The 3-Meter drop Challenge (Durability & TCO)
December 29, 2025
Focus: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
and designing industrial hardware for the reality of human behavior
on the warehouse floor.
Is your 'cheap' scanner actually costing you 6x more? HYCO's 3-meter drop protection
may sound crazy, but it’s a direct response to a harsh financial reality: A low-cost scanner that breaks every six months must be replaced six times in three years.
When you factor in multiple device replacements, IT maintenance costs, and the operational downtime from business interruptions, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is far higher than that of a highly reliable ring scanner.
Our extensive field tracking revealed that most damage isn't from accidental drops. It's from predictable human behavior:
- The End-of-Shift Throw: Workers toss scanners into the collection box from a distance to save a few steps.
- The Rhythmic Tap: During idle moments, workers rhythmically tap scanners against tables or shelves to relax mentally. This continuous vibration is disastrous for scanners with weak structural design.
We cannot restrict human behavior.
Our philosophy is simple: Hardware must be designed for the reality of the floor. That's why our ring scanners are engineered to survive extreme, non-standard impacts a continuous service life of 3+ years.
Durability isn't a premium feature; it's mandatory TCO defense.
What is the most surprising way you've seen equipment fail in your operations? Share your horror stories below! 👇
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