Prêt à porter, if the logistics are right

The short-lived fashion world places high demands on logistics. FashionPartner Group, textile logistics specialist based in the Paris region and as a member of the Fashionnet logistics network active throughout Europe, knows that, too.

In order to ensure the fast and uninterrupted goods flow at the company's warehouse and transport locations the fashion company relies on high-performance Tally Genicom line matrix printers 6800ZT Zero Tear from Printronix.

The FashionPartner Group's network transports almost 100 million textiles and lifestyle products every year and handles aspects such as the Europe-wide distribution of high-quality clothing in the retail market. High-performance transport management is essential in order for all articles to arrive at the right time at the right recipient.

Receipts, collection receipts, bills of lading and invoices must be printed for every single order - quickly, reliably and cost-effectively. For many years the TallyGenicom printers from Printronix have been proving their worth at the FashionPartner Group. 40 line matrix printers of the product family TG6800 currently create over 1.5 million receipts and more than 2 million printed documents annually.

6800ZT Zero Tear - The professional for forms, series and individual documents

Line matrix printers are worthwhile wherever both high printing speed and low page costs are crucial. High-end line printers are advisable for companies with a monthly print volume of over 15,000 pages. The Tally Genicom Zero Tear models allow the printing of multi-part forms and the needs-based (on-demand) output of series and single documents. Furthermore, the users benefit from the newly developed tractor assembly which pushes single or multi-part forms through the hammer bank to the tear bar, preventing paper loss and, thus, reducing operating costs.

The models 6805ZT and 6810ZT Zero Tear are in use in all of our transport centers. They are extremely flexible and reliable especially for high print volumes in demanding print environments. The high-performance line matrix printers are designed for industrial environments and, therefore, can also be used in dusty production environments and in the warehouse.

With a print speed of 500 lines (6805ZT) or 1,000 lines (6810ZT) per minute, a print width of 345 mm and a maximum resolution of 180 dpi horizontally and 144 dpi vertically, the ZT printers operate quickly and accurately on multi-part forms of up to four pages. With the standard Power PrintTM function the 6810ZT printer additionally provides an increased performance for a printing speed of 1,000 lines per minute.

The company also uses a 2000 line printer for its national hub in Marne La Vallée. "The improved print quality and print darkness on multi-part forms is one of the outstanding features of the 6810ZT printer, since we work 100 percent with carbon copies and have to rely on properly readable copies even at high printing speeds", says Erwan de Saint-Seine project manager at the FashionPartner Group.

Cost-effective, energy-efficient, compatible

Compared to laser printers which only have a service life of three years line, matrix printers have a service life of more than ten years, on average. In terms of consumable materials the ink ribbon cartridges are up to six times less expensive than the toner cartridges for laser printers. In high-volume print jobs, the savings in consumables are highly noticeable. Reduced form waste through the ZT technology and energy efficiency through reduced power consumption when idle also contribute to reducing the operating costs.

Equipped with USB 2.0 and serial ports as standard features, the printers are network-capable and immediately operable after setup. Optionally, they are also available with parallel ports and Ethernet ports. Hence, the new Zero Tear line matrix printers could be integrated easily into the FashionPartner Group's internal operating system and set up via "Plug and Print".

Service and Support - The basis for successful cooperation

Advice and support are provided via the proven partner Print Smart Services in France. "With Print Smart Services, we are supported by a service provider who determines the best printer solutions optimally tailored to our needs and who competently assists us in the implementation and ongoing operation", confirms Erwan de Saint-Seine.