Conversion and expansion of a pick-by-light system
Want to expand or convert your pick-by-light system?
No problem. We explain exactly how to do it and what you need to bear in mind.
Conversion of a pick-by-light system
Converting a pick-by-light system must be as simple and straightforward as possible. Just like the picking process itself. New requirements, new concepts, and optimizations demand a high degree of flexibility from a pick-by-light system. For our system: no problem.
The basic idea behind the pick-by-light solution is to be as flexible as possible. This is the only way to create different customer-specific solutions.
Restructuring of the cabling
One of the most important aspects of flexibility is the freedom of cabling in the pick-by-light system. Previous solutions always required a rigid cabling structure. Shift registers with terminating resistors were built, which could only be implemented as a single strand.
Our cabling is not dependent on topology and can be implemented as a BUS or star configuration. Mixed operation is of course also possible here. You can find out more about cabling and accessories in a separate article.
The flexible technology used means that the cabling can be easily adapted by adding an extension or a parallel extension.
The only aspect that must be strictly adhered to is the maximum power of the controllers and, in the case of long cables, the total capacity, which must be calculated in this case.
Addition of new controllers
If the performance and capacity of the existing controllers are insufficient, new controllers must be installed. Only the electrical parameters are decisive here. The controllers have no logical tasks in the system and are only used for communication with the pick-by-light compartment displays and the control computer.
Only 230V and a network connection are required to expand the controller. In some layouts, the controllers can form their own network among themselves, so that no additional network sockets are required. This naturally saves the costs of conversion or expansion.
Software customization
Depending on the scope of the conversion, the software of the pick-by-light system may also need to be adapted. Our software is highly configurable. If the process flows remain the same, no new software development is required. In this case, only the configuration needs to be adapted.
Extensions to the pick-by-light system
The expansion of the pick-by-light system is subject to the same rules as the conversion. It is therefore very easy to implement. The largest systems that have been built in recent years contain up to 70,000 pick-by-light compartment displays. The system has still not reached its limits here and can be further expanded if necessary.
Conclusion
Our pick-by-light system can be modified or expanded relatively easily. The new pick-by-light compartment displays are connected to the existing or new controllers and configured in the system. The software is adapted as needed. To date, the system limits have not been reached. We have enough reserves to build even larger systems.
