The biggest challenges currently faced by companies handling large volumes of orders include lost or improperly handled goods, inaccurate item sorting, and equipment damage.
This is where intelligent industrial barcode scanners come into play. These solutions overcome all difficulties thanks to their features. The intelligent scanning system is fully integrated with an easy-to-use IT system and communicates with it extremely quickly.
AI-accelerated technology, integrated with a vision system, can not only identify the type and dimensions of the package but also assign its route to the appropriate location in the warehouse, which is key to automatic sorting. The system can also detect issues with equipment or the products themselves. For example, the system will notify us when containers on conveyor lines are damaged, dirty, occupied, or empty—all in real-time. The product operates by reading barcodes, QR codes, and analyzing the visual image of goods.
The main advantages of such a scanning system are: enhanced operations and improved speed and accuracy of logistics processes within the company. This can be achieved because of optimizing workflow efficiency, streamlining factory integration and automating a wide range of tasks. Implementation of the intelligent scanning systems provides a whole new range of possibilities for the company, improving the throughput of the goods and its traceability.
The main benefits of scanning cameras for the client are:
No-Touch system
Lower operational cost per item picked
Up to 4 hours of productivity gained per station per day
2 months payback period
Improved operator wellbeing
These two models of scanning cameras presented are only the beginning of what scanning systems can offer. Cameras like DataMan 370 Series and DataMan 470 Series deliver solutions perfect for rapidly growing numbers of orders, making the company’s logistic processes go faster and more efficiently. Scanning systems are low-cost solutions compared to other automated solutions, easy to install and powerful enough to improve many aspects of material handling.
A scanning camera identifies the product by the code on the packaging, and thanks to the rapid flow of scanned data, the system, integrated with a printer, generates and prints a new label that the employee can affix to the shipment. The system can also quickly report any defects or unreadable labels.
The conveyor system shown in the illustration is connected to a frame equipped with scanning cameras that identify incoming or outgoing goods. This allows for determining the exact status and location of each shipment. Various types of conveyors can be used here, including flexible/accordion conveyors, which can be extended or retracted depending on the required length.
A scanning camera installed above the station for warehouse staff replaces the handheld scanner by identifying returned goods, which are then placed on a conveyor that can transport them to the appropriate location in the warehouse. This significantly speeds up the process of receiving returns, and consequently improves customer service by reducing the wait time for refunds. The scanning camera reads the codes on the packages regardless of the distance between the packaging and the camera.
Positioned along the route of a forklift transporting goods in or out of the warehouse. This setup significantly reduces the physical labor involved in receiving and dispatching goods, while ensuring that information about the items being moved between zones is clear and quickly communicated to all warehouse departments.
This station is highly useful in industries such as e-commerce or any company handling a large volume of online orders and preparing shipments. With this solution, the dimensions, weight, and contents of the package can be automatically determined and forwarded to the courier company, streamlining the shipping process.
Frame and Scanning Tunnel Variant – The metal structure shown in the illustration is a simple method to create a fast and accurate scanning system for goods moving along a conveyor. The data of shipments transported through the warehouse are automatically captured, and the destination of each package is determined and stored in the IT system. The scanning system can be integrated with a more advanced automated sorting system, which sorts each package according to its destination.
The solutions presented above are just the beginning of the benefits that modern scanning systems can bring to companies.
Looking at the company’s logistics process from a broader perspective, these simple solutions can improve the overall logistics operations within the company. They take over tasks usually performed by several employees, reduce the risk of misplacement or incorrect inventory to a minimum, and the flow of information about handled goods remains constant, with real-time updates immediately accessible to the entire team working in the facility.
Together with our partner, Cognex, we implement, launch, and service scanning systems. If the solutions mentioned in the article interest you, or you think they could be useful for your company, don’t hesitate to contact us.