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7 Ways to Keep Your Thermal Printer in Like New Condition

Thermal printers are a popular choice for many businesses due to their efficiency, speed, and high-quality output. Among the most popular thermal printers are Zebra thermal printers, which are known for their reliability, versatility, and durability.

However, like any other printer, Zebra thermal printers require proper maintenance to keep them functioning at their best. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some best practices for maintaining your Zebra thermal printer, ensuring that it remains in top condition for years to come.

Keep the printer clean

Keeping your Zebra thermal printer clean is essential to its proper maintenance. Dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on the printer’s surface, particularly in the areas where paper enters and exits the machine. This debris can cause problems such as paper jams and poor print quality.

To clean your Zebra thermal printer, use a soft cloth and a mild cleaning solution, such as water or a mixture of water and alcohol. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that can damage the printer’s surface.

Use high-quality labels and ribbons

The quality of labels and ribbons you use can significantly impact the performance and lifespan of your thermal printer. Low-quality labels and ribbons can leave behind residue that can damage the printhead or cause jams.

They can also wear out faster, requiring you to replace them more frequently. To prevent these issues, always use high-quality labels and ribbons that are specifically designed for use with thermal printers.

Replace printheads regularly

The printhead is the most critical component of a thermal printer, and it’s also the most delicate. The printhead heats up as it prints, and over time, it can become damaged or worn out. When this happens, the printer’s output quality may decline, and it may even stop working altogether.

To prevent this, replace the printhead regularly. The frequency of replacement will depend on the printer model and usage, but it’s generally recommended to replace the printhead every 12-18 months. StickyPaper offers OEM-Compatible printheads that offer similar performance at significant savings. Read our previous blog post to see if OEM-Equivalent printheads are right for your application.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410/ZT411 Plus 203 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: P1058930-009


Adjust printer settings

Adjusting the printer settings according to the type of label or ribbon you are using is essential to ensure that your Zebra thermal printer performs at its best. Some labels and ribbons require specific settings to produce optimal results.

Adjusting the printer settings can help to prevent issues such as poor print quality, label smudging, and jams.

Keep the printer up to date

To ensure that your Zebra thermal printer remains optimized and secure, it’s crucial to keep it up to date. Zebra regularly releases firmware updates for their printers, which include bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements.

To keep your printer up to date, check the Zebra website regularly for updates and install them promptly.

Store the printer in a suitable environment

Storing your Zebra thermal printer in a suitable environment is critical to prevent damage from moisture, dust, and debris. It’s also essential to store the printer in a location that is not subject to extreme temperatures or direct sunlight.

These conditions can cause the printer’s internal components to expand or contract, leading to damage or malfunction.

Train your employees

Properly training your employees on how to use and maintain your Zebra thermal printer is crucial to its proper maintenance. Teach them how to load labels and ribbons correctly, how to adjust printer settings, and how to troubleshoot common issues.

Providing regular training will not only ensure that your printer is maintained correctly, but it can also prevent employee frustration and downtime due to printer issues.

In Conclusion

In closing, maintaining your Zebra thermal printer is essential to its longevity, performance, and reliability. By following the best practices outlined above, you can keep your printer functioning at its best, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment.

Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410 & ZT411 300 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part number: P1058930-010


7 Scenarios Where OEM-Compatible Printheads May Be Right For You

Replacing your thermal printhead is a necessary and expensive part of your routine printer maintenance, but does it have to be? Read more to find out when OEM-Compatible printheads make sense for your application. In a previous article, we talked about what OEM-Compatible printheads are and the reasons why your printer manufacturer wants you to…

The Great Debate: Genuine OEM vs OEM-Compatible Printheads

OEM printer manufacturers often make claims why only Genuine OEM printheads should be the choice for your thermal printers. These statements certainly have the manufacturer’s interests at heart, but are the consumer’s interests at heart as well? This article talks about viable options for Genuine OEM replacement printheads. Some companies market these products as OEM-compatible,…

Deep Dive: Zebra ZT411 and ZT421 series industrial printers: easy to use and designed to grow as your business grows

Zebra’s ZT400 series printers have an all-metal frame build and user-friendly bi-fold door that gives you a high-performing, versatile industrial-grade printer with easy access for operators The ZT400 series printers have a touch-screen, full color display panels, easy-to-load media and easy-access printhead and platen rollers make it easy for operators to perform routine maintenance. Zebra…

Featured

7 Scenarios Where OEM-Compatible Printheads May Be Right For You

Replacing your thermal printhead is a necessary and expensive part of your routine printer maintenance, but does it have to be? Read more to find out when OEM-Compatible printheads make sense for your application.

In a previous article, we talked about what OEM-Compatible printheads are and the reasons why your printer manufacturer wants you to only buy Genuine OEM replacement printheads.

Genuine OEM printheads are replacement parts that are designed to perform with the manufacturer’s printers. The Genuine OEM parts are priced at a premium to pay for the marketing, R&D development and overhead costs of these large organizations.

As we covered in our previous article, OEM-Compatible printheads are reverse-engineered to offer the same level of print quality and printhead useful life at substantially lower prices. The OEM manufacturers would have you believe that the lower price is equal to lower quality.

The truth is, OEM-Compatible printheads give you performance without the fancy OEM logo and custom-printed box. These reputable companies generally have career thermal printer engineers, supply chain experts and commercial representatives leading their organizations without the overhead of the OEM manufacturers.

This article highlights situations where you should explore OEM-Compatible printheads instead of Genuine OEM parts.

Declining Support for Discontinued Printer Models

It is typical for OEM manufacturers to discontinue or sunset legacy product lines as they develop new innovations, offer value-added features and bring new capabilities to address customer needs. Plus, selling you new equipment is always a bonus for the top and bottom line.

The problem is they make a really good product that can perform for your organization for many years with proper maintenance. If you have a printer that has since been discontinued by the printer manufacturer, purchasing an OEM-Compatible thermal printhead may be cost-effective and may be your only option.

Less Complex Print Requirements

Barcodes and text? All in a day’s work for OEM-Compatible printheads. Photo by Charlie-Helen Robinson from Pexels

Earlier in the article, we talked about OEM-Compatible printheads offering the same level of print quality as the Genuine OEM products. We still stand by that belief and have data to show you if you’d like to reach out.

Still, if you’ve always purchased Genuine OEM replacement printheads because you believed you had to, take a look at what you print on your labels.

If you tend to print large font, few barcodes or mostly text and alphanumeric characters, do you need to pay a premium for the Genuine OEM products?

Purchasing OEM-Compatible printheads will offer significant cost savings over the OEM brand and will offer the same level of performance and printhead life as well.

Oh, and if you print complex labels with small font, specialty characters, multiple languages and with 2D and 3D barcodes, we can do that, too,


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410/ZT411 Plus 203 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: P1058930-009


Your Warranty Has Expired

If your printer is new and you have a warranty program that requires you to purchase Genuine OEM replacement parts, you are locked in with your printer manufacturer.

When the initial warranty period has expired and you and your operators have a high level of comfort using and maintaining the printer, you should feel confident that OEM-Compatible printheads will meet your needs.

I don’t want to belabor this point, but OEM-Compatible printheads offer OEM-equivalent print quality and printhead life at lower prices than the OEM brand parts. These cost savings alone are well worth the minor investment to buy an OEM-Compatible printhead to do a comparison for yourself as soon as your warranty expires.

The Economics Just Make Sense

OEM-Compatible printheads allow you to save significantly from Genuine OEM replacement parts which helps your bottom line. Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

If your organization is a for-profit business, we have a constant focus on the bottom line. Depending on how competitive your industry is, many businesses face pressures to save costs at all levels of the organization.

For consumables like replacement printheads, OEM-Compatible parts present a great opportunity to manage your costs while maintaining the same print quality your customers are used to.

You can often save anywhere from 40-60% with OEM-Compatible printheads compared to Genuine OEM parts.

If you would like my help to see if we have an OEM-Compatible printhead for your printer, please feel free to reach out to us on the Contact Us page or sending an email to us at sales@stickypaper.net for more information.

OEM-Compatible Printheads Are Readily Available Despite the Supply Chain Constraints

Supply chains are tight for a variety of reasons. Keep your business up and running by having OEM-Compatible printheads suppliers as a validated option for your business. Photo by Sascha Hormel from Pexels

The global supply chain has tightened significantly and if you find that your current supplier has extended its lead-times for your Genuine OEM printhead, this is an opportunity to evaluate OEM-Compatible printheads that are designed to fit your printer and engineered to perform as its more expensive OEM brand counterparts.

If you have not been impacted with product availability from your current supplier, it would still be a good idea to evaluate OEM-Compatible printheads. Disruptions in the supply chain have been attributed to labor shortages, port congestions and even weather events. It’s unclear what will cause supply chain tightness or when it will happen, so for business continuity planning purposes, identify one or two reputable suppliers.

You Regularly Maintain Your Printers

Customers who rely on their printer and consumables suppliers for routine maintenance and service may have to buy Genuine OEM replacement parts as part of their service agreement.

If your operators have been working on these printers for some time and keep up with preventative maintenance for your equipment, OEM-Compatible printheads can be installed and start up the same as Genuine OEM parts.

Moreover, your operators and technicians will have intimate knowledge of how your labels printed using Genuine OEM printheads and provide valuable insights on the quality and performance of your OEM-Compatible products.

As history tells us, our customers who have switched to our OEM-Compatible printheads generally don’t switch back to OEM brand products.

You Have Found a Reputable and Trustworthy Supplier of OEM-Compatible Parts

There is a level of comfort buying Genuine OEM printheads because it comes with the same logo and brand as your printer.

Not all OEM-Compatible suppliers are equal. There are many suppliers that use sub-tier parts, provide poor post-sale support and don’t stand behind their product. Some suppliers are fly-by-night suppliers on auction websites and are here today and gone tomorrow.

StickyPaper Company has been in business since 2015 and we work with reputable OEM-Compatible printhead manufacturers. 

If you would like our help with an OEM-Compatible printhead for your printer, please feel free to reach out to us on the Contact Us page or sending an email to us at sales@stickypaper.net for more information.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410 & ZT411 300 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part number: P1058930-010


7 Ways to Keep Your Thermal Printer in Like New Condition

Thermal printers are a popular choice for many businesses due to their efficiency, speed, and high-quality output. Among the most popular thermal printers are Zebra thermal printers, which are known for their reliability, versatility, and durability. However, like any other printer, Zebra thermal printers require proper maintenance to keep them functioning at their best. In…

Deep Dive: Sato CL4NX Plus series thermal printers – versatile and well-suited to perform in a variety of applications

Sato’s CL4NX Plus printer is a high-performance industrial thermal printer with a wide range of standard features not commonly offered by the competition The CL4NX Plus series printers are easy to use, ideal for printing small labels, RFID-enabled, have a larger media capacity, intuitive design for routine maintenance and fast print capability. Ideal for Printing…

Infographic: 5 Ways to Ensure Maximum Useful Life from Your Replacement Printheads

Regular maintenance is key to achieving high density print and consistently scannable barcodes. Your labels are key elements of your brand and proper maintenance of your thermal printers will ensure your message is communicated consistently and clearly. The following infographic covers key topics to keep your thermal print operation running smoothly: Clean your printheads frequently…

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The Great Debate: Genuine OEM vs OEM-Compatible Printheads

OEM printer manufacturers often make claims why only Genuine OEM printheads should be the choice for your thermal printers. These statements certainly have the manufacturer’s interests at heart, but are the consumer’s interests at heart as well?

This article talks about viable options for Genuine OEM replacement printheads. Some companies market these products as OEM-compatible, OEM-equivalent or OEM-quality.

These terms are generally used interchangeably and, for the purpose of this article, we will refer to these products as OEM-Compatible products.

What are OEM-Compatible printheads?

These companies reverse-engineer the Genuine OEM printheads and develop a compatible, equivalent or OEM-quality printhead.

Oftentimes, these replacement printheads will often perform the same with your current labels and ribbons at the same temperature settings and print speeds you’re using today.

OEM’s like to point out the following points why you should only buy Genuine OEM parts:

OEM’s liken OEM-compatible printheads to “knock offs” or counterfeit products to paint a perception that they are lesser quality than the original

Here’s the thing. There are many reputable companies that reverse-engineer and develop OEM-compatible printheads. Many of these are led by former R&D engineers and operations leaders who worked at the OEM printer manufacturers earlier in their careers.

We are talking about veteran thermal transfer industry professionals who have spent their careers developing, marketing and producing high-quality products for their customers. It makes little  sense to tarnish their reputation in this industry by producing non-functional or even substandard products for a buck.

The claims that these printheads are “knock offs” or counterfeit are unsubstantiated. Like after-market automotive parts manufacturers, these products are engineered to fit and perform similar to Genuine OEM parts.

There is no OEM branding on these products and no such claims are made that you are being sold Genuine OEM products. OEM-Compatible manufacturers are not trying to pass their products off as Genuine OEM products.

Cliche comment #1 “looks can be deceiving”

Photo by Jorge Fakhouri Filho from Pexels

As mentioned previously, OEM-Compatible printheads are reverse engineered to work with your specific printer models.

By this very nature, the OEM-compatible products should look pretty darn, if not exact, to the Genuine OEM products.

There is no deceit here.

You want your OEM-Compatible printhead to look like your Genuine Printhead and you want it to fit the same as well. If it didn’t look the same, you would immediately send it back where you bought it.

Cliche comment #2 “you get what you pay for”

I personally love the “you get what you pay for” comment. But before we dive into this one, let’s tip the cap to the OEM’s here.

OEM’s have spent an inordinate amount of R&D, sales, marketing, production, etc to bring great printers that help automate, track and trace and keep our supply chain running smoothly. Honestly, they do a fantastic job and should be commended.

That’s where the praise stops.

“You get what you pay for” is the OEM’s attempt at equating price to performance. That is, if you don’t buy the considerably more expensive printhead that has the same logo as your printer does, it’s not going to work, or, at least, it’s not going to be as good or that’s  what they would like you to believe.

We have our own case studies showing OEM-Compatible printhead performance compared to the Genuine OEM printhead. But there’s an easier way to prove out the price equals performance argument.

Buy an OEM-Compatible printhead and compare with your Genuine OEM product.

Drop it in and run the same labels at the same settings and test it yourself. Do a time study and see how many days, weeks or months of life you get out of OEM-Compatible printheads.

I guarantee you, this side-by-side comparison will cost less than your current OEM printhead and you can truly see if “you get what you pay for”. Based on our repeat customers, I would think price does not necessarily equal performance.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410/ZT411 Plus 203 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: P1058930-009


Using OEM-Compatible printheads may void your warranty

After your Genuine OEM pal is done being your buddy and giving you heartfelt reasons why you should stay with them, they usually offer one final scare tactic to keep you with them.

If you don’t buy our Genuine OEM printhead, we may not honor any warranty claims.

Whoa, talk about a 180 degree turn on the relationship front here.

On one hand, I get it. The OEM invested so much and they developed the printhead to work in tandem with the printer. It makes sense that they would protect their business and would only protect that combination.

Ultimately what they are telling the customer is you don’t have a choice. You as a consumer have to buy their product and theirs alone.

As a consumer, I hate being told what to do and what not to do. I’m sure I am not alone.

You have a choice with OEM-Compatible printheads in the market. Read the fine print in your printer warranty. You can make the final decision if you want to lock yourself into buying Genuine OEM or if you want to see how OEM-Compatible printheads could work for your business.

In Conclusion

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels

I can’t fault the OEM printer manufacturers here. They make a great product and they want to retain your business with every printhead that you buy afterwards.

The challenge for the consumer, however, is the OEM printer manufacturers are charging a hefty sum for the privilege of getting a branded box complete with fancy OEM logo.

The OEM will make untrue claims knocking the quality and performance of the OEM-Compatible printheads and even use scare tactics to keep your business.

The truth is you have choices. Real, viable choices that offer you high quality print and can keep up with your demanding print environments.

These OEM-Compatible printheads are reverse engineered and designed to work with your printers by veterans of the thermal printing industry.

I can go on and on about how OEM-Compatible printheads will work for you, but the best way to convince you is for you to buy one. Put it through all the paces and see for yourself how OEM-Compatible printheads compare with Genuine OEM printheads.

If you would like our help to see if we have an OEM-Compatible printhead for your printer, please feel free to reach out to us on the Contact Us page or sending an email to us at sales@stickypaper.net.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410 & ZT411 300 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part number: P1058930-010


How a new breed of warehouse is fueling eCommerce

Traditional warehouses — large buildings sitting in affordable rural areas along popular shipping routes — have been replaced by new breeds of fulfillment centers. Retailers’ warehouse strategies are changing dramatically and becoming a more critical piece of the ecommerce landscape — from how the geographic location of each warehouse is chosen to how products are…

E-commerce and the warehouse of tomorrow

Key Points Customer expectations and competition from e-commerce are driving widespread changes to warehousing and distribution operationsDirect-to-consumer growth is not only affecting retailers, but also manufacturers, wholesalers, and 3PLsWarehouses and warehouse fulfillment operations are increasingly playing a greater role in commerce due to disintermediation and a reduction in retail sales through storesThe relationship between retailers…

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Deep Dive: Sato CL4NX Plus series thermal printers – versatile and well-suited to perform in a variety of applications

Sato’s CL4NX Plus printer is a high-performance industrial thermal printer with a wide range of standard features not commonly offered by the competition

The CL4NX Plus series printers are easy to use, ideal for printing small labels, RFID-enabled, have a larger media capacity, intuitive design for routine maintenance and fast print capability.

Ideal for Printing Small Labels

Sato has designed the CL4NX Plus printers have Micro Label Print that offers high repeatability and high print accuracy for small print labels with ability to dispense labels as small as 10mm.

With SATO Application Enabled Printing (AEP), you can use the printer to direct connect to devices such as keyboards, weigh scales and barcode scanning equipment for data input.

RFID-enabled (select models)

Sato has an RFID Series of printers within the CL4NX Plus line that are compatible with UHF, HF and NFC tags/labels and encode data in their embedded chips at the same time.

The RFID Series printers checks RFID chips before the encoding process to determine fitness for use. The printers also have menus on the printers that allow for operators to make antenna adjustments without manual intervention.

Larger Media Capacity

The Sato CL4NX Plus series can accommodate up to 10-inch (254mm) OD of media and 1968-foot (600m) ribbon. This allows for increased production efficiency with fewer changeovers and less media waste.

Intuitive Design for Routine Maintenance

Operators can rely on Sato’s Smart Print head technology to identify printhead usage to determine when it’s time to clean or replace the printheads.

With Sato’s Pure Line indicator, users have a visual check for wear and tear on the the platen roller to replace the rollers at the right times.

The CL4NX Plus remains one of the most operator-friendly industrial printers to maintain as no tools are needed to replace the printhead and platen roller.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Sato CL4NX Plus 203 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: R29797000 & R37901800


Fast Print Capability

The CL4NX Plus 203 dpi and 305 dpi models have print speeds up to 14 inches per second that will keep the busiest of production areas, distribution centers and manufacturing environments operating efficiently. The 609 dpi model tops out at 6 inches per second as the need for print clarity outweighs the need for increased throughput.

Product Features

  • Full color interactive LCD with Intuitive Menu Navigation
  • On-board Help Videos
  • Tool-less Maintenance
  • 10-inch media supply (Face-in/Face-out wind) and 600m ribbon (CSI/CSO) supported
  • Multiple Interfaces – Auto Switching
  • Competitive Emulations On-board – Auto Switching
  • Micro Label Print Mode
  • Print speeds up to 14 ips in either 203 or 305 dpi
  • HF or UHF RFID support with SATO RF Analyze (SRA)
  • Smart Print Head and Pure Line Platen Roller

Industries Served

  • Aerospace
  • Automotive
  • Education
  • Food Safety
  • Government
  • Healthcare
  • Libraries
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail
  • Supply Chain
  • Track & Trace
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Utilities
  • Wholesale

Available Models

  • Print Speed: CL4NX Plus 203 dpi and 305 dpi – 14 ips (355 mm/sec), CL4NX Plus 609 dpi – 6 ips (152 mm/sec)
  • Print Method: Direct Thermal, Thermal Transfer
  • Maximum Print Area: CL4NX Plus 203 dpi – 4.09″ (104 mm) W x 98.43″ (2500mm) L, CL4NX Plus 305 dpi – 4.09″ (104mm) W x 59.06″ (1500mm) L, CL4NX Plus 609 dpi – 4.09″ (104mm) W X 15.74″ (400mm) L
  • Memory: CPU1: 2GB Flash, 256MB RAM, CPU2: 4MB Flash, 64 MB RAM
  • Printer Emulations: SBPL / SDPL / SEPL / SIPL / STCL / SZPL / XML, Direct PDF Printing, SATO AEP
  • Interfaces: STANDARD: USB 2.0 (Type A, Type B), Ethernet (IPv4/IPv6) on Rear Panel, USB 2.0 (Type A) on Front Panel, RS-232C, Parallel Port, EXT I/O Interface, Bluetooth® Ver. 3.0, NFC, OPTIONAL: Wi-Fi® and Wi-Fi Direct® Certified, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual Band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
  • Remote Management: SNMP Ver. 3, Web Interface, SATO Online Services (SOS), All-In-One Tool (AIOT), SOTI Connect

Read Aggregated Online Reviews of the Sato CL4NX Printers

StickyPaper Company searched the web to bring you reviews of Sato’s CL4NX printer models. Note, the specific reviews may cover a previous generation or model years of the printer. The level of information and details provided by the reviewers vary greatly.

Pros: Print head opening should provide greater access to issues, especially if the label wraps around the roller.

Matthew K.’s 2015 review from newegg.com (3 out of 5)

Great printer for mass-producing high quality monochrome labels

R’s 2017 review from amazon.com (5 out of 5)

Hard to set up. Windows only, does not work with Apple. Prints nice. Sato customer service is very good.

Michael’s 2018 review from amazon.com (4 out of 5)

This unit performs very well and is easy to setup.

K D’s 2018 review from amazon.com (5 out of 5)

I bought one of these and after about a year and a half it already started to have problems jamming and missing spots. This got worse after the roller bar came out of alignment and the print head wouldn’t close on the paper.

a public profile name‘s 2019 review from amazon.com (1 out of 5)

Tried for 2 weeks to make it on on LAN port but none of my PC and Laptop can recognize it. Setting it to work on new interfaces USB or LAN is a nightmare. Don’t recommend for anyone.

Fred’s 2016 review from amazon.com (1 out of 5)

Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Sato CL4NX Plus 305 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: R29798000 & R37901900


Product images and spec details listed in this article are courtesy of Sato America.


Wearables in the Warehouse?

Great read from Manufacturing Business Technology. A couple of questions come to mind after reading this article: What is the tipping point where technology costs decrease for many small and medium companies adopt this technology? The article cites $1500 as the cost per each Google Glass. Will the pick efficiency and real-time pricing/promotion possibilities make…

Calculating the ROI of Your WMS

Read the full article at ebnonline.com Calculating the ROI of Your WMS  Eric Allais, President/CEO, PathGuide Technologies In part 1 of this article I outlined five key benefits that a company can expect from a WMS deployment. Here in part 2, I will discuss how a WMS can bring solid ROI performance while being a…

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Infographic: 5 Ways to Ensure Maximum Useful Life from Your Replacement Printheads


Regular maintenance is key to achieving high density print and consistently scannable barcodes.

Your labels are key elements of your brand and proper maintenance of your thermal printers will ensure your message is communicated consistently and clearly.

The following infographic covers key topics to keep your thermal print operation running smoothly:

Clean your printheads frequently

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is common for cleaning to be delayed or not done at all. A best practice is to clean your printhead every time you replace the ribbon or roll of labels. For higher volume operations, clean your printheads when you open a new case of labels.

The cleaning process is as simple as applying isopropyl alcohol on a lint free swab or cloth and wiping the imaging element to remove residue and build up.

Check your manufacturer’s recommended heat and darkness settings

It’s a good idea to review your printer settings frequently to ensure you are operating within the manufacturer’s temperature and darkness settings.

Departments who switch out from different label materials (ie paper to film), different print methods (ie thermal to direct thermal) and different ribbon formulas (ie resin to wax to combination wax/resin) may tend to overcompensate by running higher settings to print more consistently with various media changes per shift.

Running at higher settings puts added strain that can shorten your printhead’s useful life. A good practice is reviewing the settings at the start of a new shift to ensure run settings are not outside of manufacturer settings.

Use air dusters to keep your media sensor clean

The media sensor plays an important role in your print operations. It notifies you when you need to replace your labels or ribbon and it communicates the end of one ribbon and when the new one begins.

Label and ribbon media come in various thicknesses and as the materials feed through the printer, particulate may abrade and build up and inhibit your media sensor’s performance.

To keep your media sensor clean, use cans of compressed air to blow dust away and keeps the sensors clear and avoid any smears or smudging that could impact performance.

Use quality grade ribbons and wider ribbons to protect your printheads

Thermal ribbons help protect your printhead. The majority of ribbons are made with a polyester base film that carries the ink and can withstand heat generated by the printhead. The polyester has a coating that improves the coefficient of friction as the ribbon unwinds allowing for easy unwind and minimal particulate generation.

Another important practice is to order a slightly wider ribbon than your label media. There’s a reason that the optimal Zebra ribbon width for standard 4″ x 6″ labels is 4.33″ wide ribbons. The wider ribbon protects the printhead from the abrasiveness and uneven nature that papers, films and uncoated tags can put a printhead through.

Coated paper labelstock are less abrasive and help to extend the life of your printheads

Customers who employ direct thermal print technology do not use thermal ribbons and, instead, purchase label stock with ink embedded in the material that will only image in areas where the printhead is heated.

Direct thermal materials come in a variety of formats – paper with adhesive, film with adhesive and tagstock materials with and without a topcoat layer.

The uncoated materials are more cost-effective but do not offer as crisp of an image. The coated materials may cost more, but they offer the best print capabilities, wider operating windows and the coating is less abrasive on your printhead.


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In summary

Printheads are a key component to ensure your products arrive on time, your brand is represented in the best possible life and your barcodes remain scannable under any and all conditions.

These tips will help you focus on ways to develop a holistic and easily implemented plan to regularly clean and use optimized label and ribbon materials to keep your printers running.

Infographic on thermal printer maintenance tips and best practices by StickyPaper Company

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Is Linerless Labeling the future?

Originally published on: http://www.packagingeurope.com/Packaging-Europe-News/65265/Label-Release-Liner-The-Annual-Update-for-PressureSensitive-Label-Industry.html

Label Release Liner: The Annual Update for Pressure-Sensitive Labeling

One of the highlights of the label industry’s year is the AWA Label Release Liner Industry Seminar, held annually just before Labelexpo in both Europe and the USA.   It attracts a high percentage of industry participants across the value chain who come to update their knowledge and to network.

Search for suppliers of similar products in the Packaging Network.

This year’s event in Brussels  — with Dow Corning and UPM as platinum sponsors and Blue Star Silicones and Wacker as gold sponsors – offered a complete program, highlighting the key issues facing the label release liner segment.   It represented an opportunity to discuss a combination of leading-edge processing and converting practices, the status quo in recycling of spent label release liner, and the product identification and decoration technologies that today compete with pressure-sensitive labeling.

Market overview

Setting the scene, Corey M Reardon, President and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates,  provided an overview of the global release liner market – one of the core verticals in the company’s market research and consulting activities.      ‘The release liner industry is characterized as consolidated on the supply side and highly fragmented on the demand side, he observed, making it ‘challenging for companies on the demand side to have any influence on market dynamics.’   Pressure-sensitive labelstock commands a 49% share of global release liner usage, with food and beverage together representing 37% of the end-use market.Release liners are continuing to adapt to efficiency requirements for modern converting, as Mikko Rissanen, Business Development Director of UPM Label Papers showed.   With its roots firmly in forest products, UPM has pioneered many practical routes to enhancing the profile of paper release liner substrates in terms of lower basis weights that still deliver high performance.   Rissanen showed how the company is currently exploring nanocellulose Biofibrils technology, which promises several benefits for the future.

Linerless technology
The benefits of linerless pressure-sensitive labels were the subject of a lively panel discussion, and of an innovative current case history in the delivery of high-volume thermal VIP labels – not pre-cut — from Roelof Klein, Commercial Manager of glueing technology and surface treatment specialists Maan Group.   Discussing the linerless concept were expert panel members Mike Cooper, Business Development Director, Catchpoint Labels Ltd (who also moderated the session);  Jakob Landberg, Sales Director of press manufacturers Nilpeter;  and Jeffrey Arippol, President of Brazil-based label technology and converting specialists Novelprint, who have patented their Noveltech linerless system.   Interesting insights emerged – particularly concerning what Landberg described as the ‘reuse of film liner as laminating film’.   In this situation, spent clear film liner is adhesive coated in line and applied over the surface of the printed labels as a protective laminate, thus creating a genuine contribution to sustainability.   Nilpeter has, said Landberg, ‘manipulated the press technology to accommodate this’.   The ‘downside’ of linerless was raised by the audience:  the fact that the label shapes which can successfully be achieved are limited to more or less simple rectangles.   As Mike Cooper pointed out, clever design and print – particularly on clear film-based labels – makes this argument irrelevant today.End-of-life solutions
The overarching issues of release liner recycling and end-of-life solutions were the topic of a second panel discussion moderated by Calvin Frost, Chairman, Channeled Resources Group – a company with 40 years’ experience in the field.   As he explained, it is the label converter who is in the front line when it comes to creating the problem of release liner waste for the brand owner customer – after all, he delivers the self-adhesive labels.   Echoing the entire industry, Frost added ‘Wouldn’t it be great to offer a solution?’    He was joined in the discussions by Petri Tani, Managing Director of dedicated liner recyclers Cycle4Green;  Ernst Brunbauer, General Manager of liner recycling-friendly Lenzing Papier;  Ulrich Leberle, Raw Materials Director of the Confederation of European Paper Industries, CEPI;  Mark Macaré, Senior Public Affairs and Recycling Manager, Lejeune Association Management (home of the FINAT Secretariat); and Vincent Decabooter, Senior Account Manager, Mitsubishi Polyester Film.   This knowledgeable team, all with a real interest in the issues in question, looked in depth at the current solutions base and the many challenges raised by organizing collection schemes and identifying the right personnel in end-user companies who can instigate such schemes.   There are already valuable supplier-instigated schemes in place for the re-collection of their own spent liner, but creating an overarching solution remains on the wish list.Achieving quality products
Robyn Buma, Global Procurement Director, Paper, for Avery Dennison,  looked at paper and film release liners in labels and graphics applications, globally, in terms of product quality.   Covering multiple suppliers across all regions, her three-year research identified interesting key trends.   Paper liners showed a moderate improvement in the top quality issues experienced – wrinkled, damaged, dirty material, and silicone release issues, for example — during the period.   Film liners, however,  exhibited a significant improvement trend across the same parameters.   ‘But’, said Buma, ‘it’s manufacturing, right?   Stuff’s going to happen!’ – so she adjured suppliers to apply the highest standards of quality control, and robust and systematic problem solving processes and actions.   After all, she added, ‘our customers expect the same from us.’Hans Oerley, Business Development Manager for Dr Schenk Industriemesstechnik identified one route to achieving quality pressure-sensitive film labels:  the installation of automatic inline optical inspection.   With a ROI of just two years, the company’s EasyInspect and EasyMeasure systems can identify defects, especially in adhesive and silicone layers, at an early stage during the production process.   They ensure a high-quality result and significantly reduce downstream waste in both film label materials and silicone coatings.

Silicone coatings panel discussion
The topic of silicone coatings was the focus of a third expert panel discussion featuring three leading industry players:  Dr Hans Lautenschlager, Senior Technical Manager, Release Coating Care and Coatings, Wacker Chemie;  Alex Knott, AETS Senior Specialist, Dow Corning; and Sean Duffy, Global Business Manager, Silicone Release Coatings, Bluestar Silicones.    Together, with 75 years’ of collective industry experience, they were able to identify key advances, both today, and for tomorrow, and Lautenschlager expressed the industry’s prime mission:  ‘to create as stable as possible a release liner for our customers’ needs.’   Throughout the discussion, interaction between panelists and the audience was considerable – evidence that this program feature was of prime importance and interest.Moderator Corey Reardon posed the key question:  what are the alternatives to silicone?     ‘It would require a massive investment to develop a new chemistry’, said Duffy;  and Knott commended silicone’s ‘weird properties’ which have proved so useful to the industry.   Reardon moved on to question the use of platinum as the cure catalyst, in the light of current cost concerns.  Both Knott and Duffy praised platinum’s performance, and Lautenschlager admitted that the industry ‘hasn’t found a viable alternative’ yet, adding that ‘the only chance is to significantly reduce the amount of platinum used’.

Asked to highlight significant industry innovations in the past year, Duffy commented that ‘it has been too much about costs’, and Knott added, perhaps significantly, that ‘this is a mature industry now’.   However, Duffy went on to highlight some industry ‘good news’ – the advent of UV silicones – but he had to add that ‘there is a downside:  the cost of the silicones themselves.      Knott said that, ‘going forward, we are now looking at employing different silicones – emulsion and solvent for films, for example.   Also, importantly, a low-temperature silicone cure already exists.’   Duffy added activatable adhesives as another available option.

Competitor technologies
Dan Muenzer’s review of the ‘label’ technologies that are today competing with pressure-sensitive certainly set the seminar program in context, visiting many examples of how, today, brand owners are ‘using the label to communicate’ and to differentiate their products.   The Vice President, Marketing, for Constantia Flexibles presented fine examples – including the advances in variability in print, exemplified by the Coca-Cola campaigns and Heineken’s multiple label designs on Indio beer.   In-mold labeling;  flexible packaging; and direct-to-container print are all taking their toll – but Muenzer had good news, too – such as the conversion of Budweiser from cut-and-stack labels to pressure-sensitive, using a metallized film, to make efficiency increases and reduce the total applied cost.   The pressure-sensitive label industry is also contributing real innovation in terms of non-contaminant labelstocks for application to PET bottles, he added.All in all, the AWA Label Release Liner Industry Seminar brought together, in just one day, the main threads of the opportunities and the challenges faced by the sector which has, as Corey Reardon underlines,  ‘such a major influence on the world of packaging today.’

More info:
www.awa-bv.com

Deep Dive: Zebra ZT411 and ZT421 series industrial printers: easy to use and designed to grow as your business grows

Zebra’s ZT400 series printers have an all-metal frame build and user-friendly bi-fold door that gives you a high-performing, versatile industrial-grade printer with easy access for operators

The ZT400 series printers have a touch-screen, full color display panels, easy-to-load media and easy-access printhead and platen rollers make it easy for operators to perform routine maintenance. Zebra has incorporated multiple, standard ports to connect multiple peripherals to suit your needs.

Full Color Touch-Screen Display

Zebra ZT400 Series printers have a beautiful 4.3-inch full color touch screen that makes setup easy

The ZT411 and ZT421 have a large, full color touch screen display. This is a considerable upgrade from the monochrome displays on the first-generation ZT410 and ZT420 models.

The touch screen makes printer set up much easier. The highly responsive touch screen responds well to gloved and ungloved hands along with a variety of stylus’ that are widely used with touch screens.

In addition, Zebra added setup wizards complete with animations that will walk operators through the process. This can get you into production faster without the need for Zebra tech support.

Easy-to-Load Media

The media bay in the ZT400 series printers are color-coded and gives operators an easier time when changeovers of label and ribbon media are needed

The bi-fold door gives the operator easy access to the interior of the printer and Zebra has color coded the media stations so swapping out labels, ribbons and tag materials is a breeze.

These Zebra printers have an internal light that makes media changes and adjustments easy for operators who need to make adjustments for printers located on the ground or operate in low light environments.

Easy-Access for Routine Maintenance

Changing printhead assemblies and platen rollers are much easier with Zebra’s tool-less design

The ZT400 series printers have a tool-less design to change out printhead assemblies and platen rollers.

This gives your operators increased uptime and higher production efficiency as they can changeover these consumables virtually on the fly.

Zebra also introduced a printhead element failure warning with the ZT411 and ZT421 models. Over time, imaging elements within the printheads fail any operators would need to be vigilant with barcode grade declines to identify performance drop offs. This new feature alerts the operators ahead of time when elements fail during use.

Expandable to Meet Your Changing Business Needs

The ZT411 and ZT421 models have two USB sockets added in the front that allows for easy connectivity of barcode scanners, USB drives or other peripherals like a keyboard.

The printers have standard USB, serial and ethernet ports in the back of the printer like the earlier ZT410 and ZT420 printers had.

Zebra also added room for expansion with two available expansion ports for futures incorporation of parallel, ethernet, applicator interace cards and more.

The ZT400 series printers give you considerable amount of flexibility as your business needs change in the future.


Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410/ZT411 Plus 203 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part numbers: P1058930-009


ZT411 (4” width) & ZT421 (6” width) Standard Features

  • Thermal transfer and direct thermal printing
  • Thin film printhead with E3™ Element Energy™ Equalizer for superior print quality
  • 203 dpi print resolution (8 dots / mm)
  • Print speed per second up to 14″ (356 mm / second)
  • USB 2.0, high speed
  • RS-232 Serial (RS-232C with DB9F connector; Configurable baud rate (2400 – 115,200kB), parity, and data bits. Stop bits at 1 or 2; Software (XON/XOFF), hardware (DTR/DSR or RTS/CTS) communication handshake protocols)
  • 10/100 Ethernet: Supports networks internally integrated option that enables the use of Webview and Alert features
  • Bluetooth® 4.1 (including Apple®)
  • Dual USB Host
  • 4.3-inch color touch display with intuitive menu for quick operation and settings management
  • Bi-colored status LEDs for quick printer status
  • ARM Cortex A7 processor
  • 256 MB RAM memory (8 MB User Available)
  • 512 MB Flash memory (64 MB User Available)
  • Print Touch™ application
  • Link-OS®-enabled
  • Auto-switching 100-240V power supply
  • ENERGY STAR® qualified
  • Printhead element out detection
  • Dual media sensors — transmissive and reflective
  • 3” media supply hanger
  • Auto calibration when printer is turned on or when printhead is closed
  • Easy, side-loading metal print mechanism
  • Tool-less printhead and platen replacement
  • Metal media cover with enlarged clear viewing window
  • Robust-gold user touch points indicating key adjustments
  • Bi-fold media door decreasing overall operating space by 35%
  • Resident ZPL®, ZPL II® and EPL™ programming languages, selectable through software or front panel
  • XML-Enabled Printing — allows XML communications for barcode label printing eliminating license fees and printer server hardware while lowering customization and programming costs

ZT411 (4” width) & ZT421 (6” width) Optional Features

  • Printhead 300 dpi (12 dots / mm)
  • Printhead 600 dpi (24 dots / mm) – available only with ZT411 (4” width)
  • Parallel (Bi-directional interface)
  • Wireless dual radio with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1
  • 10/100 Ethernet
  • Applicator interface
  • Asian and other international scalable and smooth bitmapped fonts
  • RFID Capability – Fully integrated ThingMagic® UHF EPC Gen 2 V2.0/ISO 18000-63 RFID Reader / Encoder, Prints and encodes tags with a minimum pitch of 0.6″ / 16 mm, Adaptive Encoding Technology simplifies RFID setup and eliminates complex RFID placement guidelines, Field-installable on-metal RFID kit available for 203 and 300 dpi

Industries Served

  • Aerospace
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail
  • Transportation & Logistics

Printing Specifications

  • Print Speed:
    • 2.4 ips through 14 ips – 203 dpi models
    • 2.4 ips through 10 ips – 300 dpi models
    • 1.5 ips through 4 ips – 600 dpi (ZT411 only)i
  • Print Method: Direct Thermal, Thermal Transfer
  • Maximum Print Width:
    • 4.09” (104mm) – ZT411
    • 6.60” (168mm) – ZT421
  • Maximum Continuous Media Print Length: 
    • ZT411 – 157” (3,988mm) at 203 dpi resolution, 73” (1,857mm) at 300 dpi resolution and 39” (991mm) at 600 dpi resolution
    • ZT421 – 102” (2,591mm) at 203 dpi resolution and 45” (1,143mm) at 300 dpi resolution

Read Aggregated Online Reviews of the Zebra ZT400 Series Printers

StickyPaper Company searched the web to bring you reviews of Zebra’s ZT400 series printer models. Note, the specific reviews may cover a previous generation or model years of the printer.

The level of information and details provided by the reviewers vary greatly and are provided as a reference point for our readers.

The ribbon bunches up on the left side under the screw. This causes poor label quality that is not scannable. We have 2 of these expensive printers and they both have this defect. Customer service is lacking and we have not gotten any solutions.

Richard Karr’s 2020 review of ZT410 (monochrome display and predecessor to ZT411 with color display) on amazon.com (1 out of 5)

This is a no brainer if you’re printing your own address labels in bulk. We’re printing about 25,000 a month. We have this printer set to about half speed and it’s all we can do to keep up with it. It’s industrial quality, it’s very fast, and we have AccuZip feeding it like a champ.

Z. Scott’s 2017 review of ZT410 (monochrome display and predecessor to ZT411 with color display) on amazon.com (5 out of 5)

Love this printer as we run several different size labels on it throughout our workday several times per day and it easily handles the workload

Hector O.’s 2021 review on zpsstore.com (5 out of 5)

Touchscreen is sticking a little and unresponsive at times.

James S. 2021 review on CDW.com (4 out of 5)

Shop OEM-Compatible printheads for Zebra ZT410 & ZT411 300 dpi models – save big compared to OEM part number: P1058930-010


Product images and spec details listed for the ZT411 and ZT421 series printers in this article are courtesy of Zebra Technologies.


Pressure Sensitive Adhesives: the Sticky Situation That’s Right for Your Application

Adhesives play an important role in your label application. The type of adhesive, the environment the labels will be used in and how permanent you need your labels to adhere are critical factors in selecting the right adhesive.

In a pressure sensitive (PS) label “sandwich”, adhesives put the sticky in sticky papers and films. However, they are not one-size-fits-all and adhesive selection is crucial to your project success.  This article covers our abbreviated Adhesive 101:

Rubber based vs. Acrylic adhesives

Rubber-based adhesives are made of natural or synthetic rubbers and are an economical choice for many applications. These adhesives generally exhibit higher initial tack, but struggle to adhere to solvent coated products as polymers degrade.

Acrylic adhesives may not appear as tacky or sticky but form stronger bonds over time and typically perform well under extreme heat or cold temps.

Acrylic adhesives may not appear as tacky or sticky but form stronger bonds over time and typically perform well under extreme heat or cold temps

Application temperature considerations

Products packaged in ambient conditions can use a wide variety of adhesives. Frozen meats, for example, require labels that can withstand sub-freezing or, possibly, sub-zero conditions to ensure labels have initial tack and long-term adherence to ensure proper identification.

Initial Tack and Desired Permanence

Initial tack refers to how strong the adhesive bonds upon initial application. High initial tack may be required for dusty, powder coated substrates where adhesives need to bond through the particulates.

Customers may also prefer tackier adhesives as these are difficult-to-remove or reposition and could serve as tamper-evidence in retail and security applications.

Removable and Repositionable Adhesives

Not all customers need permanent adhesion, though, and some require removable or repositionable adhesives.

  • Work-in-process applications, for example, need to be scanned at various steps in production and the label needs to be cleanly removed before the finished good is shipped out to the customer.
  • Others may require labels to be removed cleanly and reapplied or re-positioned to another job jacket for process traceability.

Adhesives need to be fit for purpose and let our label specialists help you. For further reading, the following article offers a deeper dive in selecting pressure sensitive adhesives for your applications.


Thermal Transfer Roll Labels

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Thermal Transfer Floodcoat Labels

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How a new breed of warehouse is fueling eCommerce

Originally published in Supply Chain Digital [link to article]:

How a new breed of warehouse is fuelling eCommerce

By Amine Khechfé | chief strategy officer of Stamps.com and co-founder of Endicia

From retail powerhouses to small businesses, companies are using fresh warehouse tactics to fuel their ecommerce success.

Walmart Uses Drones in the Warehouse

In a recent demonstration, Walmart suggested it may soon be using drones in at least one of its distribution centers to inspect labels and inventory, a process that now takes employees about a month to complete with handheld scanners. Currently, Walmart uses a mix of supercenters and distribution centers to fulfill orders placed online.

This new venture with drones comes at a great time, as Walmart recently rolled out its new two-day subscription shipping service, Walmart ShippingPass. The service also offers free returns online and in-store. With more orders and returns bound to be made by subscribers of ShippingPass, speeding up the logistics process with warehouse drones will help the Walmart operations staff keep up with the imminent increased demand.

Target Transforms Storefronts into Warehouse Space

It’s no secret that brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to stay relevant. But companies like Target are now pushing past its brick-and-mortar roots by converting some of its storefront space to mimic warehouses in order to increase sales and adapt to the changing needs of the consumer. Target fulfilled 30 percent of its online orders from stores in Q4 as well as netting a record number of online customers who picked up their orders in person over the holiday season.

Although many retailers are still trying to strike the right ratio of inventory on store shelves vs. warehouse shelves, the proof for this strategy is in the pudding. Online sales for Target in Q4 jumped 34 percent, beating even the formidable Amazon — which had its biggest holiday shopping season ever and grew 26 percent in net sales. Target and other retailers will continue to adjust where products are kept as they diligently monitor where the demand originates.

Traditional retail is adjusting to the different expectations of consumers, changing their entire supply chain and points of sale to allow the consumer to have an excellent experience whether they buy in-store, online or via a catalogue. Customers can also choose whether they pick the goods up in-person or get them shipped with traditional methods, even within a couple of hours.

Amazon Builds Urban Warehouses

From 2013 to 2016, Amazon has opened roughly 33 of its 78 “traditional” warehouses in the U.S., according to estimates from MWPVL. On the other hand, Amazon opened 60 Prime Now hubs and fresh delivery stations in that same time frame. Prime Now hubs, according to MWPVL, are fulfillment centers built in dense urban areas that are filled with only the bestselling items for that particular metro area. These Prime Now hubs cater to customers who want one- and two-hour delivery timeframes.

Traditional retail is adjusting to the different expectations of consumers, changing their entire supply chain and points of sale to allow the consumer to have an excellent experience whether they buy in-store, online or via a catalogue.

Amazon is also experimenting with a third type of warehouse — the “sortation center.” Amazon sends small parcels to these facilities so it can rely less on FedEx and UPS and more on the U.S. Postal Service. Amazon employees sort and ship these packages to individual post offices since USPS is able to deliver small, lightweight packages for much less than private couriers. Amazon’s mix of all three types of warehouses will allow it to experiment in order to figure out the most efficient way to reduce the costs of shipping.

SMBs Use Predictive Data to Pinpoint New Warehouse Locations

Even small and medium-sized businesses are optimizing their warehouses in order to improve delivery times. For example, shipping software provider Endicia is working on using customer data and predictive analysis to guide the business decisions of small online retailers (its customers) in order to improve delivery for the end-consumer.

Predictive technology allows small businesses to meet consumer expectations and stand toe-to-toe with competitors. Looking at data from past shipments from customers can help small businesses figure out the best place to build a new warehouse, supply future shoppers with a more accurate delivery window, identify where to stock products based on customer demand, etc. The possibilities are endless when businesses have access to a large amount of data points.

Online customer expectations for shipping are constantly changing and becoming more challenging to meet. Traditional warehouse models alone do not make sense for online retailers who are trying to keep up with their customers’ shipping demands. The ability to offer affordable two-day shipping, same-day shipping and affordable returns requires some innovative thinking on the part of ecommerce businesses.

Online retailers that want to offer faster and more convenient shipping options to their customers need to adapt the right mix of innovative warehouse strategies for their businesses. Researching which locations make sense to build future warehouses, finding more efficient ways to account for inventory and using already owned space to house products offered online are all ways that a small business can keep up with the big names in retail.


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E-commerce and the warehouse of tomorrow

Key Points

  • Customer expectations and competition from e-commerce are driving widespread changes to warehousing and distribution operations
  • Direct-to-consumer growth is not only affecting retailers, but also manufacturers, wholesalers, and 3PLs
  • Warehouses and warehouse fulfillment operations are increasingly playing a greater role in commerce due to disintermediation and a reduction in retail sales through stores
  • The relationship between retailers and upstream partners is changing, as wholesalers have increased their presence in retail and retailers have pushed direct-to-consumer responsibilities back onto their suppliers
  • As a result, warehouse footprints are expanding, responsiveness and adaptability have become more important, parcel shipping has grown, and labor efficiency remains as important as ever

Original article posted in DC Velocity June 13, 2016 [Link]

By: DC Velocity Staff

If you’ve been involved in order fulfillment for a decade or more, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a wholesale change in your facility’s picking patterns. Over the last 15 years, many DCs—particularly in the retail sector—have found themselves picking far fewer pallets or cases and a lot more individual items or pieces.

As for what’s driving this trend, a big part of the answer is e-commerce and the consequent rise in consumer-direct shipping. And the growth of e-commerce shows no sign of slowing. Prior research by ARC Advisory Group and DC Velocity showed that companies expect an average of 40 percent growth in online sales over the next five years. Meanwhile, Amazon, the 800-pound gorilla in the market, has achieved annual North American growth of over 20 percent in each of the last five years.

With this substantial growth comes rapid change and fierce competition, stimulating widespread changes to warehouses and fulfillment operations. To be precise, the heightened customer expectations and industry competition are forcing managers to rethink fulfillment processes, technology needs, operational priorities, warehouse footprints, and even the roles of long-standing value-chain partnerships.

But what is the market profile of today’s operations? In what ways are the demands on warehouses changing? Perhaps more importantly, what are practitioners doing today and what are their plans to meet future demand and remain competitive?

To develop a better understanding of the fulfillment environment, ARC Advisory Group and DC Velocityteamed up to conduct a survey of practitioners, asking about facilities, market pressures, operations, and investment priorities. We included a time-phase element to obtain insight into the likely progression from past to present to future. Many of our findings are likely to confirm your current assumptions, while others may surprise you.

DC FOOTPRINT EXPANSION

Although CBRE and other real estate firms publish regular reports on trends in industrial real estate, including warehouse space, data on warehouse types coupled with fulfillment operation data is hard to find. So we decided to include a question on facility types in our study. What we learned was that on average, respondents’ facility footprints are almost half bulk warehousing (facilities with more than 100,000 square feet of space), while a quarter consists of smaller warehouses, followed by cross-docking operations and refrigerated facilities.

When asked to look forward five years, respondents identified bulk warehousing and cross-docking as the types of facilities they most expected to become more prevalent. One consumer-goods company respondent noted that it was expanding the footprint of existing facilities to support growth. We believe this to be a common and cost-effective means of increasing capacity. Meanwhile, a third-party logistics service provider (3PL) reported a planned expansion of bulk and cross-docking facilities to meet the anticipated needs of its clients.


One mechanical parts distributor noted that its business is moving away from wholesale in favor of retail sales. This is a great example of disintermediation in the supply chain, as consumers increasingly opt to order online rather than visit a retail store.


Not surprisingly, when asked about the reasons behind their planned facility expansions, respondents most frequently cited expected increases in throughput and storage capacity needs. Interestingly, an increase in order complexity was the next most common response, followed by a change in outbound load profile. These results point to the current evolution of order profiles driven by e-commerce growth and related factors such as the average retailer’s proliferation in SKUs (stock-keeping units). One mechanical parts distributor noted that its business is moving away from wholesale in favor of retail sales. This is a great example of disintermediation in the supply chain, as consumers increasingly opt to order online rather than visit a retail store.

MARKET PRESSURES AND FULFILLMENT PROFILES

Every order would be the perfect order in an ideal world. But in reality, practitioners must set priorities and deal with tradeoffs. When respondents were asked about fulfillment priorities, “fulfillment accuracy” unsurprisingly topped the list. However, respondents believe that “fulfillment responsiveness” is the capability whose importance has increased the most over the last five years.

Also worth noting, respondents believe that “fulfillment adaptability” (defined as the ability to handle a wide range of order profiles) has risen in importance more than “fulfillment throughput” has. This supports the view that overall order variability has increased, making adaptability more important. And this trend is expected to continue, as fulfillment adaptability and fulfillment responsiveness are the capabilities most expected to grow in importance over the next five years.

Respondents’ comments support the view that pressures from e-commerce are largely responsible for this shift. For example, a respondent from an office supply wholesaler noted that it had seen an increase in its e-commerce direct-to-consumer shipments. Such a transition requires greater responsiveness due to the change in order profiles and customer expectations. Similarly, a respondent from a fashion accessories brand mentioned that it is becoming more nimble and adaptable to gear its operations more toward direct-to-customer fulfillment than it had in the past.

FULFILLMENT PATHS AND PICKING UNITS: FROM HERE TO WHERE?

There are a number of fulfillment paths that warehouses can support: traditional store replenishment, DC replenishment, drop shipping, and direct-to-consumer shipping. We asked respondents about the degree to which their organizations supported these various fulfillment processes. Replenishment of downstream DCs and replenishment of retail stores are currently the most prevalent fulfillment paths. However, once again, our inquiry into anticipated change painted a picture that differs from the status quo.

When asked how they expect various fulfillment processes to change over the next three years, respondents identified direct-to-consumer shipping and drop shipping (shipping goods directly from the manufacturer) as the practices that would see the biggest growth. The anticipated growth in drop shipping suggests that respondents expect to see further decoupling of customer-facing and fulfillment processes. I consider this to be one of the most interesting reconfigurations of value-chain partnerships. For one thing, it indicates that e-commerce and the omnichannel paradigm are not only affecting retailers, but also their manufacturing and wholesale partners. As retailers are pressed on margins, many are refocusing on the customer experience and unloading the inventory carrying costs and fulfillment processes onto their upstream partners.

PICK, PACK, REPEAT

Order size and scale generally decrease as products move through the supply chain toward the final consumer. Therefore, the balance among material handling units (pallet, case, piece) handled within a warehouse is likely to change along with the adjustments in fulfillment channels. We asked respondents how they foresee picking unit types changing over the next three years. (We chose “picking” because it is typically the most labor-intensive activity in a warehouse.)

Piece (eaches) is the unit type that most said would increase and also the type that most said would increase extensively. Over half the respondents also said they expected to see an increase in case picking. In contrast, less than half of the survey respondents predicted an increase in pallet retrieval.

The responses about picking unit expectations support the view that picking units will continue to move toward eaches as warehouses fulfill more and more e-commerce orders and upstream partners support downstream partners with greater SKU variability along with smaller volumes of the same SKU.

PAIN POINTS AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT

The shift toward processing higher volumes of small multiline-item orders is raising fulfillment costs within the warehouse. At the same time, greater levels of order variability are injecting inefficiencies into the fulfillment process. Typically, when faced with the need to improve processes and boost efficiency, logistics practitioners turn to technology.

We asked respondents about the likelihood of deploying technology in the next three years to improve various operational processes (process pain points). Shipping, goods retrieval/order picking, and put-away are the processes most frequently cited as expected targets for technology investment over the next three years.

In their supporting comments, respondents also expressed a desire to pick single and multi-unit orders by zone within the same wave, as well as a need for flexible picking solutions that can be deployed at scale. When they were asked the same question about technology investment for warehouse planning process improvements, they most frequently cited parcel shipping, general inventory management, and slotting optimization as likely areas for investment support.

We expected parcel shipping to be a focus area due to results from other ARC and third-party research showing that the e-commerce boom had led to a substantial increase in parcel shipping. However, the high percentage of practitioners that plan to invest in technology to support reslotting and facility layout changes was unexpected. Nonetheless, it confirms the view that order profiles are evolving quickly and warehouse management is diligently searching for ways to boost efficiency.

Although logistics executives would like to have a blank check and with it, the ability to select “all of the above” when it comes to investments to improve upon their operations, businesses live in a world of competing priorities, where oftentimes one investment must be chosen at the expense of another. Given that reality, we asked respondents to select their top warehouse technology investment priorities over the next three years.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, when it came to software, warehouse labor management systems were the top choice. E-commerce fulfillment is labor intensive and costly, as these orders are generally small, with items often stored in different parts of the facility, and that require additional steps such as packaging and labeling.

WMS was the second most frequently selected investment choice, which is unsurprising given its role as the backbone of warehouse operations.

When it came to warehouse automation options, conveyors/sortation was the most popular investment choice, followed by pick to light/put to light. The responses for conveyors likely reflect the high level of conveyor/sortation use in North America, as compared to Europe.

Meanwhile, we believe that the interest in pick/put to light reflects a desire to gain efficiencies in e-commerce fulfillment operations. Also, the results support the view that autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) in the warehouse has moved from the concept phase to practical consideration, as 15 percent of respondents selected AMR as an investment priority for the next three years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Customer expectations and competition from e-commerce are driving widespread changes to warehousing and distribution operations. Direct-to-consumer growth is not only affecting retailers, but also manufacturers, wholesalers, and 3PLs. Warehouses and warehouse fulfillment operations are increasingly playing a greater role in commerce due to disintermediation and a reduction in retail sales through stores.

On top of that, the relationship between retailers and upstream partners is changing, as wholesalers have increased their presence in retail and retailers have pushed direct-to-consumer responsibilities back onto their suppliers. As a result, warehouse footprints are expanding, responsiveness and adaptability have become more important, parcel shipping has grown, and labor efficiency remains as important as ever.


Recommended Ribbons

DNP MP Wax Cost Competitive Ribbons
  • General purpose thermal print applications
  • Prints at a wide range of energy and speeds
  • Backcoat technology protects printhead and extends useful life
  • Wax formulation prints dark images and clear, crisp barcodes
  • Recommended for coated and uncoated paper label materials
  • Compliance, inventory and logistics and retail applications
  • Black ink
DNP TR4085+ Performance Wax Ribbons
  • Industry-leading resin-enhanced wax thermal ribbon
  • Features DNP’s SmoothCoat back coat to protect printhead and extend useful life
  • Ideal for printing on coated and uncoated paper, polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene and other synthetic label materials
  • Compliance, food and beverage, health and beauty, inventory and logistics, pharmaceutical and retail applications
  • Black ink
DNP MP Mid Wax/Resin Combination Ribbons
  • Performance grade wax/resin ribbon offers excellent small character legibility and edge definition
  • Offers superior smudge and scratch resistance to endure challenging use environments
  • Optimal ribbon for use with coated and uncoated paper, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyolefin films and challenging specialty materials Tyvek, Tyvek Brillion and Polystyrene
  • Compliance, food and beverage, health and beauty, inventory and logistics, pharmaceutical, retail and outdoor exposure applications
  • Black ink


Tips for Buying Case-Labeling Systems

For those exploring automated case labeling in your warehouse, this article from Pack World is a must read.


Originally published in: http://www.packworld.com/machinery/labeling/tips-buying-case-labeling-systems

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Case labeling is very different from primary labeling. At the end of the line, it’s all about readable information on the label, and how it holds up on its journey to the customer. Here are some useful tips for those in the process of purchasing case-labeling equipment:

1. Understand your application. What do you need a case labeler for? Do you need a system that will accommodate a wide range of labels, fonts, and cases? Does the case labeler offer both direct-thermal and thermal-transfer printing? What about serial labeling in continuous processing for high-speed lines? Examine all the capabilities at hand. The questions you need to ask prospective suppliers will flow from your application.

2. Understand your customers’ requirements. What kind of information does your customer require on incoming cases? Some retailers have stringent barcode standards, requiring an “A” or “B” quality rating. Many are now highly automated, and goods cannot be received without the proper readable codes. An increasing number of grocery chains are adopting the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), which uses a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to achieve external traceability. Failure to provide readable codes with the correct information can lead to fines and rejection of goods, and can ultimately affect relationships with your best customers.

3. Know how much recycled content is in your cases, and whether it’s a consistent percentage. The hidden source of many case-labeling problems stems from good intentions: recycled content of cases. Variability in recycled content in cases means there is variability in the case’s surface characteristics, since recycled fibers are shorter. It’s hard to predict which substrate characteristics will cause label adhesion problems. Sometimes the percentage of recycled content can vary from batch-to-batch, and plant-to-plant, wreaking havoc with the labeling equipment. In rare cases, label material will simply not stick to cases, forcing the packager to replace entire shipments of cases. Work with your supplier to find an adhesive system that is broad-range, yet isn’t so aggressive that it gums up the labelers.

4. Consider reliability, durability, and cleanability issues. Will the equipment last for years to come despite having to work within a harsh and demanding environment related to temperature and/or operating hours? What kind of an ongoing expense will maintenance be? Another big issue for print-and-apply case coders (particularly with ink-jet coders) is sanitation. Old or dried-out ink inside the equipment can cause severe damage. In some environments, it only takes a few days for ink to start drying out if the machine is not in use.

5. Insist upon adaptability. Today’s markets change rapidly, requiring an agile packaging strategy. Can your case labelers adapt to any changes in the environment, such as the addition of RFID or barcode features? Are they designed to ease adoption of the PackML standard? Look to machine builders that anticipate the future.

6. Take responsibility for training. Lack of operator training has a negative effect on case label quality. Take the time for initial, and follow-up, training to counteract operator turnover.