Italian sportswear company prints its way to warehouse efficiency

The company’s old labelling machines and portable computers were replaced by Intermec printers and handhelds under a project run by the Dainese Group. Most of Grotto production plants are in Romania, China and Hong Kong, but the Chiuppano warehouse acts as the reception point for distribution of goods to retail outlets, branches and distributors all over the world. Before the implementation, when products arrived, the boxes were labelled and stacked, but with a single central printer there were often problems due to glue leaks and jams. To optimise product distribution, minimise machine downtime and cut costs, the company went for a solution using Intermec PF4i thermal-transfer printers with Ethernet networking to carry out label printing autonomously. Grotto installed 15 printers around the plant, and with each printer operated independently, breakdowns are no longer a problem. The company also says that label waste has fallen to “practically zero”. And with Intermec 2435 ruggedised handheld computers, scanning 6 million garments every year has become more practicable. Battery life is hardly one of the most interesting news topics, but in this case it does mean operators can run systems all day without breaks for recharging.