SureCross Wireless Application Note

Calling for Parts - Furniture Manufacturer

Customer Scenario
A furniture manufacturer has four manufacturing lines: red,green, blue, and yellow. When a line is in need of parts, one of the operators flips a switch that turns on that line’s color on a tower light located centrally in the warehouse. One of the two forklift operators notices the signal tower light and retrieves parts for that line.

Customer Need
A solution that:

• Increases the forklift operator’s response time byputting the call for parts indicator on the forklift’s dashboard

• Allows the forklift operator to acknowledge the request and eliminates redundant part deliveries by both operators
  
  

The Challenge
This is a large facility and the forklift trucks are mobile, making a wired solution impossible. The customer is also looking for a solution that is easy to install and maintain.

Banner’s Answer
The notification system for each line consists of a K50 Illuminated touch button, a K30 Illuminated touch button, a color position on a signal tower light, one PM8 Gateway, and two PM8L Nodes.

The operator requests parts by touching the K50. This turns on the K50, the K30 in the fork lift cab, and the signal tower light line’s color. The fork lift operator acknowledges the request by touching the K30 mounted in the fork lift, turning off all the lights.
The operators see their request has been received. The K30, K50, and tower light are all tied together with Banner’s SureCross PM series radios; there is no need for an external logic device. The logic, latch input with a reset line, is built into the K50 light.
The notification system includes:

• K50 Illuminated Touch Button (Special Model) - Provides indication, feedback, and logic for when the operator initiates a call for parts

• K30 Illuminated Touch Button - Gives indication and feedback for the forklift operator
• Signal Tower Light - Indicates to the warehouse which manufacturing line requires parts

The PM8 Performance Radio Network consists of 2 devices:

• PM8L Node - Provides two way discrete condition communication between the illuminated touch buttons, signal light tower, and the radio network
• PM8 Gateway - Orchestrates discrete condition exchanges between all PM8L Nodes

Banner Engineering is a leading manufacturer of vision, photoelectric and ultrasonic sensors, fiber optic assemblies, machine guarding systems, measurement and inspection systems and wireless network products.