A Pick to Light system is a digital picking system that eliminates paper usage and employs light devices and displays to guide pickers to the correct items and quantities for an order. This system can be used in warehouses or production assembly lines, and it can greatly enhance picking speed, accuracy, and efficiency while reducing labour costs and errors. The system is user-friendly and can be learned quickly, while installations can be done over items, on racks, workstations, or carts. It is often used in zone picking, where pickers become familiar with their own zone.
So, how does Pick to Light work?
While there may be slight variations in Pick to Light systems in a warehouse, the standard technology works like this:
1. Operators scan item barcodes that are attached to temporary and reusable holding containers, such as shipping cartons.
2. The system’s alphanumeric display, usually LED lights, illuminates a path to guide the operator to the indicated storage location. There, the system indicates how many and which items should be picked.
3. The operator picks the item(s), places them in the holding container, and then presses a button to confirm the picking.
4. The system continues illuminating each sector for picking until all items have been picked and placed in their respective holding containers.
The illustration above will change depending on the environment the Pick to Light system is being used in, and can also be integrated into a production line and be fully controlled by a machine so that the correct components are being picked.
Depending on the Pick to Light system, additional options may be available. Often, in addition to the LED display, pick to Light also offers an acknowledgement button and a digital readout to enable more detailed instructions and options. For example, your chosen system may allow operators to record basic data such as variations in pick size. Other systems could detail special instructions, order numbers, zone directions, and additional information.
For more information on Pick to Light systems, feel free to call us at +44 (0) 1279 438605 or visit our website https://www.simsengineering.com
