Scanning barcodes with lasers may soon be a thing of the past.
Perfect label tracking and traceability can only be taken advantage of if the equipment used to scan the labels is effective. Barcodes, one of the most common forms of label tracking, have traditionally been scanned in distribution centers using lasers, but recently there's been a new method of scanning called imaging that some argue is far more efficient called imaging.
Imagers actually take a picture of a barcode and converts the data into a digital form that's encoded into numbers or text.
"Imagers are better able to adjust to the harsh conditions often found in the warehouse and manufacturing environment. Bad lighting, damaged labels, incorrect label types [and] faint or faded labels, each offer a degree of complexity when it comes to decoding the label," Kevin McArdle, an applications engineer at barcode and wireless solutions provider Supply Chain Services, told Supply Chain Digest.
He added that typical laser scanners can decipher labels that are in good condition, but when a label is scratched, wrinkled or altered in any way, laser scanners may have a serious problem decoding the barcode. If it can't dichipher the code immediately, a laser scanner will simply read and re-read it until it can.
McArdle explained to the source that imagers take a single picture of the code and use a series of algorithms to compile the data and process it. When the label has been compromised, it rapidly applies more algorithms based on the first image, which he said is more efficient and less time-consuming that the way laser scanners work.
Imagers can be pricey and typically can only scan barcodes that are within eight feet of the camera. Regardless, McArdle said he would recommend imagers to most distribution center clients.
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