Assembly using Pick-by-Light
Pick-by-Light provides optimal support for assembly at the workstation, minimizes errors, and improves employee quality and productivity. It is fully customizable with many additional options. Integration with SAP or other systems is possible.
Pick-by-Light
, Assembly
Howdoes Pick-by-Light support the assembly process?
- The assembly instructions are scanned into a scanner.
- The pick-by-light displays light up for the first assembly step and show the quantities directly on the containers.
- The technician removes the parts and confirms the installation using the button.
- Once all steps have been confirmed, the installation is complete.
Which pick-by-light displays are used for assembly?
Specialty Displays
If the quantity of components in the assembly instructions is always 1, the LED display with pushbutton is used:
If the installation instructions require that multiple components be removed from a compartment, the standard display with a 3-digit numeric display is used:
The compartment displays are mounted directly above or below the containers. Withdrawals from the individual compartments are acknowledged directly on the displays. Each assembly step is acknowledged using a central button or the info display.
Information Displays
Detailed information about the assembly process is displayed to the employee on a central information screen:
If screens are used at the table, the information display is not required.
You can find a complete list of available displays in the article:
Option: Screens at the assembly station
If the assembly process is very complex and the employee needs to refer to additional assembly instructions, construction manuals, CAD drawings, or images, screens are installed at their workstation.
The positioning of the screens is always highly individualized and depends on the ergonomics of the assembly workstation. Various tools, testing equipment, and measuring instruments can also be placed on the table. The assembly table can be used as a test bench or test station.
Option: Sensors monitor the assembly
Optionally, each display can be equipped with a sensor for automatic access monitoring.
Only after the employee has reached into the compartment can the button be pressed to confirm.
The sensor improves the quality of the sample collection.
If the quantity is 1, the transaction is automatically confirmed. For other quantities, the withdrawal is confirmed individually or centrally, but only if the active sensors have correctly recorded the transactions.
If the employee reaches into the wrong compartment, an error message and an audible alert will sound.
Configuration of assembly stations
If there is no connection to a production system, the individual assembly steps must be configured manually.
- To start the configuration, a special " Setup" barcode is scanned.
- The unique barcode is then scanned to identify the assembly list.
- The info display shows the text “Step 1.” Use the +/- buttons to select the steps. For each step, the configured pick-by-light displays on the bins light up.
- The acknowledgment button on the compartment display turns the individual displays on and off.
- You can use the +/- buttons to set the quantity directly on the compartment.
- Once everything is configured, scan the "Save" barcode to save the configuration.
Setup is very simple and requires no IT knowledge. The two special barcodes (“Setup” and “Save”) are available to the installation supervisor.
Integration with a production system
Integration with SAP or another production system is possible without any issues, but it requires some coordination and may necessitate customer-specific software modifications.
Flexibility through dynamic containers
In some situations, a large number of different parts must be made available at the workbench, depending on the assembly requirements and the assembly step. However, space at an assembly workbench is very limited. The innovative Pick-by-Frame can be used as a solution to this problem.
First, the required containers are picked onto a picking cart in a picking warehouse.
To this end, a mobile frame (Pick-by-Frame®) equipped with mobile pick-by-light displays is docked onto the cart. The system guides the picker to the storage locations in the warehouse and assists them in placing the components into the containers. The cart is clearly labeled and managed by the production system.
Once the picking cart is ready, it is placed on a frame at the assembly station in accordance with the assembly list. The cart is registered at the table using its barcode or RFID tag. Assembly begins only once the dynamic containers are correctly positioned.
FAQ
Which assembly tables can be equipped with Pick-by-Light?
Any assembly line using containers or boxes can be retrofitted. The displays can be mounted at any workstation. If the compartments are very small, the small displays from the PTF-S series can be used.
How many pick-by-light displays can be operated at an assembly station?
There is no maximum limit. A standard controller can control up to 150 displays. Multiple controllers can also be used at a single workstation. However, the workstation should be organized clearly and ergonomically. Therefore, there should not be too many displays.
Does the assembly table need to be connected to SAP or other systems?
No. The assembly table can also operate without any connection to a higher-level system. The assembly steps are then configured manually and do not require any special IT knowledge.