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Jungheinrich Offers Automated Pallet Identification Solutions

Jungheinrich has developed several ways of uniquely assigning pallets in warehouses. They run the gamut from the automated scanning of a single pallet's barcode to the sequential automatic detection of multiple pallets using RFID technology.

SHANGHAI, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Jungheinrich has launched a series of innovative systems for identifying and tracking pallets. End-to-end traceability of goods is of utmost importance especially in the food and beverage industries. "Automatically recording and tracking pallets and pallet movements in a warehouse management system makes a decisive contribution to complying with relevant EU standards," explains Dr. Markus Heinecker, Head of Warehouse Management Systems in Jungheinrich AG's Logistics Systems Division.

(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2009/02/18/200902181226.jpg )

This will make it possible to manage datasets (e.g., batch numbers and best-before dates) consistently throughout the entire system. "If a batch is recalled," Heinecker continues, "One can identify the pallets affected by the recall both accurately and-above all-quickly." In order to ensure unique identification, one must record a unique pallet ID, e.g. the loading aid's Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) and transmit it to the Warehouse Management System (WMS). In practice, one differentiates among three classical cases when identifying pallets: the identification of a single pallet, of two or more pallets beside each other, and of two or more pallets in sequence.

Automatic Pallet ID Scanning The preferable method for identifying a single pallet consists in scanning the pallet ID using an automatic scanner which, in the Jungheinrich solution, is fitted to the back of the fork. The driver slides the stacker's fork into the target pallet. The automatic scanner automatically records the barcode located on the pallet. The process is completed by its immediate verification and entry into the WMS.

"This results in significant time savings compared with manual scanning and reduces the forklift driver's workload substantially," Markus Heinecker explains. Further benefits are a very high level of process reliability and low error rates, he adds.

Automatic Key Pallet ID Scanning and Block Formation

However, automatic scanning alone is not enough to identify two or more pallets arranged side-by-side or behind each other. In this case, one has to form units and scan what is referred to as a key ID. This first entails combining multiple pallets into logical units or blocks, which is done either in the incoming goods department or as the goods leave production. Every pallet is given a label bearing a pallet ID. Then a key ID is assigned to each pallet block. Says Heinecker, "It makes sense to use the ID of one of the front-most pallets."

To execute the next scanning step, the driver slides the stacker's fork into the target pallet once again. The automatic scanner automatically records the barcode located on the key pallet. The WMS then identifies all of the pallets belonging to the pallet block. All the pallets are verified and recorded simultaneously. This system shares the advantages of automated single-pallet scanning. "But identifying an indefinite number of loaded pallets in a single scanning step is the main benefit derived by the customer from this solution," declares Heinecker.

Jungheinrich System Components as Basis for Automated Scanning

Reliably identifying pallets via automatic scanning requires several Jungheinrich system components. Besides the "Jungheinrich WMS" warehouse management system, they include an appropriate radio data transmission environment, a Jungheinrich forklift terminal and an automatic scanner, which is fitted between the fork arms or right on the mast. Multiple pallet identification also requires the use of the "Block Formation" module in the WMS. However, this solution merely enables indirect pallet tracking within a given block.

Automatic Individual Pallet Detection Using RFID Technology

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is necessary to identify multiple loaded pallets arranged beside or behind each other. Jungheinrich already presented an RFID-based solution for the beverage industry at CeMAT 2008. Since then, this solution has been refined thoroughly. It has been on the market as a universal solution for all sectors and stacker variants using FEM forks since the spring of 2009.

"One of the biggest challenges when deploying RFID is the shielding effect imparted by liquids," explains Markus Heinecker. "But we can circumvent this problem by integrating the transponder in the base of the pallet and integrating the associated antennae in the stacker's fork arms." Moreover, every pallet carries a transponder containing its unique pallet ID. The reader is mounted on the mast. The system is rounded off by a Jungheinrich stacker terminal, a radio data transmission environment and the "Jungheinrich WMS" warehouse management system including the "Multiple Pallet Detection" module.

The identification process is extremely simple. Each of the pallets is equipped with a transponder containing a unique pallet ID. The driver slides the stacker's fork into the target pallets. "The antenna that is integrated in the fork arms basically passes the individual transponders when the pallet is loaded," explains Heinecker: "The pallet IDs are read out individually during this process." At the same time, the loaded pallets are verified and logged in the warehouse management system.

"This solution is profitable especially in closed pallet cycles," says Heinecker. Moreover, it allows one to directly identify an indefinite number of pallets loaded at once. Further advantages besides the significant time savings and the reduction in the forklift driver's workload are the system's high process reliability and an error rate close to zero. "Furthermore, the integrated antenna and the reader attached to the mast are securely packaged and thus protected from damage," Mr. Heinecker adds.

Jungheinrich ranks among the world's leading companies in the material handling equipment, warehousing and material flow engineering sectors. The company is a logistics service provider with manufacturing operations, which offers its customers a comprehensive range of forklift trucks, shelving systems, services and consulting covering the entire field of intralogistics. Jungheinrich shares are traded on all German stock exchanges.

Source: Jungheinrich Lift Truck (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Keywords: Machinery
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