Conbee GmbH from Wehrheim in the Taunus region specializes in optimizing logistics processes. The company, which is located north of Frankfurt/Main, develops sensors that can be used to locate materials, vehicles or load carriers in real-time in operational logistics. As a building block for Industry 4.0, such a sensor (called an IoT smart tag) enables effective tracking scenarios with added value for logistics and production processes.
At LogiMAT 2017, an IoT smart tag developed by Conbee GmbH was named the best product of the year.
Managing Director Michael Nickolai explains the benefits of the sensor like this:
With the help of IoT smart tags, companies are able to improve their warehouse concepts, save resources and optimize their logistics processes across the entire supply chain. Effective generation of information becomes child’s play in this way. The intelligent sensor technology transmits data and information in real time about the environment, condition and movement of all vehicles and equipment on the company premises.
The battery-powered smart tag has also been optimized for maximum runtime with minimum energy consumption and will perform for up to three years even with intensive use. The IoT smart tag is also available in two extremely robust (ruggedized) versions that target the industrial market in harsh environments.
The designers and engineers of industrialpartners and their creative ideas were responsible for product design, housing development and construction for the smart sensors B200R – Rugged Smart TAG, as well as B400R – Rugged Smart TAG.
Small but mighty: The rugged B200R has the special feature of integrated temperature monitoring. This makes it possible to smartly control and monitor critical processes with the help of the tag: For example, ensuring compliance with the cold chain for certain products or triggering an alarm when critical thresholds are reached. The integrated radio module transmits the captured sensor data wirelessly and therefore does not require a SIM card. The B400R IoT smart tag also features a sturdy housing, and as a configurable tag it also offers authentication functions and is fraud-proof.
Using the innovative HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200 production system, the industrialpartners team realized the production of a small series of the IoT smart tags in-house. Several thousand of the smart tags were produced using the rapid prototyping process, which combines high speed with low turnaround times and low material costs and is still one of the most cost-effective additive manufacturing processes.
Whether in goods logistics, airport logistics, construction site logistics or warehouse logistics: wherever search times need to be minimized, operations optimized, circulation processes improved or simply an overview of the inventory maintained, the modular and scalable IoT Smart Tag offers fast and efficient solutions. The possibility of adapting to individual application requirements in combination with high process reliability and more transparency in asset management, make IoT smart tag sensors the new stars in the intralogistics world.
