Videos

The issue here is that while your scanner may read the code the next scanner to try may fail – it does not provide any real result to gauge how well the barcode has been created and does not ensure that other scanners will also read your barcode. Many of the new handheld scanners on the market use a “fuzzy technology” to assist in reading poor quality barcodes – they guess the code with a fairly high level of accuracy. The expensive retail store scanners work in the opposite way – they are calibrated to NOT read poor quality barcodes – this is to ensure that an incorrect read is avoided!

Which Axicon Barcode Verifier is best for me?

This is a question often asked and sometimes difficult to answer without knowing; your industry, the range of products you sell, and a host of other questions.

The following video will go a long way to assisting you with this question!

The eternal question – is there one solution that fits all??

Well, there sort of is! The new 15500 can do both linear and 2D codes – but only retail-sized codes that will fit the field of view, (95mm x 71mm).

While the new 15500 is an amazing unit that suits many customers’ needs as the one unit for all – certain pallet and carton codes can be produced in sizes up to 200mm wide and these certainly are unable to fit this unit!

Watch this video to find out more.

When each verifier leaves Axicon it has been checked and tested at several stages to ensure that it conforms to the International Standards Organisation for barcode verifiers and that it is able to be calibrated by the user with a traceable calibration card.

The regular calibration ensures that the verifier is measuring reflectance correctly, as its performance is affected by each computer it is connected to, its temperature, and the ambient light. This calibration does not maintain the verifier in perfect condition, as its performance will change over time – the LEDs will not necessarily all be as consistently bright as they were when new, dust can settle on some of the optical components, and the buttons and cables may be wearing out through use.

This is why we recommend that every verifier should be returned to us every year for a verifier conformance and alignment service or VCAS.  During this process, we examine, clean, and reset the verifier, changing any components that may be wearing out, and ensuring that it works as well as it did when it was first manufactured.  We also supply a new calibration card as its values will slightly change over time.

Axicon Auto ID is a world leader in barcode verification, having developed and manufactured our own range of verifiers since 1989. Axicon barcode verifiers are used to measure the quality of linear and matrix barcodes, on all levels of product packaging.

When standards were reviewed in 1995 and the new CEN/ISO conformance included the hardware quality as well as the Verification algorithm, most Barcode Verifier manufacturers were forced to leave the market as their products failed to meet the strict quality standards or they simply judged the cost of manufacturing too high to remain in this area. Only a very few companies remained.

Axicon not only met all quality ISO standards (EN 1635 & ISO/IEC 15416) but has gone on to become the leading manufacturer of Barcode Verifiers in the world and an established name in quality.

Calibration should be carried out after installation and at regular intervals.

Calibration is a quick and simple process. Select Calibrate from the Options menu of the command window (or press F2). You will see a window with two edit boxes for minimum and maximum reflectance values. Ensure that the values shown in the window match the values printed at the bottom of the calibration card.

With the Calibration window open scan the calibration barcode 10 times. Then click the OK button. The verifier is now calibrated and ready to use.

The CSV File option allows a subset of the scan information to be automatically appended to the specified text file in CSV format. Results saved to the CSV text file can be viewed and/or printed using any spreadsheet package.

You can save your scan results either automatically or manually via the setup screen within the software.

Often overlooked – this incredibly powerful feature offers full auditing of previous Barcode Verification scans allowing you to see the loss in quality of printing methods over time. Single products can easily be viewed over long periods of time via the search criteria available in the spreadsheet search functions.

The Summary window shows the overall print quality of the barcode as measured in accordance with the ISO/IEC standards.

Information is also given on the:
• bar gain (ink spread or bleed),
• the size of the x-dimension (the width of the narrowest bars)
• validation of the check digit
• structure
• the quiet zones

To simplify things, results are clearly listed in Red, Yellow, and Green to indicate Problems, Warnings, and Pass results.

Barcode Verification is now portable with the new Axicon Android App. And its Free from the Play Store!

The App will display all results in a similar way to the PC Software and will save all of your scans.

Simply download the software and connect your Verifier to your Android Device via a micro USB adapter and you’re ready to scan.