FHS-JULAUG24-PG52+53_Layout 1 07/08/2024 10:27 Page 53
ORDER PICKING
time and in direct line of sight, which limits their use where large quantities are involved. RFID Tags can be read from a greater
distance, do not need line of sight and multiple tags can be read at the same time. This allows a whole pallet of goods to be inventoried without removing any items from their containers. There are standards for the data content of RFID tags defining: products, shipments and assets allowing shipments from multiple suppliers to be received without issue. RFID tags are more robust and reliable than barcodes but generally cost more. Bulk quantities of low value items are often identified with a single RFID tag. In a busy shipping area, pallets of goods with
RFID tags can be passing readers in many directions at the same time. i.e. Goods being loaded or unloaded and goods being transported to and from other storage locations. The inventory system must be able to distinguish between all of these cases and accurately identify the tags that it should be reading and ignore any other tags in the vicinity, including the stray tag that has become stuck to the forklift that is transporting the goods. As RFID tags need to be within a few meters of
the reader to be read and installing enough read heads to cover every location in a warehouse would normally be impractical. RFID warehousing systems are still reliant upon the operator placing the items in the location they were directed to and not moving an item to create space for another item. Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) which, in
simplistic terms, use beacons in fixed locations within the warehouse or factory that are used to triangulate the position of the receiver, in a similar way to GPS navigation in cars and mobile phones. GPS can be used to track goods in real time and is often the choice for use outside and during transport between factories. Inside factories and warehouses, RTLS
typically uses either UWB (Ultra Wide Band) Radio or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) as both are low power, relatively short transmission range 30-200metres, are resistant to interference, and highly accurate, typically 50cm to 90cm. RTLS would seem like the perfect solution to
the warehousing problem. Put a “Tag” on every item and you can find its location, wherever it is, in real time. Unfortunately the RTLS equivalent of a Tag is often more expensive that the item it would be attached to and requires a battery. So typically RTLS is only used to track high value assets, vehicles and people. However if you are an expert in these
technologies like Turck Banner Ltd’s sister company Turck Vilant, you have the skills required to combine these technologies to create an accurate and reliable warehousing solution, that integrates seamlessly with a company’s ERP (Enterprise resource planning) and WMS (Warehouse Management System) to automate the track and trace of goods in real time. The principal is quite simple but the execution requires expertise. The unique Turck Vilant system tracks the position of the forklift trucks and other transport devices using RTLS, this is combined with the height data from the position of the forks and an RFID reader mounted on the truck to inventory the pallet. This combined data allows the system to know exactly where any pallet has been placed and what is on that pallet. Other systems fail due to unauthorised movement of goods, whereas, any time that a pallet is lifted or moved with the Turck Vilant system, it automatically tracks the new location in real time. In the medical industry track and trace are a
legal requirement, this unique solution provides a complete, real time, stock inventory at the push of a button. There will always be a balance between single
item cost and the cost of methods available to track them. This is why Turck Banner have experts dedicated to track and trace who can not only give advice on the most cost effective solutions but who are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation to achieve better solutions.
Turck Banner
www.turckbanner.co.uk T: 01268 578888
FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | JULY/AUGUST 2024 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
