Beer Keg Theft or Not?
Posted by Christy Buckholdt on August 26, 2008
Whose idea was it to put paper serial numbers on beer kegs? That’s as crazy as putting a sticker serial number on the bottom of my steamvac. Sooner or later it is going to become unreadable or come off. I guess in the past there hasn’t been that many good alternatives. With the increasing cost of stainless steel, beer kegs are a sizeable investment for companies and they need a better way to track and discourage theft of their kegs.
Laser system for marking beer kegs
Today, with technology in the forefront, CMS has made it possible for companies to track their beer kegs with the use of a laser marking system to mark their kegs with 2D matrix codes. The 2D data matrix code was selected because it can store a large amount of information in a small area and is readable in low contrast conditions. The outstanding error checking algorithms of the 2D code allow it to be read successfully even if over 25% of the code has been damaged.
CMS chose to use a Ytterbium fiber laser for this marking system because it is a “0” maintenance device and can quickly and permanently mark the 2D matrix code on the surface of the keg without compromising the strength of the pressurized keg. They have also included a combination barcode/2D matrix code reader to scan preexisting barcodes and to verify the newly engraved 2D matrix symbol.
