Digital Display Unit - Source?

I'm looking for digital display units that will become part of a "pick-to-light" system. The displays must be networkable - serial, wireless, ethernet. They must also be addressable so taht they can be moved when the storage slots for the products they are "attached" to are moved. A PLC will write data to each device as required.

I was looking at small HMIs and Redlion banner displays, but they're overkill for the application.

Each of 200 products to be picked will have three displays that indicate to the order picker how many rows, cases and units of each product are required to fill an order. Once picked, the order pickes presses a button to confirm (this will be read by the same PLC) and moves on to the next product.

As you can see, a minimum of 200 displays will be required (maybe even 600, if a three-gang device can't be found). I was hoping to find something for under $200 per product ($40,000)

Any suggestions?

Have not used this myself, but have you checked Banner Engineering?

http://www.bannerengineering.com/en-US/products/112/Indicator-Lights/49/Pick-to-Light

The Banner units don't appear to have the message prompting requested. Possibly these in conjunction with a wireless unit held by the operator to provide the prompts?

So did you want to have a power station set up at each position the trays can go in, so you cna simply plug in and go?

And in terms of comms, did you need all three, or just some way of talking with them?

Honga said:

So did you want to have a power station set up at each position the trays can go in, so you cna simply plug in and go?

And in terms of comms, did you need all three, or just some way of talking with them?

Click to expand...

That's right - power startion at each pick slot.

I don't need all htree comms - just some way of communicating with the devices. Speed isn't an issue. If it took as much as 10 seconds to populate all the devices with new data, I'd still be pleased.

An RS-485 (addressable) LCD display. $139

http://www.dcitech.com/TriPLC/A/MDS100.htm


or maybe a C-More HMI ($149):

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/Operator_Interfaces/C-more_Micro-Graphic_Panels

Each of 200 products to be picked will have three displays that indicate to the order picker how many rows, cases and units of each product are required to fill an order. Once picked, the order pickes presses a button to confirm (this will be read by the same PLC) and moves on to the next product.

Click to expand...

Sorry mate, don't think I understand this 100%.

Why not interface the PLC to a WMS. When the slot allocation changes, the display need not be moved. The WMS will track the product moves and update the PLC with the new slot location. Consider each order to be a batch. A central display for say every 20 slots that need be no more than a 4 digit led will flash the slot number followed by the qty. A lighted button will flash at the pick slot. The picker pulls the qty indicated and tosses into tote or on conveyor and pushes flashing button to indicate done. The LED display flashes new pick location and qty and a button at next slot pick flashes. When the batch is complete the display will flash DONE. Hmmm, you're going to need another button or use the keypad to initiate the next batch. The WMS could track the qty pulled and qty remaining and order replens as needed. If your pick locations are stacked then you could use arrows that light in addition to a push button. You could also incorporate a numeric keypad so the employee can enter their ID#. Using the ID you can time each pick and the length of batch and voilla, you know have a doorway to engineered standards and a rate sytem as well. If you're not using a WMS, at some point you have to inventory the product. When your picking and have to count 130 cases it's probably easy for the mind to forget if that was 89 or 99, even though your arms and back didn't. When you make the moves would it really be that difficult to key in the new slot number? Sounds like a good time to incorporate barcodes and code each slot as well as the product. Scan product, Scan slot, let the PLC hash it out.
Of course not knowing what your layout is, everything looks easy from my house. If you have a 500,000 sq ft facility and the slots are scattered about, voice pick might be a consideration.