SATO Labelling Solutions

SATO Labelling Solutions Europe GmbH is a subsidiary of the Japanese SATO Corporation. The company is responsible for sales, consulting and service for SATO products in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Over the course of its 60-year history, SATO has developed into the worldwide market leader for label and barcode printers. SATO is also one of the leading specialists in data collection systems (DCS). The company employs approximately 2,500 people at locations around the world.

For years, SATO has been testing and installing RFID solutions for its customers. The company’s label printers are suitable for applications in areas such as logistics, retail, healthcare and industry. But the technology has also proven itself in many other areas, from ticketing at public events and lending processes in libraries to marking steel products in the metals industry. Almost all of SATO’s printers and printer modules can now be retrofitted for RFID use. All of its newly developed products include this option. Its portfolio includes high-performance printers for industrial applications, OEM printer modules for labeling systems and desktop and hang-tag printers for the textile and garment industry. In addition, SATO manufactures compact, portable label printers for retailers.

As a specialist in labeling solutions, SATO supports the partners of the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative with RFID printers and printer modules for automatic label dispensers as well as with high-frequency and ultrahigh-frequency labels. SATO products comply with the EPC Class 1/Gen. 2 standard and are already installed at facilities of various industry partners of the METRO GROUP. With its FlagTagSolutionTM, SATO offers a fully automated system that produces a flag-like RFID label with an integrated transponder and attaches it to pallets, boxes or individual products. This solution can considerably reduce time and costs. Preparations are already underway for the next stage in the development of RFID: labeling at the individual item level.

The GL4xxe offers high printer speeds of up to 254 mm per second and is suitable for label rollers up to 265 mm in diameter – almost double the usual capacity, which lets companies work without interruption. User-friendly navigation keys and a large display facilitate even extensive programming tasks. The printer automatically detects print quality changes. Spare part replacement is easy, reducing the need for service calls. The GL4xxe has been available since May 2007 and supports all common emulations as well as RFID.

The RFID version of the M8485Se RFID printer module has been in successful use by METRO GROUP partners since late 2004. This module has a sturdy steel housing and industrial-strength mounting elements designed for the most challenging conditions and a highly reliable mechanism inside. The integrated high-capacity memory makes label production fast. The space-saving M8485Se offers a wide selection of interfaces for simple integration and installation.

SATO has developed a labeling solution that automatically folds FlagTags. The narrow area of the paper label that holds the transponder is bent just before application, so that the antenna sticks up vertically from the pallet surface forming a little flag. This allows reliable data reading, even with difficult materials and metals.

This RFID shipping and receiving portal is an integrated, modular, comprehensive solution in a robust housing which can be up and running within two hours. It is designed for ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) applications. The TAGportal system has four high-performance antennas, a radar proximity sensor and three photoelectric sensors for automatic detection of movement direction. The antennas are fully protected by the housing to prevent downtime due to unintended impacts. This incoming and outgoing goods portal was developed for SATO by NXP Semiconductors and TAGnology.

Martin Wellsandt
European Product Manager – RFID
Phone: +49 6272 9201 222
E-mail:  info@de.satoeurope.com
 www.satoeurope.com