Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

 

Recently we wrote about the future of barcode quality. As print and scanner technology evolve, will barcode quality become obsolete? But change is the only constant. Quality itself is evolving.  If barcodes go away, barcode quality goes with it. What about the future of barcodes?

Barcodes survive and thrive today because they have evolved continuously for 45 years. Barcoding began in 1974 as a 12 byte, numeric only UPC. It has become a full alphanumeric, upper and lower case memory bank capable of storing over 7,000 characters, nearly a page of text. Like all evolution, each step solved problems:

Barcode Evolution

  • Encoding letters, numbers and special characters such as $, %, &, *
  • Ability of withstand inaccurate printing processes such as corrugated
  • Inclusion of discrete data packets, not just a single data string
  • Data recovery from damaged barcode image
  • Scalable, from microns to acres

Barcodes remain relevant because they overcome limitations of so-called competing technologies. Barcodes play nice with:

  • OCR
  • RFID
  • Vision Systems
  • Online commerce

 Barcodes Work with RFID

Mario Caruso on Unsplash

RFID is one example. Once believed to be the technology that would obsolete and replace barcodes, RFID works well with barcodes. They overcome some of the shortcomings of RFID scanning. RFID is great for quickly taking inventory of a warehouse full of items. But it is nearly impossible to scan a single item when other RFID tags are present. Barcodes are line-of-sight–it is easy to scan just one. Likewise, RFID does not work well with liquids or metals but barcodes do. But if they a barcode damaged or painted over, they do not work–but RFID does. Barcodes and RFID complement each other.

If a package is being printed, the additional cost of the barcode is negligible—virtually free. That is one practical reason barcodes have a future, but rapid technological advancement makes it difficult to predict.

Here are some other reasons barcodes will be around for a while:

  • admittance control to sporting events, concerts and other limited-access venues
  • boarding passes in air travel, local and interstate rail and cruise ships
  • eliminate drug dosing errors in hospitals and schools
  • track asset maintenance and life cycle
  • enable forest and animal management
  • support conservation research

Barcodes Continue to Evolve and Solve Problems

There are undoubtedly numerous other barcode applications in place or being developed, taking advantage of the low cost and high security of barcoding.

A new barcode symbol type, called Dot Code, is currently in development, to serve the high speed ink jet marking systems in the tobacco industry. A multi-color 2D symbology is in development to identify difficult-to-mark items such as lumber and cement blocks.

Barcode technology continues to be relevant because it is an effective, low cost solution to real problems. Until something better and cheaper comes along, barcodes will continue to serve, probably for many years to come.

 

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager