Supporting equipment refers to the hardware in the logistics warehouse that is compatible with the delivery operation. Using appropriate supporting equipment can improve logistics work efficiency, reduce the error rate, and thus avoid logistics disputes and troubles in the later stage. Common supporting equipment includes printers, handheld scanners, balers, electronic scales, markers, utility knives, tape measures, etc.
(I) Printer
A printer is one of the output devices of a computer, used to print the results of computer processing on relevant media. There are many types of printers. Common printers in e-commerce logistics include laser printers, thermal printers, and dot matrix printers.
Laser printers mainly handle the printing of packing lists, order information, pro forma invoices and other orders, and are suitable for large daily printing volumes. Compared with other printing devices, laser printers have the advantages of fast printing speed and high imaging quality, but the cost of use is relatively high.
Thermal printers are widely used in the delivery operations of e-commerce. The basic principle is to convert the data received by the printer into a dot matrix signal to control the heating of the thermal unit and heat and develop the thermal coating on the thermal paper. The more common thermal printers are label printers and barcode printers. Label printers are mainly used to print integrated address labels, customs declaration labels, etc., which can be directly attached to the package after printing. Barcode printers are mainly used to print product SKU barcodes for internal management. They are printed and attached to the product retail packaging. When shipping, the SKU barcode can be scanned to quickly determine whether the goods are required for the order. It is convenient and reliable.
Thermal printing has the advantages of fast speed, low noise, clear printing and easy use. However, thermal printers cannot directly print double copies, and the printed documents cannot be permanently preserved. If the best thermal paper is used and it is well protected from light, it can be preserved for several years.
Dot matrix printers can print multi-copy documents, such as domestic express delivery orders. If a better printer ribbon is used, the printed documents can be preserved for a long time, but the dot matrix printer has a slow printing speed, high noise, and rough printing, and the ribbon needs to be replaced frequently.
(II) Handheld scanner
Handheld scanners are the third generation of major computer input devices after keyboards and mice, used to scan barcodes. A barcode symbol is pasted or printed on the mail, and after scanning a barcode with a scanner, the characters corresponding to the barcode are input into the computer, and the image information is processed, managed, used, stored or output, thereby realizing the automated management of package sorting and order entry.
(III) Packing machine
A packing machine, also known as a strapping machine, a strapping machine or a tying machine, is a machine that uses strapping tape to wrap around products or packages, and then tightens and melts the two ends through thermal effects or connects them using materials such as buckles. The function of a packing machine is to reinforce the packaged items so that the items will not fall apart during transportation and storage due to loose strapping. At the same time, the strapping should be neat and beautiful. The packing machine is mainly composed of a strapping machine, a strapping machine, a joint connection and cutting device, a transmission system, a track frame and a control device.
The working principle of the baler is to place the object to be packaged in the middle of the baler. First, the right top body rises, compresses the front end of the belt, tightens the belt and ties it to the object. Then the left top body rises, tightens the appropriate position of the lower belt, and the heating plate extends into the middle of the two belts. The middle top knife rises and cuts the belt. Finally, the next bundle is delivered to the right place to complete a working cycle.
(IV) Electronic scale
An electronic scale is a scale with data display that can directly input the weight information of items into a computer. It is generally used in conjunction with a scanner in the shipping system. Its working principle is that when an object is placed on the scale plate, pressure is applied to the sensor, which undergoes elastic deformation, thereby changing the impedance. At the same time, the excitation voltage changes, and a changing analog signal is output. The signal is amplified by the amplifier circuit and output to the analog-to-digital converter, which is converted into a digital signal that is easy to process and output to the CPU for operation control. The CPU outputs this result to the display according to the keyboard command and the program.
(V) Marker Pen
A marker pen is a pen that can be used to write marks or logos on one or more materials such as paper, wood, metal, plastic, enamel, etc. Markers are divided into oil-based markers and water-based markers. Water-based markers can be written on smooth surfaces or whiteboards, and can be wiped off with a rag, while oil-based markers are not easy to erase.
(VI) Utility Knife
Utility knives are mainly used to cut softer things, such as bubble wrap and cartons.
(VII) Tape Measures
Common tape measures are mostly in two specifications: 3 meters and 5 meters. Their function is to measure the length, width, and height of cartons in order to better control volume weight.