Barcode Readers

Keys to choosing the best barcode

But bear in mind that there is a wide variety of barcodes, and consequently a wide variety of barcode readers for every company's needs. Thus, the main criteria to be taken into account when choosing the barcode reader that best suits your needs are the following:

Barcode or QR Code

There are two main groups of barcodes, those known as 1D and those known as 2D. 1D barcodes, also known as traditional or linear barcodes, are composed of parallel bars arranged in a line.

2D codes, on the other hand, are those that use 2 dimensions to create an image, capable of holding more information than 1D codes. Among the 2D codes, QR codes and Datamatrix codes stand out.

Fixed or mobile reader

The type of work and the location where it is to be carried out must be taken into account. Thus, there are fixed readers, such as those that are placed in a supermarket cash dispenser for example, and portable readers, which, thanks to a cable or wireless connection, allow readings to be taken wherever they are needed.

The latter can be in the form of a barcode handheld scanner, or can be even smaller, in so-called USB or pocket formats.

Wired or wireless

Finally, among the non-fixed readers, we can find wired and wireless barcode readers.

The main difference lies in the movement autonomy and battery life, given that wired readers have limited movement depending on the length of the connection cable, while wireless readers offer complete freedom of movement, but with a battery that limits the time they can be used.

Do you want to know all the features to consider when choosing the barcode reader that best suits your business?

With wireless barcode readers you have freedom of movement and gain in security thanks to the elimination of cables, which makes these devices particularly convenient to operate.

Wired barcode readers prevent you from being able to reach certain locations or prevent you from moving to other parts of the warehouse or workstation where you need to scan. In addition, cables can be easily damaged, hindering data transfer and potentially endangering the safety of employees in the event of an accident.

That's why wireless barcode readers are the best choice if you have to work in large spaces, travel long distances or move across aisles, situations where a cable can be a hindrance.

Likewise, thanks to their small size and wireless nature, they are ideal for delivery and transport tasks thanks to the working autonomy they offer for taking readings anywhere. You will be able to move in and out of the server without losing connection and perform efficient and fast code scanning.

In addition, these devices are fully configurable and have a variety of reading options thanks to their 1D and 2D omni-directional reading technology. Simply choose the wireless barcode reader that best suits your needs and configure it to work properly.

Industrial barcode readers are specially designed for use in industry and logistics warehouses. Thanks to their robustness and IP rating, they work perfectly in extreme conditions and are even resistant to multiple drops. These characteristics are indispensable for tasks such as inventory control in these sectors, where dust or moisture can be encountered and can damage other readers with less protection.

In addition, in the logistics sector, it is very common that the reader has to be transported from one point to another in the warehouse to perform the necessary readings, which is why, on occasions, a wireless barcode reader can be very useful.

But it's not all about the ruggedness and durability of these industrial barcode readers. Both the industrial and logistics sectors handle a large amount of data that needs to be captured, sent and stored in a Warehouse Management System. This makes power and speed of reading other essential features of these barcode handheld scanners, in addition to reading accuracy, as

labels can be damaged in transport or handling, making it difficult to read the barcodes printed on them.

Therefore, when selecting a suitable reader for work in industry or the logistics sector, we must ensure that it meets these 4 characteristics:

Speed: In industrial environments, people are working against the clock and scanners must respond efficiently, with no delays in sending and collecting data.
Power: It's not just about battery life, it also requires the barcode handheld scanners to have a good range no matter how far away you are.
Robustness: Industrial readers are able to withstand the most extreme conditions and are also resistant to multiple drops.
Accuracy: It has to be able to read any barcode regardless of the material it is printed on, its quality or size.

The fixed industrial barcode scanner is perfect for some of the activities that take place in industry and logistics such as the reception of parts and products or the sorting of packages, as it allows a large volume of scanning to be carried out at high speed and from a distance, facilitating the work and increasing productivity.

If your warehouse has a conveyor belt, you know how chaotic it can be when something goes wrong, bringing your production line to a standstill. In addition, some barcodes arrive damaged, making them difficult to read and slowing down the work. In demanding environments such as industry and the transport and logistics sector, where dust, humidity and other elements that can damage labels can be encountered, you need a barcode reader that speeds up the supply chain, avoiding possible reading errors.

Considering the features of these applications, here are the 4 must-have features of your industrial fixed barcode reader so that chaos doesn't take over your warehouse while still increasing your productivity:

Reading flexibility: Barcode readers capable of adapting to any space.

Fast reading of a large volume of codes.: One of the characteristics of this sector is the volume of codes that need to be scanned in a short time, so the speed of these industrial readers will increase your productivity

Ability to scan any barcode: Whether printed on paper, engraved on a product or displayed on a mobile device, they are capable of reading any barcode without error. You only need to choose the type of reader or model that best suits your needs, whether you are looking for a reader for pallet picking, to follow the traceability of your parts and products or to check the orders you have prepared before dispatching them.

Robustness: The quality of the materials in which they are designed make them perfect devices to work in demanding environments such as the transport and logistics sector or industries, where temperatures, humidity, dust or other debris and shavings; and even the handling of packages, can damage the labels and the readers themselves, causing a problem in the production of your company.

Antimicrobial barcode readers

Protect your customers and employees from Covid-19 with antimicrobial kits

Today, it is particularly important to comply with security measures in order to ensure the safety of your employees from COVID-19 and to regain trust.

For this reason, Tecnipesa recommends the use of Healthcare (HC) scanners and handhelds. These handhelds are manufactured with additional protection of antimicrobial plastics that prevent the growth of germs and other micro-organisms.

Thanks to these health-conscious materials, antimicrobial barcode readers are the ideal tool to protect employees and customers in the healthcare, chemical and pharmaceutical industries,

where scrupulous compliance with regulations is essential to protect the health of employees, patients and other customers.

The antimicrobial plastics that make up this handheld make it particularly resistant to washing with aggressive products that could damage other handhelds, but are essential to ensure that there is no contagion from the use of barcode scanning handhelds.

Among other applications, barcode readers of the Healthcare type are very useful for product identification and warehouse management in the healthcare, chemical or pharmaceutical sector.

Hands-free readers allow you to work with greater freedom of movement in your warehouse. No more holding the device, with a ring reader your hands are free to handle goods or check delivery notes as you move through the warehouse to take inventory or prepare an order. This will enable you to work faster and more efficiently. To scan the barcode, all you have to do is put a ring-shaped device on your index finger.

In addition, thanks to their advanced Bluetooth system, they offer total freedom of movement, as they are completely wireless barcode readers. You will be able to move around easily and move away from the server without losing the connection, performing barcode scanning quickly, securely and comfortably.

Readers designed specifically for the retail sector allow fast reading of 1D codes, such as traditional barcodes (composed of parallel bars), whether Ean 13, Ean 8, Code 128 or other codes, and 2D codes, including DataMatrix and QR codes, which are increasingly used in physical and electronic commerce. It can also read both labels and PDFs printed on paper or on the screen of any device.

In retail, or any other point of sale, the reader cannot be allowed to fail or be slow, as this could

lead to problems in customer service or at the checkout counters.

Because a bad customer experience or making the customer wait longer than necessary can result in a lost sale. To prevent this from happening, it is essential to have one of these barcode readers specially designed for point-of-sale, which allows you to read the code quickly and without errors.