Bar Code Readers Increase WIP Visibility For Industrial Appliance Manufacturer

In order to stay ahead in today's competitive manufacturing environment, effective inventory management must extend beyond the warehouse and include real-time monitoring of work-in-process inventory as well. When a large manufacturer of industrial electronic appliances decided it was time to implement a data-driven production line system in their China-based facilities, they set out to achieve very specific goals. The automated component traceability system needed to provide a complete manufacturing history of each unit and the visibility required to optimize production line effi ciency.

In a data-driven production line, the operation at each production station depends entirely on product identification. The successful operation of the production process rests on the quality of the symbol used to identify the product and the bar code readers used to decode it. "We knew bar code production and identifi cation would form the core of our new system," commented the department manager of the project. "That's why we spent a few years testing and evaluating fi xed-position bar code readers from several manufacturers with the sole purpose of fi nding an outstanding product." They eventually selected the Quadrus MINI imager and the MS-3 laser scanner from Microscan. "Not only did Microscan offer high-performance products," the project manager said, "But they were able to bring it all together into a complete, integrated solution that increased the stability of our system."

While the manufacturer requires their symbols to meet high quality standards, reading them within the confi nes of production equipment at high speeds still proved to be a challenge. The application includes high speed, fl uctuations in read range requirements, and an extremely narrow location to install the bar code readers. Fortunately, the Quadrus MINI's small form factor (1.80" width, 2.10" depth and 1" high footprint) and 30 degree read envelope enables it to fi t within the space and still provide robust read performance. The imager's autofocus capabilities allows it to quickly adjust to fl uctuations in product dimensions and variations in the symbol's location. Likewise, the MS-3 laser scanner's compact shape and 70 degree scanning angle provides the mounting fl exibility needed to accommodate the cramped space inside production equipment.