Saturday, May 25, 2013
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.
While the bar code scanners weren't commonplace until the 1980s, bar codes were actually developed as early as the 1950s. The first patent for a bar code was issued in 1952 to Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland who developed the code and reader using a light bulb and movie projector parts. The first bar code scanner for a grocery store was installed in 1974 at a supermarket in Ohio, and the very first item scanned was a package of Wrigley gum, which is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
All of the products in the store are printed with the Universal Product Code, which was created in 1966. Each number in the code has a special significance. If you see a product that begins with a 0, this means the product is a national brand. If you purchase an item that has been weighed at the deli, the first digit will be the number 2. Shampoo, make-up and other beauty items begin with a number 3 and so one. The second set of numbers in the UPC identifies the actual manufacturer. Each product can be easily identified using this code.
In addition to the UPC bar on a food product, the manufacturer also prints other special codes onto the product. These include things such as batch identification numbers and expiration dates. Food producers use special printers known as id printers or id coders to affix these numbers onto a variety of product surfaces, such as glass, plastic, cardboard and more.
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.
Another good option is purchasing ink from these id companies, as well. They sell carefully formulated inks and make up for any coder. You can purchase Videojet ink, Domino ink or ink for any other brand at much lower prices.
