Office Equipment Blog from Office Zone

Time clocks are a necessity for any business with employees. They are used to keep track of time worked, overtime, payroll and more. There are a wide variety of time clocks available, ranging from manual punch clocks to electronic card-swipe time clocks. Some can be integrated into a computer network and export data to payroll software such as ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, Excel, and more. The latest industry trend is biometric time clocks.

What are biometric time clocks? They are time clocks that use a biological piece of an employee to sign in and out of work. This usually involves a fingerprint or a hand. There are currently no retinal scanning time clocks on the market at this time. Biometric time clocks can be used for small or large businesses.

As mentioned earlier, biometric time clocks are growing in popularity. This isn’t simply because they use the latest in technology or because they are “cool,” although there is some wow factor involved. This is because they use a unique identifier to log an employee in and out of work. There is no need to print a special card or use a traditional punch card.

Employees have their finger or hand scanned into a computer, using the biometric time clock, where employee information is associated with that unique scan.  From that point forward the employee can log in and out of work using their finger or hand. This is not only convenient for the employee, but also for the employer.

Another big benefit of using biometric technology for a time clock is the complete elimination of buddy punching. What is buddy punching? It occurs when a friend or fellow employee punches in and out of work on behalf of another employee. The biometric time clock ensures that an employee is only being paid for work “they” are doing and cuts down, if not completely eliminates, buddy punching fraud.

There are currently a couple of well-known manufacturers who make biometric time clocks. The first is Pyramid Technologies (PTI). They make a model called the Time Trax Bio that uses a finger swipe to log in and out of work. Another manufacturer is AcroPrint who makes a model called the HandPunch 1000, that uses an employee’s hand to log in and out of work.

Data accrued by the biometric time clock can usually be exported for use by other programs such as ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, Excel, and more. This is very convenient and cuts down on errors and saves a lot of time. Time clocks are a necessary tool for any businesses or organization with employees. Biometric time clocks may be an option for you. Contact Office Zone for more information on time clocks.

Shrink wrap machines and vacuum sealers have a lot in common. They both use plastic-based films to package and preserve products. They are also both widely used in the commercial food industry. Not surprisingly, they are also both made by the well-known manufacturer Minipack. While the name may not be as well known as Sony or Microsoft, Minipack is one of the best-known manufacturers in the packing industry.

Minipack is headquartered in Italy, where they are known as Minipack-Torre. Minipack became a big player in 1976 with the release of several chamber shrink wrap machines. Minipack’s U.S. headquarters is based out of California and is known as Minipack America. Minipack has made a name for themselves over the past 30+ years because their machines have proven to be durable and get the job done right the first time.

Minipack’s all-star shrink wrap team features the Minipack Digit series, Diva series and Sealmatic series of shrink wrap machines, which are designed for high-volume packaging of CDs, DVDs, boxes and more. Minipack is also very popular in the low to mid-volume shrink wrap market with the release of their Galaxy and Galileo machines, which are compact and easy to use.

Most of Minipack’s shrink wrap machines use an integrated “chamber” heat tunnel. This increases the speed of shrink wrapping by cutting the film around the product and shrinking the film in one single pass. Some of the higher-end machines feature custom programming, magnetic locks, waste film winder and more.

Minipack also manufactures a wide variety of vacuum sealers, ranging from more traditional external models to chamber vacuum sealers. The Minipack Fast Vac is designed for home and low-volume vacuum sealing where their MVS series are designed for high-volume vacuum sealing.

Vacuum sealers are used to package fish, beef, vegetables and more. Food is placed in a special bag after which the air is removed and the bag is sealed. Due to the lack of air, the shelf life of food is dramatically increased. Vacuum sealing is also used to prevent freezer burn by protecting the food inside.

Unlike many department store vacuum sealers, Minpack vacuum sealers are serviceable. This means if for any reason a part wears out, it can be replaced. There is no need to replace the entire machine. This is also the case with Minipack’s line of shrink wrap machines.

Shrink wrap and vacuum sealing machines from Minipack are a great choice for any business that packages products on a regular basis. Contact Office Zone for more information on Minipack shrink wrap machines and vacuum sealers.

Scrapbooking is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States. Scrapbooking involves a wide assortment of materials, supplies and equipment. This involves various types of paper, scissors, paper cutters and laminators. If you have recently tried looking for scrapbooking equipment online, you have probably noticed that there is no shortage of choices.

The difficult thing, when starting up this hobby, is finding the right equipment that will last for hundreds, if not thousands, of scrapbook pages to come. It may seem overwhelming, but do not be discouraged. This article will give you a few tips on choosing the right paper cutter for your future scrapbooking projects.

Although there are now many scrapbooking software programs available today, many scrappers still prefer old-fashioned cutting and piecing things together. They enjoy the texture, the socializing with friends and the overall finished product. Many feel printing a scrapbook page out on a printer simply takes away from the true spirit of scrapbooking.

As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of pieces that go into creating the ideal scrapbook page. One of the most important pieces is the paper cutter. This is because a paper cutter is required to cut pictures down to size and make other modifications to the paper and decorations.

There are many paper cutters to choose from. The two most popular scrapbooking paper cutters are arm paper cutters and rotary paper cutters and trimmers. Both types of paper trimmers are compact and easy to use.

Arm paper cutters use a pivoting arm with a blade on it. This arm is brought up and then back down to create the cut. Arm paper cutters have been around for some time, and although many safety modifications have been added, the overall design has not changed for years. These paper cutters aren’t as popular with scrappers. This is because many inexpensive models tend to make crooked cuts. This isn’t to say that all arm paper cutters are like this. Some paper cutters, from brands such as Kutrimmer, are very solid and durable.

Rotary paper cutters are now the cutter of choice for scrapbookers. Rotary cutters use a round wheel to slice through paper. This wheel is similar in appearance to a pizza cutter. The wheel sits in a housing that slides along a rail. These types of paper cutters are especially popular with scrappers due to their precision and ability to cut photographs. Many rotary cutters have interchangeable blades for creating a variety of cutting patterns. Carl rotary cutters, specifically the RT-200, is popular for this reason. Rotatrim is another popular brand due to is solid construction.

Last, but not least, are the corner rounders. Corner rounders are popular for rounding the corners on pictures and paper. Most agree that rounding the corners, also a minor change, affects the overall appearance of the photograph. Corner rounders are often available with a variety of different cutting diameter dies. This usually varies anywhere from a 1/8-inch corner to a ½-inch corner.

Paper cutters continue to grow in popularity with scrappers and this popular hobby doesn’t appear to be running out of steam anytime soon. Contact Office Zone for more information on paper cutters.

Businesses are looking at ways to save money and trim costs. This may be to brace for difficult economic times or to simply streamline operations. One thing many businesses are now doing is reigning in outsourced operations. Many have discovered that outsourcing operations is inefficient, deprives them of control and doesn’t save as much money as initially hoped for. One of these operations heading back in house is paper shredding.

The trend during the 1990s and into the early 2000s was to pay a third party company to come shred documents (mobile shredding services). The idea was to save money and manpower. Storage bins were placed around the office and paper was deposited. Once a week, a third-party shredding service would empty the bins and take them back to their facilities for shredding. Some shredded the documents on-site, often in a back entrance parking lot. These services were usually contracted for a set period of time.

It has since been discovered, by many businesses, that employee manpower cost was a non-issue as long as paper was shredded on a constant basis rather than all at once at the end of the week. It ends up it doesn’t take any more time to shred a few documents than it does to deposit those same sheets of paper in a storage bin.

Part of this strategy is to place shredders in strategic locations around the office they can be used by a group of 8-12 people. For a business of 60 people, five to seven shredders can be placed in sales, accounting, purchasing and other departments. Shredder bins are very easy to access and can be emptied by custodial staff that already empty the garbage.

Security concerns are another reason to shred paper in-house versus outsourcing to another company. Although rare, there are documented cases of third-party shredding service employees stealing information and material. Many businesses don’t like the idea of temporarily losing control of their information. By shredding paper in-house, only trusted employees have access to the data before being shredded. This helps seal up leaks and ensures better security.

It doesn’t take much time to make up the cost of purchasing the shredders, versus paying a third-party company to shred the same paper. Depending on the size and the cost of the shredder, many businesses can make up the cost of purchasing their own shredder versus hiring a service within a few years.

Paper shredders should be used by all businesses and organizations to destroy receipts, cancelled checks, bills, mail, printouts and other sensitive material. Contact Office Zone for more information on paper shredders.

Laminators and lamination technology have been around for decades. Not much as changed, as far as the film is concerned, but there are a few “modern” changes that have made lamination easier, faster and more professional. There are a few questions you may want to ask yourself before purchasing a laminator.

Laminators protect and preserve documents. This may be a menu for a restaurant, a treasured photograph or a stack of business cards. Some higher-end laminators can even be used to mount photographs, maps and posters to foam core board.

There are two primary types of laminators. These are pouch and roll laminators. Both ultimately bring about the same result and quality, but use slightly different methods to do this. Pouch laminators are typically smaller and are designed to laminate smaller documents. Roll laminators are designed to laminate many small items or larger documents such as posters or maps.

The largest documents usually laminated by pouch laminators are 8 ½ x 11 in size, although the length isn’t as much a limiting factor as is the width of the document. Roll laminators are usually around 25 inches in width, however, some industrial roll laminators can exceed 60 inches in width for laminating banners and other large material.

Pouch laminators use lamination pockets, referred to as pouch lamination film. These pockets are usually sealed on one side and open on three sides. Documents are then inserted into the pocket and run through the pouch laminator. This usually involves the assistance of a carrier, which is a non-stick manila-colored folder. The pouch is placed in the carrier to prevent the film from jamming in the machines and keeping hot glue from getting on the rollers.

Roll laminators use two separate rolls of lamination film. One is on the top and the other is on the bottom. The film is slid onto a metal mandrel, much like wrapping paper is on a cardboard core, which supports and dispenses the lamination film. The film is wound through the roll laminator prior to use. Once fully heated, material can then be run through the laminator.

A few modern changes that have manifest over the past few years with both pouch and roll laminators. Many laminators, both pouch and roll, now have digital readouts that indicate the temperature, speed and other settings. Adjustable temperature and speed control are both features that are now found on more than half the laminators on the market, where it used to be a small percentage. Many roll laminators also include cooling fans that help cool down the film as it exits the machine. This helps to prevent wrinkling and warping.

Lamination film is one of the most important parts of laminating something correctly. Years ago, when owning a laminator was cost prohibitive, pressure sensitive lamination film became very popular. Machines were not typically used and the film was manually applied to the document.

The downside to the pressure sensitive (cold) lamination film was the uneven application that resulted in wrinkles and bubbles. Pressure sensitive film is still used today, but primarily for heat sensitive documents and materials. The film is no longer manually applied, but is now used in conjunction with a cold laminator.

Hot lamination film is now the film of choice. While the glue is warmed in the laminator, silicon rollers evenly apply pressure to the film across the entire document. The more rollers in the laminator, the better the results. Film is available in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses. The thickness of the lamination film is referred to as the mil. The mil thickness is measured in thousandths of an inch. Five-mil film is five-thousandths of an inch thick.

Laminators continue to be a popular tool for protecting and preserving documents. The type of laminator you buy or use depends entirely on the volume you need to laminate, the size of the document you need to laminate (thickness, length & width), future use, location where the laminator will be used and who will be using it. Contact Office Zone for more information on both roll and pouch laminators.

Have you ever wanted to repackage a CD, DVD, or software box but didn’t know how? It’s a fairly simple process that requires some basic shrink wrap equipment and supplies.

The first item needed is some type of shrink wrap system. If your job is of the low-volume variety, an I-Bar shrink wrap system with shrink film is recommended. I-bar shrink wrap systems are commonly used by video rental shops, video game stores, and other retailers that sell used DVDs, CDs and software.

I-bar shrink-wrap machines are popular with low to mid-volume shrink wrapping tasks. The end result is a professionally wrapped product, but it does take longer to package with an I-bar system. Higher volume jobs require an L-bar shrink-wrap machine that seals three sides of the shrink film in one pass.

Another advantage of an I-bar shrink wrap system is the ability to manipulate and move the shrink wrap film around the product with ease. Sealing multiple angles around a product may also be done. Three total passes with the I-bar are typically required to seal all sides of the film around a package, however you are not constricted to a specific pattern.

I-bar systems are also not limited to the height of a shrink tunnel. Lastly, I-bar shrink wrap systems include a heat gun that looks a lot like a hair drier. This is used to shrink the film.

Be sure to visit Office Zone’s Shrink Wrap Resources & Information Section for more details.

Times are tough right now for many businesses and current economic conditions in one way or another affect most people. Businesses are looking for ways to trim costs and save money. One way this is being done is by bringing outsourced projects back to an “in-house” status. Businesses and organizations are saving money right now by doing their own book, report and presentation binding in-house.

Book binding isn’t complicated, and compared to paying a third party, the machines pay for themselves over a short period of time. The most common forms of binding, done by businesses, are comb, wire, coil and VeloBinding. The supplies are available in different sizes, colors and give the operator freedom to bind almost anything. Another advantage to binding books in-house is speed and convenience. With a binding machine, books can be bound in seconds, as they are needed.

Before taking the plunge towards in-house operations, determine how many books you will need to bind per day, week and month. Also determine how automated you want the binding machine to be. Many are not aware of this, but binding machines vary in functionality like a car. Some are completely manual, where others are almost fully automated. Cost does go up the more automated the machine becomes, but the amount of time and effort required to bind a book may be worth the investment.

There are four types of binding that are commonly used for in-house binding. The most popular of the four is comb binding; followed by coil binding, wire binding and VeloBinding. The binding process with these four types of binding machines is simple. Punch holes in the paper and covers, insert the binding element and close it. Most of these binding machines take less than a few minutes to use per book.

There are a few features to look for in a binding machine. One of them is an adjustable margin depth. This allows the operator to adjust how deep into the paper the holes will be punched. This is especially nice if you will be binding books of varying thicknesses. The thicker the book, the deeper into the margin the holes need to be punched. This helps to prevent pages from ripping out of the binding element. If you will not be binding thick books (100+ pages), this shouldn’t be a concern.

Another feature to be aware of are disengageable (disengaging) punching dies. This is also sometimes referred to as variable punching dies. This allows the user to determine which hole to or not to punch. This is very nice to have if you will be binding pages of varying sizes. It helps to eliminate the dreaded half-hole, which happens when the punching die runs off the paper and only punches part of it. If you will only be punching standard 8 ½ x 11-inch paper, this may not be a necessary feature.

Any printer, organization or business that creates books or reports can benefit from owning their own binding machine. Contact Office Zone for more information on binding machines.

Paper shredders come in all sizes, shapes and capacities. Choosing the right paper shredder up front will save you a lot of time and money. Knowing a few basic questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge will help eliminate a lot of useless paper shredders from your list.

What are the most common paper shredder complaints? Here are a few of them. The most common complaint is: “My shredder keeps jamming.” Also brought up are concerns about the motor overheating, having to change the srhedder bag too often, the inability to shred staples and more.

If your paper shredder keeps jamming, chances are pretty good that you are shredding too much paper at a time. Before buying a paper shredder, be well aware of how many sheets of paper you would like to shred at a time. Also be aware that if you need to shred 25 sheets of paper at a time, don’t buy a paper shredder that will shred “up to” 25 sheets. Paper shredder manufacturers often like to hype up their shredders. They want to let you know the absolute maximum number of sheets you can run through the shredder before ruining it. This number is usually far too high to run on a continuous basis. We recommend you find a paper shredder that will shred at least 20% more paper than you need.

If you need to shred 25 sheets of paper at a time, buy one that will shred up to 30 sheets of paper at a time. Also take into consideration that your shredding volume may increase in years to come.

Not all paper shredders are designed to run on a continuous basis. Many paper shredders have a failsafe that turns the motor off if it gets to hot. This is to prevent damage to the motor. Many paper shredder manufacturers now put thermally protected motors in their shredders. These are known as continuous duty paper shredders.

It is highly recommended to buy a paper shredder with continuous-duty capabilities, even if you won’t be shredding on a continuous basis. You never know when you may need to shred a lot of paper in a day. Most paper shredders will say “continuous duty” on the box. If shopping online, most sites will also state “continuous duty” as a feature.

Is your paper shredder bin filling too quickly? Many people do not realize this, but a strip cut paper shredder will fill up a bin on average almost 60% faster than a cross cut paper shredder. This is because cross cut paper shredders, also known as confetti cut shredders, cut the paper into smaller pieces and easily compact in the shredder bin. Some cross cut paper shredders cut paper into smaller pieces that require even less bag changes. Also be aware that shredders are available with larger bins.

Many people want to be able to shred paper without worrying about staples or the occasional paper clip. In the past, metal pieces would almost definitely ruin shredder blades. Many shredders are now made with hardened steal blades capable of handling staples and the occasional paper clip. Again, this is usually listed on the box or Web site. It is still recommended not to shred particles of metal if it can be helped, but it is nice to have the assurance that a staple or paper clip will not ruin the shredder.

There are many brands of paper shredders available. Many department stores sell low-volume Chinese-manufactured paper shredders that can break down easily. There are a few trustworthy brands that are made from quality parts that will give you an edge on durability. These brands include Destroyit, HSM, Intimus, Dahle, Formax and Kobra. Many of these paper shredders are German-engineered and German-made.

Last, but not least, is maintenance. Proper shredder maintenance will extend the life of your shredder by several years. Many people do not realize this, but paper shredders need to be oiled on occasion. This isn’t a complicated process or messy like changing the oil in your car. It simply involves squirting oil on a piece of paper and running it through the paper shredder. You should oil a paper shredder every time you change the shred bag. It doesn’t take much, but it helps eliminate friction and metal-on-metal wear.

Regardless of the individual or company, everyone should use a paper shredder to destroy sensitive and personal information. Contact Office Zone for more information on paper shredders.

It’s time to face one cold hard reality of a recession, and that’s the upswing in theft and other criminal activities. Shoplifting is especially a concern for retailers and other businesses. So, what are you, as a concerned business owner, to do?

Office Zone fortunately offers several anti-shoplifting devices and supplies that keep most amateur thieves at bay. The systems we carry feature either hard tags or labels that are fastened to high-risk merchandise.

These are detected by transceivers, or those towers you commonly see when you walk out of the local Target or Wal-Mart. The appearance of these towers alone help thwart would-be burglars.

Are you considering a shoplift prevention system for your business? If so, be sure to learn more about it at Office Zone’s Shoplift Prevention Guide.

Employee time clocks are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. These include old traditional punch clocks that use a time card, electronic swipe card systems and newer biometric time clocks that can scan a fingerprint to log an employee in and out. The type of time clock a business purchases depends entirely on the size of the organization, the type of software being used and the preferences of the accounting department.

The most simple and basic time clock is the traditional analog punch clock. The concept is simple. Each employee is assigned a card. The time card is usually stored in a rack of some sort. The employee uses the card to punch in and out of work. The time registered on the time card is then used to determine pay. Some newer variations of punch-style time clocks feature digital LCD readouts and can tally time on the punch card.

A few advantages of a punch time clock is it is usually less of an investment on behalf of the employer and the clock requires little training to use. A few disadvantages of a time clock include buddy punching and the inability to export data to a computer. Buddy punching is the process of one employee punching in and out on behalf of another employee.

Card swipe time clocks are growing in popularity. These time clocks use a card, very similar to a credit card, to check in and out of work. The card is programmed with unique data for each employee. These cards are sometimes even used to access the entrance of a building. The card can easy be carried in a wallet, hung around the neck by use of a lanyard or clipped to a shirt by use of a badge holder.

Data from most card swipe time clocks can be exported to a computer for use with various accounting programs such as QuickBooks. The data is easy to read and maintains a running total of hours worked, overtime and other information.

Also popular are time clock software and keypad time clocks. Keypads work in a similar way to swipe card time clocks, except the employee logs in and out of work by punching in a number. Many keypad terminals also have a card swipe. Data can also be exported and used with a variety of accounting programs.

Time clock software is installed on a computer. Depending on the type of software, an employee can log in and out of work from a centralized computer, or if they have a network version of the software, they can log in and out of work from their own computer.

The latest and most exciting type of time clock to come to the market is biometric time clocks. These time clocks allow employees to punch in and out of work by using their finger or hand, depending on the model. Data can still be exported to a computer for use with accounting programs. The biggest advantage of biometric time clocks is the ability to eliminate buddy punching and the need to replace lost or broken cards.

Regardless of the size of business, any organization can benefit from the use of a time clock. Contact Office Zone for more information on time clock systems.