of time allowing complex work to be planned and budgeted for,” explained van Swaaij. “Faults can also be quickly and professionally resolved, and defective devices repaired at short notice or exchanged.”

In addition to its two-year guarantee, TSC printer customers can also extend their warranties to three, four or five years, providing they take out the policy within 30 days of purchasing the printer. The company offers two options:

  • Priority Guarantee: Includes repairs if electrical parts malfunction, replacement of defective components with genuine spare parts, labour costs, cleaning, adjustments and function testing.
  • Comprehensive Warranty Coverage: Includes everything in Priority Guarantee plus replacement of wear parts such as platen rollers and print heads.
* Excludes print heads, cutting parts and components damaged by users

Smart item supply, engagement & authentication with dual-frequency RFID labels

Posted on by David Priestman

Brady Corporation presents a new, highly reliable dual-frequency RFID label that combines the advantages of UHF and NFC RFID technology. With a single label, companies can improve product and item supply chain management, authentication and end-user engagement.

Track, trace, and engage with almost any item or product via a single, reliable and industrial-grade label with dual frequency UHF and NFC RFID technology. Locate multiple items at once from a distance and access additional information up close. Easily add more data anywhere, including birth and maintenance records, shipment dates, product manuals, authentication data and warranty information.

Provide an extended product reality

Simply tap the label with an NFC enabled smartphone to read and write data. All products or items with a dual frequency RFID label can enable entire supply chains to participate in track & trace programmes, from part manufacturing, assembly, logistics and distribution to installers, maintenance and end-users.

Data added may include codes, links to online information or to documents stored in databases.

Multiple labelled products and items can be counted and identified at once from a distance up to 11m with portable or fixed UHF RFID readers. Signals ignore line of sight to considerably increase inventory management speed and flexibility.

Relevant traceability data can also be accessed quickly per scanned item, and scanners can guide professionals to the right items.

CLICK HERE to watch the video and view the infographic to visualise your advantage.

 

Nano tape “has strength to replace nails”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Sometimes called ‘magic tape’, a transparent and lightweight double-sided nano tape from Kite Packaging can hold objects up to 1kg in weight. Its outstanding adhesive strength makes it an incredibly versatile product for an assortment of decorating, DIY or domestic applications in addition to the professional purposes it can satisfy within an office or a warehouse.

To use, simply cut off the required amount, seal it onto almost any surface and attach the item you want to suspend. The tape can even be reused by peeling it off the surface, washing with water and leaving it to dry naturally to regain its stickiness. Hence, Kite says its nano tape is a sustainable, multi-purpose solution built to last.

Within a packing station, tapes, scissors or label dispensers can be secured at the most convenient position for the user. The advantage of non-permanent fittings is the flexibility it grants the space. For small businesses, a pack bench may double as a product image backdrop and the tape can facilitate this transformation via the easy removal of suspended objects or the quick tidying up of the flat surface.

Office applications include organising workspaces to be as ergonomic and easily customisable as possible through attaching pens, pencils, calendars and posters to walls or desk divisions. Furthermore, you can elevate desks without causing slipping by inserting tape underneath a table leg, for example.

The nano tape is also popular for household tasks such as hanging picture frames or mirrors without inflicting potential damage to the wall. The clear and washable appearance will not interfere with any existing colour schemes while providing optimal decorative freedom for the user. The tape offers excellent versatility and convenience with the potential to revolutionise many processes.

 

 

Time to winterproof safety signage

Posted on by David Priestman

Winter is not the safest season. Slips and falls increase dramatically, especially when working outdoors, or simply walking to an office from the parking lot. When the cold and dark seem to conspire against health and safety and the need increases to highlight new safety communication to lower the risks, Brady is proposing signage solutions to help make the winter safe.

Reliable safety identification solutions to support Go for Zero programmes throughout winter include:

  • ISO-compliant ultra-visible reflective signs with excellent outdoor reliability to clearly identify on-site winter slip hazards and other risks, and easily guide employees, even in the dark
  • reliable pipe markers easy to apply to wet, rainy and cold outdoor pipe surfaces to make them compliant with any regulation or standard
  • PaintStripe stencils to quickly re-paint or create new, straight outdoor floor marking
  • outdoor safety cones and A-board floor stands to immediately highlight ice patches and other emerging winter hazards

While any solution can be pre-printed to a customer’s specifications, Brady also offers full flexibility to get through winter. With the BBP37 Multicolour & Cut Sign & Label Printer at their premises, a customer can quickly update safety and facility identification to reduce risks by:

  • creating reliable, industrial-grade outdoor signs, labels and pipe markers in any shape
  • using in stand-alone mode, or add Brady Workstation apps to design an even wider range of signs, pipe markers and safety labels
  • stocking a few blank label supplies – requiring minimal storage space – to sustain safety identification needs throughout winter

Bottle label applicator added to AM range

Posted on by David Priestman

AM Labels Limited, an award-winning colour label printing machine specialist, label manufacturer, barcoding and software solution expert based in Northamptonshire (UK), has added the Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator to its portfolio.

The Afinia A200 is an innovative, semi-automatic bottle label applicator that is simple and easy to operate, enabling users to effortlessly apply labels to bottles, cans, jars and a range of other cylindrical containers. Thanks to its ultrasonic gap detector, the A200 benefits from a highly accurate, efficient and consistent performance, even when clear materials are used. What’s more, the gap detector on the A200 is more far reliable than mechanical flag sensors, which are common in other bottle label applicators.

The compact label applicator can accommodate a variety of bottle, can and jar sizes, from 25mm to 160mm in diameter and from 80mm to 240mm in height. Facilitating the application of smooth, straight and perfectly spaced labels without bubbles or creases, the durable and low-cost A200 increases productivity, as well as saving time and money, while offering consistent and reliable results. The applicator is compatible with both single and front-and-back labels and, for additional ease of use, labels can be applied with a simple push of a button or via the included foot pedal.

With the ability to apply labels on up to 600 bottles or containers per hour, AM Labels says the A200 is ideal for use in a variety of industries and applications, including for businesses operating in retail, food and beverage and health and beauty sectors. Designed to enable users to apply labels to their chosen container accurately, the applicator is highly flexible, easy to adjust, and extremely competitively priced compared to other similar models on the market.

The improved mechanical design of the A200 is user friendly and the product guide can be easily customised, enabling label application onto bottles with both small and large heights. The applicator can also accommodate printing onto a limited range of tapered bottles. The A200 further benefits from an intuitive colour display which displays status information in a clear and concise manner, while enabling users to programme up to 29 formats, including the gap between front and back labels.

Brendon Bass, Sales and Marketing Manager, AM Labels Limited, commented: “We are delighted to expand our portfolio with this new and innovative product. The Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator allows businesses, operating in a range of industries, to effortlessly, efficiently and evenly apply labels to their chosen bottle or cylindrical container, delivering professional and consistent results, each and every time.

“The A200 was developed to provide a solution to common issues that can occur when operating label applicators with mechanical gap detectors, such as the metal flag being prone to damage or adhesive build up. The ultrasonic media sensor on the A200 can detect gaps in a wider range of media types, offering increased levels of accuracy and ease of use, while eliminating any inconsistencies that applying labels by hand can often create.”

AM Labels Limited says it has first-class technical and software expertise and customer service excellence, in addition to its own label production facility. The company offers vast and in-depth label printer, scanning and barcoding expertise to support a wide range of industries and applications.

Innovative logistics system developed based on printed sensors

Posted on by Keith McKinley

InnovationLab, an expert in printed electronics, has been working with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions to integrate its printed sensors into an innovative logistics application. Trelleborg says its IntelliStok inventory management system eliminates the need for the manual scanning of items, thereby saving time, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

IntelliStok works seamlessly with existing Kanban-based systems to provide real-time inventory tracking of the company’s sealing products. The system uses printed pressure sensor matrices from InnovationLab, which are placed inside existing storage bins at a warehouse. These sensors weigh the products in each bin and wirelessly send this data to the cloud.

“This was a challenging application. As our seals can weigh less than 1g, we needed a sensitive, cost-effective system that could reliably provide accurate information,” said Domenico Tucci, IoT Solution Architect at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. “InnovationLab worked closely with us to develop a solution that exceeded our expectations and then manufactured the sensor matrices for us.”

“We provide tailored solutions for our customers’ challenges, from the initial concept to the industrial production of the final product,” said Luat Nguyen, Managing Director at InnovationLab. “Our expertise is based on an in-depth understanding of materials, processes and printing technologies – for Trelleborg, we researched and analysed possible solutions, and then designed and manufactured the optimal sensor matrix that met their specific needs.”

Trelleborg set multiple requirements for the sensor matrix material such as low cost and sufficient durability to prevent deformation or creasing during use. InnovationLab undertook detailed research and testing of various materials, until it found a material that perfectly met all the criteria.

Trelleborg offers IntelliStok as a service to its customers – triggering orders automatically for the replenishment of stock, directly in Trelleborg’s systems. The customer receives an email informing them of the order and the stock arrives shortly thereafter.

For Trelleborg’s customers, there are five standard-size sensor units available, which fit most bin types. The sensor matrices are integrated into a module that incorporates a microcontroller (MCU), a Wi-Fi chip for wireless connectivity and a 3.6V lithium battery.

Brady acquires Nordic ID

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Brady Corporation has further strengthened its capabilities as a full-service provider of printer and  material expertise with the acquisition of Nordic ID.

Nordic ID adds strong, software-integrated RFID scanning capabilities and technology to Brady’s reliable, industrial-grade and RFID-enabled identification labels and printers. The acquisition strengthens Brady’s position as a worldwide full service provider for RFID and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Brady continuously innovates label materials and identification solutions, focusing on the evolving identification needs of many customers in diverse industries. The ability to include compliant, passive RFID chips and sensors in flexible, self-adhesive industrial grade label materials is a development spearheaded by Brady’s RFID competence centre in the EMEA-region.

“In the future, all products will need a unique digital identity to enhance their visibility throughout the supply chain, all the way to the end-customer,” said Brett Wilms, Managing Director Identification Solutions for EMEA at Brady Corporation.

“This enhanced visibility will help improve efficiency, increase sustainability, and enhance the customer experience. Our reliable, RFID-enabled label portfolio, know-how and print on-site capabilities are perfectly placed to enable these advantages for many companies, even in conditions considered challenging for most labels. Adding Nordic ID’s technology and solutions further develops and strengthens this offer.”

Combined with Nordic ID’s RFID readers, scanners, software, technology and capabilities, Brady can now offer highly customisable and complete RFID solutions to fully enable the benefits of Industry 4.0.

Juuso Lehmuskoski, CEO of Nordic ID stated, “Nordic ID’s technology provides solutions that enable our customers to manage their business processes based on intelligent data that bring transparency to their manufacturing processes, and predictability to their operations. The sale of Nordic ID to such a highly-regarded market leader in identification solutions presents an unparalleled opportunity for future growth in diverse industries worldwide.”

Brady intends to increase R&D efforts at Nordic ID to accelerate new RFID product introductions and to expand its product offering both within and outside of Europe. Nordic ID’s technology combined with Brady’s leading market position in niche application industrial printers and materials make this an attractive business combination in the fast-growing arena of track and trace applications within the industrial setting.

Norbord automates labelling of pallets

Posted on by David Priestman

Norbord, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wood-based panels, produces more than 1,200 square metres of OSB panels per day at its Genk location. Every day the logistics employees apply 1,400 labels to pallets in order to manage the panels and stock. This process was recently automated at Norbord’s Belgian location with a Zetes industrial labelling machine and ZetesAtlas identification software.

After the manufacturing process, the Norbord panels are placed on pallets and wrapped in protective film. Information about the pallets, the OSB panels and their location in the warehouse is stored in the ERP system. It also prints the labels that are applied to the respective pallets and scanned.

Until recently, these labels were printed in advance, so the forklift operators had to leave their cab each time to label and scan a pallet.

In order to automate the process, Norbord opted for ZetesAtlas, an integrated solution for identification and serialisation. After pallet wrapping, the machine applies the label – always in the same place – and automatically scans the barcode with the stock location and batch number. Then ZetesAtlas ensures that the pallet is shown correctly in Norbord’s warehouse management software. The forklift operator enters the stock locations only once at the start of their shift. Once the pallet has been scanned, the operator takes it to the designated place in the warehouse with an area of approximately 40,000 sq me.

Automation boosts safety and reduces errors

With the help of the automated solution, the forklift operators no longer have to leave their cabs to apply and scan the labels. This also dramatically improves safety, since there’s always a risk of falling every time a forklift operator exits or enters the cab.

“The difference since our project with Zetes is enormous,” says Steven Brouillard, Department Manager Finishing End Operations at Norbord. “We save time, and we are more efficient with fewer scan errors. We were just about to start up a second production line. Thanks to ZetesAtlas, we are now working with an additional line but with the same team. The new solution came at the right time.”

“It’s not easy to link industrial machines to ERP or WMS software”, says Stefan Nysen, Systems Developer at Norbord. “For us this worked out very well with smooth cooperation between our engineering and IT teams on the one hand and Zetes on the other hand. Instead of running on its own in a remote corner of the warehouse, our machine is fully integrated into our operations thanks to the ZetesAtlas identification software.”

Steven Brouillard concludes: “Zetes impressed us with their very professional approach. We started in March 2019 with the first contact, and six months later our two machines were already running at full speed. We also appreciate that we can call Zetes whenever we want to. Looking back, we could ask ourselves why we waited so long.”

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