October 20188 ITMANUFACTURING&LOGISTICS

Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

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This special technology report willinvestigate a number of keycurrent and ongoing areas ofinnovation and development withthe printing & labelling

marketplace; one of the most critical andfast-changing technology environmentswithin the manufacturing, logistics and retailsectors. Laurent Lassus, general managermarketing & product management at SATOEurope GmBH, opens the debate by making

the point thatcurrent key talkingpoints continue tobe enhancedconnectivity,traceability,integration and easeof use for end users.However, he addedthat developmentsare increasinglyinfluenced by globaltrends such assustainability and

digitalisation. “This has brought about theneed for flexible, multi-functional devicesthat perform all the above ‘and more’,” hesaid. “Moving forward, it’s important that wenot only address functionality requirementsfor our customers but that we add value tomake a significant contribution to theirorganisational needs.”In terms of drivers for change, Lassusconsiders that all of us, as consumers, nowuse connected devices and multiple appson a daily basis. “We switch seamlesslybetween purchasing goods, tracking ourhealth and controlling our home appliancesin minutes, without thinking about it,” henoted. “And it makes complete sense thatwe would expect this high-level devicefunctionality and ease of use to extend tothe workplace.”

Lassus added that, at the same time,today’s consumers have a heightenedawareness of their impact on theenvironment. “The notable societal shifttowards waste reduction, whether it is

related to wasted time or resources, hasbeen a key driver in the development ofmulti-functional, intelligent devices andsustainable consumables,” he said. “It’s ofincreasing importance to our customers thatwe’re able to integrate environmentallyresponsible features into our complete labelprinting solutions.”

Laser markingKamran Farooq, sales manager –manufacturing, Datalogic, observes that whilemany companies in the logistics industrycontinue to deploy traditional printing and labelsystems to great effect, we are seeing anincreased uptake of laser marking systems formarking directly on individual parts andcomponents. “In many instances, customershave not marked components previously, or ifthey have, they’ve marked parts by hand whichhas led to inconsistent results,” he said. “For alot of small component parts, printed labels arejust not small enough and even for larger parts,thermal transfer or inkjet printing methods are

Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with a number of leading spokespeople from the vendorand analyst communities about recent and possible future developments within the world of printing& labelling technology.

Making yourmark

Laurent Lassus,general manager

marketing & productmanagement,

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Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

not preferred as labels can easily becomedamaged or dirty rendering the content illegible. “Instead, laser marking systems use afocused laser beam across the surface of apart and can be used to produce text,barcodes, logos, barcodes, serial numbersand more at high speeds. Not only that butlaser marking methods can be used to add apermanent mark to a range of materialsincluding metals and metal alloys, glass,plastics, composites, even ceramics, fabricsand organic materials such as wood andrubber.”

Farooq added that the marking speed has thepotential to reach in excess of 1000characters per second depending on thematerial. In addition, he explained thatimages, barcodes and logos can be importedand are quickly and easily replicated. “Due tothe permanent nature of laser marking, thetechnology is ideal for applications wherecompanies need to ensure traceability,provide protection against counterfeiting orcompliance with regulatory standards,” hepointed out.

Regarding drivers for change, Farooqbelieves that in the majority of instancesindustry regulations or standards aredriving an increased demand for part orcomponent traceability that can span thelifetime of a product. “For example, inhealthcare, the Falsified Medicines Directive(FMD) which comes into force in February2019 is a big driver,” he said. “The directiverequires a unique 2D data matrix barcodeto be placed on medicines along withtamper evident features on the pack toensure product integrity. Not only that, butthe barcodes need to be scanned at fixedpoints along the supply chain forverification and authentication purposes.Manufacturers that are not equipped andready by the deadline will no longer be ableto distribute their products and risk losingmarket share. In addition to marking theouter packaging, some manufacturers mightwish to assess the viability of usingtechnologies including laser marking to addserial numbers and 2D data matrix codes tointernal packaging such as glass or plasticbottles or vials.”

Farooq considers that traceability is also a hottopic in a number of other industries;including automotive where it is becomingcritically important to be able to accuratelytrack and monitor every component part of avehicle. Equally, he makes the point that lasermarking can be put to good use in food andbeverage manufacturing where there is arequirement to mark best before or use bydates directly to tins, bottles and more.

Digital transformation Ken Moir, VP marketing, NiceLabel, observesthat the topic of digital transformation iseverywhere, but as the last 18 months hasproven, it is more than industry buzz. “AtNiceLabel, we have seen a rush of companieslooking to modernise labelling systems andprocesses in an effort to keep pace withcustomer demands, regulatory requirementsand shrinking budgets,” he said. “We expectthe digital transformation trend to continue.For labelling this means, modernising legacysystems to improve quality assuranceprocesses, increase speed and driveefficiency. Digitally transforming labellingoffers another benefit, one that manycompanies overlook. By digitising thelabelling process, companies are able to turnboth direct and indirect costs into visiblesavings. Going digital also allows companiesto capitalise on otherwise missedopportunities to speed up time-to-market andsell more.”

In terms of drivers for change, Moir makes thepoint that, for many companies, the costsassociated with legacy labelling processesare driving the need for modernisation. “Thelonger companies continue with legacylabelling systems, the more the costs addup,” he said. “Consider how often costly ITresources are needed for label design andmaintenance or what happens when a labelerror results in product recalls and fines,quarantine, rework and scrappage. Thenthere is the cost of manual quality controlprocesses and unplanned downtime.Together, these costs can reach millions.”

Jörk Schüßler marketing director EMEACitizen Systems Europe, maintains that, in

printing, the level ofreal innovation hasbeen quite low in thelast years. “All areoffering a proventechnology and nothingnew is in sight asthermal print is offeredat a reasonable costwhile being extremelyreliable,” he said. “So,the main talking pointsare integration in the existing environment andhow easy that is by the tools offered by themanufacturer. For this, Citizen has improvedthe quality and service for SDKs for multipleplatforms.”

Concerning drivers for change, Schüßlermade the point that B2B customers are B2Ccustomers at the same time as everybodyhas a private life. “So, everybody isexpecting the ease of use or designlanguage of the technology he is using athome in a work environment,” he said.“Therefore, I see these changes driven bythe B2C soul of every B2C user. Forexample, Citizen has launched a label printerin pure white which is mainly targeted atcustomers in high-end retail and healthcare.They expect a product which fits within theirenvironment and doesn’t come along in thetypical black or greyish Auto-ID colours.”

Richard Hughes-Rowlands, regional productmanager for printer software and industrialprint, Zebra Technologies, highlights threetrends that are driving innovation at themoment. The first is the continuing adoption ofprinting as part of mainstream IT withincompanies; thereby making the traditional ITconcerns of device management and securityincreasingly important to print. The secondtrend is usability. “With the growth in print, theincreasing diversity of printer product typesand the gig economy, it’s important thatprinters are easy to use, keeping the need fortraining to a minimum,” said Hughes-Rowlands. The third trend is the growth inalternative purchasing models, with more andmore customers interested in exploring thepay-per-print model for their office copiers ina manufacturing environment.

Kamran Farooq,sales manager -manufacturing,

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Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

Increased customerexpectations

In terms of drivers for change, Hughes-Rowlands believes, ultimately, it comes downto businesses of all types responding toincreased customer expectations. “I know thateach year I spend more and more on-line,that sometimes my choices come down howquickly a product can be delivered or howeasy it to return something,” he said. “This isdriving the adoption and growth of print in thesupply chain. Print is part of the innovationthat lets them deliver on customerexpectations. We work closely with these endusers to deliver this and that drives our R&D.”

Graham Backhouse, general manager, BPIFLabels, reflects that there has always beenconsistent creative development within thepressure sensitive labelling market, and hebelieves this will undoubtedly continue wayinto the future. “There is a constant stream ofmore efficient, easier to operate iterations ofexisting equipment, but I see more and moreattention being paid to streamlining the wholemanufacturing process using communicationtechnology to link manufacturing equipment,streamline order processing andcommunicate with the customer,” he said.

Regarding drivers for change, Backhouseconsiders that, ultimately, the end user(demand) will always be the main driver.“Successful companies constantly work oncost, gaining competitive advantage,increasing sales and improving margin,” hesaid. “As the industry has matured it hasbecome more difficult to create trulyrevolutionary ideas, processes or equipment.

However there hasbeen a significantchange in how thatequipment is usedand combined toprovide morecreative, cost-effective solutions.”

Bob Forshay, seniorclient manager,PanoramaConsulting Solutions,

makes the point that labels are moving awayfrom being a display mechanism for static,dated data. “Gone are the days where a labelwas printed two days’ ago when a pallet wasreceived (and may or not be correct at thecurrent time) to a vessel that can giveupdated and changeable information basedon transactional events and environmentalfactors,” he said. “New labelling advancesfrom companies like Thinfilm allow real-timetemperature data to be produced accuratelyand timely based on the needs of the currentuser, not what was produced in the pastbased on stale information.”

A related but separate point, according toForshay, is the improved linkages totraceability. “Food safety and materialstraceability data is more dynamic and realtime as well,” he said. “Systems now cantrack and label as product progresses tied toquality systems in addition to transactionalsystems.”

Concerning drivers for change, Forshaybelieves the pervasiveness of technology intothe day-to-day lives of consumers hassignificantly impacted the changes in thelabelling and printing environments. “An end-user of a label mostly likely has a smartphone,has played a new video game, and/orinteracted with a kiosk at the grocery store –maybe all within the last day,” he noted. “Thisease of technology understanding andadoption has driven advances to end userlabelling and printing requirements.”

Cost containmentForshay added that a major driver of changein this space is cost containment. “Supplychains thrive on efficiencies, accuracy andtimely data. Significant cost savings havebeen gained by having access tosynchronised and current data real timeacross the supply chain partners,” he said.“Much like block chain is showing us newways to save transactional costs, labelling isnow more tightly linked to real time data.Top 5% performing firms are enjoying 50%savings of the traditional cost of managingsupply chains and a key factor in this isleveraging technology appropriately.”

VDC Researchpoints out that themarket for thermalpaper and labelsexperienced aproduction hiccupstarting 2017 asChinese authoritiestemporarily closedConnect Chemicals,the leadingmanufacturer ofthermal papersolutions, to modify operations incompliance with environmental regulationsand bring it up to standard. Michael Clarke,research associate, VDC Research, detailsthe business impacts and outlook due to theleuco dye supply shortage on the printingmarket:

“As Connect Chemicals is the world’sprimary supplier of leuco dye, a vitalingredient to producing direct thermalpaper, its decision to (indefinitely) close theproduction plant in China startingSeptember 2017 has caused a short supplyin the marketplace. Thermal paper millshave also slowed overall production, if notstopped them entirely, resulting in a globalshortage. Connect Chemical owns anestimated 30 to 40% of the global dyedemand for thermal coaters (andapproximately 70% of demand in Europeand Asia, according to market estimates);therefore, a manufacturing shut down hassignificant direct implications for end userswho rely on direct thermal paper. Appvion,the largest direct thermal paper mill in theUSA that also filed for bankruptcy protectionin Q4 2017, announced another round ofprice increases on their economy-gradePOS thermal paper, raising prices by 29%since July 2017.”

According to VDC, this supply constrainthas caused several major players in thebarcode labelling market to increaseproduct prices that use leuco dye. Someannounced priced increases in the range of10-15% for end users (for POS receiptpaper and barcode labels) that came intoeffect in February this year.

Ken Moir, VP marketing,

Jork Schußler,marketing director

EMEA,

October 2018 11ITMANUFACTURING&LOGISTICS

Clarke continued: “Apart from the leuco dyesupply shortage, various othermacroeconomic factors have affected thepricing and supply of thermal paper.Among the leading factors causing theprice increases are a strong US economy,natural disasters, and a rise in the price ofraw materials. The cost of freight hasincreased due to a strong US economydemanding transportation to ship goodsand Hurricane Harvey further straining thetrucking industry. The strength of the USeconomy has also affected profit marginsfor paper mills and converters due toincreased wages and the devaluation of theUS dollar, down 12% in 2017, has causedhigher costs for imported raw materials. Inaddition, the cost of raw materials integralto the creation of thermal paper hasincreased, including pulp paper. Adhesiveand polyester film increased as much as40% due to the damage of the hurricanes.

“Ultimately, while the leuco dye shortagestands out as the most significant reasonfor these planned price increases, otherfactors have also come into play includingprice increase of raw materials, strain onthe shipping industry, and othermacroeconomic reasons. Even whenConnect Chemicals is back up and runningat its full capabilities, the thermal papermarket will still face the price pressure ofexpensive raw materials and the effects of astrong US economy.”

Flexibility in design andmaterials

According to Frost & Sullivan, flexibility indesign andmaterials will fuelgrowth in theautomotive 3Dprinting materialsmarket. It adds thatadoption of 3Dprinting in rapidprototyping, by farthe largestapplication in thisindustry, is drivenby reduced lead

time and costs for OEMs compared toconventional product development.

Frost & Sullivan anticipates that 3D printingtechnologies will lead to the development ofspecialised micro-factories to producecustomised parts as the automotive industryshifts away from mass production towardsmass customisation. Frost & Sullivan forecaststhe global 3D printing materials market inautomotive transportation to generaterevenues of $576.5 million by 2024, with animpressive compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of 17.8% between 2017 and 2024.

Sayan Mukherjee, visionary science seniorresearch analyst, Frost & Sullivan,commented: “3D printing materials will play acrucial role in reshaping the global automotivebusiness model by enabling decentralisedand localised production of parts andsolutions. This is expected to transform megafactories over the next two decades.”

Global 3D Printing Materials Market inAutomotive Transportation, Forecast to 2024reveals growth opportunities, drivers, externalchallenges, forecasts and trends, and marketrevenues across segments such as plasticpowders, plastic filaments, metal powders,and photopolymers. Competitive strategies ofkey players such as Stratasys, EOS, and 3DSystems are also provided.

According to Frost & Sullivan, ways toleverage growth opportunities in global 3Dprinting materials for the automotivetransportation sector include:• Focus research and development on the

production of novel plastic formulations(resins, powders, and filaments) suited forreal-life applications and move away fromprototyping.

• Concentrate regional additivemanufacturing strategies in Europe andNorth America – where key automotivetechnology pioneers are located.

• Collaborate with machinery manufacturersfor product, business model, and marketingdevelopment as machinery manufacturersexert control over individual printer materialcompatibility.

• Strengthen distribution bases in late-

adopter and cost-sensitive marketssuch as China andIndia, among otherAsian countries.

• Understand themarket to addressthe dynamic futureneeds of theindustry andprepare fordisruptive trends.

• “The uncertainmaterial supply scenario, lack ofconsistency in end-part production, andhigher prices are big challenges facing themarket,” noted Mukherjee. “However,rationalisation of material prices is expectedto boost wider adoption of 3D printingtechnology among OEMs.”

Complex partsPete Basiliere, VP analyst, Gartner, commentsthat organisations are using 3D printing tochange their business models. “It changesmany of the calculations that have been madearound specialty manufacturing. 3DP maynever be as efficient as a three-storystamping press at banging out ribbons ofmetal into panels, but, in one shot, 3D printerscan form complex – indeed impossible-to-make – parts that a press could never solve,”he said.

Gartner’s Predicts research highlights threeindustries – medical devices, aircraft andconsumer goods – that are making significantstrides in implementing advancedmanufacturing practices enabled by 3Dprinting. To a significant extent, theexperiences of these industries can beapplied to all manufacturing industries.

Prediction: By 2021, 75% of new commercialand military aircraft will fly with 3D-printedengine, airframe and other components. “Theaerospace industry was one of the firstindustries to adopt 3DP,” explained Basiliere.“Plagued by long product design anddevelopment timelines, aerospacemanufacturers in the commercial and militarymarkets were early testbeds of aircraft models

Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

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Graham Backhouse,general manager,

Pete Basiliere,VP analyst,

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Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

and components. While prototyping remainsthe dominant use case for 3DP in allindustries, aerospace has aggressivelymoved to also use 3D printed tools, jigs,fixtures and finished goods.” For example:

• After 20 years of use, Boeing has additivemanufacturing at 20 sites in four countriesand more than 50,000 3D-printed parts areflying on both commercial and defenseprograms.

• GE Aviation’s new Advanced Turbopropengine design converted 855conventionally manufactured parts into 123D-printed parts, resulting in 10% morehorsepower, 20% fuel savings, a shorterdevelopment cycle and lower design costs(Source: GE Aviation).

• Prediction: By 2021, 25% of surgeons willpractice on 3D-printed models of thepatient prior to surgery. “Hospitals andspecialty laboratories have increased thelevel of investment in 3DP hardware,software and services that integratemedical imaging, CAD and 3DP workflowsoftware,” said Basiliere. Gartner estimatesthat nearly 3% of large hospitals andmedical research institutions have 3DPcapabilities on site (Source: Katherine C.Cohen/Boston Children’s Hospital).

Gartner adds that, as 3DP technologiesimprove and the other technologies becomemore refined, 3DP as a COE will spread fromteaching hospitals and specialty centres intothe broader hospital system. One example isBoston Children’s Hospital, where they take ateam approach to training and surgicalplanning. Clinicians, industrial engineers,

designers, simulationexperts, illustratorsand patient careteams are allinvolved. As more3DP capabilitiescome online, Gartnerexpects surgeonsand medical staff toincrease the demandfor 3DP capabilitiesto be delivered in‘turnkey’ fashion.3DP will move from

obscure back-office labs more into theforefront as part of a strategy to improvesurgical training and simulations.

Prediction: By 2021, 20% of the world’s top100 consumer goods companies will use 3Dprinting to create custom products. “Rapidproduct prototyping is the biggest and mostexpansive 3DP use case for consumer goodscompanies,” noted Basiliere. “Companies aswide-ranging as Fishman (guitar amplificationdevices) and Unilever (household products)are already using 3DP to substantially reducedesign to production times and to savemoney. But rapid prototyping is not the onlyrelevant use case.”

Basiliere added that 3DP is also likely to havea large impact on consumer goods companysupply chains. “In categories where specificcustomisation is fundamental to the productdelivery, inventories could be reduced, andcosts and production could be shifted closerto the end customer,” he said. “This shift to‘local production for local consumption’ wouldenable consumer goods companies to rethinktheir business models. For example, acompany named Raceware creates custombike parts using 3DP.”

According to Basiliere, it is unlikely thatadditive manufacturing or 3DP will evercompletely supplant mass production in anyconsumer goods market subsector. “In fact,there are many product categories where wewould expect its use to range from a very low-level penetration to no practical use cases of3DP whatsoever,” he pointed out.“Organisations must learn to make the cost-benefit trade-offs for where and when 3DPmakes sense compared with conventionalmanufacturing technologies.”

Prediction: By 2021, 20% of enterprises willestablish internal startups to develop new 3Dprint-based products and services. “Businessnow moves at lightning speed, andtechnology moves even faster,” said Basiliere.“Established companies constantly facecompetition from startups and emergingcompanies. To even the playing field withthese fast-moving companies, organisationsmust set up an internal start-up to help fast-

track 3DP and other innovative technologiesinto the company’s business.”

Over the past few years, a handful of largerenterprise engineering organisations, such asAirbus, BASF and GE have establishedindustrial-scale 3DP internal startups. “Thecompanies are able to speed up theintegration of 3DP into their ownmanufacturing processes for parts that areeither too difficult or too costly to make usingconventional manufacturing methods,” saidBasiliere. “The concept of an internal startupfor 3DP is rapidly gaining traction and willbecome very common in the coming years.An internal startup enables companies tofocus some of their brightest minds on 3DPinnovation, while protecting their existingrevenue streams from disruption.”

Prediction: By 2021, 40% of manufacturingenterprises will establish 3D printing centersof excellence (COE). “Many Gartner clients inthe enterprise manufacturing space havealready implemented 3DP somewhere in theirvalue chain,” said Basiliere. “In most cases,the engineering functions within either R&D ormanufacturing have made the larger internal3DP capital investments while simultaneouslyimproving their ability to leverage external on-demand service capabilities via their networksof partners.”

Over the past few years, a handful of largerenterprise engineering organisations haveestablished industrial-scale 3DP COEs (forexample, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, RollsRoyce and Siemens). “While doing so, theyhave integrated 3DP-related workflows intokey business processes,” explained Basiliere.“The benefit of a COE is to better refineexisting 3DP methodologies andoperationalise 3DP technologies whilecreating metrics to focus on improvements todesign innovation, standardisation on keyprocesses, and focus on improvement toquality and inspection processes. A 3D printCOE also serves as a training facility or anexperience centre for supply chain partners,as well as groups within the business.”

Gartner points out that midsize enterprisemanufacturers are beginning to follow suit in

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Richard Hughes-Rowlands,

regional productmanager for printer

software andindustrial print,

Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

COE establishment, but with smallerinvestments. “These companies tend tooutsource 3DP services, as both the capitalcosts and specialised labour required areoften too large a barrier to justify theprogram,” said Basiliere.

He continued: “The long-term goal of a 3DPCOE is to become a seamless part of thedesign and manufacturing process. Whensuccessful, the COE has broad implicationson use of 3DP in the design, manufacturingand maintenance of products. 3D printingenables organisations to shift from designingfor ideal manufacturing to manufacturing theideal design. With the shift will come changesto your business model.”

Integration In terms of the relationship between somestate-of-the-art printing and labelling systemsand back-office systems, what do ourcommentators consider to be some of the keyrecent changes? Schüßler reiterates his pointregarding the offer of easy to integrate SDKsfor all relevant platforms, which today alsoincludes iOS.

Hughes-Rowlands explained that as printmoves from the warehouse to the edge – theretailer or the delivery courier – then one sizedoes not fit all. “When you combine that withthe geographic scale needed by somecustomers it’s important to ensure a commonarchitecture across printer types; togetherwith printers that work well in combinationwith mobile computers, scanners and theERP systems that drive them,” he said. “Overthe last few years we’ve introduced mobile,desktop and industrial printers with acommon software platform – Print DNA. Thatmakes it much simpler to integrate any Zebraprinter with the back office; they all work inthe same way.”

Lassus explained that research shows theuse of (or lack of) connected technology caninfluence an organisation’s market position.“Legacy or outdated technology cansignificantly impede a collaborative workforceand individual worker productivity,” he said.“Therefore, Cloud-connected, touch-screen

label printing solutions, operated without theneed for a PC, have the ability to significantlyboost productivity in the IoT era. In addition,helping our customers to develop agilesystems by offering them greater autonomythrough the use of flexible, customisablesolutions and interfaces brings them closer toachieving ‘smart systems’ of the future.”

Moir commented that when it comes tointegrating labelling with business systemssuch as ERP, WMS, PLM and others, digitaltransformation enables a shift from time-consuming, complex coded connections todirect interfaces with master data sourcesthat ensure accuracy and efficiency. “Modernintegration allows IT teams to configureintegrations and leverage pre-builtconnectors to leading business applicationsfor rapid deployment,” he said “Oncedeployed, the benefits of going digitalmultiply as capabilities like in-memoryprocessing deliver speeds 100 times fasterthan the legacy approach of transmitting databetween applications and servers. In the end,modern labelling system integration alsoreduces downtime and simplifiesmaintenance.”

According to Forshay, one revolutionarychange is the increasing incidence of datathat originates outside of the ‘system’(ERP/CRM/WMS, etc.) and ends up beingprinted via a label or other ‘hard copy’means. “Data collection is no longerrestricted to the four walls of a facility,instead, information can be obtained via anynumber of devices – whether a personalphone, an anchored RFID reader, or acamera attached to a traffic light,” he said.“These different collection mechanisms aredriving consistency and openness with theERP/CRM/WMS vendors in order to allowtheir customers ease of integration and use.”

Backhouse reflects that over recent yearsindustry suppliers have increasingly seen thebenefit of offering a complete solution orbeing part of a complete solution offer,resulting in increasing co-operation betweensuppliers aimed at streamlining the workflowand being able to offer a full end to endsolution from design concept through post

press, linking ofproofing, printing,converting anddistributionprocesses. “We nowlive in a world whereemployees havegrown up with theInternet of Things(IoT) and theynaturally look to usethe interconnectivityas a benefit thatshould be fully utilised,” he said.

User benefits What have been the subsequent benefitimprovements for the user? Lassus pointedout that empowering the end-user to makeon-the-spot, on-demand decisions – basedon access to accurate, up-to-date data –reduces wasted time to virtually zero. “Take alarge touch screen displaying multilingualtraining videos for example, or a device thatcaters for the loading of multiple consumableformats in a few easy steps; these areattributes that integrate the IoT into themodern workplace in a manner that’seffortless for the user,” he said.

According to Moir, one of the major problemswith using hard-coded label templates orforms design software is that these legacyapproaches require a significant investmentin IT resources. “One of the key benefits of adigitised labelling system is that it empowersbusiness users,” he explained. “Whenbusiness users take ownership of labelling, iteliminates the need for costly IT resourcesand speeds up the label change request andapproval process.”

Schüßler sees the biggest benefit in the factthat the time to market, as well as the timeneeded for the training, is shorter. Also,according to Schüßler, the acceptance by thepeople who use the systems every day ishigher due to the fact that they work withsomething that they already know. Besidethat, Schüßler believes decentral devicemanagement is a big plus.Hughes-Rowlands explained that Zebra has

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Bob Forshay,senior client manager,

Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

developed Print DNA, its common printersoftware platform. “It was important that weadopted existing networks standards,” hesaid. “That makes it easier for developers tobuild their applications and not worry abouthow the data gets to and from each and everytype of printer.”

Hughes-Rowlands added that the growth ofdevice mobility and ubiquitous connectivityhave also been large influences. “Forexample, all newer Zebra printers now offerBluetooth,” he explained. “For some mobileprinters this will be the only way theycommunicate, for other printers it may just bea temporary connection that is used for set-up or fault finding.” Hughes-Rowlands alsomade the point that Bluetooth is a great wayof connecting other devices such asscanners directly to the printer.

Forshay considers that increased opennessfrom an integration standpoint has been asignificant improvement for end users, as theability to consider additional hardware andsoftware options is always a positive in termsof total cost of ownership. Anotherdevelopment he highlights is theimprovement in ‘out of the box’ integrationbetween the ERP/CRM/WMS, the datacollection device, and the printingmechanism. “This integration simplicity allowsfor either fewer modifications or fewer pointsof failure due to the lack of necessity ofemploying additional integration software,” henoted.

Backhouse reflects that in label productionthere have been many developments thatimpact in varying degrees on the efficiency,cost and employee hours. “End usersincreasingly benefit from linked systems andprocesses with increased communicationand visibility at all stages,” he remarked.

Convergence With regard to technology convergencewithin the current printing & labelling systemsand related equipment marketplace, do ourcommentators see this as a good or badthing? Schüßler sees this as a positive area ofdevelopment. “Everything which makes life

easier, operations leaner and customershappier is a good thing,” he said.

Hughes-Rowlands commented that Zebrasees its printers built into many differentsystems. “Some products like the Zebra PrintEngine are designed as OEM components forPrint and Apply vendors. But open nature ofthe printers lets our partners build solutionsfor many types of applications for exampleATEX where specialised enclosures areneeded or printers with built in imageverification capabilities. We are happy thatthere are many partners building innovativesolutions on top of our printers using theirown specialist knowledge and products.”

Lassus commented that since SATO’sbusiness model relates to streamliningoperations and empowering workforces, itsees technology convergence as a positivetrend. “Our latest developments are multi-functional, user friendly and purposefully verysimplistic for the user who is used tooperating consumer-level devices,” heremarked. “For example, in the healthcaresector, if we can enable label and patient IDwristband to print from the one device, ratherthan two separate devices, this saves a hugeamount of time when collecting in-patientdata. And if the data collected can beaccessed across multiple locations andgeographies, accuracy (and therefore patientsafety) is increased across entireorganisations. As technological convergencecontinues to evolve, we also value thecollaborations that bring our technologytogether with that of our partners.”

Moir made the point that we are starting tosee companies make a shift towardmanaging all their supplychain/manufacturing printing with onesolution; whether they are printing labels ormarking items directly with a high-speedinkjet device. “We view this as a positivedevelopment in the market that will drive newlevels of print productivity,” he said.“NiceLabel is working with our customers tosupport this convergence of printmanagement solutions. It simplifies useroperations and is more cost effective thanrunning multiple solutions for different print

technologies. This is a very positivedevelopment in the market which we fullysupport and encourage.”

Forshay considers that convergence is aconsequence of technological advancement;thus, it is a positive force for the end userand the marketplace. “End users are going tocontinue to demand increasing functionalityfrom any technological device in the future,”he said. “Technology that can only perform asingle task is going to be seen as outdatedwhen compared to other multi-functiontechnologies. For example, the ability to takea picture via a smartphone is nowcommonplace, thus for many purchasing acamera to take pictures is now unthinkable.From a printing/labelling perspective, amovement towards multiple functions (withprinting as one of the basket of functions) fora device will be seen as commonplace andnecessary at a minimum.”

Remaining concerns Are there any remaining concerns regardingthe use of Printing & Labelling systems? Moircommented that aside from the liabilitiesmentioned earlier, such as label errors andproduction shutdowns, a legacy labellingsystem can also introduce security risk. Headded: “Some previous generation labellingsystems require legacy plugins, such asFlash for their browser applications thatcreate security risks for the business. Flash isbeing deprecated extremely fast and shouldbe completely obsolete in the coming years.”

Lassus doesn’t see any remaining concerns;simply the positive challenge of developingsolutions that stayahead of the rapidpace of change inretail, manufacturingand logistics, foodand healthcareenvironments. “It’sincreasinglyimportant that weroutinely offer ourcustomers the optionof a customisableapplication

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Michael Clarke,research associate,

programming interface,” he said. “Whilst allindustries are shaped to some extent by thesame global trends, we can’t expect a ‘oneapplication fits all’ approach to work acrosswhat are unique and very complexoperations.”

Schüßler reflected that while a few yearseverybody was investigating if BYOD (‘bringyour own device’) could be a solution mostend users understood that this can causemassive security problems. “At the sametime, many recognised that an end usermobile device cannot be compared with aprofessional tool in many regards such asdurability or availability over a project life timeof several years,” he added.

Forshay made the point that data collectedexternally could be compromised in anumber of ways (incorrect formatting, pausesin the string of data being collected, etc.) –making printing using a disciplined processdifficult. “Printing using such data requiresinternal system intelligence to rationalise orclean any anomalies in order to produce aclean print or label,” he said.

Another recent change highlighted byForshay is the ability to produce the actuallabel or hard document via a printer that isnot directly tethered or otherwiseelectronically connected to theERP/CRM/WMS system. “While this is offereda convenience to customers and/or endusers, this adds an additional layer ofcomplexity to an already intricate process,”he said.

The road aheadWhat might be the nextinnovations/developments to look out for overthe next year or two within the printing &labelling space? Lassus considers that, ratherthan a dramatic rise in new technologies, heexpects to see existing technologies beingbetter utilised in line with consumer trendsallowing them to work ‘smarter’. “Our coredata collection systems and labellingsolutions will become increasingly importantas the changing face of retail drives changeacross the whole supply chain,” he said.

“Track and trace technology, particularlyRFID, has an important role to play in helpingsuppliers and retailers deliver on increasingconsumer demands to locate stock anywherein the chain and to efficiently process bothinstore and online returns and exchanges. Asa result, we predict that effective datamanagement will be absolutely critical tosuccess and future ‘consumer experience’driven innovations.”

With this in mind, Lassus pointed out thatSATO will continue to develop user-friendlyfeatures and customisable technology forease of integration and ensure that its devicesare compatible with environmentallyresponsible solutions, such as SATO’slinerless labels, as demand increases forsustainable options. “To date, omni-channelstrategies and tech have often worked againsteach other and we see a coming together ofthe two as we work with our customers tounderstand end-user challenges,” he added.

Moir commented that NiceLabel expects aCloud-first approach to be rapidly adopted inthe supply chain labelling workflows, just as ithas been in many other industries. “A Cloudapproach will simplify the digitisation oflabelling for small businesses who don’talways have the IT resource required,” hesaid. “For larger enterprises, a Cloud solutioncan make the expansion of a centrallymanaged labelling workflow much easier asminimal IT involvement is needed.”

Schüßler considers that we could see morecompact solutions that give customersbenefits with regard to space at their points ofprint; especially if they have the need to printseveral different things.

Outside of industries where certain marks andserial numbers are required for compliancepurposes, Farooq believes there is apossibility that product printing and labellingmay be superseded by different technologies.He added that printed barcodes arecommonly the most reliable way to identifyproducts on the production or distribution line.However emerging and evolving machinevision technologies, including sophisticatedimage recognition software, are able to

accurately identifyobjects by their size,shape and visualfeatures such asbranding on thepackaging. “Thiscould be particularlygame changing inlogistics and offersto opportunities tofurther automatepick, pack andfulfilmentprocesses,” heremarked.

Forshay foresees the continued developmentof the ability for a printed document or label togive ‘real-time’ information in a proactiveinstead of a reactive manner. “Instead of alabel ‘waiting’ to be accessed by a user, thelabel will utilise rules and data to determinewhen to inform due to changes in the entitythat is labelled,” he said.

Forshay added that another development is tocontinue to allow for a user outside of aclosed system to access data via a label orprinted document. “This will alloworganisations to market better transparencybetween themselves and the end customerdue to the end user’s ability to access datavia labels or printed material,” he explained.

Greater expectations Hughes-Rowlands explained that, althoughnot new, Zebra sees sustained strong growthand adoption of RFID technology, and iscontinuing to invest in RFID printers, readersand other innovative products in this space.“Overall, I think that expectations of the printerwill move from the ‘dumb’ device that prints,to a more capable connected device,” headded. “You’ll see continued growth in theimportance of printer management and moreconcerns and questions asked about printersecurity as a device connected to thecorporate network. Printers will continue theirmove from being an operational cost, to anenabler in meeting increased customerexpectations.” n

Special Technology Report Printing & Labelling

www.logisticsit.comstic October 2018 15ITMANUFACTURING&LOGISTICS

Sayan Mukherjee,visionary sciencesenior research

analyst,