Smart Warehouse Technology Stacks Up with OnLogic

Smart warehouse technology allows manufacturers to keep up with production and consumer demand, from storage facilities to distribution centers. One area that has recently benefited a great deal from leveraging technology is pallet stacking. In distribution centers, stacking pallets correctly the first time is a crucial time saver and helps to prevent accidents. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Standards (OSHA) guidelines, materials should be “stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height to secure them against sliding or collapsing.” Poorly stacked pallets pose a serious risk to employee safety, can slow the order fulfillment process impacting customer satisfaction, and can cause significant product damage. Instructing employees in proper techniques for loading pallets and creating a stable stack of loaded pallets is critical for a safer and more productive work environment. But mastering the art of properly stacking pallets can take months or even years.

Smart Warehouse Technology - The Stack Assist Tool Makes Stacking by Instruction Possible

SAT Technologies, based in the Netherlands, set out to create the best smart warehouse technology solution for providing instructions on safe, stable and efficient pallet stacking. The Stack Assist Tool (SAT) was created to show employees simple stacking instructions on a screen, as well as with the use of a laser that highlights exactly where, and in what order to stack products. SAT assists warehouse operations and ensures a smooth process whereby order pickers can create properly stacked pallets in one workflow. The end result is a more stable pallet, increased productivity, fewer errors and a safer work environment.

A Tough Environment Requires a Tough Computer

SAT Technologies needed a rugged panel PC solution that could be mounted on an order pick truck in a distribution center. Since it is attached to a vehicle, it needed to be able to withstand shock and vibration forces, which are common with in-vehicle installations. And, since some distribution centers can get quite cold, even below freezing, they needed a solution that could withstand a tough environment.

Rugged Panel PC by OnLogic to Power Smart Warehouse Technology

The team at SAT Technologies chose a rugged Panel PC offered by OnLogic. The large screen and durable design made it an ideal choice for this application. Peter Boorsma from SAT Technologies noted, “OnLogic as a hardware partner has an advantage: they are quick with their technical information, the service is complete and when we have technical difficulty OnLogic is a partner who works with us in our search for solutions.”

SAT Technologies is the only company that offers this smart warehouse technology solution for the optimization of order picking. Customers benefits include increased productivity, lower costs, reduced training time, higher and more stable pallet stacks and faster picking time with fewer errors. With these benefits, this exclusive solution is already seeing substantial growth in the EU, with some customers noting that their investment of the Stack Assist Tool has lowered their costs by 55%

Peter added, “We really enjoy working with OnLogic. Their service and communication is top notch. They are a valued partner to us and would be for any software and hardware business.”