ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES PREVIEWS R110PAX4 MULTI-PROTOCOL PRINT ENGINE TO MEET GROWING RFID PRINT-AND-APPLY DEMANDS

Zebra Technologies (Nasdaq: ZBRA), a global leader in delivering on-demand specialty printing solutions for business and process improvement, today previewed the R110PAX4 multi-protocol print engine designed to print and encode smart labels while improving speed, reliability and print quality in high-volume, automated label print- and-apply operations.

Companies looking to use the R110PAX4 multi-protocol print engine in their print-and-apply systems in order to comply with the new radio frequency identification (RFID) labeling mandates and initiatives issued by the major retailers in Europe, can rest assured that the investment they make in the technology now will be protected in the future as RFID standards change and new ones emerge.

As more consumer packaged goods manufacturers become impacted by the new RFID initiatives, many must upgrade their existing bar code label print-and-apply systems to support RFID. Zebra's R110PAX4 enables these systems to incorporate RFID without any significant mechanical modifications and to be assured of Gen2 compatibility. This is vital for companies looking to make a smooth and cost effective transition to RFID. In addition, the R110PAX4 offers features that help improve print-and-apply efficiency, including optimized RFID processes for the fastest throughput, and an RFID calibration feature that automatically selects the optimal program position for transponder placement in the label. The R110PAX4 print engine signals and voids unusable labels to the print-and-apply systems so they will not be used, and counters keep track of both good and unusable labels.

Zebra's R110PAX4 boasts improved print quality, ease of maintenance, and advanced connectivity options to accommodate 10/100baseT Ethernet and 802.11b wireless communications protocols, as well as an optional I/O interface with 28V programmable logic controller to make the print engine fully compatible with the needs of the European market. It is offered in both right- and left-hand versions, in 203 dpi or 300 dpi models. The R110PAX4 for Europe supports ETSI EN300 220 EPC Class 1, ISO18000-06B, and Philips UCODE 1.19 and can operate at 100% duty cycle via a software download to Gen 2 protocols as they become available.