Multi-Purpose Printing

Bar codes revolutionized automatic identification and data collection more than 30 years ago. However, with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) attracting all the attention and developmental mind power, are bar codes soon to be obsolete?

That’s not likely. In fact, bar codes and human-readable information are still required on smart labels to validate the products inside cases and pallets, and they are expected to remain an important part of RFID labels for many years. This is no more a relief than for suppliers of thermal transfer printers and materials.

Thermal transfer printing has come a long way since its inception and relies on heat to produce the desired print. “The technology, invented originally for the NASA space program, uses a printer containing an array of microscopic heating elements that cause ink to release from a ribbon in thermal transfer mode, or print directly onto direct thermal label stock in ribbonless mode,” explained Mike Cove, senior marketing manager for Thermal & Advanced Technical Products, Appleton.

Currently, thermal transfer is a process used in the packaging industry for printing bar codes and other variable information like price, date codes, lot codes, and more. Printers also use thermal transfer to customize packaging, which reduces label inventory and guards against obsolescence, said Amy Schmitt, marketing and communications manager, IIMAK. “The label or packaging is pre-printed with the logo and company information, and the variable info such as the product’s type, size, or variety is added on demand—paint is a great example,” she said. “This technique is being used across a wide variety of industries including cosmetics, specialty foods, automotive aftermarket, hardware, paint, electrical components, and chemicals.”

Primarily, though, thermal transfer printing is used to produce the backbone of logistics in day-to-day inventory management, said Joe Briganti, business innovation manager for Technical Papers, Stora Enso. “Thermal transfer is a key technology for the management of packages from product identification to logistics, such as warehouse management and expedited package delivery services such as FedEx and UPS. Thermal transfer labels must facilitate the accurate capture and processing of package information throughout the entire supply chain. … Thermal transfer bar code labels that do not function properly can cause misreads and no reads that will disrupt even the best bar code system. These errors can result in lost productivity, mismanaged inventory, delivery mistakes, customer charge backs, and ultimately disgruntled customers,” he said.

A smart application

A growing application for thermal transfer has come by way of smart labels. While RFID tags and labels are enabled with radio frequency capabilities, there is still a need for readable information on the labels.

“Over the last year or so, we’ve seen countless articles in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and even the local newspaper about RFID. These sources have been reporting that RFID tags will soon be on everything we buy and Wal-Mart is forcing all their vendors to put tags on all their cartons and pallets. All of them keep coming to the same conclusion: the bar code is as good as dead,” Schmitt said.

“As you can imagine, this type of ‘news’ is very concerning to us at IIMAK, where we focus on bar code labeling. So, to get a handle on the effect RFID will
really have on our industry, we have been looking into this phenomenon and separating fact from fiction.

“The facts are:

• RFID is still in development and is a technology in its infancy.

• Ninety-nine percent of the passive RFID tags being used today are incorporated into a label that has a bar code and human-readable information printed on the label. This will be the case for many years to come.

• RFID tags are experiencing anywhere from a 20-30 percent failure rates in actual use and costs remain more than $.40 per tag.

• Experts in the RFID field have indicated RFID will not replace bar codes.

• Even in applications where RFID works well, there is a need for human-readable information and, in many cases, a redundant bar code.

“RFID’s effect on bar code usage and human-readable labels will be minimal for the foreseeable future. At some point, in some form, RFID will be a key technology, but like the Internet, and even bar codes before it, it will take years to be perfected and adopted,” Schmitt concluded.

The sentiment across the industry is that the bar code will never go the way of the rotary phone or the typewriter, but will instead be used as a complementary technology to RFID. Thermal transfer has many benefits that can also be useful in smart label printing, Briganti said. “RFID is beginning to change how products are tracked throughout the supply chain. From a label paper perspective, even with RFID, most users require human-readable information to be printed on a label as back-up in the event of RFID tag failure. Thermal transfer label printing offers low-cost system redundancy. We believe that, in the foreseeable future, both RFID and human-readable bar code technology will co-exist as complementary information systems.”

Safe and secure

Brand authentication and other security features are high-priorities for brand owners. Thermal transfer printing is helping with the tough task of making packaging more secure. According to Mindy Nyberg, marketing manager, Dynic USA Corp., “[Besides RFID], other applications include the use of taggants and other security features used in the ribbon to be embedded in the printed image. Serialized bar codes are another track-and-trace technology that can be used as an alternative or in addition to RFID, and can be achieved easily with the thermal transfer printers currently in [a printer’s] factory.”

In addition, Nyberg said, “Pharmaceutical and medical applications require resistance to chemicals such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) and must meet FDA standards. Unit-dose applications still require 100 percent read-rates, even though the printed bar code is tiny. Clarity and the ability to be scanned correctly is something—when the print is that small—that thermal transfer excels at.”

Thermal Transfer Products:

TT ribbon for RFID applications

Dynic USA Corp.’s S2 Stellar Wax ribbon is said to be the only high-performance wax ribbon on the market proven to print at speeds of up to 12 inches per second, and has an anti-static backcoat. The backcoat protects the printer’s printhead and allows faster printing, as well as protects the RFID chip in smart labels. The S2 can be used in most Datamax, Eltron, Intermec, Paxar/Monarch, Printronix, RJS, Sato, and Zebra printers. S2 provides good scratch and smear resistance when used to print on coated, uncoated, and gloss papers, as well as on some synthetics.—Dynic USA Corp., www.dynic.com

Static-free TT ribbon

The static-free GP725 resin-
enhanced wax ribbon by IIMAK prints bar codes, text, and graphics on RFID labels. Because GP725 is conductive, the level of damaging static is reduced during the printing process, lowering the risk of transponder interference and failure. GP725 is designed for compatibility with Zebra, Datamax, Sato, and other smart label thermal transfer printers, and delivers exceptional print quality on paper-based RFID labels. The GP725 features Clean Start™, IIMAK’s patent-pending printhead cleaner, which is built right into the GP725, between the leader and the ribbon, and is designed to remove debris before it builds up on the printhead. Clean Start makes it easier to maintain printheads and print quality with no additional supplies. It is simply pulled through the locked printhead at the start of each ribbon to remove residue.—IIMAK,
www.iimak.com

TT substrates with variety

The UniTherm product line by Stora Enso is available in four varieties, featuring specific coating formulations for high-fidelity thermal transfer printing that ensures premium image reproduction and exceptional performance in blank, pre-printed, high-volume, and rugged tag and label applications. UniTherm papers respond successfully to pressure-sensitive laminations requiring CD tensile strength and good matrix stripping, while delivering excellent smoothness and printability. UniTherm is designed for pressure-sensitive thermal transfer applications that require fast flexographic pre-printing and matrix stripping. UniTherm Basic is designed for pressure-sensitive thermal transfer applications that require no conventional pre-printing, and is a good choice for high-fidelity bar code printing on blank labels. UniTherm Sharp features specially designed material technology that reduces die wear in high-volume thermal transfer label production environments, while providing an ideal surface for complex flexographic printing. UniTherm Tag is ideal for demanding retail and industrial thermal transfer tag applications.—Stora Enso, www.storaenso.com

High-volume TT printing

Tharo Systems, Inc.’s THARO H-426 and H-434 series of thermal transfer label printers are suited for high-volume printing. These all-metal printers are available in 203 or 300 dpi. The printers feature a full backlit LCD; standard real-time clock; use ink in or ink out ribbons, 450 m capacity; serial, parallel, PS/2, and USB interfaces are standard; and stripper sensor for strip-and-peel or tear-off applications. The H-Series also contains internal memory for storing downloaded label formats, graphics, and fonts. Using this memory, the printers can be operated without being connected to a computer.—Tharo Systems, Inc., www.tharo.com n