GT SCHMIDT Laser Marking Helps Reunite Lost Pets with Owners
If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know the grief it can cause until your furry friend is found.
Stone Manufacturing & Supply Company has been helping owners reunite with lost pets since 1932. While they provide several million rabies tags for pets each year using standard methods, they recently made the decision to use laser marking for pet ID tags that would be both human readable and contain a QR (quick response) code. All veterinarians have their own information that has to be set by hand. Using a few strokes on a key pad seemed like a giant leap forward.
Finding the Right Laser
Stone has been buying GT SCHMIDT hand type, logotype and numbering heads for years for their standard line of pet ID tags. After researching other companies and laser systems, Randy Park, Stone’s Engineering Manager called GT SCHIMIDT’s Technical Sales Specialist John Gaast for a demonstration. Stone had several criteria they were looking for:
- Value – quality for the cost
- Volume – the ability to do small batches rapidly
- Process – fast keyboard input and online orders
- Service – a company willing to work with them
According to John, “I met with Randy and invited him to visit our headquarters near Chicago. Since this was a new application for us, we wanted to make sure we understood their needs.”
“GT SCHMDT did a lot of the initial Research & Development before I even got there,” said Randy. “They made sample burns and charted cycle times and then gave me several rounds of training on the system even before we committed.” Shortly afterwards, Stone placed an order for a 30-watt fiber optic laser.
With the laser system, the ID tags have the QR code on one side and human readable information and the vet’s logo laser burned on the other. Stone now has the capability to do small runs fast with minimum down time between burns. Group parts can be put into one big format and multiples burned 25 at a time. Stone can also verify that every QR code is readable – no customer complaints.
Customer Service
Randy cited another benefit of the system. “Thanks to GT SCHMIDT’s IT specialist, Tony Maser, not only can we key in information, we can accept online orders which are transferred directly to a program compatible with the laser system.”
Randy concluded, “GT SCHMIDT is always willing to help us, even to the point of working out technical problems right on the phone in real time. That’s invaluable when you have multiple customer orders in line. Because of their service, we seldom have any down time.”
Fast Pet Return
Unlike implanted chips, the QR codes on the tags can be read with any smartphone. No special scanner is required. The human readable side has a website (www.vetidtags.com), along with an ID number that will identify any lost dog or cat to facilitate reuniting owners with their pets. The tags are also less expensive than implants and carry no risk of incision infection.
Coming Full Circle
Stone Manufacturing started engraving type for the printing industry in 1932. A sideline was etching pet ID tags. Customers would come in and ask for help with other animal related devices, so the company started designing parts and tools for the health and care of livestock. Now, with the help of GT SCHMIDT, the company is back to providing pet IDs that are state of the art.