Ishida UNI-8 Price Computing Scale Printer
Innovations in Food Packing, Weighing and Quality control
Purpose of This Document
This document is prepared for partners promoting the UNI-8. It introduces the UNI-8's functions, concept, target market, and advantages over competitors from a marketing perspective. It is planned for continuous updates based on market feedback and future developments, aiming to assist salespeople at partner companies.
What is UNI-8?
The UNI-8 is a new Price Computing Scale Printer, designed to meet market demands and serving as a replacement for the UNI-5/7 models, which have been sold for over 10 years. It is a PC-based scale featuring a robust body and an evolved communication speed, upgrading from 100Base to 1000Base.
Development Background
The UNI-8 was developed in response to requests and demands from partner companies and end-users. Key user requirements included a user-friendly color display/touch-panel, efficient handling of large files like videos, enhanced remote accessibility for maintenance and firmware updates, and competitive pricing for a PC-based scale to compete effectively.
Previous models, UNI-5/7, had operating systems and communication speeds that no longer met market standards. To address this, the UNI-8 was developed as a middle-range scale, incorporating user feedback.
Product Concept
The UNI-8 is positioned as an Affordable, Robust scale with PC Specifications and Operating System, featuring High-Speed Communication. It is developed to expand market share by targeting the volume zone, aiming to become a versatile middle-range counter-top scale suitable for various industries and store types.
Product Concept & Target Market
The UNI-8 enriches Ishida's counter-top scale lineup, completing the product portfolio and covering all market price ranges. This allows catering to diverse customers regardless of size or application needs.
Differentiation is achieved through two key axes: "PRICE" and "Versatility". UNI-8's competitive pricing aims to expand target markets, while its adoption of Linux OS enhances security and compatibility with third-party applications.
Product Lineup
As of September 2024, Ishida offers a comprehensive lineup of counter-top scale printers:
- High Range: UNI-10, UNI-9
- Middle Range: UNI-8, UNI-7, UNI-5
- Low Range: UNI-3
Product Specifications and Updates
01: Improved Processing Capability
For Partner Companies:
- Significantly increased processing speed compared to UNI-5/7, enabling tasks like setup and backup to be completed much faster.
- Easy maintenance reduces service technicians' workload and stress levels.
| Comparison Details | UNI-7 | UNI-8 | Reduction % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to send master data to the scale from PC (1837 items) | 199.8 sec | 25.1 sec | -87% |
| Time to send master data to the scale from PC (3674 items) | 447.6 sec | 43.15 sec | -90% |
| Startup time | 66.1 sec | 30.2 sec | -54% |
| Software download time | 568 sec | 128 sec | -77% |
*Startup time of UNI-8 is 31 seconds, which is shorter than other brands' equivalent models (e.g., Company M: 87 sec, Company B: 84 sec, Company D: 108 sec).
02: Universal Design
For End-users:
- Improved user experience with increased flexibility of presets and free layout options.
- Intuitive and stress-free operation that helps reduce operator input errors.
- Promoted sales through an expanded range of expression by supporting characters previously unavailable in UNI-5/7.
- Less training time required for new operators due to the user-friendly UI.
Layout Design Tailored to Store Formats and Operator Preferences: Preset key colors and sizes can be adjusted, and images can be assigned to keys. The freedom of preset layouts has increased compared to UNI-5/7. Hand-typed keys can also be moved to the left, allowing left-handed operators to work comfortably.
Multi-Language Support with Unicode: UNI-8 adopts Unicode, which assigns a code to each character worldwide, enabling multiple languages to coexist within the software without code duplication. This allows retailers to appeal to shoppers in their preferred language.
Universal Designed Menu Screen: Instant language switching is available by tapping the upper part of the menu screen. Self-explanatory icons linked to each menu allow for intuitive operation, even for operators who do not fully understand the language.
03: Video Support
For End-users:
- Customer-Side Screen: Increased sales are contributed by promotional or recipe videos that enhance shopper appetite.
- Operator-Side Screen: Reduced service calls for technicians, as video instructions assist operators in learning appropriate daily procedures.
Both operator- and customer-side screens can play videos with sound. Promotional videos, such as vivid movies with sizzling sound, can be played on the customer side. Instructional videos, like label replacement procedures, can be reviewed by operators.
04: Top-facing Printer
For End-users:
- Eliminated hassles unique to cassette systems, such as damage from drops and wear of cassette gears, leading to longer-time stability with less inconvenience.
No-Cassette Printer: There is no risk of cassette breakage that frequently occurs during the label replacement process.
Ergonomic Design: The UNI-8 issues labels horizontally in a top-facing direction. This enables the operator to confirm the printed content at a glance and apply the label to the product without twisting their wrist.
05: Linux OS
For Both End-users and Partner Companies:
- Alleviated risk of damage from cyberattacks due to the nature of Linux OS.
- Reduced service cost and downtime, achieved by the availability of the Virtual Network Connection (VNC) function.
While UNI-5/7 used Vxworks OS, UNI-8 is implemented with Linux OS, which brings more security and enables remote operation. Compared to Vxworks, Linux has a long-term support (LTS) period and a large supporting community, which facilitates security countermeasures.
Remote Maintenance with VNC: Simple troubleshooting is possible with VNC connection, allowing a PC device to remotely access the scale for checking and operating the scale display. This enables both customers and dealers to minimize service costs and scale downtime.
06: NET4 Communication
For Both End-users and Partner Companies:
- Reduced load of system integration and smooth installation, enabled by the implementation of the same communication protocol as other Ishida products in the current generation.
- Broader purposes of data utilization with expanded methods of communication.
Same Communication Protocol with WM-AI/WM-MICRO/UNI-10/UNI-9/IP-AI: UNI-8 makes it possible to unify communication by supporting the same protocol as other PC-based OS products. This reduces the burden on end-users and dealers by eliminating or reducing the need for communication test periods when introducing UNI-8 where other Ishida PC-based models are already used.
Real-time communication enables instant uploading of transaction results to a host-PC: Real-time communication (socket server communication) is available on UNI-8, enabling simultaneous upload of transactions and errors to a host PC. It can be utilized for multiple purposes, such as reconciliation of the scale's transaction data with other system data (e.g., POS or production planner). In self-service mode, it can reduce downtime and shopper frustration by notifying the backroom PC immediately of errors, such as the scale being out of label.
Future Updates – New Models
The following models will be added as variations of UNI-8 in the future:
- Elevator (EV): Display Size (Operator/Customer): 10.1"/7", 10.1"/10.1", 15"/7, 15"/10.1". Suitable for stores where operator and shopper eye contact during operation is desired.
- Self-service (SS): Display Size (Operator/Customer): 15"/ No customer display. Designed for self-service operation where shoppers weigh and label items themselves.
- Remote Platform (RP): Display Size (Operator/Customer): 10.1" / 7", 10.1" / 10.1". For departments such as seafood sections, where avoiding the risk of water intrusion into the scale is important.
Future Update – Linerless Auto-Cut
The Linerless Auto-Cut function allows flexible label length based on the printed content, leading to reduced wasted space and improved label display. The demand for ingredient and allergy displays is increasing due to rising safety awareness.
- Enhanced supermarket impression by catering to food safety demands with flexibility in linerless label length, allowing a variety of printed content.
- Reduced waste and cost by the absence of label core and backing paper, and the cutting of unnecessary label space.
The auto-cut function achieves a beautiful clean-cut edge of the label, not a saw-tooth edge. This alleviates operator frustration from labels not being straight-cut and the need to re-issue them. It also improves product display with a clean-cut label, leading to a polished image and enhanced store impression.
Advantages against Competitors
Based upon the comparison with the equivalent models of other brands conducted at Ishida office:
Company: D
- UNI-8 supports high-speed communication.
- UNI-8's top-face printing design provides clear visibility of the label content at a glance and enables a wrist-twist-free label removal for operators.
- UNI-8 features a glare operator screen, offering clear visual.
Company: B
- UNI-8's top-face printing design provides clear visibility of the label content at a glance and enables a wrist-twist-free label removal for operators.
- UNI-8's printer is built-in and not at risk of losing parts like the taken-up roller to wind the liner.
- UNI-8 supports a wider range of operator screen angles.
Company: H
- UNI-8 supports high-speed communication.
- UNI-8's top-face printing design provides clear visibility of the label content at a glance and enables a wrist-twist-free label removal for operators.
Company: M
- UNI-8 supports high-speed communication.
- UNI-8's top-face printing design provides clear visibility of the label content at a glance and enables a wrist-twist-free label removal for operators.
- UNI-8's button responsiveness is at high speed.
