The 2 Main Uses of Signs in Warehouses

The main use of signage in warehouses and storage facilities is to indicate rack number and shelf number. This is extremely important, especially in large warehouses, as locating the desired rack and shelf has to be as easy as possible. Rack and shelf numbers are crucial to those who carry out pick and pack duties in distribution centres and if they cannot locate what they need to orders will not be fulfilled. In terms of ‘5s’ this use of signs definitely falls under Sorting and Stabilising. Sorting because the location of stock and materials has to be clearly market and Stabilising because staff need to be reminded to return tools and materials to their proper location. If either of these processes are not followed efficiency will plummet.

Safety signs play a key role in warehouse operation as there are a number of potentially fatal hazards that are present every day. It doesn’t matter what your warehouse is used for it will still be very dangerous. Fire, heavy equipment and moving vehicles all pose a constant threat. The Standardise and Sustain phases of 5s depend heavily upon the effective use of safety signs. Depending on the nature of the warehouse the Shine phase may also need to be supported by safety signs. Signs that remind employees to wash their hands or remove dirt from footwear are common in warehouses.

Without good signs warehouses would not be able to operate, it’s as simple as that. Signage is fundamental to warehouse efficiency and safety. Pallet racking and shelving numbers have to be clearly indicated or the order fulfilment process will not work at optimum efficiency. The 5s methodology that is used in many warehouses worldwide is supported by signage and without clear indication it would fail.

Qubestor is a leading UK based provider of warehouse signage and safety equipment. They also provide new and top quality used pallet racking as well as excellent condition used shelving.

Pigment ink consists of very fine powders that are suspended within a liquid. As such pigment ink is not absorbed by paper but instead sits on top of it. Because of this fact, pigment ink is ideal for water resistance and will dry much faster than dye-based inks. Pigment ink is also much less likely to run if it gets wet making it the more stable ink of the pair.

Dye-based ink, which is absorbed into the paper, tends to dry much slower and if wetted will result in smears and bleeds. However, because of its absorbency rate, dye-based inks are better in terms of color and contrast. Dye-based ink is also the more cost-effective of the two and therefore the most common.

It used to be that pigmented ink far outweighed its dye-based brother in terms of quality but as of late the shortcomings of both ink types has generally been dealt with. Resultantly, there isn’t a huge difference between the two inks in terms of quality. However, you should be careful to use the appropriate ink for the appropriate printer. If the printer specifies that dye-based ink be used then use it and avoid switching between ink types midstream.

Because of advances in the printer and ink industries, these two different ink types are only subtly different. In the past one clearly performed better than the other but now the chasm between the two is small. Pigment inks tend to be favored by more professional users, while the more cost-effective dye-based ink is marketed to the casual printer. Either way, you’ll get a great ink that will perform exactly the way you expect it to; professionally.

Independent Ink is a national company offering industrial ink jet printers as well as compatible Videojet inks and Citronix ink.