DC Velocity - August 2013

Mobile and scanning device management: The Remote MasterMind 4.0 (ReM 4.0) from Honeywell represents an extensive upgrade to the automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) industry’s first integrated mobile and scanning device management solution. It now includes data collection and alert and remote diagnostics. Remote MasterMind 4.0 offers comprehensive device management capabilities regardless of policy or device, according to Honeywell. Remote MasterMind allows users to remotely manage most enterprise mobile devices, Honeywell scanners, and consumer-grade products used in so-called “bring your own device” programs.

The updated ReM 4.0 now allows a single person or group of administrators to manage an entire set or subset of devices across the enterprise, track device locations and routes traveled, and make quick decisions regarding user-reported issues without needing to be present in the field. Users and administrators can access device metrics and statistics to quickly diagnose reported issues, proactively identify operation errors from within the device pools, aggregate operation data, and improve IT support to devices.

To accommodate the growing demand for enterprise “bring your own device” programs, Honeywell updated Remote MasterMind to provide better support for employee-owned smart devices. With ReM 4.0, IT managers are able to manage both enterprise-issued devices and employees’ personal smartphones through one interface. By providing protection to employees’ consumer-grade smart devices, this solution enforces device security by strengthening password protection to ensure intruders are unable to gain server access. Additionally, should a smart device get lost, ReM 4.0 allows IT managers to remotely wipe the device of data. (Honeywell International, www.honeywell.com)

Pallet shuttle: PAS Voyager from Power Automation Systems (PAS) is the latest version of the pallet shuttle that PAS has been manufacturing, selling, and servicing since the early 2000s ( marketed under a former brand name). Earlier models of this semiautomatic storage and retrieval system are currently in use by companies in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries.

PAS Voyager can deliver up to 3,000 pounds of material deep into a rack and operates in temperatures as low as - 10 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for cold or freezer storage environments. According to the manufacturer, Voyager has a payback period of less than two years in many cases. (Power Automation Systems, www.powerautomationsystems.com/)

rollouts

Rugged tablet: Tablet manufacturer Xplore Technologies Corp. has introduced the RangerX, the company’s first rugged Android tablet.

According to Xplore, the new lightweight tablet provides the largest storage capacity on the market, has an outdoor viewable display, and is certified as being fully rugged, holding both IP65 and MIL-STD 810G ratings.

The lightweight 10.1-inch tablet is suitable for field service applications in industries such as utilities, energy, warehousing, logistics, transportation, defense, and public safety. In addition, the RangerX is the only rugged Android tablet to provide an optional integrated module with Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI-In connections. These two capabilities allow companies in the carrier space to use a single device to both manage work orders and validate and diagnose service issues, according to Xplore.

The RangerX weighs 2. 2 pounds and looks and feels more like a contemporary tablet than a traditional rugged device, according to the manufacturer. The tablet has a battery life of up to 10 hours. In addition, the tablet’s outdoor-viewable, multitouch display allows for seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. Integrated RFID and NFC capabilities come standard in the RangerX, and the device is compatible with all major Bluetooth and USB bar-code scanners.

The RangerX starts at $1,349. It comes with a standard three-year warranty and is currently available through Xplore channel partners. (Xplore Technologies, www.xploretech.com)

Mobile computer: Motorola has updated its popular MC9000 series of industrial mobile computers. The new MC9200 has a significantly faster dual-core processor than its predecessor and is capable of supporting the latest mobile enterprise applications in demanding environments such as warehouses, loading docks, and manufacturing shop floors.

According to Motorola, the MC9200 is the fastest industrial mobile computer on the market. It incorporates a dual-core OMAP4430 processor from Texas Instruments and high-speed 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi for better connectivity, greater storage, and enhanced information assurance security with FIPS 140-2 cryptographic certification. These improvements increase the device’s processing speed.

The MC9200 offers backward compatibility with legacy warehouse management systems and Telnet applications through Motorola’s RhoMobile Suite. In addition, all existing peripherals and accessories for the MC9000 series will be compatible with the new MC9200, including keypads, batteries, and cradles.

The MC9200 is available with a wide range of scanning capabilities, including Motorola’s latest-generation one-dimensional (1D) laser scanner; 1D long-range scanner; two-dimensional (2D) imagers that can read all 1D, 2D, and DPM bar codes omnidirectionally; and a 2D long-range imager that can capture 1D and 2D bar codes up to 30 feet away. (Motorola Solutions, www.motorolasolutions.com)

Cushioning film: Sealed Air has released antistatic cushioning film that can be used on its NewAir I.B. Express inflatable cushioning system.

The new high-performance film is the only inflatable cushioning material on the market that meets military specifications for electrostatic discharge, surface resistivity, and creep performance. These properties make NewAir I.B. Anti-Static film a good protective-packaging solution for shipping static-sensitive electronic products. The inflated material provides superior product protection and maintains its cushioning properties throughout the shipping cycle.

NewAir I.B. Anti-Static film is produced on the NewAir I.B. Express system. The NewAir I.B. Express system creates Barrier Bubble material at 55 feet per minute in 12- and 24-inch film widths. At this speed, the system is fast enough to keep up with the most demanding packaging operations, the company says. (Sealed Air Corp., www.newairib.com) ;