Product category:
Robotics and factory automation
News Release from: Red Ledge | Subject: Sprint
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 July 2005
Sprint warehouse software unrivalled.
Red Ledge transforms garment sortation and warehouse/production control
A fast, overhead, garment sortation conveyor that halves the footprint need by rival systems sounds remarkable enough but add in almost zero maintenance, silent running, and much lower capital and manpower costs and it sounds almost too good to be true That, however, is just what the Yorkshire-based software company, Red Ledge, has achieved, a feat that won a DTI Smart award for its Genus garment scanning system
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 17 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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According to a Red Ledge spokesman, the patented conveyor, which sorts up to 7,200 garments/hr, has several unique aspects.
It can deliver garments either side of the conveyor sorter, with twice as many diversionary gates in half the rail length of more costly rivals' systems.
This means that, compared with other sorters, it can cut the footprint needed by half and significantly cut building and manning costs.
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No mother hooks and costly trolleys are needed and it can take any plastic or metal hanger.
Unlike rotating tube conveyor systems, it will raise garments up at least a 45 deg incline, and owing to its small headroom will fit under any mezzanine.
Genus uses a flight mechanism rather that costly, maintenance-hungry trolleys or rotating tubes.
Being chainless, there is also no risk of goods spoiling from oil contamination.
Maintenance is a comparative boon and can be easily done by users.
Chain-based systems, however, stretch and it is not uncommon to have to replace a whole system within 10 years.
Having an IT background, Red Ledge has ensured a high level of conveyor intelligence, which allows sections to be networked so that they can learn from each other.
The system will scan barcodes or radio data tags at front, back or sides with 100% accuracy, and is web-enabled.
Among its capabilities are batch scanning (counting and checking), receipt of goods and put-away, picking, sorting to store/manufacturer/deparment and returns to manufacturer.
The first buyer to use Genus is a South Wales company making ladies-wear who uses it to check all stock despatches.
The company believes Genus will pay for itself in three months, an unprecedented return on investment for such machines.
Commenting on the installation, Genus spokesman, Graham Lee, said: "It was designed to be both simple to install and very cost effective.
We believe that the Genus system will give manufacturers and distributors a strong competitive advantage, allowing a much faster turnaround of stock in a very competitive market place." But if three months sounds a remarkable payback then consider what Red Ledge's IT expertise has wrought in other areas.
Red Ledge was born out of frustration with existing IT companies, many of whom, then as now, are inflexible.
Most off-the-shelf software packages are not written with consideration to the individual companies implementing them and so they cannot provide a solution to every business.
Accordingly, Red Ledge developed Sprint, a database-driven system that meets business requirements exactly now and in the future when business circumstances change.
Its comprehensive coverage is breathtaking and includes:.
* Sales and purchase order processing.
* Point of sale credit card processing.
* Managing warehouse facilities using RF terminals.
* Process control (machine control).
* Inventory tracking.
* Ensuring production and employee accuracy and quality.
* Ensuring correct product labelling (barcode and RF tags).
Red Ledge says it is unaware of any other system that can combine all of the above features, including real-time production control.
In the case of Bayer Healthcare, Sprint paid for itself in just one day.
It had a problem with a part on one of the assemblies in its flagship product failing after two hours.
Sprint showed which assemblies had the problem part, which of the assemblies went into the next assembly and then which instruments.
This saved Bayer a good few days of paper work chasing, "and we managed it in about one hour," said Bayer's project manger, Paul McGarry.
Any software company will tell you that interfacing is always the sticking point and the most costly portion of a project.
Sprint, on the other hand, integrates seamlessly with existing or legacy systems, either using Microsoft Data Transformation Services or Transoft Screen Adapter technologies.
In this way, Sprint can interface to BAAN, BPCS, Exchequer, JD Edwards, ORACLE, SAGE, SAP and Red Ledge's own financial application package, SBA.
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