ISPA Expo 2008 - Booth 2383

Baltimore, Maryland

March 12-15th, 2008

 

NJE Consulting welcomes all attendees of the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) Conference held at the Baltimore Convention Center from March 12th to March 15th, 2008.

 

Please visit us in Booth 2383.

 

We will be demonstrating our Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology as it applies to the  Mattress and Bedding Industry.

 

We see RFID as the way of the future for mattress manufacturers. RFID offers the following important advantages not available through any other tracking technology:

 

Þ 100% Scanning Rate with no human intervention. This eliminates tracking inaccuracies introduced by missed scans

Þ 100’s of tags can be scanned simultaneously, speeding up the inventory-tracking process.

Þ Tags are scanned using Radio Waves, and therefore do not need to be visible—e.g. scanned through packaging or while flipped

 

Download the RFID in Mattress Industry Brochure

 

 

To find out more about RFID in the context of Mattress Manufacturing, please contact us.

 

 

 

System Features and Options

Double RFID Portal

 

A Double RFID Portal covers two Bay Doors, provided they are less than 10 feet apart. This is the most cost-effective way to cover multiple Bay Doors. All mattresses are independently scanned as they are loaded through each Bay Door.

Single RFID Portal or “Choke Point”

 

A Single RFID Portal covers a single Bay Door, and should be used in the following instances:

 

1. A Bay Door doesn’t have a close-enough “partner” to use the Double RFID Portal, or

2. Use it as a “Choke-Point” somewhere in the factory—mattresses travelling through the “Choke-Point” (e.g. from sewing to build-up)—are scanned and reported, giving you visibility as to their location.

RFID for Wrapping Machine

 

Every Mattress Wrapping Machine should be equipped with this RFID hardware. This hardware serves the following purposes:

 

1. RFID reader scans mattresses as they go through, providing visibility as to their location (just like “Choke Point”, above)

2. Scan of mattress triggers the printing of a Shipping Label (optional, but recommended)

3. Hardware detects the very rare cases where an RFID tag has been damaged, and flags this to the operator. Operator quickly applies replacement tag, ensuring 100% tags are functional at Bay Doors.

Audio-Visual Signal for Bay Door

 

Audible and Visual Signals to alert loaders when a shipping mistake is about to be made. These lights and buzzer are mounted right next to each Bay Door.

 

Typical operation is as follows:

 

1. Yellow Light—Load not complete, keep loading.

2. Green Light—Load complete.

3. Red Light and Long Buzzer—SHIPPING ERROR! This mattress does not belong with this load!

4. Short Buzzer Sound—Indicates successful mattress scan.

RFID Portal Video Monitor

 

This optional component actually displays the running load-list to the loader. This Video Monitor is mounted right next to each Bay Door. Initially, it shows the entire load-list, and items are removed from the display as they are physically loaded onto the truck.

 

This simplifies the loader’s job, as he does not have to work from a paper manifest, crossing off mattresses one-by-one.

 

Optional touch-screen feature allows workers to initiate the loading process for a given Bay Door.

RFID Portal Barcode Scanner Option

 

Optionally, a Barcode Scanner at the Bay Door can be used to initiate the loading process by scanning an appropriate barcode on a paper load-list. This option is recommended if the Video Monitor option is not chosen.

RFID Printer

 

Every installation will require at least one RFID Printer. This device, in addition to printing the Law Labels that contain the RFID “chips”, also writes the serial number of the mattress to each RFID “chip”, ensuring it can be tracked through your mattress factory.

 

The RFID Printer can be equipped with an automatic cutter which conveniently separates the labels as they are printed. This is an option, but is highly recommended.

Hand-Held RFID Reader

 

The Hand-Held RFID Reader is a light-weight device that has many potential uses throughout your mattress factory.

 

1. Seek mattresses. Worker simply points device at stacks of mattresses—the device indicates when a match or matches are found. Worker can then use device to zero-in and pinpoint his targets. Searching can be done in the following ways:

Þ By Serial #

Þ By Customer

Þ By Shipment ID (e.g. find mattresses urgently needed for immediately outgoing shipment)

Þ By Bay Door destination

2. Quickly take inventory of mattresses, whether they are in a storage area, or right on the assembly line

3. Verify contents of truck.

 

The range for detecting mattresses is approximately 10 feet (3 meters). This device is optional, but recommended. Multiple devices can work together under one roof.

 

Two types of devices are available, with identical functionality:

1. Rugged (withstands multiple drops to concrete)

2. Semi-Rugged

Rugged Hand-Held RFID Reader

Semi-Rugged Hand-Held RFID Reader