Pick to Light in Ignition

Jul 7

You are probably familiar with using Inductive Automation’s Ignition SCADA as the foundation of a process automation and MES system. You might also be aware of manual processes that could benefit from digitizing.

So, why not leverage the power of Ignition on these manual processes?

Ignition is designed to work with databases, is probably already interacting with your ERP system, and has all of the infrastructure you need to capitalize on the information you can capture.

Planting the Seeds for Order Picking

A common manual process is order picking—in a warehouse to assemble shipped orders, or on an assembly line where operators need parts at different work stations. In even more manual operations, this could even be a Kanban system for streamlining overall operations. All of these situations can benefit from a Pick to Light System.

A Pick to Light system consists of a way to trigger lights at the locations where parts or goods need to be picked, a way to turn off the lights to signal the parts have been picked, and a way to track the order as it moves through the pick process and into the next operation.

For Ignition to manage a Pick to Light System, all you need is a gateway, some LEDs, and hardware to interface between Ignition and the LEDs. We’ve found that a Raspberry Pi along with a strip of LEDs such as WS2812 can work wonders. You can easily set the color of the lights, the width of each section—either light a single LED per bin, or match the physical dimensions of the bin. You could also use a PLC and more industrialized LEDs like you would typically see on a control panel, however we find the quickest way to benefit from a system like this is with a minimal hardware investment.

Pick to Light… Watering the “Garden”

Pick to Light systems eliminate a lot of possibility for human error. When people do not have to read numbers, there will be less incorrect park picking. For example consider SKUs RS453778, and RS435778 where the difference between the 453 and the 435 part number might not be obvious to someone picking the part out of a bin. You can also manage picked quantities either by color or light, or requiring a button press or a light curtain break for each part that is picked. Once the required quantity has been picked, the system will turn off the light(s).

A Pick to Light system will allow you to trigger other operations when quantities are low, or if there are not enough parts available in a particular location or bin. You can also easily manage restricted lot numbers. The order of picking can also be controlled by storing lot numbers in adjacent bins, and not lighting those bins until the other lot numbers you need to cycle through first are available.

A Pick to Light system will also give you insight into who is picking, the time required to pick orders, and overall accuracy by leveraging Ignition’s built-in security system to track who is logged in.

Watching the Garden Bloom

A Pick to Light system is only one of many opportunities you can utilize with Inductive Automation’s Ignition as a modern manufacturing management system. It can easily integrate with quality management systems, shipping and logistics tools, and as part of an overall digital work order management solution.

Pick to Light can be the first step into an overall warehouse management system, tracking inventory and quantities, and alerting stockers when parts need to be replenished. It takes the burden off your people and puts it on technology, making your pick systems more reliable and efficient. It also simplifies training requirements.

Make your crew’s life easier by taking the headache out of manual operations and start leveraging the technology you are already using to run your plant.

IgnitionPick to LightMESManufacturingMaker Edition