DuraLabel 2000, welcome. Welcome to what is becoming quite the large family of DuraLabel brand printers.
With the launch of the new DuraLabel 2000 Handheld Label Printer, Graphic Products is excited to provide safety engineers and facility managers everywhere a new way to complete label-making jobs with more convenience than ever. If you haven't heard what the DuraLabel 2000 is all about, check it out:
The DuraLabel 2000 has three attributes that make it stand out from other label printers: it's portable, it's versatile, and it's logical.
The DuraLabel 2000 is portable One great thing about this printer is its convenience. A hand strap is located on the back of the printer, which fits nicely in the palm of your hand. Because of its smaller, lightweight design, the DuraLabel 2000 can go with you in the field or wherever you are on the job. You aren't required to sit down at a computer away from where your label applications are actually needed just to design and print your pipe markers, for example. Over 125 safety symbols are already installed, and label templates are shown right on the LCD screen, so you can design and print labels on the spot.
The DuraLabel 2000 is versatile The DuraLabel 2000 handles a wide variety of industrial labeling applications. For easy-to-read pipe markers, panel labels, 5S labels, safety labels, valve tags, identification labels, or any type of general application labels, the DuraLabel 2000 gets the job done, and gets it done right. For organization purposes, and for variety, DuraLabel supplies come in many different colors. Specialty supplies like reflective vinyls are also available for use with this handheld printer.
The DuraLabel 2000 is logical This portable printer not only saves you time and money, it helps greatly increase efficiency at your facility. It uses thermal transfer technology, so your labels print smoothly and quickly in 203 dpi resolution. DuraLabel 2000 continuous vinyl supplies are designed to last for years in industrial environments. And in today's economy, any logical purchasing decision must have an economically based reason for action. The DuraLabel is a smart, safe investment that protects your budget today and for many years to come.
DuraLabel 2000, welcome to the DuraLabel brand family!
Problem: You are in need of a new label printer, but you are having a hard time justifying the decision to go ahead and purchase it. What do you do?
Solution: Look at the numbers. Think beyond your current budget and consider the positive, short and long term consequences of purchasing that new DuraLabel printer.
In an article published in the October 2008 issue of In-Plant Graphics, Sid Chadwick presents a number of issues for facility managers to consider when justifying new equipment. Here are a few that stood out to me:
1. Equipment Downtime. When a machine is not functioning reliably or frequently stops working, your organization's performance numbers, reputation, and morale declines. Revenue and productivity decreases. An unreliable label printer impacts many other departments! Get an accurate estimate on how that old, malfunctioning, or broken label printer is negatively affecting your organization.
2. Equipment Repairs and Maintenance. We all know repair and maintenance costs are expensive and how draining they are on your organization’s performance and performance expectations. The effect goes beyond the repair bill. A loss in wages that were unproductive (your employees are getting paid for jobs that remain stalled or undone) and unbilled revenues hurts, too. And once again, a broken printer sitting for days or weeks in a repair shop affects many other departments besides the department whose equipment requires repairs.
3. Equipment Productivity. Even though your current label printer may already be paid for, that is not how you should think (it might be to your advantage if your competitors are thinking that way, though!). You want to have the most productive system you can afford. If a new DuraLabel 7000, for example, can produce two or three times as much as what you have, then more work can be done. New projects can be undertaken. And if the new label printer is not only reliable but comes with lifetime customer support like all new DuraLabel printers do, then you can be as productive as you desire!
4. Improved Employee Morale and Reduced Employee Attrition. New technology tends to improve morale, as new skills are required to be learned and demonstrated. Although learning to use a DuraLabel printer is simple, what is exciting is learning about all the things DuraLabel printers can do. Because of the huge range of supplies available, a DuraLabel can handle a wider variety of labeling and sign making jobs than any other printer. Solving labeling and sign problems that previously were difficult to deal with is exciting and interesting. Your employees will have a much more positive experience, making them more likely to enjoy what they do and desire to remain with your organization. For each skilled employee not lost, your organization probably saves at least the yearly wages of that employee. After all, it costs to replace an experienced, valued employee. So keep them productive and happy!
Considering issues such as these when justifying new equipment can result in positive consequences for your organization. Look at the numbers, and gain an approximate and representative picture of how your facility's performance can change for the better by investing in new equipment such as a DuraLabel printer.
Sometimes it can seem as though everything is falling apart all around you. Your competitors are cutting prices. Your suppliers are raising prices. Your customers are looking for higher quality and on top of that have decreased their orders... and it's always hard to find good employees. It would be nice if there was a simple technique you could use to help address all these problems.
5S is a simple concept that involves Five Steps... that's why it is called "Five S." The basis of 5S is getting cleaned up and organized, but doing it in such a way that the result is decreased costs (through the reduction of waste) and increased quality. It can even help turn marginal employees into good performers. How is this accomplished?
One of the foundations of 5S is strong visual communication... the use of signs and labels to communicate information directly at the point of need. For example, this means having all tools marked so their proper storage location is immediately and clearly understood. This makes it easy for tools to be returned to where they belong, making it easy to find them when they are needed. It seems simple and to be nothing more than common sense... and it is. The problem is, without a program such as 5S in place many of these simple things are missed.
5S provides a systematic way to get cleaned up and organized. It is not unusual to hear about facilities that were planning to build more warehouse space, for example. Then they implemented 5S with the result being that their existing warehouse space became half empty. They saved the capital cost of a new building and had excess space!
If you are looking at taking advantage of the power of lean manufacturing techniques, 5S is a good place to start. It is easy to understand, does not cost much to implement, and it can have tremendous benefits.
OSHA requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective in reducing these exposures to acceptable levels. Employers are required to determine if PPE should be used to protect their workers.
In general, employers are responsible for:
Performing a "hazard assessment" of the workplace to identify and control physical and health hazards.
Identifying and providing appropriate PPE for employees.
Training employees in the use and care of the PPE.
Maintaining PPE, including replacing worn or damaged PPE.
Periodically reviewing, updating and evaluating the effectiveness of the PPE program.
The employee's responsibilities include:
Wearing the proper PPE,
Attend training sessions on PPE,
Care for, clean and maintain PPE, and
Inform a supervisor of the need to repair or replace PPE.
Hazards exist in every workplace in many different forms: sharp edges, falling objects, flying sparks, chemicals, noise and a myriad of other potentially dangerous situations. Getting employees to use the proper PPE is critical. A Guide To Required PPE is available that shows the 12 major hazard categories and the required PPE for each. It provides a fast and easy-to-use reference to help employees ensure they are using the appropriate PPE. It also is a cross-reference, showing each type of PPE and identifying the hazard categories that require each type of PPE.
There are two things in this picture that go together. What are they?
Valve tags and a valve lock out.
Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) is a critical part of safety and valve tags are a critical component of LOTO.
The lock on the valve in this picture prevents the valve from being opened, protecting the workers who are doing downstream repairs.
The valve tag identifies the valve, helping to ensure the correct valve is locked out. It is important that needed information be available at the point of need. There must be 100% certainty that the correct valve is being locked out, and having valves marked with identifying valve tags provides this needed information.
Take another look at the hand wheel in the above picture. You can see the lock. The tags all appear to be on valves that are in the background. Why don't you see a tag hanging from the hand wheel to identify the valve? The picture to the right shows another valve. Notice that the tag is on the valve body, not on the hand wheel. Valve tags should never be placed on the actuator, whether it is a hand wheel or a power actuator. Valve tags always are placed on the valve body.
Think of it this way... valve tags always go on the valve, not on the device that moves the valve.
For more information about valve tags and labeling valves, I recommend the Graphic Products Valve Tag Best Practices Guide. It is available as a free download.
If you need valve tags, or pipe markers, check out the DuraLabel PRO 300 thermal transfer label printer. It's the printer that can get the job done, and get it done right.
