Creating a safer and more productive warehouse with SAT Technologies

Smart Warehouse Technology stacks up with OnLogic

Smart warehouse technology helps manufacturers continue to meet production and consumer demands, from storage facilities to distribution centers. One area that has recently benefited greatly from this technology is pallet stacking. In distribution centers, stacking pallets right the first time saves a lot of time AND helps prevent accidents. According to the guidelines of the EU Occupational Safety & Health Standards (EU-OSHA) material must be stacked, blocked, locked and limited in height to protect it from sliding or tipping over. Poorly stacked pallets are a serious hazard to employees, can delay order processing (which affects customer satisfaction) and it can cause serious damage to products. Instructing employees on how to correctly load pallets and create a stable stack of pallets is vital to a safer and more productive work environment. But fully mastering the art of pallet stacking can take months or even years.

Smart warehouse technology - The stack assist tool enables stacking with instructions

The Netherlands-based SAT Technologies strives to develop the best smart warehouse technology solution by providing instructions on how to stack pallets safely, stably and efficiently. The Stack Assist Tool (SAT) is designed to show employees simple stacking instructions on a screen. It then uses a laser to determine where and in what order the products are stacked. SAT helps with warehouse operations and ensures an efficient process where order pickers can create correctly stacked pallets in a single workflow. The end result is a more stable pallet, increased productivity, fewer errors and a safer work environment.

A challenging environment requires a robust computer

SAT Technologies needed a rugged panel PC that could be mounted on an order pick truck within the distribution center. Because it will be attached to a vehicle, it must be able to withstand shock and vibration that are common with in-vehicle installations. Since temperatures in some distribution centers can drop below freezing, they needed a solution that could withstand a challenging environment.

Rugged Panel PC from OnLogic to power smart department store technology

The SAT Technologies team chose a rugged panel pc from OnLogic. Its large screen and durable design made it an ideal choice for this application. Peter Boorsma of SAT Technologies said, "Having OnLogic as a hardware partner is an advantage: they are quick with their technical information, the service is complete and when we have technical problems OnLogic is a partner who works with us to find a solution."

SAT Technologies is the only company offering this smart department store technology for optimizing order picking. Customer benefits include increased productivity, reduced costs, reduced training time, higher and more stable pallet stacks and faster picking times with fewer errors. With these benefits, this exclusive solution is already seeing substantial growth in the EU. Some customers report that the investment in the Stack assist tool has reduced their costs by 55%.

Peter added, "We are very happy to be working with OnLogic. Their services and communication are fantastic. They are a valued partner for us and would be for any software or hardware company."