Bluhm Systems: A label arrives every four seconds

IHLE Baden-Baden AG is one of the most efficient tire and wheel wholesalers in Europe and part of the Michelin Group. In its central warehouse in Muggensturm, Baden-Württemberg, it stores one million tires and rims on an area of 57,000 square meters. Wholesalers not only live from attractive prices and good service. Functioning logistics are also absolutely essential for them.

Tire packages printed at full throttle

Christian Lech, Technical Manager at IHLE AG, explains: "Our smooth IT-supported logistics enables shorter shipping times and satisfied customers. The Bluhm Systeme labeling systems networked with our system make an important contribution to this: "They reliably label our goods every four seconds, ensuring that we always send them to the right addressees." The engineers at Bluhm developed a tailor-made system that enables the fully automated "journey" of the tires and rims through the dispatch center to delivery.

For the Legi-Air 6000, tire packages of different heights are no problem. The ram arm can overcome height differences of up to 500 millimetres in less than half a second.

After the order is received, the employees in the order picking department drive the ordered tires and rims with forklifts from the storage area to the dispatch center. Here, the shipping employees scan the label on the products, check the order and affix a small barcode sticker with the order number to the goods. The next stop is the shrink-wrapping tunnel, where the stacked orders are shrink-wrapped. The towers, which can consist of up to four tires, are then transported to the labeling systems. Above the conveyor belt, Cognex DataMan 363 code readers scan the packages as they rush in a chaotic sequence. "The identification systems scan the order number of the small barcode sticker through the packaging film and send this information to the dispatch control software," reports Christian Lech. The program converts the message into print data for shipping labels and delivery bills and sends this information to the printers installed in the two label printing dispensers.

High-resolution and yet still fast

The first labeler then prints a shipping label. Two challenges had to be considered in advance: Firstly, the label contains all relevant information not only in plain text, but also in the form of machine-readable barcodes and encrypted as two-dimensional codes. Secondly, the parcels to be labeled reach the labeling system within a few seconds of being scanned. The printing of

The printing of intricate barcodes and 2D codes at very high speeds requires the print head to work with particular precision: this is why an Avery print module featuring corner-edge technology was used. In contrast to conventional thermal transfer printers, where the heating strip that creates the print image is located flat on the backing roller, with corner-edge print heads it is slightly angled on the outer edge of the roller. The rapid switching on and off of the heating elements enables the narrow print head to produce even the most delicate print images particularly quickly, precisely and therefore in high quality.

Punch arm overcomes height differences in less than half a second

Readers read the labels on and under the film and check whether the order numbers match the products, delivery bills and shipping addresses.

After printing, the task of the Legi-Air 6000 is to apply the labels to the tire stacks without contact. A special feature of Ihle products: Depending on the order, the heights of the tire stacks vary from 160 to more than 700 millimeters. No problem for the labeler: the stamping arm of the Legi-Air 6000 can overcome height differences of up to 500 millimetres in less than half a second. One reason for this is that all moving parts are made of lightweight carbon. In addition, a powerful servo motor drives the label pressure dispenser. The stamp plate and its connections to the carbon lifting rod were manufactured using a 3D printing process. Thanks to its "high-speed Formula 1" technology, the Legi-Air 6000 could even apply up to 40 labels per minute. "A lower cycle rate is enough for us - but it's good to know that it could also label twice as fast if necessary!" adds Christian Lech.

Double-scanned for full security

The labeled goods continue on the conveyor belt to the second Legi-Air 6000, which labels the goods with a self-adhesive delivery bill. Cognex DataMan 503 code readers then check whether the order has been correctly and completely labeled. Among other things, they determine whether the order numbers match the products, delivery bills and shipping addresses by filtering out the correct number for the respective label from up to seven barcodes and data matrix codes. The Cognex high-end cameras meet the challenge of reading different codes both under and on the film in rapid motion. Together with the appropriate lighting, a read rate of over 99 percent can be achieved across the entire range from the smallest to the largest package. Only when the database confirms that the combination of ID numbers matches exactly do the parcels reach the outgoing goods department.

The control technology is equipped in such a way that each labeler could also take over the work of the other without further ado. At the touch of a button, each individual system could be set to apply the two labels to the product in single mode. "That way, we are always on the safe side," says Christian Lech happily.

Contact:IHLE Baden-Baden AG 76532 Baden-Baden Tel.: 08 00 / 1 85 60 14 E-Mail:[email protected] www.ihlenet.de

Bluhm Systeme GmbH 53619 Rheinbreitbach Tel.: 0 22 24 / 77 08-0 E-Mail:[email protected] www.bluhmsysteme.com