At the time, there was a lot to love about this printer – especially the mobile version. Designed to be mounted onto fork lift vehicles, the MP Compact4 Mobile, was really simple in design and tough enough for even the roughest warehouse guys.

There were some serious shortcomings though. A proprietary programming language, no wireless connectivity (a mobile device without wireless??) and ludicrously high price ensured this would be very much a niche product.

The good news is that the nice Datamax folks have come up with a new version. The MP Compact4 Mobile Mark II (just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it) has been released with some cool new features.

First of all, it is now like a real Datamax model and can use the well proven DPL program language. Also available is Datamax’s emulation system allowing the printer to be used in Zebra ZPL and Intermec IPL environments.

Even more goodness – the MPC4M MkII also comes with B/G wireless that has all the cool security stuff.

So a very nice update – thanks guys. I’d like to see Bluetooth as an option too – to be able to communicate with mobile computers at some point.

I’ve not seen pricing as yet. I’m hoping that the price will be much more competitive because this is a great solution for anyone needing a rugged, simple to use, vehicle mounted printer.

Download the datasheet here, then give me a call (603.598.1553) to discuss how this new device can upgrade your mobile printing.

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Sometimes there is no choice. For compliance labeling, for example, the type of barcode to be used is normally specified by the organization concerned. This might be an international standard such as the SSCC codes specified by GS1 or a government standard such as the Data Matrix codes used for the Department of Defense UID program.

In many cases however, the barcode is being used in a closed loop system. For these applications, pretty much any of the available barcodes can be used.

A key factor is often how much space the barcode is going to take up on the label. In general 2D barcodes such as Data Matrix and QR Code take up a lot less space than linear barcodes when encoding the same information. The main downside being that the scanners needed to read 2D codes are more expensive than the linear scanners.

I made up a label to show the space taken up by several of the common barcode types:

As you can see, the 2D codes are far more economical with the amount of space they take up – the Data Matrix being the champion in this respect.

I designed this label using BarTender software and all the barcodes have the same x-dimension of 10 mils (The image isn’t full size so you will be seeing a different size here)

As a believer in using the simplest technology for any job, I still tend to stick with linear barcodes where possible – I especially like to use Code 128 which needs less room than Code 39. When space is at a premium – such as the tiny labels a lot of our clients need to apply to electronic components and printed circuit boards being a typical application – the 2D codes come into their own.

Do you have issues with selecting the best barocode symbology for your applications? I’d be happy to help – you can find me at 603-598-1553 or use the Contact page on this site.

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I am a big proponent of “license-plate” tracking (which is the global standard) whereby an item or container has a unique tracking barcode attached, just like the license plate on a car or truck, and then all the other information is stored or transmitted electronically. One big benefit of license-plate tracking is that one dimensional barcodes can be used, which require much less expensive scanning equipment than 2D barcodes.

One statement I hear frequently is “My vendors put barcodes on the boxes that they send me. So I can scan one of those barcodes as the tracking number, right?” The answer, in most cases, is unfortunately no. These vendor applied barcodes may be UPS codes or part number or lot number barcodes but they do not uniquely identify each container from all the other containers received from all vendors or even that vendor.

So, how do you uniquely identify materials coming from a Vendor. Some of the ways are:

1. Attach a license-plate tracking barcode, from a pre-printed roll of serialized barcodes, to the item or container after receipt.
2. Print out a label with a tracking barcode and human readable information, such as part number and lot number, when a container is received and attach it to the container.
3. Have vendors apply labels with the license plate tracking barcode and other information, such as the PO number and line number, quantity and lot number, encoded in other 1D barcodes or a single 2D barcode, so these can be scanned upon receipt.
4. Have your vendors apply labels with a tracking barcode and human readable information. Then they can send all the information about the contents of the containers electronically in formats ranging from an Excel spreadsheet to an EDI Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN).

The benefit of the last option is that a description of nested containers, such as barcoded cartons on a barcoded pallet, can be sent electronically by your Vendor. Then only the pallet tracking barcode need be scanned to received the whole pallet with one scan, which can dramatically reduce the cost and increase the speed of receiving.

Typically only those 20% of your vendors that represent 80% of your supplier volume will agree to provide materials with license-plate tracking barcodes. So, in practice, our clients use a combination of these methods to handle vendors who range from mom-and-pop operations to international conglomerates.

Dr. Peter Green, an expert in using barcodes for tracking and traceability, is Chief Technology Officer of BellHawk Systems. He can be contacted at 508-865-8070

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The QR Code Generator lets you make your own QR Codes in a number of formats.

The code you see here is my Winco ID contact information that I encoded on the site.

It is simple to populate the code, just choose the format and fill in the fields. After that, it’s a little awkward to download the finished barcode, I just did a screen shot, cropped in Paint (yes, I know – no-one should have to use that!) and saved as a jpeg.

The barcode scans just fine, although I had to enable the QR Code on the Intermec scanner I have close by – why not have all the barcodes activated by default, Intermec? It would make things easier!

Anyway, head on over to the QR Code Generator site and have fun!!

Thanks for the tip Tim; much appreciated.

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We hope you have a wonderful party, the first of many. Celebrate your life filled with good health, happiness and boyish fun. With love …

Please share your good thoughts and wishes for Luke in comments.

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Whatever your interest, maybe in legislation, recalls, the politics of the food business, you’ll find some good content.

To make it easier to keep up, the FSN folks have just launched their own iPhone app.

Needless to say, I have the app on my phone (I just captured the screenshot a few minutes ago) and it is pretty useful. I like the way it is possible to save articles so I can go back to them when I want to.

As a company providing barcode tracking and traceability systems to food processors and distribitutors, a resource like FSN is a great help in keeping track of what is happening in the industry.

The FSN iPhone app is free to download over in the App Store. Go and get yours now!

There are a few other Food Safety apps in the Store as well. Anyone tried them out? Let me know which ones you use.

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For one label or many, pilot testing, or when you have a limited supply of product affected by the MIL-STD-130 or ship under MIL-STD-129 compliance mandate, it may make more sense to have your labels printed and/or encoded using an outside vendor. This approach will save you time and money when:

• you aren’t sure how to format the labels or set up the necessary data.
• you have low volume DoD compliance label requirements.
• don’t have the right printing or encoding equipment, scanners and verifiers.
• your shipments are delayed at DCMA inspection because you don’t have labels or the labels are not done correctly.

Follow a simple ordering process to have your RFID SmartTags, UID labels, dataplates, or preprinted bar code labels done for you.  You don’t need to worry about the format, layout, bar code requirements, label size, material, adhesive and verification requirements.

Each label is then inspected for accuracy and readability and tested to ensure acceptance from your DCMA or customer. Every lot comes with a Certificate of Compliance. Our team is well-versed in Military Compliance Labeling Standards and will know exactly what you need to comply or fulfill your labeling requirements.

Don’t risk missed deadlines or failing inspections. Call WincoID for your preprinted labels and dataplates.

• Paper
• Polyester
• Aluminum
• Polyimide-Kapton®
• Custom Materials
• Construct 1 or 2 by contract specifications

To learn more about our printing service, go here.  Be sure to check out our RFID Labels for Traveler Forms to comply with MIL-STD-129 and make transmitting via WAWF easy, faster and accurate.

If you are having trouble with your DoD labeling requirements, please share your story with others here. If you are ready to take your labeling inhouse, you will want to attend our free seminar “Demystify DoD Labeling Standards.”  >>more

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One of the CDRH’s responsibilities includes regulating firms who manufacture, repackage, relabel, and/or import medical devices sold in the United States. A pilot study was started in August of last year to determine the feasibility of collecting and storing UDI data from the supplier to the product’s point of use at five hospitals. The UDI database pilot study is expected to be completed by September 2010.

The  CDRH’s new director Jeffrey Shuren has set new strategic priorities for 2010 and for the following years. The changes include an overhaul of the 510(k) system, which requires that a new model of a device be compared for safety and effectiveness with another lawfully marketed model. A successful 510(k) submission results in FDA permission to market the new device. Part of the overhaul includes implementing the UDI system.

For a complete description of the CDRH and its strategic priorities for FY 2010, visit the U.S. FDA  website.

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What do you think of when you hear the word “Mobility”? A fully integrated mobile worker solution incorporating hardware and software, increasing visibility and remote worker management; or a four wheeled motorised scooter and other physical mobility aids? I have a sneaking suspicion that the majority would associate “Mobility” with the latter and this is a challenge I and the industry face time and time again.

OK, so this may be something of a sweeping statement, but the real issue is, do people understand what is meant when we talk to one another about a “Mobility Solution”? I fear not! In our ever changing and developing technological world, mobile devices are incorporating an increasing array of functionality (telecommunications, networking, GPS, digital imaging etc..) previously handled by individual pieces of hardware. This convergence has led to the evolution of the ‘Mobile Computer’, which has given mobile workers a full range of computing capabilities on the move, enabling them to increase their field operation efficiencies and remain ‘connected’ to the office whilst out on the road.

 These changes in mobile technology have enabled mobile workers to:

Electronically record vehicle safety checks, including confirming tyre wear and pressures, water, oil and windscreen wash levels are OK, as well as recording start journey mileage

Be guided by satellite navigation to the customers’ door via the optimal route

Capture information about the work undertaken

Access customer details, job and part requirements at the point of activity

Electronically capture customer signatures or acceptance of work carried out or completed Automatically record journey mileage information

Update back-office systems following each task, keeping records up to date

Help to keep lone workers safe with one touch personal alert systems

This has in turn increased mobile worker empowerment, driving efficiency and productivity and workforce visibility.

Thanks to the increased capability of mobile computers, companies are able to greatly improve productivity by reducing paperwork and administration, freeing up time for other tasks to be carried out. Traditional processes required paperwork to be manually completed in the field and then transferred onto a digital system back at the office. Mobile computing developments mean data entry tasks need only occur once, potentially halving the work required.

Management of corporate compliance matters, especially those laid out for health and safety around lone workers, are also made easier through mobile worker enablement, with vehicle safety criteria and lone worker checks being more easily and proactively managed on a worker’s device.

As I’ve already touched upon, visibility is at the very core of the ‘Mobility Solution’, enabling the business to track and trace individuals and assets, attribute work to specific workers and the location at which it was carried out. This transparency becomes critically important when dealing with Service Level Agreements (SLAs). A mobility solution allows SLAs to be clearly managed, defined, and proven much more easily, greatly reducing customer queries against invoices, guarantees, and warranties. In any situation where an agreement exists between two parties for work to be carried out or for information to be processed, mobile technology has facilitated confirmation of jobs completed or acceptance of the work done, by those concerned.

So, what is mobility? In essence, ‘mobility’ is a term to encompass all of the above. To allow field workers to access, change and input data into back office systems, reduce secondary data entry tasks and remain as ‘connected’ as possible at all times, increasing mobile workforce visibility and ensuring work is delivered on schedule and meets SLAs. A mobility solution is what enables all of these criteria to be met and managed.

By partnering with a mobile data solution specialist, capable of integrating existing systems, providing appropriate hardware and software, as well as mobile device staging and configuration, the customer can realise all of the known benefits of a “one stop shop” approach!

Mobile technology is advancing at an astounding rate, and is changing the very nature of how work is carried out. With the growth in ‘cloud computing’ systems, Software as a Service (SaaS) and developments in mobile platforms, nothing should be discounted as being possible on a mobile device. Your workforce is increasingly coming from a generation which puts mobile technology at the centre of their lives, they expect to have data available on the move and always be ‘connected’. The question is, are you moving with these changing times and if so, what could mobile technology and mobile solutions to do for your business?

About Terran Churcher
Terran churcher founded Codegate (based in Oxfordshire in the UK) in June 1994, establishing the business as an AIDC (auto identification) specialist. His vision is to bring the benefits of AIDC to industry sectors including Transport & Logistics, Warehousing and Manufacturing.

This article was originally published on the Codegate blog

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This is your opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders and perhaps see what a competitor is learning. The show is co-located with Design and Manufacturing and BioMed Device. No matter what industry you specialize in, there is some thing for every manufacturer.

In the exhibit hall, you’ll see product demonstrations, ideas to help your business grow, and compare products all in one place. To maximize your time, make a list of vendors you would like to visit and made note of their booth.

Get Your Free Exhibit Hall Pass

As an exhibitor, we would like to offer you a complimentary expo hall admission – a $45 savings. Just call us at 1-800-325-5260 or use the show’s easy online registration. Look for “Quick Links” and choose “Free Expo Hall Admission” to register.

Make sure you visit Winco ID at booth #1005 for Bar Code and Labeling Solutions

• Learn how simple changes to your labeling process can increase productivity and accuracy in the manufacturing or assembly operations.
• Bar Code and Labeling for tracking and traceability.
• Simplify compliance with the US Government Military Labeling Standards (MIL-STD-130, MIL-STD-129).
• Gain a better understanding of how to manage your WAWF workflow.
• See live demonstrations of what’s new in Thermal Transfer Printing, how to incorporate RFID and high resolution printing in a high volume setting.
• How to get full color labels with your company logo, sequential data to mark products, without the full investment in hardware and software.
• Put your operations on the move with wireless scanners, portable printers, or mobile workstations.

Bring your samples of labels you use or ideas for  labels you need to Winco ID at booth #1005. We will help you with your labels AND how to get the most out of your labeling and printing systems.

Let us know if you are coming to the show by leaving a comment. We’ll help you make the most of your time investment.

If you have any questions about your labeling and can’t make it to the show, let us know by leaving a comment, send an email to david@labelingnews.com or call us at 603.598.1553.

Look forward to seeing you at the show!

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