More and better data

Industry 4.0 is all about having better quality and quantity of data, more intelligently communicated and more effectively used, from shop floor right through to enterprise level. 

If we can collect and share more data about the products we are handling, our operations will become more efficient, flexible and responsive. Current levels of technology already generate a host of consistent and reliable digital data, beginning with the object ID such as a part number, the object shape/volume and object weight. 2D/3D sensors enable bar codes, 2D codes, digits and characters to be identified or the geometric dimensions of an object to be recorded. In the next stage, laser scanners determine the volumes and loading geometries of parcels, boxes and totes. Then, the height and width of pallets can be recorded with 3D vision sensors or light grids.

Using a common communications platform, such as SICK’s 4DPRO, all auto-ident devices can communicate easily with each other and share data and parameters, as well as linking seamlessly with control systems. This includes laser, bar code readers, camera bar code readers, RFID readers and vision inspection systems.

Building blocks

Indeed, sensors of all kinds are the vital building blocks without which warehouse and logistics automation simply could not operate. Walk into a major warehouse or logistics hub and you’ll see sensors everywhere, whether they are simple optical sensors for presence detection, laser scanners for safely guiding an Automated Vehicle, or light curtains protecting the safety of machine operators.  

The development of chip technology has enabled miniaturisation of processing power in sensors of all kinds. As a result, they are smaller, easier to install and replace, and can collect and process much more data. All this locally-gathered intelligence has been fully-enabled by communications technology developments such as IO-link, Ethernet and other field bus connectivity.

Aided by IO-Link, the control system is fully connected to “see” the sensor as a distinct and locatable entity. So, sensors are also becoming much easier to install, commission and ‘teach’. They can receive new settings in seconds and replacement sensors are ‘plug and play’ because they can be configured instantly with pre-set parameters.

Faults can be displayed and detected quickly. Pre-failure notifications can prevent failures before they happen and sensor diagnostics can be integrated into flexible, needs-based maintenance plans.

The SICK Master Analyzer is a great example of a technology development that is a step towards an Industry 4.0-enabled logistics operation. It is becoming increasingly important to some operators to be able integrate Dimensioning, Weighing and Scanning (DWS) with control and revenue recovery systems. By combining DWS data with 1D or 2D barcode identification and even a visual image of the package, the carrier has the opportunity to link together a great deal of data about every product it is handling.  

The Master Analyzer is a track-and-trace system that captures the dimensions, the weight, and the bar code of an object in one step. The Master Analyzer enables the easiest-possible standardised recording, manipulation, analysis and maintenance of master data. Digitising and imaging objects such as packages and parcels in real time, the Master Analyzer is flexible and quickly configurable to deliver consistently high-quality DWS data values, no matter what size or shape of object is measured.

Products are digitally recorded in real time, regardless of their shape, surface and material properties. The system can even help operators to optimise the use of available storage volumes in a warehouse or truck.

Key questions

As sensing and auto-identification technologies develop more intelligence and power to deliver and share data, understanding their potential and selecting the best technologies will mean asking some key questions: How well do they capture and process data? How easy are they to install and use? How do they communicate with other devices and share data across a wider network?

In the brave new world of Industry 4.0, it’s advisable to seek a manufacturer that offers a truly broad product, software and services portfolio, with a full of range alternative solutions, so they can recommend the best technology platform for each application.