I had a chance to go to a local business recently which was having a print & apply solution installed to help their upscale printing business.  The printing system automatically creates a barcode label, applies it to the desired product, and scans it to ensure the barcode is readable.  Thanks to the tamp blow applicator, the flexible tamp doesn’t even touch the object as it applies the label. This accurate and reliable unit will not provide a professional image on its products, it will save this company production time and labor costs.  The machine media supply provides extended hours of service and will even generate multiple alerts if the supplies are running low.  Here you can see a similar product in action:

Each print & apply system is customizable to fit the precise needs of your assembly line.  We also create software to help manage the system and get it running the way you want.  Contact a RACO product specialist at 1-800-446-1991 to learn about print and apply solutions and how it could help your assembly line run better.

The unique Bluebird BIP-1300 is an all-in-one handheld mobile device which incorporates a barcode scanner, magnetic stripe reader, thermal printer, CMOS camera and IC card reader into a single tool.  The device is perfect for Field Sales & Service, Retail, Logistics, Hospitality & Entertainment or any other mobile point of sale application.  It works great in the field thanks to full radio capabilities (CDMA-1X or EVDO, GSM-EDGE), Wifi (802.11b/g), Linear Imager, 2M pixels CMOS Camera, and Windows Mobile 5.0 or Win CE 5.0 operating system. 

We were excited to hear that this device was recently PTCRB certified which means it’s approved to be on the RACO Wireless network.  Any device that has a cellular modem in them have to have PTCRB certification as one of the requirements to use it on any carrier’s network.  With the help of RACO Wireless, we can get you a Bluebird and activate service for this impressive all-in-one device.  Just contact a RACO product specialist at 1-800-446-1991.

If this summer’s cinematic reboot of Star Trek is any indication, then the current hand-held bar code scanner market is taking future-proofing to a whole new level. Apparently, modern barcode technology was used to help make the movie set look futuristic.  Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that the “joysticks” in the captain’s seat of the Starship Enterprise are actually Motorola Cyclone M2000 hand-held scanners.  Sure, the device decodes existing, new, and emerging barcode symbologies instantly.  But I guess the Cyclone was picked for its sleek, stylish look that projects the image that you can boldly go where no one has gone before.

So, if you’re looking to take your business into the 23^rd century, or at least look like it is, we can help you out.  The Motorola Cyclone M2000 barcode scanners are available from RACO Industries. And if you’d like to see the M200 in “action,” check out the Star Trek DVD which is set for release on November 17^th.

So, you just got your new Zebra printer. Do you want to keep it running in tip-top order? All it takes is a little TLC to get the most enjoyment out of your wise investment in a thermal printer from Zebra Technologies. We will make it easy for you. Just follow these five quick and simple instructions compiled from years of experience selling and servicing Zebra printers.  

• Use Zebra approved ribbons and labels in your new printer. Poor quality or mismatched media causes poor print quality and premature printhead wear.       Take care of the printhead – it is the most expensive replacement part of a thermal transfer printer. 
• Be sure to store all unused thermal transfer ribbons and labels in their original shipping material. This eliminates dirt & debris from entering the printer.
• Operate your Zebra printer with all the covers closed to eliminate environmental contaminants from entering the printing system. 
• Make a point at every ribbon change or at a minimum of once a week to clean the thermal printhead mechanism. Use isopropyl alcohol and a lint free rag to wipe the printhead and platen roller clean of dust and adhesive. Use canned air to blow the dust from the media sensor and label path. 
• Rely on Zebra authorized service technicians to perform semi-annual preventative maintenance to replace any worn components, make adjustments and keep your printer operating at maximum performance. 

If you follow these guidelines, your new Zebra printer should lead a nice, long productive life. If there are bumps in the road, however, contact RACO Industries Technical Services at 1-800-446-1991 and press selection 3.

When the first commercial barcode scan in history occurred in the summer of 1974, probably no one expected that barcodes would one day be used not only as an invaluable tool for inventory management, but also to create art. Within the past several years, creative people all over the world have been using barcodes in their work. What was once a ubiquitous symbol for our consumer culture, has become a means of creative expression for anyone from starving artists to modern furniture designers.

Take the most famous person in the field of barcode art, Scott Blake, whose unique portraits of famous and historical figures made entirely out of barcodes have garnered massive attention from the creative community. His works include the portraits of Oprah, Bill Gates, and Ozzy Osbourne.  Many of Blake’s portraits are even constructed from barcodes relating to that person’s life or work. His likeness of Bruce Lee, for example, uses the barcodes from the DVDs of ten different movies starring the late martial artist. Blake even makes flipbooks of his portraits containing an animation that zooms in on the piece, allowing his audience to see the actual barcodes in detail. All of these portraits, among other works, can be found on Scott Blake’s website where prints of his works can be purchased, as well as personalized barcode t-shirts, patches, and even temporary tattoos.

The corporate world is also starting to take advantage of the barcode’s artistic potential. Japanese firm D-Barcode, for example, has been jazzing up grocery store products all over Japan with their interesting and creative new barcode designs, such as the ones pictured below.  As yo can see, the designs are simple in concept, but detailed and charming enough to prompt someone to go product hunting and start a collection.

Even modern Russian architects are realizing the creative possibilities that the barcode presents:

Truly, the appeal of the barcode is so widespread, its applications in the creative field are limitless.  As practical as the concept is to the business world, it is proving to be almost as handy to the art world.

Michigan Live is reporting that the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAS) has had great success with a new system that allows college admission administrators to capture prospective student information from scanned barcodes, rather than requiring students to fill out information forms with pen and paper.  The system is similar to the barcoding applications that have been deployed at business trade shows and conferences, but has been tailored for college fairs.  The process is quite simple, a bar code is assigned to a student upon entry to the college fair.  This printable bar code is linked to the student's relevant personal information stored in a backend system database.  As the student visits each booth, recruiters can quickly scan the student's bar code to retrieve the student's contact information, allowing the recruiter to spend more time discussing the school's programs rather than waiting for students to complete tedious paperwork.
 

There are many advantages to replacing the college fair paper contact forms with a bar code solution.  First and foremost, the data that is exchanged is much more accurate.  With pen and paper, college recruiters often struggle to read a student's handwritten form.  Secondly, the system speeds up the data exchange process.  Recruiters can spend more time speaking with students.  And lastly, students don't have to drive home with a severe case of writer's cramp.

You may be surprised to hear that the system described above is not difficult to implement.  If you are interested in a similar application, please contact the bar code and data collection experts at RACO Industries.

RACO Industries is both a ZASP (Zebra Authorized Service Provider) and Zebra Premier Partner.  We specialize in bar code and data collection technologies and carry the full line of Zebra bar code label printers, supplies and accessories.

We were recently challenged to track several hundred uniforms and musical instruments for a major university’s marching band. The quantity was not the problem…. determining which student musician has what uniform and instrument was. The total value of the equipment is in excess of a million dollars and ‘were given out to 18 – 21 year old college students with no means, other than paper and pencil, to track the assets.’

We proposed Z-Space Technologies’ Check In/Check Out Solution Pack; a configurable software solution built upon a SQL database, Crystal Reports, and Z-Space’s ITScriptnet data collection and development/communications software application. This solution is basically designed to track any asset that is frequently in and out of the hands of people. With minor configurable adjustments, it can be used very effectively for the university’s purpose. When integrated, the software solution allows the user to manage the assets and answers the three fundamental questions of asset tracking – Who has it? What is it? and Where is it?

Once the solution is implemented, the process is very simple. Each student utilizes the university-provided ID card with a bar code associated with the student’s ID number. All of the uniforms have a bar code label inside each piece i.e. pants, jackets, hats, shoes as well as all of the instruments. The bar code contains the university’s asset and serial number for accounting and tracking purposes. Labeling the actual instrument proved a little difficult. However, since each instrument has a case, we bar coded the case instead. The band director is provided a handheld mobile computer, like the Motorola MC55 or Unitech PA968, with the application configured on the device.  Now all he needs to do is scan the labels and the student ID barcodes and the application does the rest. To further the cause, we added customized reports and configured the devices and wireless network to communicate in real-time to the host PC.

For more information about this or other Check In/Check Out applications, contact RACO Industries at 1-800-446-1991 or visit us at www.racoindustries.com

We get asked all of the time about justifying the cost of a rugged mobile computer over a non-rugged or a consumer-grade device. Depending on the product, there can be a large cost differences between the two product types. There are three points that we like to make when justifying the cost difference:

1)      Ruggedized mobile computing devices like the Motorola MC55 is designed to resist damage from drops, humidity, misuse and other environmental issues. Consumer- graded devices are not designed this way and after-market cases only provide minimal protection. To put it simply, you drop it….you break it.

2)      Battery life is a very important factor for mobile computing. Ruggedized devices are intended to work for a full eight hour shift with options available to extend this time. This does not just include voice communications – it also includes data transmissions, scanning, image capture and all of the other functions needed for a mobile worker. The battery life for consumer graded devices will die out after only a few hours if used in this way.

3)      The costs for IT to support consumer-graded devices are nearly three times as high due to the increased failure these products. We ask a very simple question…do you want your valuable IT personnel to spend their time on IT projects or troubleshooting broken smartphones? 

For detailed information about the total cost of ownership for mobile computing, view Venture Development Corporation’s white paper. For more information about the value of ruggedized mobile computers, contact a RACO product specialist or visit www.racoindustries.com.