Modern automated warehouses, conveyor belts and manufacturing facilities increasingly require the implementation of identification systems.
One of the main requirements of the production process is the link between the information and the material flow. Thus, objects can be identified in real-time locations, which results in increased flexibility in every phase of the work process.
Optical identification represents approximately 75% of all identification systems currently in use.
Thanks to barcodes, printed data can be easily and automatically read by means of a reading device. Barcode applications can be found in all fields of industry, retail, in the public sector and in everyday life.
Moreover, a series of codes have been developed which can no longer be defined as barcodes, but as matrix codes, like the Data Matrix or MaxiCode. These two dimensional codes are used mainly in the logistics field.
The information encoded in a barcode can be optically read by means of a special device. It must be taken into account that surrounding conditions can considerably influence the reading and therefore the correct identification of the code. For example, if the information contained in a label is not correctly decoded, the item may be sent to the wrong location or even be destroyed. Barcodes can be found on moving objects, delivery notes, warehouse schedules, identifying plates, labels, etc.
With respect to directly printing characters on objects by means of laser or ink-jet, labels have the advantage of being printed before being used. In this case, the place where the code is printed and used can be different, and this enables a low-cost and high-quality mass production in printing works.
Thanks to technological progress in opto-electronics, today data printed in a certain format can be automatically read and then downloaded to a computer by means of standardised interfaces. A barcode on a stationary object can be read by means of any hand-held reading device.
With a fixed-position laser scanner or a CCD-scanner, codes can be read at a remote distance on both moving and stationary objects. Automatic identification and today's computer technology have given industry improved control systems for managing transportation and production processes, as well as warehouses. Moreover, automatic identification systems simplify data management with regard to the issuance of warehouse and transportation documents (delivery notes, invoices, packing notes, etc.)
Examples of Barcode Applications
Manufacturing
On the shop-floor of industrial plants Datalogic devices identify objects being manufactured, capture information from the process and transmit it to the company IT system, to make real-time control of time and processes possible. Datalogic devices identify the single products in the isles, production lines and warehouses, guarantee automatic and immediate monitoring of the production process, and supply all the necessary information to maximise precision, quality and efficiency.
Transportation & Logistics
Datalogic products are used to control and guide the movements of goods and people. In warehouses and transit areas of goods, centres of gathering correspondence and airports, national carriers and big international couriers, airports and airline companies, post offices and providers of logistic services find Datalogic to be the ideal partner to guarantee total traceability of each movement.
Distribution & Retail
In supermarkets and shops Datalogic's readers enable consumers to pay without queuing at the cashier, enable the big chain stores to develop truly one-to-one promotions for their customers, and manufacturers of consumer goods to have a precise feedback on sales and the purchasing model of consumers.
OEM
OEMs require very reliable components that fit into their machines, minimising the integration effort and assuring the highest level of performance. Datalogic’s capability to define, develop and deliver specialised and customised devices in a fast and reliable way is crucial for OEMs in increasingly competitive markets.
Datalogic
Reviewed by Unknown
on
11:46 AM
Rating:
