The ease of use of your equipment’s user interface can save your

Diagraph's Blog

rss

Diagraphs Blog covers the latest in coding and labeling products


The ease of use of your equipment’s user interface can save your organization downtime
Specify Alternate Text

Errors can create downtime and missed deadlines. In today's environment, extended downtime is not something a company can afford to have happen. It is vital to understand why errors are occurring and to keep those coding errors to an absolute minimum. If an error is made at the start of the process but not detected until the end, the cost of rework and rescheduling reduces profits.

Mistakes can and do happen. Below are some of the main reasons coding errors occur so frequently.

  • High staff turnover on manufacturing production lines means ensuring effective staff communication and training can be challenging.
  • User interfaces that are not easy to use and intuitive increase the chance of users inadvertently creating errors through misunderstanding of the system structure.
  • With the added complexity of diversity in the workforce, companies may find there are many languages spoken on their production lines. This can impact effective communication and training.
  • The wide variety of equipment on any production line.

Of course, it is a good practice to audit coding errors and analyze their causes. This can pinpoint clear actions for improvements such as individual or group training requirements or identify which equipment needs updating or replacing if it has become unreliable.

What should you look for in a user interface?

Eliminating 100% of coding errors is not possible due to the human factor. However, with the wide choice of user interfaces on the market, it makes sense to incorporate as many beneficial features as possible which suit your requirements and workforce. This approach helps reduce operator errors and keeps your downtime to an absolute minimum.

How to spot a great user interface

  • Multiple operator languages (user selectable) with onscreen keyboards and a secondary keyboard for multi-language printing
  • Password-protected functions with customizable user profiles
  • Simple message creation and editing with drag-and-drop field positioning, zoom function and insert mode for long messages
  • Easy buttons for fool-proof selection in a busy production environment
  • Intuitive process with clear menu setup and easy editing
  • Customizable top screen and on-screen message prompts for faster, accurate code setup

Remember, no one piece of equipment is going to solve your coding errors. You will always need good staff training, teamwork and processes. However, a good user interface that guides employees through initial set up can ensure errors are kept to a minimum. This will go a long way to keeping costs low, reducing downtime and most importantly, keeping your customers happy.




Comments are closed.


Featured Posts

  • Diagraph Earns ISO 9001 Quality Systems Management Certification Posted 9 months ago
    Diagraph's latest certification for quality management systems embodies their commitment to delivering simplicity, efficiency, and partnership.
  • Overcoming the daily challenges of pigmented ink printing Posted 2 years ago
    Using pigmented ink in printers, especially ‘white ink’, often presents daily challenges compared to standard dye-based ink printers that result in more downtime. These challenges often include more frequent servicing and daily cleaning.
  • Avoid Labeling Mistakes by Removing Plant Air Posted 3 years ago
    All-electric label applicators revolutionize the packaging industry by eliminating the reliance on plant air, providing precise applicator control for consistent and accurate label placement and ensuring secure label control for various label sizes.
  • Is training production line workers creating a challenge? No problem!  Posted 9 years ago
    Companies rely on engineers or technicians to keep production lines up and running. These job functions are essential to hitting production targets, so it is key that their skill level on equipment is proficient. When making the decision to replace this equipment, the amount of time and money that will have to be invested in training your labor is a major deciding factor.
  • Don’t let fast drying ink slow down your CIJ coding process Posted 3 years ago
    Continuous inkjet printers (CIJ) use super-fast drying solvent-based inks. One of the technology challenges presented by these inks is that they aren’t too particular wherethey dry. With CIJ technology, the formation of drops from an inkjet stream creates a mist (or satellite drops) which builds up a layer of ink over time on the components inside the CIJ print head, causing print failure. Routine cleaning of ink with solvent from the components in a print head is required to maintain best print quality and uptime.
Read More »