Smart Printer, Smart Investment

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Smart Printers.
Smart Investment.People generally relate to industrial printers as they do to their Intermec Automatic Bar Code Adjustmentdesktop printers. It's a "dumb" device that prints whatever a Intermec smart printers feature Automatic Bar Code computer sends it. As long as it does that well and keeps working, Adjustment, which allows the printer's Fingerprint people really don't think too much about it. firmware to automatically re-adjust the bar code position on the label slightly to compensate for the fault dots. Bar code printers have generally fallen into the same "dumb" and reliable category, but are also rugged and fast at producing labels. If that's not possible due to the positions of multiple fault dots, the printer will produce an error message so no unreadable labels However, there is a different type of industrial-strength printer will be produced. ABC Adjustment prevents bad labels from that's in a class by itself. It has the same characteristics as other being produced and helps keep production lines up and running.bar code printers-rugged, fast, and reliable-but these printers are "smart." Smart printers have built-in intelligence that enables them to perform a wide variety of operations that normal printers cannot. Error-proof labelingCreating high-quality labels is just the first step of the process. First, smart printers do not require a computer to be able to produce That label then needs to be placed on the correct part or carton. labels. The immediate benefits are you save the cost of a computer Mislabeled parts can cause production line shutdowns, angry dedicated to controlling the printer and you save space by reducing customers, and in some industries, like automotive, can cause the number of devices needed to perform operations. Smart significant penalties to be levied against a supplier.printers' intelligence also allows them to actually run processes and devices. Smart printers can act as programmable logic controllers Smart printers help here too. Instead of batch printing labels (PLC) to run other devices in production applications. ahead of time to be applied to parts, smart printers (with or without label applicators) produce labels one-at-a-time, on-Smart printers are not new; they have been manufactured for demand as the part is finished. In this case, the part-making over a decade. The latest generation delivers even more capability machine communicates directly with the printer, which is than before, adding advanced bar code printing capabilities, error- programmed to know the part number that corresponds to the proofing, the ability to print directly from ERP systems via XML machine's signal. The printer produces a new label for each part, data, and RFID labeling and data management capabilities. eliminating the possibility of mislabeling. Even in a manufacturing environment where parts look virtually identical, each part is Foolproof bar code printing correctly labeled at the point of production. In an application First and foremost, a printer needs to produce high-quality, where parts are serialized, the printer, prior to printing the label, readable bar codes. Printers use thermal printheads to position the will confirm a serial number has not been used.ink precisely to produce a readable label. Even the highest quality printheads wear out and need replacing, but the printer may run As parts are packaged together, each bar code is read to ensure for some time with a printhead that is starting to fail. they are the same part and a carton label is automatically generated at the point of application, eliminating another One of the symptoms of a failing printhead is a missing dot or a potential source of error.single fault dot. Missing dots will produce thin "white" (absence of ink) lines along the media in the feed directions. While text and Smart printers eliminate mislabeling caused by human error and graphics can tolerate the missing dots, horizontal bar codes can serialized part data is stored to provide an audit trail for recalls and become unreadable because what should be a solid black bar will warranty claims.lose some of its width or be divided through the middle by the white line. XML printing: eliminating middlewareSmart printers simplify printing with data from ERP systems. In the A failing printhead can stop workflow or, if the problem is past, enterprises with ERP infrastructures have had to depend on discove... [download for more]