Cosmetics Manufacturer Finds Interlink WMS and Zebra Printers a Beautiful Combination
A California-based cosmetics manufacturer and distributor has leveraged the functionality of Interlink Technologies’Warehouse-LINK®to empower its warehouse with sophisticated software to drive operations and track inventory. With real-time information, the company’s warehouse managers and decision-makers are able to access detailed audit trails, incorporate space-saving methods, monitor and improve production and labor requirements, and implement automatic cycle counts—all with the flexibility to change business rules easily as the company grows and evolves.
One of the company’s newest production changes has been to incorporate an integrated, automated A-Frame high speed dispensing system with eight pack-out stations to help meet demand variation efficiently. A-frames are self-contained automated piece picking/packing machines designed toprocess a high volume of less than full case orders at a low operating cost. They’re designed to help manufacturers execute with a high degree of agility, regardless of product mix.
In this case, the manufacturer has a dispensing system that automatically puts the product into a tote that is moved to the Warehouse-LINK® packout station for processing. Totes with product to ship to customer stores and warehouses are routed to one of several packout locations by the material handling system. The tote is scanned, and when the items being shipped are confirmed, the shipping label prints and the user applies it to the carton.
The role of the printer in this process is critical, which is why Zebra's ZT400 series printers were chosen for the application—specifically ZT410 printers with a print width of 4 inches, print speeds up to 14 ips, and high-resolution (600 dpi) printing for this small-label application.
Designed for years of performance in a wide array of applications, the ZT400 Series builds on the field-proven reliability of the Z Series™ with advancements in print speed, print quality, and connectivity options. The printers offer an intuitive, icon-based LCD graphical user interface and easy supplies loading. Moreover, they include standard USB, Serial, Ethernet and Bluetooth capabilities. Expanded RFID capacities deliver greater tracking abilities, deeper visibility, and facilitate enterprise insight. ZT400 Series printers are ideal for a range of applications, including:
- Manufacturing, including work-in-process, product ID/serial numbers, packaging labels, and receiving/putaway labeling
- Transportation and logistics, including order picking/packing, shipping/receiving, cross-docking, and compliance labeling
- Retail, including distribution centers (DCs) and back-of-store operations
- Healthcare, including laboratory labels, blood-bank labels, asset tracking, and pharmacy labeling
"This is a very good printer that does its job," says Gary Paulsen, project manager at Interlink Technologies. "It's an exceptional value, very durable for the warehouse environment, and backed up with the service and support Zebra is known for. In this case, as in many others where our WMS software solution works with Zebra hardware, the results have been outstanding. The client has been nothing less than delighted with its performance."
By Marty Weil (For more information about Marty, visit: http://martyweil.net/)
