Read More]]> Advantech’s Ideal Box offers a far more constructive (and benign) template, one that greatly simplifies the translation of your industrial-computing ideas into actual, optimal, custom solutions. The Ideal Box system offers a logically sequenced process for determining key features of your design and for communicating them to Advantech’s Solution Integration Service (SIS). The Ideal Box system encompasses a variety of design aspects, including:

• Form Factor: From rack-mount (1U/2U/4U) to embedded box IPC
• Dimensions: Including options to fit your most challenging applications
• Supported Computing Power: Whether your application dictates lowest-possible power consumption or highest-possible performance, there is a comprehensive range of options to call upon
• Cooling System: Active cooling or a fanless passive approach, you’ll find a solution tailored precisely to your specific needs
• Supported OS: Chose the OS that best answers your specific challenges
• API Software: Advantech’s vertically-oriented application-programing interface (SUSI)
• Certifications: FCC, CE, UL and CCC

Advantech customers have used the Ideal Box system to define custom solutions to a variety of applications, including:

• Digital Signage: Popular starting points are the fan-cooled, high-performance ARK-6620 and the fanless ARK-6310
• Machine Control: Many customers start with Advantech’s IPC-6606, -6025 or -610-H when customizing their machine-control solutions
• Medical: Those designing platforms for medical applications often start with Advantech’s ICP-5120, ARK-6610 and ARK-6620.
• Digital Surveillance: The ACP-2320MB and -4362MB are particularly amenable to customization in creating surveillance solutions
• Transportation: Advantech’s solution-integration pros frequently recommend customization of its ARK-6620 and IPC-6606 and -610-H for transportation applications
• Point of Sale/Kiosks: Popular solutions include Advantech’s ARK-6210, -6610 and -6620

If you require a custom configuration for your application, please contact us at 800-830-9523 today. L-Tron will work with you to understand your requirements and develop a solution that adheres to all project specifications. The goal at L-Tron is to provide a quality Industrial PC solution with great support, while still bringing you in at or under budget.

In today’s economic environment, it is especially important to have the ability to maintain efficient warehouse operations.  The average SMB may experience as many as 20 hours of business downtime each year, with aging equipment and

Read More]]> Many companies are working to get every bit of use out of their existing equipment in their warehouse operations, while trying to reduce overhead costs at the same time.  As a result, this has forced an awareness of the importance of support and maintenance services to keep data collection equipment in good working order, and protecting their business during failures.  Maintaining adequate support and service:

• Increases device reliability
• Reduces downtime 
• Increases life of assets
• Increases productivity

In today’s economic environment, it is especially important to have the ability to maintain efficient warehouse operations.  The average SMB may experience as many as 20 hours of business downtime each year, with aging equipment and external forces (weather, construction, etc.) being the two main causes.  When these failures occur during business hours, companies run the risk of losing revenue through loss of production, customers taking their business elsewhere and errors that lead to lost orders.  On average, losses could rise above $50,000 an hour.

When companies follow industry best practices in the warehouse, equipment downtime can easily be reduced – as much as 25% per year.   Best practices include using products that are best suited for the application (in terms of durability and reliability), strengthening of network security, and solutions that protect data assets.

When it comes to mobile devices in particular, TCO is an effective tool when looking at reliability and durability.  For industrial applications, some devices last 4+ years, where other devices may only last half as long.   When calculating TCO on a mobile device, you will want to consider more than the cost of the device and any maintenance packages that go along with it.  In fact, according to some major industry manufacturers, replacement costs of a device are just a small portion of the entire cost of ownership figure because when you factor in other losses such as lost revenue due to downtime, the sale price is actually less than one-third of its total cost of ownership.  It’s actually the downtime that costs more than it would to repair or replace a device.

Maintaining Up-Time

In mobile and handheld applications, workers could lose more than an hour of productivity each time their bar code scanning device fails.  When their device fails they lose ability to record or obtain information and cause a bottleneck in the workflow.  This, in turn, may result in the possibility of missed shipments, lost orders and customer dissatisfaction.  When failures occur, workers are forced into a manual process which could easily result in the recording of incorrect information, the inability to process a work order due to lack of information needed to complete the task, and a slowdown in productivity overall.  For a field service application, manual operations could lead to errors that result in incorrect scheduling, billing and lost business.

So as you evaluate your assets this year, take note of how well your equipment matches up to your application – along with the overall performance and age of each device. For strong TCO (and ROI), two of the most important features your device will need are long life and reliable performance.

For more information on how and when to upgrade your mobile computers and handheld scanning devices, contact us for a complimentary evaluation of your operations.

Even if you don’t know what a QR code is, I’m sure you’ve seen them around. QR codes are those small, black-and-white square barcodes that are found on products in the grocery store, in magazine ads, and on virtually all types of commercial packaging these days.  Each QR code contains unique information that can be scanned by a smartphone to link to websites, texts and images, contact information, and more. You can even create

Read More]]> Hooray for Mercedes-Benz – or more specifically, Benz manufacturer Daimler, the first car maker to implement the use of QR codes on vehicles to provide emergency workers with quick access to vehicle information at accident scenes.

Even if you don’t know what a QR code is, I’m sure you’ve seen them around. QR codes are those small, black-and-white square barcodes that are found on products in the grocery store, in magazine ads, and on virtually all types of commercial packaging these days.  Each QR code contains unique information that can be scanned by a smartphone to link to websites, texts and images, contact information, and more. You can even create your own for free online.

In this instance, QR codes on Mercedes-Benz vehicles will contain pertinent vehicle information, such as the location of airbags, fuel tanks, electric cables, high-pressure cylinders and batteries. All of this information is critical for emergency workers to determine prior to using the Jaws of Life to cut into a vehicle at the accident scene. The faster this information is available, the faster the rescue process can begin.

Photo courtesy of Daimler AG

Currently, all car manufacturers are required to provide rescue cards, but the cards can be difficult or impossible to locate in a vehicle that has been severely damaged. If a car does not have a rescue card inside, first responders must try to identify the exact make and model and then navigate the internet to locate the appropriate rescue card, all before the rescue process can begin.

The Daimler press release reports that Mercedes-Benz vehicles will each have two QR code stickers that are easily accessible from the opposite, outer-sides each vehicle. In a traffic accident, chances are that at least one of these stickers will still remain easily accessible and shave crucial time from rescue operations.

The coolest thing about this news?  German car manufacturer Daimler has decided not to patent its idea, so other car manufacturers can follow suit – for free!  Kudos to Daimler, not only for using the latest QR code technology to potentially save lives, but also for freely sharing their innovation with the world!

As any enthusiast who has built a custom PC to meet the graphics-intensive challenges of modern high-definition computer games can tell you, taming the heat generated by such high-performance systems is among the greatest hurdles. But

Read More]]> For applications that call for fanless embedded box industrial PCs, we most often consider systems deploying low power-consumption processors such as offered by Intel’s Atom series. A prime example is Advantech’s ARK-3403 that features the efficiency of either Intel’s D510 or D525 Atom processors. But delivery of the most highly-configurable embedded box PCs requires the option of fielding high-performance CPUs as well, including the extreme capabilities of Intel’s Core-i7 flagship processors.

As any enthusiast who has built a custom PC to meet the graphics-intensive challenges of modern high-definition computer games can tell you, taming the heat generated by such high-performance systems is among the greatest hurdles. But you can’t continuously circulate fan-forced air to cool critical components without also risking introduction of dust, moisture and other contaminants. For this, as well as other durability and safety considerations, industrial embedded box PCs that are destined for harsh or hazardous environments are typically sealed and fan-less.

So, how do you dissipate the heat loads inherent to high-performance CPUs without fans circulating outside air? Advantech’s ARK-3440 fan-less industrial embedded box PC meets this challenge by sealing the components in an all-metal enclosure that integrates a massive, machined-aluminum, finned heat sink. The result is an industrial PC that can withstand extended operation at temperatures ranging from 0.0°C (32°F) to 45°C (113°F) when equipped with standard consumer-grade SATA drives and up to 50°C (122°F) when fitted instead with a CompactFlash card.

But lest that rigid, rugged IP40-rated sealed metal enclosure deceive you, rest assured that it is also purpose designed to yield a highly-configurable platform. Connectivity options include:

• Support for dual displays, including high-resolution wide-screen formats (VGA to 2048×1536, DVI-D to 1920×1200, HDMI 1.3 to 2560x1600p75 and 24-bit LVDS to 1920×1200);
• Two Gigabit Ethernet ports with support for Wake-On LAN;
• One eSATA port;
• Six USB 2.0 ports;
• Line-in, line-out, mic-in audio ports;
• Three COM ports;
• Two Serial RA232 ports; and
• Two Serial RS232/422/485 ports.

Configuration options also include drive-bay space for two SATA 2.5-inch HDDs, as well as a CompactFlash socket (Type I and II CF cards) accessible via a hinged door. Measuring just 267.18 (length) by 200 (width) by 123.5 mm (height), and accommodating an input-voltage range of 9 to 34 volts, the ARK-3440 is easily integrated into and configured for a wide range of applications. It’s also very easy to service.

Better data going in, better data going out. With automated data collection, the need to use paper and pencil are eliminated.  Data is entered into the system once, typically by scanning a bar code at the point of work

Read More]]> There is a lot of talk about improving workforce productivity with data automation, and it’s not too difficult to identify the areas that lead to increased profitability — like increased customer satisfaction and ability to handle more orders in the same amount of time.  But what are some of the other “behind the scenes” productivity improvements that you’ll see in a warehouse when you decide to automate your operations?

Better data going in, better data going out. With automated data collection, the need to use paper and pencil are eliminated.  Data is entered into the system once, typically by scanning a bar code at the point of work rather than transporting the information from one workstation to another.  The increase in productivity is evident when workers no longer have to wait for the sales team to send the orders out to the floor and then out to the warehouse.  Missing work orders and constantly filing paperwork are also eliminated – freeing up time for additional order processing! These small improvements may result in significant cost savings.

Find your inventory in their inventory locations.  The time spent searching for items that are not where they are supposed to be can be reduced with the use of bar code labeling and wireless devices that can manage the order fulfillment process by providing accurate bin location information to pickers.  Accuracy is ensured by scanning and validating locations and quantities.  Warehouse solutions have the ability to sequence item picking to reduce the amount of time spent moving through the warehouse.  With an effective WMS, you’ll have the ability to monitor warehouse activity and check the status of orders.  Data collection devices and software will record and store important information that will allow real-time visibility of productivity and trends.  This visibility can help to improve forecasting, resource requirements and other issues without having to spend inordinate amounts of time doing research to gather the data.

Improved customer service.  The time it takes to fill orders can decrease significantly with data collection automation.  The ability to pick, pack and ship orders using software and a scanning device to enter, view and send information will significantly improve productivity.  With respect to order accuracy, reducing errors in order fulfillment and shipping not only lowers the cost associated with order errors, but keeps customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and repeat business high. An order accuracy rate of 99.9% is achievable!  A WMS solution gives your employees access to order information; keeping customers updated with real‐time order details. Responding quickly to order inquiries and tracking information is a valuable part of meeting customer expectations.

Your success is our passion!  L-Tron can help you choose the right solution for your warehouse.  Contact us for a free consultation!

Indeed, when self-service checkouts were introduced by the grocery and big-box chains I frequented, I resented the prospect more than a little.  I’m paying them and yet they’re putting me to work!  I guess next they’ll have me stocking the shelves too!  Accepting change can be hard – even

Read More]]> I stopped by the grocery store on the way to work today and used one of its self-service checkout kiosks.  Experience tells me it’s faster than the full-service lines, and I was pressed for time.  Truth is, whether short of time, or not, I’m more likely these days to use a self-service checkout than full-service, but that wasn’t always the case.

Indeed, when self-service checkouts were introduced by the grocery and big-box chains I frequented, I resented the prospect more than a little.  I’m paying them and yet they’re putting me to work!  I guess next they’ll have me stocking the shelves too!  Accepting change can be hard – even positive change.  In fact, it bothered me enough that I mentioned it to the manager of my local grocery, and her patient response was not only enlightening, it instantly changed my attitude.

Kiosk Printer by Zebra Technologies

She explained that the store was merely providing the option of self service; there were still ample full-service lanes, if that was my preference.  True, and I confess, I like having options.

She also explained that the self-service option provided me greater control of the checkout process.  Hmm, as much as I like options, I like having control even more.  I felt immediately empowered!

She assured me that, if I chose to use the self-serve option and ever needed help during the process, one of the store’s friendly assistants would always be nearby, ready and happy to assist.  Hey, who needs assistance?  Not me; I’m tech-savvy!

Finally, she explained that the efficiency of self-service kiosks helped keep store overhead to a minimum, resulting in cost savings that could be passed on to me.  Saving money gets my attention every time, and that just made sense – dollars and cents!

This is the kind of sense you’ll find in Zebra Technologies’ new white paper, Why Your Store Needs Self-Service: Must-Knows on How Self-Service Tools Boost Sales, Improve Operational Efficiency, and Keep Customers Loyal.  This white paper is so good that I’ve printed a copy for my new friend, the manager of my local grocery – good enough, in fact, to get me thinking.  Why limit my self-service options to when I’m ready to leave the store, when it’s too late to influence my shopping decisions?  Why not allow me to check in before I make my selections, giving the store the opportunity to, for example, alert me to special discounts just for me on the stuff I buy most often.

Zebra’s white paper not only explains why you should consider these and other self-service strategies for your store, it reveals how to implement them.  So, check it out for yourself. Pun intended.

References:

Zebra Technologies: Why Your Store Needs Self-Service

http://www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra/white-papers/en-us/why-your-store-needs-selfservice-en-us.pdf

When asked to rank on a 0-to-5 scale their areas of concern about deploying mobile technology in healthcare enterprises, the following results were tabulated:

Contrast those findings to the responses of 30 chief-medical and -financial officers of healthcare-provider and -payer enterprises who ranked barriers to deployment of mobile technology in healthcare

Read More]]> A 2012 survey conducted for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) found that:

• 89% of clinicians use laptops,
• 53% use smartphones,
• 49% use cell phones,
• 47% use tablet computers, and
• 52% believe mobile technology will “substantially impact the delivery of healthcare.”

When asked to rank on a 0-to-5 scale their areas of concern about deploying mobile technology in healthcare enterprises, the following results were tabulated:

• 4.57: “Privacy/Security of Patient Data,”
• 4.20: “Speed of Accessing Data,”
• 3.98: “Screen Resolution/Fidelity,”
• 3.74: “Ability of IT to Support Device,”
• 2.70: “Devices are Not Medically Durable.”

Contrast those findings to the responses of 30 chief-medical and -financial officers of healthcare-provider and -payer enterprises who ranked barriers to deployment of mobile technology in healthcare settings as:

• 71.10%: “Lack of funding/budget tolls,”
• 51.70%: “Lack of IT staff,”
• 49.49%: “Immaturity of vendors in the market,”
• 42.80%: “Inadequate privacy and security,”
• 42.20%: “Lack of standards/inoperability,”
• 41.70%: “Limited incentives for use,”
• 38.90%: “Lack of expertise on staff,”
• 32.20%: “Challenges regarding wireless capabilities,”
• 30.00%: “Clinician resistance to technology,”
• 18.90%: “Doesn’t fit into workflow,”
• 18.30%: “Lack of executive support.”

Although this recent survey indicates that more respondents than not are already using mobile devices in some aspect of their work, these overall results can still seem pessimistic until you factor in that they are reactions to the prospect of introduction of consumer-grade devices into the day-to-day work flows of healthcare providers as opposed to greater use of industrial-grade devices. Concerns about such issues as durability, security, susceptibility to IT support, and the like seem more prudent and practical than pessimistic.

Fortunately, Advantech is ahead of the curve in the delivery of medical-grade mobile technology to healthcare enterprises with such devices as its MICA-101 10.4-inch Fanless Mobile Clinical Assistant. The MICA-101 features the convenience of touch operation combined with the enhanced accuracy of digital pen recognition and is IP54-certified against dust and water infiltration. It integrates a camera and RFID reader for definitive patient and asset identification and is also available with an image-based barcode scanner, webcam and finger-print reader. More importantly, it’s compact, lightweight, and comfortable to carry and operate thanks to its contoured ergonomic design and integrated carry handle.

Advantech’s more modular DMS-SR06 9.7-inch Fanless Medical Tablet PC is highly anticipated, delivering the many advantages of mobile technology in a form that also answers the durability, compatibility and usability concerns of healthcare professionals. While consumer-grade mobile devices will undoubtedly play an increasing role in the future of healthcare enterprises just as they are doing in most other aspects of our lives, Advantech is delivering medical-grade, work-ready mobile devices today.

Why a mobile computer or wireless handheld scanner?

Selecting a device that is designed to withstand the rigors of a warehouse environment, and be able to quickly

Read More]]> The warehouse is a busy place and the best place to start improving efficiencies.  This is where our customers see their biggest challenges — bottlenecks, shipping delays, picking errors and inventory mix-ups.   It’s a constant flow of materials in and out of the warehouse and the best place to start if you’re considering a wireless bar code scanning device. If you’re looking to control costs and improve profitability, you need the right tools.  Today’s post focuses on wireless devices for the warehouse.

Why a mobile computer or wireless handheld scanner?

Selecting a device that is designed to withstand the rigors of a warehouse environment, and be able to quickly and accurately read bar codes (even bar codes that are damaged or otherwise hard to read), allow your workers to have the flexibility they need to put the “management” back into inventory management. Benefits include:

• Improve inventory accuracy
• Lower total cost of ownership
• Bring the device to the point of work

With a cordless handheld or mobile device, workers are able to perform tasks at distances far beyond the 6-foot corded device range.  This type of mobility not only increases productivity, but can also reduce the incidence of injury caused by lifting or carrying heavy items.  The ability to interface directly with the warehouse management system (WMS) allows for real-time data transfer and information access.  A wireless device also eliminates repetitive scanning and errors associated with managing volumes of product.

Increase Efficiencies from Start to Finish

When using a mobile computer to perform tasks, the ability to have a clear display and easy-to-use keypad makes tasks go more quickly – like making changes on the fly, having access to data in real-time and handling data entry and scanning right at the point of activity.

Without the burden of a tethered device, a wireless device allows workers to move freely; especially in receiving, picking and shipping operations where more movement is required due to size and location of items.  The ability to look up inventory locations on the device saves time and money by allowing the worker to quickly locate the correct location (vs. time spent looking for a label on the shelf or asking co-workers).  This reduces opportunity for errors like pulling the wrong item or putting the correct item in the wrong location.  For packing and shipping functions, errors are virtually eliminated through the bar code automation process – typically something like a ‘bad read’ beep will alert workers if the scanner was unable to read the bar code or if the bar code doesn’t match item on the order, etc.

Benefits of Mobile Workers:

• Greater productivity
• On-time shipments
• Controlled Labor Costs
• Right product shipped to the right customer

Reduce total cost of ownership

Although a wireless device may cost more to purchase, the total cost over the life of the device is offset by the reduction in lost inventory, shipping/packing errors, and labor costs.  Additionally, the cables on tethered scanners are easily damaged when workers stretch cables in order to reach the items they are scanning – this problem can be eliminated with wireless devices.

Need help choosing the right wireless device for your application?  Contact us for a free ROI analysis!

As the title suggests, this guide identifies seven sources of waste in manufacturing, as follows:

Read More]]> Zebra Technologies’ recent white paper, Eliminate 7 Wastes from Your Supply Chain with Real-Time Asset Management Solutions, could have just as easily been titled The User Guide to Lean Manufacturing.  Like any effective user guide, it identifies specific problems, details solutions to those problems and offers implementation examples.

As the title suggests, this guide identifies seven sources of waste in manufacturing, as follows:

• Over Production: Resulting in unnecessary carrying costs of excess inventory.
• Waiting: Delays in one production step result in wasted labor, etc.
• Transportation: Eliminating or minimizing transportation steps is more effective than merely improving those processes.
• Non-Value Added Processing: Processes that do not add value to the enterprise, such as those associated with unnecessary machinery costs.
• Unnecessary Motion: Literally reducing the steps workers must make when moving from one process to another.
• Excess Inventory: Scheduling overly-large batches or too-long production cycles leads to unnecessary buildup of inventory.
• Defects: Excessive defect rates create unnecessary rework and inefficient allocation of raw materials.

Material Flow Solutions from the Zebra Technologies website

Rest assured that Zebra’s guide to lean manufacturing is entirely pragmatic.  So, while the ultimate goal may be the elimination of inventory, waiting, duplication and such, Zebra’s strategies remain fully cognizant that practical goals must, of necessity, accommodate external factors such as material availability, fluctuation in product demand, etc.  Zebra understands that real-world manufacturing concerns do not operate in a vacuum.

Its real-world solutions include the Zebra Technologies Material Flow Solution, a comprehensive tool for central management of external and internal supply chains, as well as intra- and inter-facility communications.  Zebra details ways in which the Material Flow Solution addresses those original seven sources of wastes enabling manufacturing concerns by:

• Cutting over-production and excess inventory, typically by 5 to 10 percent;
• Reducing labor costs, usually by 15 to 20 percent;
• Improving asset utilization, generally by 5 to 10 percent;
• Eliminating production interruptions;
• Decreasing expedite fees;
• Increasing throughput times; and
• Reducing cycle times.

Zebra also details the methods by which its Vehicle Tracking & Management Solution (VTMS) enables similar efficiencies for vehicle fleets and shares two real-world examples of implementation of its systems: GETRAG FORD’s implementation of its Material Flow Replenishment system at its assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, and Jaguar Land Rover’s deployment of VTMS at its production facility in Solihull, England.

So check it out.  You’ll be glad you did.

Options include the full-Gigabit EKI-2728, EKI-2748FI and EKI-2748CI, as well as the 10/100M Ethernet EKI-2548I, EKI-2548SI and EKI-2548MI. The rugged enclosure of each of these systems achieves a minimal footprint while delivering ready access to multiple connectivity options. This compact form factor opens the door to a variety of installation options that larger formats simply cannot accommodate.

For example, Advantech’s diminutive EKI-2748CI 6Gx+2 -combination managed Ethernet

Read More]]> As the challenges of industrial-network applications increase, Advantech’s Industrial Automation Group provides the technology required to meet and exceed those challenges. Case in point: Advantech’s rugged, compact, fast Ethernet switches designed specifically for factory- and machine-automation applications.

Options include the full-Gigabit EKI-2728, EKI-2748FI and EKI-2748CI, as well as the 10/100M Ethernet EKI-2548I, EKI-2548SI and EKI-2548MI. The rugged enclosure of each of these systems achieves a minimal footprint while delivering ready access to multiple connectivity options. This compact form factor opens the door to a variety of installation options that larger formats simply cannot accommodate.

For example, Advantech’s diminutive EKI-2748CI 6Gx+2 -combination managed Ethernet switch measures just 59.6 mm by 152 mm by 105 mm (2.35 inches by 6 inches by 4.1 inches). The EKI-2748CI also accommodates the extreme operating-temperature range of -40°C to +75°C (-40°F to +167°F) and storage temperatures to +85°C (+185°F). Despite its compact dimensions, the EKI-2748CI features:

• All-gigabit Ethernet ports for copper and SFP/combo interfaces;
• SFP sockets for fiber expansion;
• Web, Telnet, serial console and SNMP management;
• Control via VLAN/GVRP, QoX, IGMP Snooping/Query and LACP;
• Security features of IP/MAC and port binding, DHCP Server, IP access list and 802.1X;
• Diagnostic capabilities of port statistic, port mirroring, RMON, Trap, email alert and Syslog;
• Dual 12- to 48-volt DC power inputs and one relay power output; and
• A mean-time-between-failure rating of 289,385 hours.

Advantech’s proprietary X-Ring redundant network-protocol technology delivers enhanced reliability to industrial communication networks, making establishment of a redundant Ethernet network remarkably easy and delivering recovery delays of less than 10 milliseconds. The EKI-2748CI also supports advanced standards for optimization of network performance, reduction of the cost of network maintenance and enhancement of network security.

Advantech’s EKI-2548MI 6Tx+2 (10/100 base Tx) fiber-optic managed Ethernet switch boasts the same compact enclosure dimensions, ultra-wide temperature operating range and rugged characteristics. It features six RJ45 ports, as well as two SC-type fiber-optic ports, and includes LED system indicators for Power-1, Power-2, P-Fail and R-Master, Ethernet-port LED indicators for link/activity and speed, plus a fiber-port LED indicator for link/activity. The EKI-2548MI also boasts a mean time between failure of 337,238 hours.