Sunday 22 September 2013

Bar Codes And Their Function

By Keren Kipfer


You can find bar codes printed in our food products when you look for them on the side of the packaging especially the ones made in the United States. You can find them at the back side of a product. One of its functions is to make it easier for store checkers to easily add up the cost of your total grocery bill but they are not only placed there for that purpose. Let us discuss their several important functions aside from the one mentioned before.

These bar codes are known as UPC codes, which stand for Universal Product Code. These originate with a company called the UCC or the Uniform Code Council. They usually have a normal black bar on a white background print with several numbers found at the bottom. Part of the code is readable only to a machine or scanner, but the number portion provides helpful information for vendors and customers.

A 12-digit code is composed in a standard UPC code containing a manufacturer's identification number. From left to right, the first six digits will specify who manufactured the product while the remaining next five digits of the code indicate the actual product. The end result is known as the check digit and it should always be the answer to a mathematical formula that uses all of the previous numbers in the code. A UPC coordinator is required to avoid using the same code on more than one product and retire these codes as these products are removed from shelves.

Most of the products in a grocery store that are manufactured elsewhere like sodas, pastas, tomato sauces and the millions of other products we buy usually have number codes 0,1,6,7 and 8 which they represent. Deli meat, cheese or produce have a number 2 which indicates item sold by weight. Different types of coupons use the numbers 4, 5 and 9 while 3 is for different for pharmaceutical items.

You may notice on the packaging of different food products that bar codes are not the only ones printed. The batch number and expiration date are included and manufacturers print them also. They use a special kind of printer, an ID coder to do this. This machine also is called an ID printer. In the market you can find many brands of coders that are available such as Altima coders, Domino coders, Maxima coders, Imaje coders and many more. Expiration dates can help one determine if these products are safe for consumption or use and it should not be overlooked.

ID coders or printers will require special inks and make-up fluids in order for them to function. It is advised to use high quality inks to avoid damage to your machines. You can buy several inks and fluids directly from manufacturers. However, doing so may cost you a lot of money. You can buy the same type of product at a more affordable price when you look for a product ID company that specializes in creating high quality generic versions of VideoJet ink, Domino ink, Maxima ink and all the other major brands. It is much cheaper to purchase and they are as effective as the ones sold directly from manufacturers.




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