An ‘enterprising’ improvement for manufacturing productivity

ACCORDING TO a new survey, 2025 will be defined by manufacturers’ ability to adapt. Facing increased costs, especially in employment, rising compliance demands and a challenging economic climate, including unknowns like US tariffs, means UK manufacturers need adaptable strategies to survive and grow.

The industry is said to be focusing on offsetting costs through measures like gains in productivity, digital transformation and automation. Indeed some 68% plan to tackle rising costs through improvements in productivity.

Almost all manufacturers will use barcode labelling in some shape or form to track and identify raw materials and parts, label up finished products, tote bins and cartons, locate inventory or to manage assets. Barcode management systems help track information, reduce costly human errors as well as increase productivity capacity. 

But not every barcode printer is born equal! 

RFID print and barcode verification in one

The T6000e from TSC Auto ID is the only enterprise printer on the market offering both real-time online data verification (ODV) technology and RFID capabilities, all in a smart single device. 

Why is such versatility important? 

If manufacturers are truly focusing their efforts this year on improving productivity, automation and digital transformation, then the T6000e ticks all boxes. It can do the work of multiple devices to deliver new heights of productivity and cost savings.

• Available in 4-inch and 6-inch versions, it sets new standards in demanding environments for productivity; it’s capable of printing 10,000 labels a day.
• RFID is a perfect vehicle to facilitate digital transformation as it provides real-time data on items as they pass throughout the supply chain, enabling organisations to track inventory, optimise logistics and streamline processes. This printer easily handles complex applications, supporting diverse media types like standard smart labels, on-metal tags and thick returnable transport item (RTI) labels. 
• The integrated ODV device enables RFID labels to be printed, verified and encoded in a single pass. Such automation minimises risks of human error or costly compliance fines; no operator intervention is a much-needed win in times of staff shortages! 

Future-proofing your labelling capability

A 2024 Make UK survey reflected on the pace of change of digitalisation, claiming UK manufacturers need to buy both the right solution for now and the right solution to grow into the future. 

The beauty of the T6000e mid-range industrial printer is that, if manufacturers aren’t quite ready to make the switch to the smart benefits of RFID then TSC offers upgrade kits on the standard model, which provide a cost-effective solution to later integrate RFID technology into an operation without the upfront investment. 

Costs are inevitably rising but so too are compliance demands. Inaccurate, unreadable or badly formatted barcode labels not only look unprofessional, they could cost manufacturers rejected shipments and fines for wasted time and effort, not to mention impacts on company reputation.

While the benefits of the ODV might not seem immediately obvious, they can easily and quickly translate into good returns. In normal operation, 99.9% of barcode labels print just fine but that means one in 1,000 is grading below specification. If taken over a month’s production, printing 5,000 labels a day, 100 labels could be failing.
Assuming compliance fines are $20+ per label – not uncommon in the US - manufacturers could be coughing up $2,000 per month in chargebacks. As track and trace regulation increases, so too will label inspection. Be prepared with the ODV-2D, it verifies and validates every 1D or 2D label as it’s printed, automatically overstriking ‘bad’ barcodes and replacing those that fail to conform. It can be added as a field kit to the standard T6000e, its cost would easily be recouped by avoiding just one fine.
The T6000e is the ultimate solution for manufacturers seeking flexibility, precision, and reliability. If you think your operation could benefit from this enterprise printer then contact TSC.