Ways Label and Job Ticket Printing Benefit Manufacturers

Manufacturers are continuously under pressure to save time and costs throughout operations without sacrificing accuracy, or quality output.  As a manufacturer, have you thought about looking at your label printing operations?

Here are some ways to look for opportunities for these types of improvements.

• Do you print out all your labels for the day at a single office printer?
  What happens when information changes, labels are damaged, rolls get lost or mixed up and the wrong labels are applied? Dedicated thermal transfer printers allow you to print your labels on-demand where and when you need them thereby eliminating wasted time and media. Reprints can be more costly when you add the time to find and replace label stock and ribbons. Not using the right information can lead to even more serious quality consequences.
• What kind of printers are you using? Are you running labels on multi-purpose office printers?
  Certainly laser printers have their place for office printing such as documents, forms and a limited variety sheet-fed media. However thermal transfer printers can be a better choice for printing labels one at a time, or specific counts, not whole sheets. Thermal transfer printers are designed for the shop floor environment and print jobs. Printing paper labels as well as more durable materials are handled quickly without disrupting other processes. Using adjustable printer settings and a matching ribbon, you control the quality of crisp-clean print for reliable barcode scanning. With a wider choice of label materials, sizes, shapes, topcoat, security features, and adhesives, your labeling will be more suited to your needs, your applications, and regulatory mandates.
• Do you have one or many printers throughout your operations?
  Compact, durable thermal transfer printers strategically placed throughout operations (based on usage, purpose, label output requirements and printing volume) can lead to several improvements. Workers do not have to spend time walking to a central printer to pick up their labels. Thermal transfer printers (stationary, mobile, on mobile carts) are designed for printing and applying at the point of activity. Thermal transfer printers are also designed for various environments such as clean rooms, small reception or production areas, industrial areas around dirt, grease, humidity, etc. The right printer and service plan will help ensure continuous operation and protect your labeling equipment. Dedicated printers with specific labels loaded are far less likely to be mixed up, lost or damaged.

Is Your Printing Process and Technology Working For You?

Taking a good look at what kinds of labels or job tickets you need to print, what kinds of printers you are using, where printers are located, and how workers access their labels can prove to be valuable insight for improving your bottom line. As demands and regulations for manufacturers increase, so does the importance of looking at the error prevention and quality control benefits of using thermal printers and bar code processes. (Read Controlling Compound Costs of Defects In Manufacturing for more on hidden costs you may encounter.)

Thermal printers are the right tool for many production printing jobs. They can efficiently provide the convenience of on-site, on-demand ticket and bar code label printing that manufacturers need, while preventing hidden, non-value-added costs they cannot afford. To read more: How the Right Printer Can Make a Difference for Manufacturers, a white paper by Intermec Technologies.

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