FEATURE LOGISTICS
DIGITAL MEDIA RETURNS demand efficient logistics systems
Return of unsold digital media presents a logistical challenge that can be efficiently met by means of automated procedures including barcode reading technology from Cognex
E
ven in the age of downloads and streaming, film studios and music
labels continue to supply an enormous amount of digital media including CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays with both audio and video content in addition to computer games and software. However, not all copies of these
products sell; a small yet significant amount of residual stock remains on the shelves, begging the question: what happens to the unsold media? Cinram in Aachen, Germany
manufactures physical format Blu-ray, DVD and CD media and associated print components. It manages pan-European and worldwide distribution to logistics partners and offers many more support services on behalf of studios and labels. Constant optimisation of the supply
chain to trade partners and consumers is a top priority. This includes trade returns where automated procedures including those involving Cognex barcode readers, come into play. Cinram’s Alsdorf central European
production centre is the company’s largest distribution site employing around 1,000 employees. Every day the company manufactures
up to 900,000 units of optical media supplying Amazon, Media Markt/Saturn and other European trading partners. The facility receives 30,000 returns daily from stock taking, excess stock or lack of consumer interest that must be recirculated. These returns go back to the providers using Cinram’s operational processing service.
ELIMINATING MANUAL TASKS Sorting these products manually would be neither viable nor practical which is why an automated solution was developed. Sorting is carried out by a returns sorter, eliminating the majority of manual work. The barcode reader is located directly above the conveyor belt; placing the physical media on the line is the only manual task to ensure the barcode on the disc is facing up. In order to process the high number of
returns the line runs at a speed of almost 1.2 metres per second. At this speed the barcode reader must identify the small
S1 JULY/AUGUST 2016 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS 0
code amid other graphics on the disc and successfully read the code despite minimal surrounding white space. This information is tracked so Cinram knows where the media came from and how it needs to be processed. In addition, many covers have a glossy,
reflective surface which presents an extremely difficult challenge for the barcode reader. With all of these factors
Effective illumination is essential for achieving high read rates
the equipment currently deployed at Cinram was not providing the read rates needed for an efficient operation. The high rate of false readings required far too many disks to be handled manually. The Cognex DataMan 303 image-based barcode reader is a versatile fixed-mount barcode reader with numerous integrated lighting and lens options and intelligent auto-tuning. It handles hard-to-read DPM (direct part mark) codes and challenging 1-D barcodes and 2-D matrix codes. It is suitable for timed processes and high-speed lines. Both the integrated and adjustable lighting and liquid lens with variable focus enable optimum adjustment of the operating distance, depth of field and field of view in order to achieve the best possible read rates for the particular application.
TIME AND COST SAVINGS The DataMan 303 is able to achieve a read rate of approximately 99.7%, resulting in fewer than 15 disks per day requiring manual recirculation. Cinram was very pleased with this result, realising both time and cost savings. Today, two sorters with several Cognex
Barcodes are read accurately, even despite reflective surfaces
readers are in continuous operation at Cinram’s facilities in Germany and France. The barcode readers send the information that is read from the codes to the controls. Depending on the disks (type, source, manufacturer) the controls then dictate the consequent actions to be taken. Disks that belong together are assigned to their waiting bins which takes only a few minutes using Cognex barcode reading technology. "Despite the very special product and
logistical requirements with the Cognex equipment we were able to carry out a standard implementation without any real difficulties,” explains electronics & automation manager Rene Huppertz. “The commissioning time was short; the whole procedure was limited to the setup, training and test run and we duplicated this configuration at our French site in Champenard."
Cognex E:
contact.eu@
cognex.com www.cognex.com
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