TSC Business Solutions Ltd. has recently completed the successful installation of a Narrow Band Radio Frequency Data collection system for MRS Distribution Ltd.
MRS Distribution are a leading global logistics business founded in 1975 supplying customized distribution solutions to a range of clients from the industrial and Retail sectors. Their services include primary and secondary transport, warehousing, product handling and expert logistical handling from 13 locations around the UK.
MRS Distribution recently acquired a new warehouse in East Kilbride and wanted to install a similar RF system to the system already installed in their head office site in Bathgate. TSC Business Solutions was asked to provide the solution.
TSC Business Solutions Ltd. is a provider of barcode tracking and identification systems. Their solutions include the supply of barcode and label printing systems, scanners and portable data capture systems for a wide variety of industries, particularly in the transport and logistics and supply chain logistics markets. TSC is a partner of Psion Teklogix and provide products and services for many their customers in Scotland.
The system at MRS involves Psion Teklogix hand held terminals and truck mount terminals running over a Narrow band RF link. The terminals run Psion Teklogix’s terminal emulation software, Open Tek Term, which enables MRS to run their back office warehouse management system directly on the screen of the terminals in real time allowing the operators to scan goods in to and out of the warehouse locations and to perform regular stock checks. The system greatly improves the efficiency of the warehouse allowing much faster throughput of product and real time updating of the back office system. It also means that products don’t “go missing” in the warehouse as every item is entered against a location.
The Narrow Band RF solution has a much greater range than Spread Spectrum systems and consequently enables only two RF Base Stations to provide complete coverage of a warehouse space of 200,000 square feet in Bathgate and similarly 70,000 square feet in East Kilbride. Both warehouses also contain racking up to five bays high. It is important that there is sufficient coverage and that the Base Stations are placed carefully to ensure maximum reach when the warehouse is full of product, which in this case is a product with a high moisture content that attenuates the RF signal. It was necessary therefore to perform a Site Survey to identify the optimum locations for the Base Stations and also to ensure there were free radio frequencies available. Part of the project was to also provide the racking labels for the warehouse with barcodes identifying the locations. These location barcodes are scanned by the operator when goods are put away or picked.
“TSC performed the Site Survey, provided the equipment and the racking labels, installed the base stations and project managed the whole process for us” said Ian Wilson, Managing Director of MRS. “We were very pleased with the service and support they gave us.”
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