Unscheduled downtime can be costly for manufacturers and distribution companies. When operations grind to a halt, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – the International Society of Automation estimates that downtime results in $650 billion in losses for the manufacturing sector every year.
Labeling operations are a critical step in getting products to customers on time, and if a label printer fails it can cause back ups in your own facility, as well as problems for your customers further along the supply chain.
There are two general categories of barcode printer failures that can lead to unnecessary downtime. The first group includes service-related problems caused by a failure to properly maintain the printers. The second category includes breakdowns that are the result of using the wrong printer consumables. Both of these types of problems are entirely avoidable.
Don’t Neglect Service
Not keeping up with the regular maintenance required for your printers is a penny-wise but pound-foolish strategy. Neglected printers can cause a number of problems.
First, labels may not scan in the field because they were produced using scratched or damaged printheads. Because the labels are blurry or faded, they can’t be reliably scanned. Cleaning and servicing the printheads on a regular basis can help avoid these problems.
Some companies also fail to properly adjust heat settings on their thermal printers. Thermal materials require frequent adjustments to the printer settings to avoid barcode scannability issues. Different label materials have different sensitivity to heat. Because thermal printing is heat-based, these labels can wind up being too dark or too light, making them difficult to scan. Improper heat and darkness settings can also burn out the printheads faster than normal, leading to costly repairs.
When barcode labels can’t be scanned, your company may be subject to chargebacks from large customers – big box retailers like Walmart often levy these charges against suppliers for non-compliant labels. If printers are damaged because of maintenance neglect, it can also cause expensive downtime on your shipping lines.
Follow the recommended maintenance program for your printers, clean the printheads every time you replace a ribbon or label roll, and make sure you follow the instructions to use the right type of cleaning method or solvent. Clean the interior and exterior of the printer to keep it free of dust and contaminants, and clean the platen roller, sensors and snap plate as well.
Use the Right Consumables
What you put into your printer matters. If you select low-cost labels or the wrong label/ribbon combination, you can be plagued with poor print quality and possibly damage the printer. There are a number of common consumable-related printer problems:
- Label adhesive can cause printer jams and leave deposits on the interior of the printer. When labels are wound too tight, adhesive oozes out and causes jams. Additionally, if the labels do not have the right adhesive for your application, they will fall off after the labeling process.
- Pre-printed color from low-quality labels may transfer to the printhead and cause print quality issues.
- Labels may work in controlled environments, but fail in the field. Both the labels and the adhesive holding them on box/item have to designed to withstand your operational environment, shipping environment, and whatever other conditions they will face before they reach the customer. If they are easily damaged by heat, cold, or liquids, or if the adhesive fails in extreme temperatures, you’ll wind up with customer complaints, poor scanning, and potentially face compliance issues paired with accompanying chargeback fees.
- Incompatible labels and thermal ribbons can affect print quality. With poor label/ribbon matching, you can wind up with labels that fade or easily rub off.
- Labels may scratch or damage the printhead. It may be difficult to imagine, but your industrial-grade printer can be damaged by poor-quality labels. Rough, sandpaper-like label surfaces can damage printhead elements. This results in premature failure of the printhead and in unreadable labels.
By keeping up with regular printer maintenance and using the right ribbons and labels, you can ensure printer uptime and improve label and barcode scanning performance. By working with with Imprint Enterprises to purchase Zebra Certified supplies, you can avoid label printer problems and keep your shipping operation running smoothly.
