Accu-Sort Systems (www.accusort.com) has introduced a laser bar code scanner that is designed for distribution center managers who are looking for savings and efficiency to cope with the current economy.

With a high scan rate of up to 1,400 scans per second, the Axiom bar code scanner is designed to ensure high read rates on good-quality and poor-quality bar codes. The company said the scanner's ability to read even poor quality bar codes will help it to increase throughput while lowering costs associated with manually handling no-read items.

For example, the company said one installation of 12 Axiom bar code scanners helped to triple throughput for a distribution center that added new picking lines by achieving a 99 percent plus read rate. In addition, the company said the scanners have on-board Ethernet connectivity features that are designed to simplify and to reduce the cost of installation.

The product line includes the Axiom long-range laser bar-code line scanner and the Axiom-X long-range laser bar-code X scanner that is similar to the Axiom except that it is an omni-directional scanner capable of reading bar codes in any orientation.

“In the current economy, cost savings are giving companies a strong incentive to upgrade their equipment,” Cindy Zeiger, product manager for Accu-Sort, said.

“The Axiom laser bar code scanner is attractive to distribution center managers because of its fast payback and ability to lower operating costs. Even for companies that have already automated, upgrading from older model bar code scanners to Axioms lowers operating costs by reducing no-reads, installing faster, maximizing uptime and minimizing maintenance,” Zeiger said.

The company said reasons for the success of the new scanner line include the fact that it supports industry trends and has features that lower cost and increase reliability. The features include the scanners' built-in Ethernet communication functions that can be used when warehouses move to Ethernet communications and reporting systems. Also, the new scanners provide high read rates, especially in high-speed or wide-belt applications, and can be used as the speeds of conveyors lines are increased.

Zeiger said Axiom bar code scanners have unique advantages over competing products as part of multi-scanner tunnel systems. Each scanner has built-in control and is equipped with multiplexing, so users do not need to buy and install separate control units. The multiplexing feature allows a second scanner in a tunnel system to automatically assume the master control function if the primary scanner fails. That provides added reliability, Zeiger said.

Because setup parameters are stored in its base, a new scan head requires no setup: All parameters are uploaded to the scan head with the push of a button. Accu-Sort does not charge Axiom customers additional cost for Ethernet communication or parameter storage.

With diagnostic features in the hardware and software that can be used to monitor critical system functions including scan rate, bar code readability and conveyor speed, Axiom has a mean-time-between-failures-rate of 70,000+ hr.

If unit replacement is necessary, the system's modular construction and plug-and-play capability mean that a malfunctioning component can be replaced in 5 minutes, using only a screwdriver, instead of the usual 45 minutes many other scanners require.