Kemtek streamlines supply chain through Falcon technology

"Throughout the supply chain there is data needing to be captured and processed, and materials and goods that need to be tracked. Whether these are raw goods for the manufacturing process, warehouse inventories, or products in the distribution channel, all need to be effectively managed and controlled in order to optimise supply chain performance, and ensure the right products get to the right destination at the right time."

This is according to Andre Smit of leading South African bar-coding company and sole local distributor of PSC`s range of data capturing products, Kemtek. He says PSC`s Falcon line of wireless terminals, scanners and computers get this job done quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, as the Falcon portable, vehicle and fixed station terminals and scanners enable the collection of critical business data at every point along the supply chain.

"Additionally, the Falcon terminals can be integrated with Cisco WiFi 802.llb wireless LAN products enabling the deployment of secure, high performance wireless networks," says Smit. "Whether the need is for terminal emulation, support for DOS or Windows CE-based applications, or just scanning - a comprehensive solution can be created using Falcon wireless terminals."

Smit says the Falcon 4620 is designed for the harshest environments of the warehouse or loading dock. "It features the latest Microsoft Windows OS coupled with a powerful 800MHz processor and a choice of 24GHz 802.llb radios including Cisco Aironet or Symbol Spectrum24 HR."

It offers a bright, 12.1-inch colour touchscreen display, yet the installed system is similar in size to many 10-inch models by other manufacturers. The screen is ideal for touchscreen applications and features a bright display that ensures perfect readability both indoors and out.

"The 800MHz processor combined with up to 512MB RAM provides the performance necessary for the most complex applications," he adds. Integrated wired Ethernet allows easy initial loading of the operating system and applications, and the shock resistant 20GB hard disk drive provides plenty of storage space. In addition, for ultra-rugged applications, a 2GB Flash with no moving parts is available.

"These scanners have been designed from the ground up to meet the demands of industrial users needing fast, accurate scanning capabilities from less than one inch to over 36 feet."

Smit says the PowerScan range can read even poorly printed, torn or disfigured labels, when utilising the PSC QuadraLogic II decoding software.

PowerScan scanners autodiscriminate all standard bar code symbologies and automatically adjust to read a wide range of code densities down to 2.5 mils.

"Meeting the most stringent drop specification in the industry, PowerScan scanners are manufactured from high impact-resistant material, and incorporate protective rubber cushioning at every point of impact," explains Smit.

"Additionally, the scan window is made from a shatterproof material and is diamond-coated to resist scratching."

He says added protection, provided by a frictionless scan mechanism and shock mountings for all internal optical components, ensure PowerScan is the most rugged family of industrial handheld scanners on the market.

Available in cordless and corded models, the PowerScan range includes a feature called AutoSelect that enables fast switching between different hosts and applications by simply changing cables.

Offering flexibility in wireless communication, the Falcon 345 data collection terminals set the standard, providing connectivity for data collection applications where real-time information is critical.

"The Falcon 345 features a powerful 486/33MHz microprocessor and 8MB of RAM," says Smit. "The 345 can also be configured with any of the leading 2.4GHz spread spectrum wireless LAN solutions including Cisco Aironet or Symbol."

Additional flexibility comes with the wireless connection of Falcon 345 terminals into an existing legacy system. The Falcon 345 comes with a choice of 25, 38 and 48-key keypads, and a batch model, the Falcon 340 is also available.

The Falcon 4400 series packages the power of the latest computing technology, large colour display and later (ID) and imaging (ID and 2D) scanning, in rugged, ergonomic mobile computers.

"Falcon 4400s are designed to excel in distribution centre, warehouse and retail in-store environments. Coupled with a wide range of scanning options, low operating temperature specification, loud speaker volume, large colour display and an IP54 environmental seal rating, the Falcon 4400s are well suited to withstand the rigors of most commercial and industrial environments."

Smit says inside the 4400 series are cutting edge technologies from mobile and wireless industry leaders. Featuring an Intel XScale processor, Cisco wireless technology and the Microsoft Windows CE.NET operating system, the Falcon 4400 line of mobile computers have the power and flexibility to deploy sophisticated mobile applications.

"Falcon 4400 models with an integrated handle are ergonomically designed for scan-intensive applications," he continues. "Non-handle models are contoured to fit comfortably in an operator`s hand for extended periods of fatigue-free data collection activities."

The Falcon Management Utility and Falcon Desktop Utility are included with every unit providing remote management and configuration.

In addition, Smit says Kemtek produces quality thermal transfer ribbons in its state-of-the-art slitting plant. "Spools of thermal transfer ribbon, imported from a leading global ribbon manufacturer, are converted into many different widths and lengths for any label printer on the market." He says Kemtek`s latest ribbon slitting machine simultaneously slits 1m wide rolls into various widths at up to 500m/minute. "The range includes scratchproof, smearproof, solvent-resistant and heat-resistant ribbons for the best quality in industrial printing applications. In addition to all the standard formats, ribbons can be customised and produced to order on paper cores, wound either in or out as required, with or without notches on either side of the core."