Retro-Reflective Bar Code Labels and Long Range Scanning
So you want to upgrade your warehouse labeling to allow long range scanning. This is possible with retro-reflective labels however; there are a few items to keep in mind. Retro-reflective labels are only one piece of the equation. So before you invest in an upgrade to retro-reflective labels make sure you are familiar with all the contributing factors needed for a successful upgrade
Scanning Equipment
There is a misconception in the industry that if you upgrade to retro-reflective labels that you will be able to scan from long distances. This is simply not true. There are many different scanners on the market, each designed with specific scanning ranges. You must have a scanner capable of scanning long distances in addition to using the retro-reflective label material.
Environment
Another factor we are seeing in warehouses today is the use of new green technology lights that have a high lumen count. The reflections caused by these lights could impede the ability of your scanner to read bar codes at a long distance. You must consider both the ambient and artificial lighting in your facility in order to determine if your scanning equipment will be able to read long distance bar code labels.
Barcode
A barcode is a series of thin and thick black lines and white spaces, configured so that when read by the scanner it is translated into characters that we recognize such as numbers and letters. The thin bar of the barcode is called the X-dimension. The X-dimension is measured in thousands of an inch (mils). This X-dimension determines the size of the thick elements of the barcode as well in the form of a size ratio larger than the X-dimension. So, if an X-dimension is 10 mils, then the larger lines can be anywhere from 20-30 mils depending on which barcode symbology is being used. The size of X-dimension is what also dictates from how far of a distance you can scan your label. It would stand to reason that the thicker the bars, the further away the scanner can read. The typical scanner will require an X-dimension of anywhere from 70 mil to 100 mil in order to get a long distance scan from 15’-25’ or further. Most scanners come with a depth of field chart showing you how long they can scan when using the appropriate X-dimension of the barcode. Review your scanner’s documentation and find this chart so that you can specify the required size for your barcode.
Label Size
The length of the barcode is going to be determined by the number of characters you need in the code for your specified location. When scanning long distances you need to have a large X-dimension so that the scanner can read the barcode. Keeping all this in mind, you are likely going to end up with a very large label that could be 15” to 25” in length. You are not going to be able to use a standard 4x6 retro-reflective label with a 20 mil X-dimension and expect your scanner to read the label. THIS WILL NOT WORK. You will be wasting money using retro-reflective material that is far more money than a synthetic or paper label.
Productivity
In many of today’s 500,000+ sqft warehouses, the operations management measure the productivity of their workforce. Put-away pallet per hour and replenishment pallets per hour are important KPIs used to measure the profitability of a facility. We have done some studies on productivity for a racked solution warehouse. We have found that fork lift drivers move more pallets per hour when then can scan a bar code that is on a column placard placed at ground level, rather than aiming the gun up to capture a long range scan bar code at an upper level.
Summary
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