Mannin Systems / Scan-and-label
Barcode scan-and-label tracking for the shop floor
Each work station prints a label for what it has just made. The next station scans it in. Nothing is typed twice, so keying mistakes stop at the source, and every scan is recorded against the right job and cost centre.
Runs on the PCs and phones you already have, with site-locked access.
Scan it once. Never key it again.
Here’s one bundle of glazing bead from the working demo: printed at Line 1, scanned into stores, and scanned onto the right order at dispatch. When someone scans it against the wrong order, it’s stopped before anything is booked.
Try it in the working demo: book output at Line 1, then sign in at Stores and choose Scan a label
How it works
Four steps, repeated at every station, so the record builds itself as the work moves.
Print at the station
When output is booked, the station prints a label for exactly what was made: item, lot, job and quantity.
Attach it
The label goes on the product, bundle, stillage or tote, wherever it will survive the next steps.
Scan at the next step
Stores, the next operation or dispatch scans it in. One scan books the move, with nothing typed.
Everything is recorded
Who, where and when, against the job and cost centre, so costs, stock and traceability keep themselves up to date.
Mistakes stopped at the scan
Because the system knows what each label is, it can refuse a scan that doesn’t make sense, before anything is booked. Checks are set up to suit your process and can include:
- Wrong item for this orderStopped at dispatch before it goes on the wagon.
- Wrong job at this stationMaterial or parts scanned into a job they don’t belong to.
- Already bookedThe same label scanned twice doesn’t count twice.
- On holdAnything held for quality can’t move on until it’s released.
What’s on the label
Laid out to match your paperwork, and readable by a person as well as a scanner.
- Item and description
- Your product codes and names, not ours.
- Lot or bundle number
- Unique to what’s in front of you.
- Job and quantity
- In metres, kilos or pieces.
- Where and when
- The station, cost centre and time it was made.
- Barcode and QR code
- Scannable by a handheld scanner or a phone camera.
- Anything your customers need
- Their part number, order reference or batch codes.
Where the label goes
Every trade is different, and this is where most scanning systems go wrong. We’ll set it up around how your work actually moves.
Extruders
At the cut-off or packing table once the profile has cooled, one label per bundle or pallet. Stores and dispatch scan the bundle, not the individual lengths.
Fabricators
Galvanising and powder coating destroy labels, so the stillage or a tie-on tag carries the label through finishing, and a fresh one is printed afterwards.
Machine shops
On the tote or batch rather than each part, moving with the work from operation to operation and through inspection.
Scan with what suits each station
Mix and match across your site. Most firms start with phones and add dedicated scanners where the work is busiest.
Phone camera
No extra kit. Staff scan with the app on their phone or a tablet. Ideal for occasional scans and getting started.
Cordless scanner
Fast and reliable all day, even with gloves on and labels at an angle. Best for busy stations and packing.
Handheld computer
A rugged device with a built-in scanner for stores and dispatch, where people walk the racking.
Each station that prints needs a label printer. Hardware is optional, priced per station and itemised separately on your proposal. See the hardware kits.
Scan-and-label questions
Do we need special hardware?
Only a label printer at each station that prints. Scanning can be done with phone cameras to start with, and dedicated scanners added where they’ll save the most time.
Will labels survive our process?
We choose the label to suit it. Synthetic labels with a wax-resin ribbon cope with PVC, oils and outdoor storage. Where a process destroys labels, such as galvanising, a tie-on tag or the stillage carries the label instead.
What if a label gets damaged or lost?
Reprint it from the system. The scan history is kept against the lot, not the piece of paper.
Does it work if the Wi-Fi drops?
Scans can be saved on the device and sent when the connection returns. Access is checked again when they arrive, so the site lock still applies.
Can it print our customers’ labels too?
Yes. Customer part numbers, order references and batch codes can be added to the label, or printed on a separate customer label at dispatch.
Tell us what you're running on now
A few lines about what you make and how you plan production today is plenty to start with, or simply ask for an introductory call. You'll get a personal reply.