Identification and control equipment is used to collect and communicate the information that is used to coordinate the flow of materials within a facility and between a facility and its suppliers and customers. The major types of identification and communication equipment are: Manual (no equipment) Bar codes Radio frequency (RF) tag Magnetic stripe Machine vision Portable data terminal Electronic data interchange (EDI)/Internet 1. Manual (No Equipment) The identification of materials and associated communication can be performed manually with no specialized equipment Although it is sometimes possible to manually coordinate the operation of a material handling system, it becomes more difficult to due so as the speed, size, and complexity of the system increases 2. Bar Codes Unique bar/space patterns represent various alphanumeric characters Bar code system consists of bar code label, bar code scanner, and bar code printer Contact bar code scanners use pen or wand to read labels Noncontact bar code scanners include fixed beam, moving beam, and omnidirectional 1-D codes are most common; 2-D codes enable much greater data storage capability 3. Radio Frequency (RF) Tag Data encoded on chip encased in a tag Noncontact: can be read when the tag is within 30 ft. of an antenna Tags can either be attached to a container, or permanently or temporarily to an item RF tags have greater data storage capability than bar codes 4. Magnetic Stripe Data encoded on a magnetic stripe that is readable in almost any environment Requires contact with a reader Greater storage capability and more expensive than bar codes 5. Machine Vision Does not require explicit encoding of data since objects can be identified by their physical appearance Noncontact, but typically requires structured lighting More flexible than other identification equipment, but less robust 6. Portable Data Terminal Handheld, arm-mounted, or vehicle-mounted data storage and communication device Communicates with a host computer via a radio frequency or infrared link Variety of input devices available: keyboard, bar code scanner, voice headset 7. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)/Internet Electronic data interchange (EDI) provides standards for inter-corporate transfer of purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and other frequently used business documents Prior to the Internet, EDI required expensive dedicated value added networks (VANs) EDI is critical for implementing JIT manufacturing
[via LEKULE]
Follow us @automobileheat – lists / @sectorheat