Product News

So many exciting things are happening in warehouse automation with more innovative and e cient options than ever before. Here’s a look at a few warehouse automation technologies that sprung up or were recently enhanced with new features.

Opex adds RFID scanning to Sure Sort

Opex is expanding the capabilities of its leading-edge Sure Sort warehouse automation technology to incorporate radio frequency identification (RFID) scanning to increase operational speed and e ciency. Sure Sort is a warehouse automation solution for distribution centers, retail stores, and third-party logistics companies that look for cost-e ective and accurate order handling, cross-docking, and reverse logistics. Opex has added the option of RFID scanning capabilities to meet evolving customer needs, especially for apparel manufacturers and retailers.

Bar codes sometimes get hidden in garments and require additional operator handling, which slows operations. Because RFID employs radio waves, scanning does not require a visual connection. In addition to the apparel industry, RFID scanning is popular for cell phone and pharmaceutical processing.

With increasing labor costs and supply chain challenges, the demand for more responsive warehouse automation technology has never been more crucial. Sure Sort robotic delivery vehicles, iBOTs, quickly and accurately process up to 2,400 items each hour with as little as three operators and can recharge as they travel through the system.

Opex introduced Sure Sort in 2017 to direct a wide range of items, including cylindrical, clear, plastic bagged, and blister pack items up to 5 lb. It can handle products as large as 15-in. long, 12-in. wide, and 6-in. high.

Features include:

Opex’s Sure Sort is a warehouse automation solution that now includes RFID scanning to increase operational speed and e ciency.

• iBOT technology powering robotic vehicles that are multi-directional, intelligent, wireless, and highly energy e cient

• Configurable sort bins, totes, and boxes

• OPEX scan tunnels that scan items on six sides and read up to eight barcodes on a given SKU

• Warehouse Management System (WMS) integration using a simplistic API

• Configurable LED pack-to-light system that notifies workers when orders are complete or additional actions are required

• An optional dimensioner that captures product attributes in real-time as items pass through the scan tunnel and provides up-to-date information to the WMS

Popular uses of Sure Sort include:

• Order fulfillment applications for e-commerce

• Retail store distribution (brick and mortar)

• Parcel sortation/presort by zip code or mail zone to reduce shipping charges

• Kitting for assembly of item-of-the-month clubs or meal delivery kits, for example

• Reverse logistics and replenishment

• Warehouse cross-docking, retail cross-docking, and sort-to-aisle where space is limited

Opex | opex.com

The Power of Vision

Murrelektronik has developed efficient and economical system solutions for integrating industrial image processing systems. The advantages include minimal installation effort as a result of decentralized, pluggable modules that can be mounted directly on the machine.

This achieves the goal of maximum performance with minimum wiring effort. The compact, powerful module is located right where it is needed. All in all, this saves installation time and reduces installation efforts while offering maximum availability enhanced by LED diagnostics each module. As a result, control cabinet components for connecting camera systems are replaced by a decentralized installation systems.