100% real-time barcode validation ensured zero counterfeit bulbs passed through production.
25,000+ bulbs/day scanned automatically with minimal human intervention.
Instant rejection via PLC for incorrect or duplicate barcodes, improving traceability and efficiency.
The Challenge
The Solution
The Results
Our client, a leading OEM in the lighting industry, faced a critical challenge in ensuring product authenticity and process traceability. The main issues included:
- Difficulty in verifying whether bulbs were genuine and produced within the OEM plant.
- Risk of counterfeit bulbs entering the market and being returned under warranty.
- Manual barcode scanning was inefficient, error-prone, and unable to handle high throughput.
- Lack of real-time validation and rejection of incorrect or non-compliant bulbs on the production line.
- Inadequate integration with OEM backend systems for automated data reporting.
With an increasing production volume—over 25,000 bulbs per day on a single conveyor line—the need for a fully automated, real-time barcode validation and rejection system became imperative.
We developed and deployed a Conveyor-Based Automated Barcode Scanning Solution equipped with Fixed Mount Barcode Scanners and real-time software logic to address the client’s challenges.
Key features of the solution included:
- Laser-Marked Barcode Reading: High-speed fixed mount scanners read laser-marked barcodes on bulbs as they move along the conveyor.
- Real-Time Validation: Software validates each bulb's barcode for:
- Correct format and structure.
- Uniqueness (no duplicate barcodes).
- Matching the current production SKU.
- PLC Integration: If an invalid barcode is detected (wrong SKU, incorrect format, or duplicate), the system:
- Sends a trigger to the PLC to stop the conveyor immediately.
- Activates the rejection mechanism to divert the bulb into the rejection bin.
- Data Logging and Reporting: Every scanned bulb is logged in real-time and exported to Excel reports. These reports are uploaded to the OEM’s central warranty validation portal to confirm the bulb’s origin and authenticity.
The implementation of the automated barcode scanning and anti-counterfeiting solution delivered the following outcomes:
- 100% Real-Time Barcode Validation on the production line, ensuring no faulty or counterfeit bulbs proceed further.
- Improved Traceability and accountability, with each bulb’s unique barcode tracked and recorded.
- Enhanced Production Efficiency: Automation enabled uninterrupted scanning of over 25,000 bulbs/day with minimal human intervention.
- Counterfeit Risk Mitigation: OEM can now verify the authenticity of bulbs returned under warranty using the scanned production data.
- Seamless OEM Integration: Automated Excel exports ensure compliance with OEM data upload requirements, reducing manual workload and errors.
Additional Benefits and Future Enhancements
- Scalability: The system is designed to scale across multiple production lines.
- Data Analytics: Future integration with analytics dashboards can provide insights into rejection trends and process bottlenecks.
- Cloud Connectivity: A cloud-based data sync feature could enable real-time monitoring across distributed manufacturing sites.
