Industry:
Rubber, Plastics
Application:
Barcode labels ensure traceability of underground pipes and fittings
The user
is a well-known manufacturer in the segments: technical plastics, facility technology, engineering and laboratory technology.
Among others, safety fittings are manufactured for the welding of pipes out of PE-HD for applications in the gas and water supply areas.
Initial situation
Since recently, component manufacturing details – production, batch and material data – can be traced back using the barcode label with the code 128 C.
A second barcode 2/5 i. on the same label contains the required welding parameters: current, resistance and welding times.
The automatic recording, evaluation and archiving means that the conventional procedure for dealing with burst pipes can be replaced by an electronic system.
Handwritten records in the assembly area are no longer necessary, nor are time-consuming and complex documentation processes in the office. The handling of the information becomes simple and quick with the barcode system.
Solution from ELTEX
The ELTEX TOP CODE barcode label consists of a white, polypropylene foil with an extremely smooth surface to enable perfect barcodes to be printed that even satisfy the strict ANSI specifications. The adhesive bonds permanently with the curved substrate out of PE-HD.
To protect against damage and soiling underground, the print image is protected by a very thin, transparent laminate foil with low restoring force properties.
In this way the production data on the fittings can be reliably traced even after years.
The main benefits:
- Clear and reliable traceability of components with the 128 C barcode version
- Immediate information concerning welding parameters – current, resistance and welding times using the 2/5 i code on the same label
- Reduction in the process costs with automatic recording in assembly and administration processes instead of handwritten documentation
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Additional advantage
After successful implementation of the pilot project, there is today an ELTEX 7500 label printing system installed at every manufacturing location for the production of the barcode labels.
In this respect the barcodes are printed on to the white polypropylene foil using a thermal transfer printing process; laminated in a subsequent step and then die-cut.
Barcode scanners check the print quality immediately after printing. Illegible barcodes are not die-cut; they are removed from the foil and sorted out. In this way it is ensured that only legible labels are attached to the fittings.
100% traceability of the fittings is thus guaranteed, even after many years. |
