Minggu, 26 Mei 2013

A Look Back At Bar Codes

By Keren Kipfer


Many of us still remember going to the grocery store and having the checker type in the cost of each individual package and food item. Today's checkers have the convenience of using automated bar code readers, which makes the process much faster and more accurate. In addition to the convenience factor, bar codes help improve the efficiency of inventory and help store owners quickly compile statistics about what products sell the best.

Using parts from an old movie projector and a 500-watt bulb, Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland developed the first type of bar code and a scanner, for which they received a patent in 1952. By 1974, the first scanner was installed in an Ohio supermarket. The first scan was a momentous occasion, and the product scanned, which was a 10-pack of Wrigley gum, is now located in a display in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Eventually these scanners became common place in all supermarkets, grocery stores and all other types of retail shops.

The bar code that you see on your grocery products is called the Universal Product Code, and it was developed in the mid-1960s. Each number represents something very specific. The initial digit indicates the type of item you are purchasing. For instance, if you purchase shampoo or a health product such as aspirin, the number will be a 3. A 5 is printed on coupons, and a 2 is reserved for items that have a random weight, such as sliced meats and cheeses from the deli. The next set of numbers indicates the actual company that manufactures the product. Coca-Cola, for instance, has the number 49000 on its product labels.

We have all seen the UPC bars on products, but there are also many other numbers that are printed on packages. Particularly on a food or drink item, you will see the batch number and expiration number printed somewhere on the label. This printing is done using a type of printer that is called an id coder or an id printer. The coders are fast printers with quick-drying inks that can print on materials such as plastic, glass, metal and many more surfaces.

There are many major brands of these id coders, which typically are drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printers. You might see a company that uses a Domino printer or perhaps a Videojet printer. Other brands include Altima printers, Maxima printers and Imaje coders. If you are in the market for a coder, consider buying a used model and have it refurbished by a product id business that offers repairs and refurbishments. These companies also generally have many replacement parts on hand for all the major brands.

In addition, a product id firm is a great place to buy replacement inks and make-up fluids. You can find companies that create generic Domino ink, Altima ink, Videojet inks, Willett inks as well as all the make-up fluids you need at considerably lower prices than you get from the manufactured.




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