Automatic, guided pallet identification which could not increase the handling burden had to be set up for optimization purposes. An environment with water-containing products and aluminum-containing packaging had to be taken into account during the intended implementation with RFID.

In the implemented solution a repeatedly used RFID pad is already placed on the pallets on the conveyor before they are taken over by the floor conveyors. The pad’s pallet ID and tag-ID are matched to an RFID gate fitted above the conveyor technology. Close integration of the pallet conveyor technology with the Dematic Asset Manager and RFID gate ensures that exactly one RFID tag is read. The data set is then available in Asset Manager for further process control.

To facilitate the return tracking the tag IDs are also transmitted to the WMS. The pallets can now be taken from the floor conveyors and brought immediately to the order-picking robot. The labeling and scan process can therefore be eliminated completely.

At the order-picking robots the pallets are identified again via an RFID gate. Thanks to the construction of the gate and special sensor technology the four bays at the robot can be sequenced individually, even when several pallets are standing behind each other. The operator is shown whether the incoming pallet also belongs to the right process-order via traffic light signals and multiple line displays. The RFID pads are removed from the pallets at depalletizing and sent for renewed use.

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