Every second counts on the assembly line—regardless of its length, level of automation, or the product being made. Knowing this, automotive manufactures are increasingly using advanced technology to help cut production cycle time, even if it’s just by fractions of a second.
One such technology is the MARK series of wearable bar code scanners from ProGlove. The scanners have an impressive track record of success, including being named Product of the Year in the Factory of the Future category at The 2019 ASSEMBLY Show.
The product is a glove equipped with a matchbook-sized bar code scanner on the backside. It eliminates the need for a worker to constantly pick up and put down a handheld scanner, resulting in greater productivity and a time savings of up to four seconds per scan.
BMW has been using hundreds of MARK scanners at its network of plants in Dingolfing, Germany, for more than five years. This is not surprising, since Paul Gunther, one of ProGlove’s founders, worked at BMW just prior to starting ProGlove.
The scanners there are saving time and preventing errors in many picking, sequencing, assembly and inbound logistics processes. They also enhance productivity and safety by requiring workers to pay more attention to their work and apply a tighter grip on packages.
Another manufacturer benefitting from MARK scanners is Volkswagen. The company is using the scanners at 40 of its aftersales distribution centers and plants worldwide. Workers there perform millions of picking, logistics and assembly processes annually.
The scanners enable them to do these things much more efficiently and cost effectively. Consider that every part of every vehicle is scanned multiple times from inception to delivery. With each MARK scanner reducing scan time by an average of four seconds, Volkswagen saves thousands of dollars per vehicle.
Since introducing the original MARK scanners in late 2016, ProGlove has continually improved and expanded its product line. The current MARK Basic series includes standard and mid-range models. Standard scanners have an optimal scan distance of from 6 inches to 3 feet, making them well-suited for applications involving high-frequency items. The mid-range version offers a scan distance of 1 to 5 feet, and is recommended for situations where the scan distance quickly changes.
MARK 2 scanners also come in standard and mid-range versions. Each model weighs just 40 grams and is 0.5 inch thick, enabling wearers to easily fit it into narrow spaces or reach into boxes.
In the last two years, the company has introduced the MARK Display scanner and ProGlove Cloud accessory. With the Display model, a worker can instantly view process- and site-related data on the back of his or her hand. Acoustic and haptic feedback enables a worker to complete a scan every six seconds. The scanner is IT-friendly and Bluetooth low energy enabled.
The cloud accessory sends the display’s data into the cloud in real time to enhance tracking. Insights from the cloud help the end-user identify actual and potential supply chain bottlenecks, reallocate workers when unforeseen peaks occur, and deliver instructions to increase worker safety.
For more information on wearable scanners, call 866-678-6289 or visit www.proglove.com.
