Encoded information can be stored in many different ways. In addition to mechanical, magnetic and electronic storage, a conventional type of storage has also become established, not least due to the further development of optical reading systems – the barcode.

Barcodes are based on the binary principle, which is represented by a certain number of wide and narrow parallel bars and gaps. There are different barcodes, which differ in their representation form (number and width of the bars). The sequence of this structure results in a defined numeric or alphanumeric statement.

Especially in the transport and storage area, where many different articles are marked and managed, this type of data provision is often superior to other systems.

Advantagesof barcode systems:

  • Fast acquisition
  • Preventing errors caused by keyboard input or data manipulation
  • Flexible and fast creation of data carriers (labels)
  • Low-cost data storage medium
  • Can be combined with plain text on one data carrier

State of development

The development of barcode reading systems and the improved printing technology of the labels have led to the fact that every product or conveyor aid can be marked and a targeted control of the material flow can be achieved via the assigned number (order or part number). The state of the art today is that product data in bar-coded form can be read at a rate of up to 500 scans/sec. can be scanned in passing. With appropriate lenses, a depth of field of up to 1500 mm is possible. Processing the data with the computer systems available today enables flexible control of transport and storage orders. In connection with a database, the production volume can be called up at any time. Every step of the process is documented.

More information about barcodes can be found under Structure of a barcode.

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