PRINTERS/APPLICATORS

Printronix Introduces SLPA8000r

Printronix (www.printronix.com) launches the SLPA8000r—the industry's first field-upgradeable barcode printer applicator on the market with the ability to upgrade to RFID labeling in the field. It features technology to give consumer packaged goods companies the ability to tag their products and shipping cases with barcode or RFID labels while offering the industry's highest-speed printing, capable of exceeding 100 cases per minute.

The SLPA8000r evolved from the Printronix SLPA7000r print-encode-and-apply system. Since 2004, Printronix has deployed more RFID printer applicators among Wal-Mart's top 100 suppliers than any other manufacturer and earned the top market share position in North America, according to CB GroupUSA (www.cbgroupusa.com/about.htm) Printronix was also responsible for nearly 40% of the RFID printer applicator market in 2005, according to George Gilfoil, Managing Director, CB GroupUSA.

"Printronix has removed the speed barrier that has impeded the adoption of RFID printing in production environments," says Andy Chapman, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Engineering and Product Marketing. "CPG companies need the capability to encode, print, and verify RFID and barcode labels at high speeds, and the SLPA8000r answers this call by encoding, printing, and applying tags in excess of 100 cases per minute."

FKI Logistex™ Introduces Print-and-Apply Module

FKI Logistex™ (www.fkilogistex.com) introduces the Print-and-Apply Module®: a self-contained, fully-automated system designed to streamline and automate label printing and application in barcode, RFID, or hybrid ID environments.

Using existing barcode information, the FKI Logistex Print-and-Apply Module queries a facility's WMS or other control system for the data needed for label printing. In many cases, the system takes product data from receiving or pick-and-pass operations and prints a shipping label that routes the box through a facility to its final destination. Ideal for situations where throughput requirements demand the automation of the print-and-apply function, the module can operate at rates in excess of 30 cartons per minute.

The Print-and-Apply Module is typically implemented using the FKI Logistex BOSS® control system, which handles the interaction of machine and transactional data from the PLC level to the WMS level all on one PC. BOSS can also run a series of Print-and-Apply Modules from one location.

Standard hardware components in the Print-and-Apply Module include the underlying FKI Logistex conveyor and a barcode scanner and printer. Optional hardware components include a weighing scale and verification scanner used to provide check and shipping weight and label integrity confirmation. In addition, an optional divert unit can redirect rejected product for manual handling. A second optional printer can be added for increased throughput and system redundancy. The Print-and-Apply Module can top-apply or side-apply labels.

"The Print-and-Apply Module gives FKI Logistex customers a flexible and high-throughput label printing and application system that fully automates a typically labor-intensive process," says Gary Cash, Vice President, Product Management, and Marketing, FKI Logistex North America. "The quality and consistency of labeling provided by this system can improve identification accuracy, while reducing the cost of manual handling later in the process."