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sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
Going Beyond the Label:
Advances in Inventory Tracking Methods
Revealed
Welcome to Session 207
Sponsored by: Presented by:
Larry Mahan
Michael Wack
Data requirements for intralogistics:
Topic: Inventory Tracking
1. Load Identification
What is being moved?
2. Location Identification
Where is it moved from/to?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
OBJECTIVE :
Improve this core supply
chain management process
• 100% accurate
• Zero cost
Bar code scanning for data entry to WMS
• What: pallet label
• Where: location label
Issues:
• Data quality and accuracy
• The human element
• Location verification
• Tied to transactions, not moves
• Pervasive Costs
• Data collection labor costs
• Cost of errors and exception handling
Inventory Tracking:
Current State
ADC is NOT Automatic!
1. Load Identification
What is it?
Several technology options
2. Location Identification
Where is it?
Must be accurate to inches
Solved by Optical RTLS
New State: Automated
Inventory Tracking
GOAL :
• Automate tracking the
“what” and “where”
• A “Smart Truck” Solution
• Drivers don’t do data
collection – no scanning!
Automation Delivers Accuracy
and Cost Reduction
An Optical Real Time Location System
• Digital imaging with image processing
• Mature and proven technology
• Look at ceiling overhead to know location
• Strips of markers in ceiling
• Sensor on vehicle looking up
• Accurate to a few centimeters everywhere
• Works in any building
• Data like GPS
• Precision X,Y
• Bearing or angle
• Speed
Automating Location
Tracking : “Indoor GPS”
Real-Time Viewer
1. Optical RTLS tracks truck with inch-accuracy
Calibrated for center of pallet location
2. Fork height sensor
Know height of forks (pallet position)
3. Pallet detector
Pallet-on, Pallet-off events
The Smart Truck: Pallet
Location Tracking
1. RFID
2. Fixed Scanner
3. Optical Imaging
4. Track By Location
Automating the Load
Identification
Technology options for automated pallet tracking
and verification
The Common Issue: Labels
Laser scanning, imaging, and RFID all depend on
labels and a labeling process.
Issues:
• Label placement requirements
• Sensitivity to label quality
• Access limitations to data
• Cost of labels
• No control of labels
New solution: Track By
Location (TBL)
uses the new precision optical
RTLS to track inventory
without dependence on labels
• Uses the precision of the optical RTLS position tracking
to track load IDs after a one-time initial bar code scan
• The Logic:
1. Pallet N is put down at location (x,y,z);
2. The next pallet picked from location (x,y,z) must be pallet N
• Every pallet move and exact location is tracked
• Only need to identify the load one time – no scanning
after initial ID read
– Simple, lower cost solution
– No RFID, laser scanner, or optical imager needed
– Eliminates label dependencies
Automated Load ID – Track
By Location
Real
• Every pallet move
tracked
• Every pallet ID @
location (x,y,z)
stored
Inventory Tracking Database
Virtual
TBL pallet IDs outside target cube
not considered part of target load
X
Y
X
X
X
X
Load Identity Tracking
Algorithm
Track By Location Summary
• Tracking load identities without scanning
• Enabled by optical RTLS with inch-accurate tracking
• Requires a “disciplined operation”
• No pallets moved except with TBL vehicles
• No pushing or shoving pallets
• Driver operations are under control
• Great solution for
• Racked storage facilities
• Roll handling operations
• Handling of product difficult to label
• Unusual shapes
• Large variations in shape and size
• Hard to attach a label or keep a label flat
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
Michael Wack, CEO
Case Study: Sprick Paper
3D-Tracking & Tracing of
Paper Rolls by Position
only.
1 Identification, Localization, Authentication
2 Turnkey RFID- and RTLS-Systems
3 Focus: Industry, Production and Logistics
IdentPro – Who we are
Sprick: A German Paper
Manufacturer
Sprick: A German Paper
Manufacturer
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sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
Sprick: Business case
3
2
1 Cut cost with handling of rolls
Improve quality during outbound
Transparency in paper roll stock
1. Optical Position Marker
2. Optical Position Sensor
3. Vehicle Terminal
4. Height Sensor
5. Cargo Sensor
1
2
3
4 5
Solution Main Components
Truck-Terminal
Forklift WMS
System
TCP/IP
ERP
System
SQL
Database
Access
Point
IT-Architecture
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
3
2
1 Cut cost with handling of rolls
Improve quality during outbound
Transparency in paper roll stock
Sprick: Business case
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
3
2
1 Savings: 200 man-days / year
Improve quality during outbound
Transparency in paper roll stock
Sprick: Results
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
3
2
1 Savings: 200 man-days /year
Quality: No errors in outbound
Transparency in paper roll stock
Sprick: Results
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
3
2
1 Savings: 200 man-days /year
Quality: No errors in outbound
Transparency: All rolls are visible
Sprick: Results
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
3
2
1 Savings: 200 man-days /year
Quality: No errors in outbound
Transparency: All rolls are visible ROI feasible in
12 Months
Sprick: ROI
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
QUESTIONS?
© 2012 Material Handling Industry®. Copyright claimed as to audiovisual works of seminar
sessions and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
For More Information:
Speaker: Larry Mahan
Home Page: www.totaltraxinc.com
Visit MODEX 2012 Booth 2923