Successful symbiosis

Since 1795, when the Englishman Joseph Bramah presented the first hydromechanical machine powered by pressurized water, hydraulics has become a highly developed type of transmission. Today, hydraulic systems contain a large number of individual components. As a rule, hydraulic users no longer keep these in stock for repair or maintenance purposes, but order them from the relevant dealers.

Wanted: Flexible merchandise management system

Order processing and picking can be carried out via tablet with the "Hyreka" merchandise management system. Photo: ZBP Berlin

Hytec-Hydraulik OHG, founded a good 25 years ago in Helmstedt, is one such helper in an emergency. With over 17,000 hydraulic parts in stock, it is available to users of hydraulic systems. The variety and special nature of the individual components alone requires meticulous order acceptance, invoicing, warehousing and packaging of the hydraulic parts required by the customer. With this in mind, two years ago the Helmstedt-based company looked for more efficient methods of warehousing and packaging while at the same time integrating them into its own merchandise management system. Managing Director Michael Georgi explains: "At the time, we had reached the limits of our capacity. At that time, incoming orders had to be processed using relatively inflexible programs on a PC. In bulk, we packed our hydraulic parts in time-consuming zipper bags and laboriously produced the individual shipping labels." Hytec therefore searched intensively for solutions to this bottleneck, especially as the possibilities of e-commerce were also being used completely inadequately. As is often the case, help came from close at hand. As a newly qualified electrical engineering/automation engineer, Daniel Georgi, brother of the company boss, dedicated himself to modernizing the company's merchandise management processes. Together, they developed the "Hyreka" merchandise management system, which is suitable for small and medium-sized companies. "First and foremost, we programmed Hyreka for mail order and online retail. However, it can also be used in other areas. In addition to a wide range of functions, our Hyreka offers easy-to-understand workflows with a high level of automation thanks to its dialog-based guidance. As standard, we offer item and customer management, CRM, purchasing, sales, simple financial accounting, a report designer and e-commerce functions."

"We currently serve around 45,000 active customers and ship up to 2,000 hydraulic parts every day"

Michael Georgi Managing Director Hytec-Hydraulik OHG

Wanted: Packaging system

The "Hyreka" merchandise management system offers easy-to-understand workflows thanks to its dialog-supported management. Photo: Hytec-Hydraulik OHG

Parallel to the Hyreka development, the company was looking for a pouch packaging system that was not only faster than manual packaging, but also had configurations and interfaces. The Helmstedt-based company found what it was looking for at Automated Packaging Systems (APS). The PS 125 OneStep table-top packaging system selected with APS met the requirements in terms of technical data and options. The PS 125 OneStep packs up to 15 pouches per minute in continuous mode. The table-top machine requires a footprint of 56 x 48 cm and weighs 49 kg. The PS 125 can process pouches with a width of 50 mm to 265 mm and a length of 100 mm to 450 mm. During the packaging process, the bags are automatically indexed and loaded manually.

Bag printing included

The OneStep version of the PS 125 ordered by Hytec-Hydraulik is equipped with an integrated PH 412 thermal transfer printer for direct printing. The printer is able to print all common barcodes, including 2D barcodes and the UPS MaxiCode with a resolution of 200 dpi. Bags can also be printed with graphics, text or serial or test numbers. Content can be changed by retrieving stored content from the printer or from external databases. Hytec employees use the corresponding PH 412 interfaces for extended data communication.

This enables the external connection of PCs, notebooks or even USB sticks for data transfer.Hytec-Hydraulik has developed its own print layout with product image, product name, barcode and other detailed information. AutoLabel design software from APS is also available as an option to make it easier to create the label layout.

Can be used free of charge: The "Hyreka" merchandise management system with article and customer management, CRM, purchasing, sales, simple financial accounting, report designer and e-commerce functions. Graphic: Hytec-Hydraulics

With the PS 125 table-top packaging system, an automatic pouch guide ensures precise positioning of the pouches during inline printing as well as during filling and sealing. The open loading area of the machine and a controllable sealing bar increase operating convenience, machine flexibility and operating safety. The quiet-running machine requires no external compressed air for operation. The PS 125 OneStep has a display that allows access to the operating parameters, the setup and storage of packaging jobs as well as on-board system diagnostics. The ability to store and retrieve up to ten packaging jobs supports the changeover to other bag formats or products.

"We have not regretted purchasing the PS 125," Georgi sums up, "The machine works reliably and is easy to operate. In addition to series packaging, we are now able to produce individualized single bags. This allows us to pack a wide variety of small parts unsorted one behind the other. Our employees and customers appreciate this," says IT specialist Daniel Georgi. "The printed barcodes are recognized by all common scanners and can therefore also be processed in sorting systems. In addition to other information, the storage location of the item is also printed." Managing Director Michael Georgi adds: "We are highly satisfied with this solution. We will certainly turn to APS again if we have further requirements."

Heinz-Jürgen Zamzow