Product identification is critical in industries because it allows businesses to label various products so they can be shipped to the correct addresses, shipped in the same batch or simply be picked out of a bunch of other products. Finding a product identification system can be incredibly challenging as businesses have different needs and various identification solutions are only a great fit for a few industries. In this article, we will look at some of the most common challenges businesses face when trying to find the right product identification system.
Environmental Conditions
The first challenges businesses have to think about when adding new product identification equipment is the environment these systems will be in. There are so many environmental factors that can interfere with the machines as well as the final printing or coding results. These include debris and dirt, humidity and worker safety and comfort. Businesses have to think about solving or eliminating all these problems before they bring the requisite equipment in.
Integration into Existing Processes
Many businesses already have their own manufacturing and packaging systems that have been working well for years, if not decades. To take their services to the next level, these businesses might want to add product identification systems and this is where the problem lies. They can find it hard to integrate product identification systems into their existing systems and processes.
The good news is that businesses no longer have to contend with this because companies like Diagraph have developed stand-alone, turn-key product identification solutions. These solutions have everything businesses need in one neat package, including conveyors, material handling solutions, the labeling and coding systems as well as network integration and database connectivity.
Type of Product
The type of product that needs to be identified and marked also makes it difficult to choose product identification solutions. A common challenge is the production line speed. No matter the type of the product, the speed of the production line will always determine how good the prints and indemnification end up being.
Second, businesses have to think about the product sizes. Smaller products are harder to identify which means they are also harder to mark or print on. Larger products do not have these issues and so businesses can choose whichever solution works best for these products.
Automation Options
When thinking about product sizes, businesses can automate the identification process because it is hard to miss these products. However, manual identification and placement are critical for smaller products that might be harder for the machine to identify and print on.
For businesses thinking about automating these processes, there is a need to ensure the identification system is working as expected first, or else the whole process will fail. The machine chosen should also be able to adapt in case the product that needs to be printed on or coded changes. This is especially important for businesses that handle more than one type of product.
When looking for a product identification solution, there are several things that businesses have to think about. Once they can find solutions to the common challenges they are likely to face, they can find the best product identification solution for their application.
