The Smart Way to Print Smart Labels
Kimberly-Clark's John Onderko explains the issues you need to consider before purchasing an RFID label printer-encoder or label applicator.
Whether you're tagging goods to meet retailer mandates or to improve your internal processes, you'll need an RFID printer-encoder to create smart labels to affix to your pallets, cases and, perhaps, items. Smart labels, which are typically sold in rolls, are adhesive labels embedded with RFID tags, or transponders. The encoder electronically writes information—typically a unique ID, or Electronic Product Code—to the RFID inlay, and the printer marks the label with a bar code and human-readable text.
If you're tagging a small number of cases and pallets just before you ship them to the retailer, you can use a stand-alone printer-encoder and manually affix the labels. If you're tagging high volumes of goods, you'll likely want a label applicator, which includes a printer-encoder and automatically applies the labels to goods as they move down a conveyor line.
To help you choose the printer-encoder that's right for your business, rfid journal spoke to John Onderko, senior packaging engineer for RFID at Kimberly-Clark (K-C). The company recently tested a variety of RFID label printer-encoders and applicators in its internal lab. To read more about K-C's RFID lab, see "Lab-Powered Innovation" (September/October 2005). Here are excerpts from that interview.
What are the key issues that companies should consider before they purchase RFID printer-encoders or applicators?
If you're tagging a small number of cases and pallets just before you ship them to the retailer, you can use a stand-alone printer-encoder and manually affix the labels. If you're tagging high volumes of goods, you'll likely want a label applicator, which includes a printer-encoder and automatically applies the labels to goods as they move down a conveyor line.
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| The Printronix SLPA7000r MP2 is a printer-encoder and label applicator. It encodes smart labels and verifies the data, then it automatically applies up to 60 labels per minute. |
To help you choose the printer-encoder that's right for your business, rfid journal spoke to John Onderko, senior packaging engineer for RFID at Kimberly-Clark (K-C). The company recently tested a variety of RFID label printer-encoders and applicators in its internal lab. To read more about K-C's RFID lab, see "Lab-Powered Innovation" (September/October 2005). Here are excerpts from that interview.
What are the key issues that companies should consider before they purchase RFID printer-encoders or applicators?
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