At the next LogiMAT, which will take place from May 31 to June 2, 2022 in Stuttgart, Faubel will present, among other things, a smart label that has a direct SAP ERP interface. With this new integration, SAP ERP backend data can be visualized on an e-paper display through a mobile browser-based solution via a native app and a mobile device. This function represents a decisive step towards the overall digitalization of logistical processes.
"Faubel mainly produces multilayer adhesive labels on rolls. Some customers have their bulk goods pre-produced and then printed with variable data. To store these bulk goods, we use reusable boxes marked with routing slips." That is how Sven Rath, Management Consultant at Faubel, describes the onset of this development. It is necessary to digitize paper routing slips to prevent manual errors in the future and reduce throughput times. For this purpose, the company used the market-ready Faubel-Logistics Label, which has an RFID-controlled e-paper display, as the base technology.
Application in practice
Since fall, 50 labels have been used at the Melsungen headquarters to label some 100 storage boxes. The data shown on e-paper displays comes from the internal SAP ERP system. Each label comes in a sturdy plastic housing. The Faubel-Logistics Label is then attached to the box by sliding it into a frame screwed to the box. When cleaning the boxes, labels can be easily removed and attached to other boxes. Currently, the company can choose display sizes of 1.54", 2.9", and 4.2".
Im Gegensatz zu anderen dynamischen Beschriftungen hat für Sven Rath das Faubel-Logistics Label einen klaren Vorteil: „Unsere Lösung funktioniert ohne Batterie. Es ist somit wartungsfrei und langlebig. Das mobile Endgerät, in unserem konkreten Fall ein Handheld, liefert die Energie für den kontaktlosen Datentransfer zwischen Label und der mobilen SAP-Software“. Mit der App auf dem Handheld ändern die Mitarbeiter die Daten auf dem Display. Es kann beliebig viele Updates durchlaufen. Ein Update des Labels erfolgt meist an den einzelnen Arbeitsplätzen oder nach den einzelnen Produktionsschritten. Informationen, wie ein aktueller Auftragsstatus, können die Mitarbeiter in Echtzeit im SAP ERP-System abrufen und parallel an der Aufbewahrungsbox ablesen.
Visitors to LogiMAT will see the benefits of this new function for themselves. "At our booth G63 in hall 4, we will be demonstrating our holistic approach to digital labeling. Our customers will be able to get all the services they need from a single source — software, hardware, and system integration," Rath explains.