For material supply management using the sWave.NET® wireless network / New generation of wireless dolly sensors

In many production companies, dollies or rolling carts ensure that the material flow keeps moving. With the sWave.NET® communication network, dollies can become an integral part of the automated supply of materials and replenishments.

The concept is simple: wireless RF DSENS-NET sensors are installed at the entrance and/or exit of the monorail tracks where the dollies are parked. They register the movements of full or empty dollies on a monorail track and can trigger e.g. a requisition note in the IT system of the customer (ERP, WMS, etc.) via remote control.

With sWave.NET®, gaps in the information flow are closed and – also thanks to transmission in real time – supplies to the shop floor managed more reliably. At the same time, replenishment times for materials are reduced – which in turn leads to a significant increase in the efficiency of the requisition process.

The sensors for the monorail tracks were a bespoke development. On the one hand, they must be extremely robust, but on the other they have to be able to detect the departure or arrival of a dolly on the track in question with extreme precision. This task is assumed by sensors which are well protected inside a robust enclosure. The batteries for the power supply are likewise integrated and have an impressive lifetime of over 5 years.

Because the sensor detects the direction in which the dollies are moving, their arrival and departure are automatically distinguished. A configuration in the Sensor Bridge software can determine whether one or both axles should be registered before the dolly is counted and a wireless notification sent. The wireless ID of the sensor enables it to be assigned unequivocally within the system.

This second generation of dolly sensors, as robust as it is precise, facilitates reliable wireless-based dolly monitoring in real time. The sWave.NET® platform has thus been expanded to include an important new feature for automated requisition management. 

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