Business Printing Technologies Report
July/August 1999The Source Hotline Solution
Problem: A manufacturer member recently asked the Source Hotline Solution the following question: How do I package 50"-diameter jumbo rolls so they make the trip safely and undamaged?
Solution: Dennis Whitfield, Product Administrator for Rolls at International Paper's Franklin, Va., paper mill, provided the following detailed response to this question. International Paper has a patented packaging system specifically designed to protect the roll during transit and make it easier for the end user to safely lift the rolls off the pallet to the equipment without difficulty.
This procedure targets a pallet containing three 8-1/2"-wide rolls on 50" diameters:
- International Paper uses a two-way entry pallet with runners spaced to allow handling by either a pallet jack or a forklift.
- A moisture-proof sheet of corrugated kraft is placed between the top of the pallet and the contents to protect the final package.
- The next layer is a specially designed, patented, corrugated kraft sheet with unitized, built-in, pop-up chocks for each roll; this chock system minimizes damage during transit and provides maximum stability and safety during unloading.
- An insert is run through the roll cores to add additional stability when unloading the rolls and to reduce movement in transit.
- Interior corrugated disks are placed between each roll to eliminate damage caused by roll edges rubbing together.
- The outer roll header carries unloading instructions to instruct and remind the end user of proper and safe handling procedures.
- Woven cotton strapping is run through the cores to tie the rolls to the pallet; cotton is a safer product than metal straps.
- The completed pallet is then shrinkwrapped in plastic down to the sides of the pallet, creating a moisture proof package.
- The plastic shrinkwrap is easy to remove and can be reused to wrap remaining rolls until ready for loading onto equipment.
Jeff Medley, General Manager at Willamette Industries, Inc.'s Chicago forms plant, described Willamette's packaging process as follows:
- Willamette uses a two-way entry pallet. A corrugated kraft sheet is placed on top of the pallet, then a moisture proof sheet is placed on top of the corrugated sheet.
- The rolls are packaged three to a pallet, with each roll banded using a plastic band around its circumference.
- To add stability and to prevent movement, a 3" corrugated core shock is wedged in front and back of the roll. The roll shocks are banded to the roll using a plastic band through the center core.
- To prevent wobble, three additional bands are placed through the center core. Two are secured to each end of the pallet and the third goes over the top of the roll, using edge guards to protect the edges of the rolls.
- To minimize moisture, a moisture proof paper sheet is placed over the rolls, then the entire package is shrinkwrapped down to the sides of the pallet.
Keep in mind that the data center environment where jumbo rolls are imaged is not always conducive to forklifts. Most users rely on hydraulic pallet jack equipment to lift the roll from the pallet and move the roll into place. If so, the pallet may have to conform to specific dimensions. If the pallet is the wrong size, the customer may not be able to lift the rolls from the pallet.
Problem: I heard about a security feature that uses a red lamination over a bar code. Can you fill me in?
Solution: Red lamination over a bar code is a security feature used in conjunction with applications to prevent unwanted copying of the bar code or document. The feature prevents copying of the bar code but allows the bar code to be scanned with a standard reader. The document itself can be copied, but the lack of an original code would signal the forgery.
Here's how it works: When bar codes are scanned, red laser light is used. Since the laminate over the bar code is red, it acts as a filter, allowing the laser light to clearly read the bar code as if it had no lamination. However, if a photocopy is attempted, the red laminate is dark enough so that the bar code area on the copy just turns out as a black patch.
You're probably asking where one would uses such a feature--and here's the answer. We asked Paul Movsesian of Image Scan, a supplier of bar code tags and labels. Movsesian gave us the following applications for this feature.
ID cards are a perfect candidate for such a feature. Let's say you have a client with a secure facility, and ID cards with bar codes are needed for access or entry in various places. Without a secure bar code, an employee badge could be copied to make a counterfeit card, and the copied card would work just like the original. With a red laminate, the copy of the card would fail because the most important part, the bar code, could not be copied successfully.
Insurance records are frequently bar coded. In some systems the bar code is the key identifier for the record. With a copy of the bar coded original, unauthorized use of insurance filings could be attempted. Using the red laminate, copies of the bar coded forms or folders cannot be made. The U.S. military uses the feature in document systems where tracking classified documentation is necessary. Certificates or other authentication documents that are bar coded are also candidates for this technology.