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While we might bristle at the thought of a long grocery store line, go back just a couple of decades and the process of checking out of the market was quite a bit more time consuming. Items had no bar codes and there were no scanners, so checkers typed in the cost of every item using a non-electric register. Today, stores have computerized registers, and scanning makes the process of purchasing food and other grocery items far easier, not to mention that scanning also helps to track inventory and even showcase shopping trends.
For the most part, Americans did not see scanners in supermarkets until the early 1980s, but they were actually invented several decades earlier. In 1952, Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver were granted a patent for the earliest form of a bar code and scanning machine which they built using parts from a movie projector and a light bulb. It wasn't until 1974 that a scanner was installed in a grocery store, and the very first product that went across the scanner was a pack of gum. This package is on display in Washington, D.C. at the National History Museum.
In 1966, the Universal Product Code was created which established guidelines for bar codes on grocery products. This is a 12-digit code that can be used to identify any grocery-related product. The first digit represents the type of product, while the next set of digits identifies the manufacturer. For example, if the first digit is a zero this means that the product is a national brand. A 2 would be placed on item that you had received at the deli, such as cheese or sliced meats or potato salad. A 3 is placed on items that are beauty products, such as shampoo.
In addition to the UPC bar on a food product, the manufacturer also prints other special codes onto the product. These include things such as batch identification numbers and expiration dates. Food producers use special printers known as id printers or id coders to affix these numbers onto a variety of product surfaces, such as glass, plastic, cardboard and more.
There are many major brands of these id coders, which typically are drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printers. You might see a company that uses a Domino printer or perhaps a Videojet printer. Other brands include Altima printers, Maxima printers and Imaje coders. If you are in the market for a coder, consider buying a used model and have it refurbished by a product id business that offers repairs and refurbishments. These companies also generally have many replacement parts on hand for all the major brands.
Another good option is purchasing ink from these id companies, as well. They sell carefully formulated inks and make up for any coder. You can purchase Videojet ink, Domino ink or ink for any other brand at much lower prices.
For the most part, Americans did not see scanners in supermarkets until the early 1980s, but they were actually invented several decades earlier. In 1952, Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver were granted a patent for the earliest form of a bar code and scanning machine which they built using parts from a movie projector and a light bulb. It wasn't until 1974 that a scanner was installed in a grocery store, and the very first product that went across the scanner was a pack of gum. This package is on display in Washington, D.C. at the National History Museum.
In 1966, the Universal Product Code was created which established guidelines for bar codes on grocery products. This is a 12-digit code that can be used to identify any grocery-related product. The first digit represents the type of product, while the next set of digits identifies the manufacturer. For example, if the first digit is a zero this means that the product is a national brand. A 2 would be placed on item that you had received at the deli, such as cheese or sliced meats or potato salad. A 3 is placed on items that are beauty products, such as shampoo.
In addition to the UPC bar on a food product, the manufacturer also prints other special codes onto the product. These include things such as batch identification numbers and expiration dates. Food producers use special printers known as id printers or id coders to affix these numbers onto a variety of product surfaces, such as glass, plastic, cardboard and more.
There are many major brands of these id coders, which typically are drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printers. You might see a company that uses a Domino printer or perhaps a Videojet printer. Other brands include Altima printers, Maxima printers and Imaje coders. If you are in the market for a coder, consider buying a used model and have it refurbished by a product id business that offers repairs and refurbishments. These companies also generally have many replacement parts on hand for all the major brands.
Another good option is purchasing ink from these id companies, as well. They sell carefully formulated inks and make up for any coder. You can purchase Videojet ink, Domino ink or ink for any other brand at much lower prices.
About the Author:
Keren Kipfer loves researching products for industrial manufacturers such as ink jet printers. To get more details on parts for a Video Jet printer or to discover Videojet equipment, please visit the PrintJet.net site now.
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