Finfrock tags InfoSight for product identification and tracking

Industrial marking machine, barcoded metal tag and tag printer specialist InfoSight has teamed with Florida precast/prestressed concrete fixture Finfrock to advance plant and field product identification or tracking. Prior to the InfoSight package, the producer had programmed and implemented the Piece Tracker software. It required employees to make several selections through a series of drop down menus to access specific product details.



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Two-sided InfoSight tag has printed identification on one side, State Regulation Label on the other. In addition to Embed-A-Tags, Finfrock is using Tough Tags for rebar stock tracking. InfoSight’s tags are specially designed for applications such as structural precast. The high contrast black and white markings make them easily readable while the stainless steel construction makes them durable and keeps them rust free. Barcodes are easily scanned with any barcode reader, including those on smart phones.

Bringing InfoSight metal barcode tags into the loop, Finfrock team members can access all information in one click. Ahead of deploying the InfoSight LabeLase1000 Printer, management calculated product identification tag costs around $0.45 each. The InfoSight devices helped shave nearly two-thirds the cost, with tags output at about $0.16 each. At an average rate of 300 tags/day, Finfrock realizes a savings upward of $90/day—enabling the producer to recoup the cost of the LabeLase 1000 Printer in less than a year.

Nearly six weeks into the InfoSight deployment, notes Vice President Wayne Maiuri, “The tags print[ed] perfectly.” The industrial grade printer can run an entire roll of tags requiring little attention. With one successful application in place, Maiuri foresees using the InfoSight printer and tags “almost everywhere” in the precast/prestressed operation.

At first, Finfrock was using InfoSight’s ToughTags to identify and track rebar. InfoSight had recently introduced Embed-A-Tag, a specially designed stainless steel tag intended for precast concrete. In March 2019, Finfrock received its first shipment of the Embed-A-Tags. Plant crews are experimenting with a variety of ways of attaching the tags, including covering the entire face with silicone to hold it in place during the pour. The tags have a tab that can be bent 90 degrees to be embedded in the uncured concrete. Alternatively, crews are using silicone to attach the tags to cured product.

In addition to internal product management goals, Finfrock is using InfoSight tagging to comply with state of Florida requirements for certain precast products. The LabeLase 1000 eases tag layout, including barcode and logo placement. The variety of tag attachment methods means that identification can be on one side of the tag, compliance label on the other.

Other applications to which the Finfrock team is expanding tag use include tracking storage location, using tags to identify and select trailers and equipment, and identifying and tracking PC strand packs. The producer will be tagging monument markers for each row in the storage yard. As pieces are placed, the monument barcode is scanned, easily indicating in the Piece Tracker software where each member is stored. PC strand is also defined as an item that needs to be tracked properly in the plant; if coils are not identified or misidentified, they cannot be used as desired. Strand tags are duplicated with a barcoded Embed-A-Tag, enabling true cradle to grave tracking. — InfoSight Corp., Chillicothe, Ohio, 740/642-3600; www.infosight.com