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Tag: rfid

Dedicated Range of Labelling Printing Solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

Bixolon Europe GmbH, global manufacturer of advanced receipt, label and mobile printers, announces its presence at LabelExpo 2023, where it will showcase on stand 9A63 its dedicated range of labelling printing solutions on the stage of the world’s largest label and package printing event.

Key exhibition product highlights will include:
• Linerless vs Liner Labelling Printing Zone – BIXOLON will put the spotlight on comparing linerless and liner label printing by showcasing its extremely reliable, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient XL5-40 4-inch (114mm) desktop direct thermal linerless label printer side by side with the XD3-40 4-inch (118 mm) direct thermal traditional label printer, giving visitors the opportunity to understand the many different advantages of traditional liner and linerless labelling technologies.

• RFID Labelling – BIXOLON will present a comprehensive selection of RFID print and encode printers, including mobile, desktop and industrial models. Among them, the XM7-40R 4-inch (112mm), the premium mobile RFID label printer with advanced features, and the XD5-40tR 4-inch (118mm) RFID enabled thermal transfer desktop label printer. In addition, the XT5-40NR 4-inch (114mm) thermal transfer RFID label printer, which provides outstanding power and performance for industrial use.

• Best Seller Highlights – Offering high performance variable width printing solutions, BIXOLON will present its best-selling range of labelling printers, including the popular XM7 series featuring the premium XM7-20 2-inch (58mm), XM7-30 3-inch (80mm) and XM7-40 4-inch (112mm) auto-ID mobile liner and linerless label printers, along with a wide range of accessories. Alongside, the budget-friendly XT3-404-inch (114mm) industrial labelling line, the unique XQ-840 4-inch (118mm) two-in-one, stand-alone label printing solution with integrated tablet, and the compact SLP-DX220 2-inch (60mm) barcode label printer, together with the highly reliable XD5-40 4-inch (118mm) desktop direct thermal printer suitable for small to mid-range businesses.

BIXOLON will also be joined on the stand-by Iconex™, the iconic inventor and continued leader in receipts and leading provider of unrivalled, best-in-class labelling and tracking technology, who will showcase its MAXStick® Linerless paper and Iconex Sticky Media™ liner-free label identification solutions in conjunction with BIXOLON printers.

“LabelExpo provides an immersive trade fair experience, offering a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge advancements in the label and package printing industry. With a focus on the latest labelling trends, BIXOLON’s participation at LabelExpo reaffirms the company commitment to continuous innovation in this ever-evolving market” explains Jay Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe GmbH. “Exhibiting alongside Iconex™ at LabelExpo is the perfect opportunity for both companies to expand our networks within this significant industry.”

BIXOLON is a leading global manufacturer of innovative, advanced printing technologies including point-of-sale receipt, label, Auto ID and mobile printers for a wide range of environments. Millions of BIXOLON printers are used today in retail, hospitality, healthcare, banking, ticketing, post/parcel, warehousing and other transaction-intensive industries. In 2022, for the ninth consecutive year the company was named global mobile receipt printer market leader by Japanese research company Chunichisha.

Rugged Tablets with Built-in 60-ft Range

Posted on by David Priestman

DT Research, a leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, today announced the company’s DT362GL (6-inch) and DT382GL (8-inch) rugged tablets have been enhanced with built-in 60-foot range Barcode Scanners in addition to 30-foot range Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID readers to continue to deliver cutting-edge long-range asset verification and tracking capabilities. The DT362GL and DT382GL handhelds now run the Microsoft® Windows® 11 IoT Enterprise operating system, which enables a seamless field-to-office asset management experience.

The new long-range asset tracking capabilities within the DT362GL and DT382GL have been purpose-built for utility, military and other industrial warehouse environments.

“While the use of RFID tags continues to grow, barcode scanning remains a favoured tool for asset tracking because of the lower cost, high reliability in a broader set of environments, and the ability to identify a specific serial number on an item within a pallet or container,” said Daw Tsai, President of DT Research. “Therefore many organizations use both barcode and RFID tags during asset tracking and inventory management processes. These enhanced DT362GL and DT382GL rugged tablets provide our customers with a comprehensive long-range asset tracking solution within a compact and durable, yet robust mobile device running the latest Windows® OS.”

Long Range Barcode Scanning

The barcode scanners built into the DT362GL and DT382GL rugged tablets are equipped with special scan engines that enable them to read 1D and 2D barcodes up to 60 feet away. In utility, military and other warehouse environments, asset tags can be located 30-40 feet from the ground or located in hard-to-reach areas. The 60-foot range barcode scanner saves users time and improves worker safety by eliminating the need to climb ladders and crawl over equipment.

UHF RFID Reader

The DT362GL and DT382GL rugged tablets include an optional embedded UHF RFID module powered by Jadak ThingMagic technology, which enables secure access verification within 16 feet or up to a 30 foot range using an external pistol grip antenna. UHF RFID readers have a broad range of uses, from inventory and equipment management without manual data entry to locating underground infrastructure assets such as gas pipelines and sewer lines.

“Our customers have told us that asset verification and visibility is essential to them, but it can be labour intensive, time-consuming and expensive,” said Rob Droppa, GM, Government Solutions. “Studies have shown it can take up to five minutes to capture all the information necessary to verify an asset in a warehouse or the field and errors in data entry cost about $300 on average to correct. But by using our purpose-built, Windows® powered mobile devices to scan barcodes and read RFID tags at long ranges, it’s possible to capture the information of multiple assets within seconds and significantly improve the accuracy of the data captured.”

The DT362GL and DT382GL fanless handhelds are IP65 rated and MIL-STD-810G to deliver reliable operation in harsh and mission-critical environments with a hot-swappable battery pack that enables continuous operation. Both indoor and outdoor viewing is made possible through high brightness capacitive touch screens. These rugged handhelds offer seamless information capture and transmission in both secure and non-secure environments through a combination of barcode scanning, UHF RFID, smart card readers, dedicated GNSS modules and cameras.

The DT362GL and DT382G rugged tablets offer a robust set of features and options that include:

* Military-grade Durability and Reliability: IP65-rated for water and dust resistance, MIL-STD- 810G certified for shock and vibration protection. FCC Class B, RoHS compliant and HERO (Hazard of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) certified. NIST compliant BIOS available.
* Indoor-Outdoor Display: 6-inch (DT362GL) or 8-inch (DT382GL) LED-backlight screen with capacitive touch and digital pen support.
* Long Range Barcode Scanner: Reads 1D and 2D barcodes up to 60 feet away.
* UHF RFID Reader: 865 – 928MHz, EPCglobal Class 1 Gen 2/ ISO 18000-6C.
Reading distance of 16 ft (4.87m) with built-in ThingMagic micro module and embedded antenna. Reading Distance of 30 ft (9.1m) with trigger grip.
* Enterprise Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 10 or 11 IoT Enterprise.
* Wireless Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 4.2 LE Bluetooth.
* High Performance and Energy Efficient: Intel® Pentium® Silver 4-core processor.
* Smart Card Reader: Built-in Common Access Card (CAC) full slot reads ISO 7816 T=0, T=1; 1.8/3/5V smart cards.
* Continuous Operation: Hot-swappable battery pack eliminates downtime.
* Security: NIST compliant BIOS available.
* Back Camera: 8 megapixel back camera with auto focus, white balance, gain control and exposure control.
* GNSS Module: U-blox M8 GNSS module with concurrent reception of GPS & GLONASS; Industry-Leading – 167 dBm navigation sensitivity.
* Certifications: C1D2 – Groups A, B, C and D. HERO (Hazard of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) certified.
* TAA Compliant: Manufactured in compliance with the requirements of the Trade Agreement Act (TAA).

Availability

The DT362GL and DT382GL rugged handheld tablets are immediately available from DT Research’s authorized distributors and resellers.

RFID Streamlines Store Inventory Management

Posted on by David Priestman

Manhattan Associates has unveiled its vision for an RFID-powered store. Manhattan Active® Omni suite has expanded its support of RFID tags for automating and streamlining the inventory counting, receiving, picking, checkout, return and exchange processes. With this new solution, retailers can make more accurate promises, increase conversion rates and maximise inventory exposure for selling.

Retailers are increasingly depending on their stores to fulfil both in-store and online orders. However, their ability to do so is often hindered by poor store inventory accuracy, which often falls below 70%. In fact, a recent Manhattan survey found that only 2% of UK retailers believed they had an accurate view of inventory in stores and across their distribution network.

Manhattan has solved this challenge by enabling its point-of-sale and store fulfilment solutions with handheld RFID support for all inventory management and order fulfilment activities. By combining RFID technology with Manhattan Active Omni, retailers can increase store inventory accuracy from 70% to nearly 100%. Manhattan’s solution also reduces inventory-related labour hours, helps associates quickly locate merchandise and expedites transactions at the point of sale.

Manhattan Active Omni’s RFID capabilities streamline and automate inventory counting and receiving processes. Store-wide inventory counts can be performed quickly and accurately by store associates armed with the latest handheld devices, such as Zebra’s RFD series. Associates can also use the mobile RFID scanners to greatly reduce the time required to perform unit level receiving of new inventory items.

In active store environments, it is common for merchandise to be moved by customers or even misplaced by store staff. Manhattan’s new ‘find’ mode works just like a metal detector, using handheld RFID devices to direct store associates to the precise location of tagged items, reducing inventory shortages and time spent hunting for missing items.

Manhattan’s new RFID capabilities can also be used to speed up sales transactions and returns. Readers placed at the point-of-sale capture tag information as soon as merchandise is placed on the counter, immediately populating the customer’s shopping cart.

“Manhattan Active Omni delivers a unified approach to selling, engaging and fulfilling in a single store application. By integrating RFID into its store solutions, Manhattan is able to reduce the time and effort required to implement RFID, while ensuring store associates can continue to leverage the most advanced store solution in the market,” said Amy Tennent, senior director of Product Management for Manhattan.

“Agile omnichannel inventory management and fulfilment is critical to modern store operation,” said Bill Toney, vice president Global RFID Market Development at Avery Dennison. “We believe the combination of Manhattan’s store solutions and Avery Dennison’s innovative RFID and digital identification solutions will enable retailers to transform inventory management and streamline store operations while delivering a first-class consumer experience.”

About Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates is a technology leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce. We unite information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. Our software, platform technology and unmatched experience help drive both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for our customers.

Manhattan Associates designs, builds and delivers leading edge cloud and on-premises solutions so that across the store, through your network or from your fulfilment centre, you are ready to reap the rewards of the omnichannel marketplace.

Wiliot makes COP27 debut

Posted on by David Priestman

Wiliot, the Internet of Things pioneer whose IoT platform is enabling trillions of “things” to gain intelligence, has been selected to attend COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from November 6th-18th. At the event, Wiliot will be showcasing its pioneering ambient computing technology – the Wiliot IoT Pixel and Cloud platform – and educating global leaders on the ways in which it’s enabling an ambient IoT poised to create more sustainable, cost-efficient supply chains.

Wiliot’s vision for the future of the ambient IoT brings intelligence and internet connectivity to every single ‘thing’ in the global supply chain, enabling products to transmit item-level information about their location, temperature, carbon footprint, and more. With this information, businesses are – for the first time – equipped with the real-time data they need to make more sustainably-minded decisions that reduce their carbon footprint.

Furthermore, the real-time delivery of this carbon data offers an effective alternative to today’s annual reporting cadence, which is proving insufficient for businesses looking to make a material impact on their carbon footprint.

Wiliot is attending COP27 as part of an Israeli delegation that includes nine other climate-tech innovators that were selected at PLANETech World, Israel’s first-ever clean-tech conference that recently took place in Tel Aviv.

“While much of the world is justifiably focused on reducing fossil fuel emissions, converting to electric vehicles, and carbon-offsetting projects, we applaud the UN and the COP27 for now also recognising supply chain efficiency as a fundamental lever in advancing global sustainability,” stated Steve Statler, Wiliot SVP of Marketing & ESG. “Trillions of things flow through our supply chains every day – a number that will only increase as billions of new people enter the middle class, with more disposable income and purchasing power. The UN recognises the urgent need to fix our supply chains, and that real-time item-level carbon data is fundamental to the regeneration of the environment.”

Wiliot IoT Pixels are stamp-sized computers that cost pennies and feature a fundamental breakthrough in ambient computing technology – or computing that’s self-powered, harvesting radio waves that are all around us. These battery-free IoT Pixels can attach to any product or packaging to connect it to the internet; not just expensive things like cars, appliances, and shipping containers, but the things inside them: fruits, veggies, vaccine vials, clothes, crates, and just about everything else.

The benefits of this technology are vast. Produce stays fresher longer, reducing the amount wasted due to rot and spoil; delivery routes are more efficient, requiring less fuel and emitting lower greenhouse gas; stock-checks transition from daily to real-time, resulting in supply chains with lower carbon footprints; and so much more.

“It’s going to take trillions of connections to solve the climate crisis,” continued Statler. “Every single thing in our global supply chain – veggies and vaccines, crates and skates, airplane parts and toy airplanes – all connected to the internet and transmitting real-time, item-level data about their location, temperate, fill rate, carbon footprint, and more. It’s this data that’s going to enable businesses to make better, more sustainably-minded decisions – and ones that make a material impact on the climate crisis today.”

Wiliot is currently working with many of the world’s largest companies, helping them transition from supply chains that often include glut, excess, and delays to demand chains that are fully responsive to real-time to consumer demand. Furthermore, the Wiliot platform is equipping employees across organisations with this real-time data empowers them to take action every day, which is proving to have a profound impact on corporate sustainability and profitability.

In a recent project with a large retailer, the temperature of a pallet of berries rose precipitously when it was mistakenly left out on a store floor, threatening the fruit’s freshness. However, rather than spoil, the temperature rise was flagged and an alert was sent to store employees, who addressed the situation in the moment.

Concluded Statler: “The ambient IoT grows the market from billions of expensive things to trillions of everyday things, and in the process totally transforms our global supply chains. We’re honoured to have been selected to attend COP27 to debut the concept of the ambient IoT, which is poised to have a profound impact on our planet.”

Ambient IoT support is being added to the wireless standards that enable the world’s phones, smart speakers, and access points. Industry analyst ABI Research predicted a total addressable market for ambient IoT of over 10 trillion devices at the recent GSMA MWC event in a presentation it co-delivered with Wiliot and Deloitte.

 

Case study: How to manage multiple asset inspections

Posted on by David Priestman

A very large chemicals processer increased the efficiency of asset safety inspections with inspection templates and automated reporting using reliable Unitags and SafeTrak software.

A large chemical processing plant was keeping track of asset inspections on paper. With thousands of ladders, handrails and floor gratings on the list of assets that need regular safety inspection, the paper trail became exceedingly complex and time intensive to manage.

The plant was already using Unitag to communicate which assets were inspected, and deemed safe, or out of use. To keep employees safe and the facility compliant in an efficient way, a solution was needed to replace time-consuming handwritten inspection reports.

Solution: A digital asset inspection trail with SafeTrak

Scafftag proposed the SafeTrak software to replace the entire inspection paper trail with an online tool. All assets that need inspection can be set up in SafeTrak to make inspection planning and follow-up a lot more practical. Asset inspections can be planned at regular intervals, and to each type of asset a standard or custom inspection template can be linked.

In-house inspectors receive a notification on their ATEX-compliant handheld from SafeTrak and can start an asset inspection by scanning the asset’s RFID-enabled Multi-Tag from Scafftag. A pre-defined inspection template guides the inspectors in the field, and a report is shared automatically with stakeholders on inspection completion.

Assets are identified in the field with the RFID-enabled Unitag that can resist intensive cleaning processes. The tag’s RFID-chip can be programmed to link the actual field asset to its corresponding inspection history and asset details in SafeTrak.

To answer specific customer needs, Scafftag customised the flexible SafeTrak software in just three months. This enabled our customer to quickly and easily implement the solution in its existing inspection processes.

Results: Fast asset inspection and automated reporting

The chemicals processing plant can now inspect assets faster in a more accurate and easier way. More assets are inspected in a shorter time-span. Digital inspection reports are automatically generated and shared, and the time-consuming asset inspection paper trail is no longer needed.

CLICK HERE to discover a wide range of tools and equipment in the free guide.

Big Box brings RFID technology to SMEs

Posted on by David Priestman

Big Box Automation, part of Big Box Group, has added Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging technology to its range of inventory management products offered to SMEs.

This technology gives smaller businesses access to critical infrastructure, allowing them to compete in an increasingly customer experience-driven trading environment.

RFID technology is not new. Its roots go back to the 1940s. However, the e-Commerce consumer boom has sped up the development of RFID in terms of intelligence and ease of application, whilst reducing cost. It is now within the reach of individual companies and independent stores.

An RFID tag doesn’t have to be seen or handled in order to record and access large amounts of data about an individual item of stock. Multiply this feature across multiple products to realise the advantage this technology offers to businesses who are embracing e-Commerce and same-day remote order fulfilment.

Consumer behaviour changed forever because of the Covid pandemic, accelerating e-Commerce and introducing an entirely new global audience. Alongside this change of behaviour also sits a global labour shortage, huge supply chain and logistical challenges, and unprecedented demand. These factors have created the perfect storm where smaller players with the same technological advantages can compete based on efficiency and flexibility.

Altaf Saddique, RFID Solution Architect, explains: “A retail clothing store, for example, would typically have to close to allow staff to perform a full manual stocktaking audit. This could even be overnight depending on the size and complexity of their stock ranges, obviously inconveniencing staff and costing the company money. Also, depending upon how frequently the manual checks were carried out, they could expect as low as 60% – 70% accuracy.

“With RFID, that same stocktake can happen within 20-30 minutes with 99% accuracy whilst the store is open for business, across multiple floors, stock rooms and changing facilities. If an item is tagged, and on the premises, the RFID scanner will find it.”

Big Box Automation offers clients full technological support to deliver the benefits of RFID where required. Other expertise within the Big Box Group can also help customers with integrating RFID into other supply chain automation. This can include warehouse design, racking, storage systems, and handling equipment, including robot pickers.

Although retail and online fulfilment sectors are the first to benefit from the reduction in cost and increased accessibility to RFID technology, other sectors may eventually follow. The health and care sectors, for example, are looking at RFID tagging solutions to help manage assets and resources.

Jason Dyche, Divisional Director, said: “The Covid pandemic has super-charged progress in automation in terms of development, demand and application across the entire spectrum of application with new sectors opening all the time. Big Box Group is responding to the rise in demand from e-Commerce for same-day order fulfilment needs with robotics and automation. RFID used to be prohibitively expensive for SMEs, but the rapid development has led to the technology becoming the sensible choice in terms of cost-benefit.

“RFID tags have dropped in price considerably in the past ten years, from a few pounds to a few pence per tag. Add labour cost savings and the ability to monitor, and control stock, and respond to specific consumer behaviours, and it’s a technology that no inventory-based business can afford to ignore or be without.

“At Big Box, we monitor developments in automation technology and bring the best of what’s available to our clients when we see the emergence of the effective and affordable technology that can offer the right benefits. One such deployment was for an independent golf shop, not a huge multi-national online name, but a well-established local business with a great offering.

“RFID has helped the company take control of their stock inventory, track where items are in the system, keep up with parts and potential shortfalls and to allocate resources to identify the growth areas of the business rather than on chasing stock and solving supply issues.”

Leading Food Manufacturer Updates Line Marking

Posted on by David Priestman

High-quality floor marking installations and RFID and barcode labels specialist inotec recently completed another impressive line marking project for a leading British food manufacturer.

The large food manufacturer employs over 9,500 staff and selected inotec for the project due to the quality of previous projects inotec had successfully undertaken for the company. The two-week external line marking scheme involved laying 1900 metres of line marking at the company’s lorry yard and staff site car park to cater for its employees.

To mark the lines, inotec used the Spectrum ViaLine external line marking paint. This is a long-lasting, hard-wearing, highly visible solvent-based line marking paint ideal for use on roads, car parks, distribution centres and docks. It’s toluene-free, which means it is less harmful to the environment and safer for the user. Inotec delivered the project within the required timescale in June 2022 on budget.

Established in 1999, inotec UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of inotec GmbH. It is a provider of warehouse finishing solutions including durable barcode labels, in-mould labels, internal and external line marking, RFID solutions and warehouse signage. inotec specialises in providing bespoke solutions for a variety of environments from ambient to cold stores. The company offers a complete service, working with clients throughout the process from design to installation to achieve solutions that work the first time and every time.

Sponsored content: Brady gives every asset a unique digital identity

Posted on by David Priestman

With Brady Corporation‘s complete RFID solution, assets in any industrial environment can be given unique digital identities just by applying a label. Users will be able to identify and locate labelled assets all at once, from a distance, in real time, without needing line of sight.

Your Needs. Your Solution.

To make RFID-driven efficiency possible in any unique workplace, Brady leverages its global manufacturing capabilities and services to customise each of the components in its complete RFID solution. Label read range can be adapted, as well as all other label properties that enable labels to stay attached to any user’s asset selection in a wide range of industrial environments. Sensors can be embedded to capture environmental data including temperature or moisture levels. Scanners can be equipped with custom programmed apps that processes data to unlock the benefits a specific business needs, and Brady can integrate the entire solution with existing ICT infrastructure.

CLICK HERE to discover Brady’s RFID complete solution

A major leap in workplace efficiency

Well implemented, quality RFID solutions enable a major leap in operational efficiency for many industries. With a handheld RFID scanner, multiple assets can be located, identified, tracked and traced from a 15m distance without needing line of sight. Fixed RFID scanners can even cover the entire workplace to considerably accelerate asset tracking. As a result, employees can quickly find any labelled asset they need, inventories can be automated, and outgoing cargo can be checked for completeness in seconds.

Business at your fingertips

Automatically collected data on all labelled assets can help inform strategic decision-making on capital asset numbers, their locations, preventive maintenance and environmental elements. Decisions on stock levels can be supported by the latest data, all generated and collected automatically, to further drive business efficiency and profitability, all by giving assets a unique digital identity.

CLICK HERE to download the free RFID Guide

 

 

 

 

TSC Printronix launches first mobile RFID printer

Posted on by David Priestman

TSC Printronix Auto ID has launched its first mobile RFID printer, the Alpha-40L RFID. TSC Printronix Auto ID says the compact, mobile powerhouse is further evidence of its expertise in RFID and marks a resilient step forward in production and logistics processes.

The Alpha-40L RFID is extremely robust and capable of fast anytime, anywhere printing and coding of RFID tags and labels. TSC Printronix Auto ID says its simple functionality and excellent battery capacity make it ideally suited to long shifts of asset tagging and labelling in transport and logistics, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, construction and food and drink.

Aside from efficient printing and coding of a wide variety of RFID labels, this new direct thermal mobile printer can also print 1D and 2D codes and standard labels making it a versatile addition to any fleet. The print width of the Alpha-40L RFID is up to 104mm (4.09 in), its print resolution is 203dpi and it has an incredible print speed of up to 127mm per second (5 in/s).

Despite its solid look and rugged construction, the Alpha-40L RFID weighs deceptively little at just 1,025g (including battery). Enterprises will appreciate the robustness of its build, which has been shown to survive falls of 1.8m without damage. Tests have further shown that the mobile printer, classified according to protection class IP54, defies dust and water without an additional cover. Users can, however, opt for a protective cover for harsher environments such as outdoors and this would enable the device to withstand falls from 2.5m. Its solid design meets military standards MIL-STD-810G for fall and vehicle vibrations.

The Alpha-40L RFID is based on the same modern technology that TSC Printronix Auto ID uses in its enterprise-class RFID printers and can therefore encode even complex inlays. Automatic RFID calibration, seven menu buttons, intuitive navigation and a clear 2.3-in colour LCD display make the mobile device very user-friendly. Integrated software supports SDK software packages for common operating systems such as Windows, Windows Mobile (WinCE), Android and iOS, and makes set up, programming and operating the printer not only particularly easy but also fast.

The Alpha-40L RFID’s rechargeable 7.4V DC 6,200mAh Li-Ion battery and TSC’s intelligent battery management system guarantee uninterrupted operation during complete work shifts. The Li-ion smart battery, when paired with either SOTI Connect IoT management tool or TSC Console remote printer management, enables users to work confidently all shift while their battery’s power consumption and the device’s performance are being monitored.

Fast, secure wireless connection can be established via either the latest 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi Bluetooth 4.2 or Apple-certified MFi Bluetooth 5.0. Such modern wireless technology ensures employees are always connected, well informed and able to print the required labels where needed.

For carrying and operating comfort as well as performance, TSC Printronix Auto ID offers a wide range of accessories for the Alpha-40L RFID, from belt clips and shoulder straps to powerful docking stations, rechargers, adapters and spare batteries.

 

Successful digitisation of wine press hall in Bavaria

Posted on by Keith McKinley

One of Europe‘s most modern wine press halls is located in the Franconian town of Kitzingen in the southern German state of Bavaria. During wine season, several hundred tonnes of grapes are processed there daily. Around 2,000 grape containers need to be stored and tracked. For this reason, the Winzergemeinschaft Franken eG (GWF) emphasised digitalisation early during the construction of the hall.

The project was entrusted to digitisation specialist ENTIAC, relying on hardware from deister electronic.

The project goal was to ensure efficient and seamless communication between the forklifts in the wine press hall and the control software in the main office. Grape containers were to be directed to the correct storage location or directly to the storage vat or grape press. For this purpose, the forklifts had to be automatically supplied with corresponding driving orders after picking up and sorting out the containers.

Consistent documentation

In wine production, all processes must be fully documented. This becomes a real challenge when around 2,000 containers of 600kg of grapes each, coming from hundreds of wineries need to be moved around the 5,000 sq m hall area with the help of forklifts.

“In order to automate documentation and tracking, each of the four forklifts in the wine press hall was therefore equipped with one of the powerful, reliable wide-range readers from deister electronic,“ reports Jörg Dombrowski, responsible project manager at system integrator ENTIAC. “This communicates with one of our COM boxes, which is also attached to the forklift. Thanks to their robust design, the readers are ideally suited for the adverse conditions in the wine press hall.”

The grape containers are each equipped with four inconspicuously attached RFID sticker tags that are automatically read by the forklift when they are picked up. Information about the contents is stored on the tags – such as the grape quantity and variety and winery of origin. The ENTIAC-COM-Box sends this data via WLAN to the warehouse control software, which in turn automatically displays driving orders and destination storage locations to the driving personnel on a tablet on the forklift.

Fast implementation, fewer errors

The team of four forklift drivers was pleased with the shallow learning curve, the system-related working comfort and the low susceptibility to errors, summarises Dombrowski: “Without the system, we would have to get off the forklift for each container and do the documentation by hand scanner and paper list. Now it‘s all fully automatic.“

The decision-makers of the project – the logistics management, the management of the wine press station, the IT department and the GWF management – were pleased with the short and effective implementation phase: the system was ready to use for the 2021 grape harvest.

Challenge

  • Integration with existing control station and control/software solutions
  • Contactless identification of the grape containers when picked up by forklifts

Solution

  • Four TSU 200 wide range readers (logIdent)
  • 8,000 RFID sticker tags (four for each of the 2,000 grape containers)
  • Control hardware and software from ENTIAC

Benefits

  • Clear assignment & identification of the containers
  • Digital, complete documentation
  • Tracking of the grape containers throughout the entire process

 

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