Brady TwinLead: Activate Your Products

Details

Hits: 56

A label stays on a product, but the information behind it can change. With TwinLead, Brady bridges physical markings with digital product data, turning a QR code into a permanent gateway to documentation, service, and compliance information.

From a Label to a Digital Access Point

The concept of a label is usually straightforward: it sticks to a product and displays information. But what happens when that information changes? This is precisely where Brady comes in with TwinLead. The software links physical identification markings with digital product data, turning an ordinary label into a lasting gateway to information, documents, and service offerings.

TwinLead is Brady’s Digital Product Platform. It links Brady labels to a cloud-based digital twin. Every appropriately labelled product receives a verifiable digital identity that can be accessed with a smartphone via a QR code—no additional app required.

The decisive difference compared to traditional identification lies behind the QR code. Printed information is permanent once the label is applied. By contrast, the digitally hosted contents in TwinLead can be updated at any time.

This becomes particularly compelling for products that remain in service for years. Operating manuals, technical specifications, and compliance details no longer need to remain locked to their production-day status. Companies can update the stored data while the original label stays on the product.

With a single scan, users can retrieve product specifications, manuals, videos, or support resources. Direct service requests, spare part orders, and repeat purchases can also be tied directly to the respective product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8nO3G3zS6c

A QR Code Accompanies the Product

Setup is handled through a no-code platform. Companies first determine which digital information should be associated with an item. Product attributes and documentation can be maintained in a single central repository.

Next, TwinLead generates unique, serialized QR codes for individual product units. These can be incorporated into existing production marking workflows or pre-printed directly by Brady.

This ensures that not just an entire product line, but - if desired - each individual unit receives its own digital identity. The associated data can then be centrally managed and updated remotely.

New printing hardware is not strictly required. According to Brady, TwinLead works seamlessly with existing Brady printers and label materials. The QR code simply becomes part of the existing label layout.

Brady sees key applications across industries including electronics, manufacturing, EV and battery technology, energy and utilities, and field services.

Product Information Never Needs to Go Out of Date

This highlights Brady’s core objective with TwinLead. While a standard QR code often points only to a generic website, TwinLead goes a step further by connecting individual products permanently to a centrally managed digital identity.

Manufacturers can continue to maintain product data long after an item has left the factory floor. New documentation, revised notices, and supplementary information can be pushed out dynamically at any time.

For end users, the experience of accessing product information changes as well. Instead of searching for paper manuals or contacting customer support, users retrieve everything on demand directly at the point of use via the product marking.

Brady also highlights the ability to streamline customer support: answers to frequently asked questions, troubleshooting workflows, and deeper technical resources are readily accessible right on the asset.

In addition, there is the regulatory dimension. Brady points to emerging mandates such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP), the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and Right to Repair initiatives. For the Digital Product Passport, TwinLead offers dedicated templates pre-configured with required fields such as manufacturer details, origin, compliance records, and certifications.

Enterprise-Grade Security and Infrastructure

Product and label data are hosted by default on infrastructure within the European Union. The platform also supports role-based access control and comprehensive audit logging.

With TwinLead, Brady expands its foundational identification portfolio into the digital realm. While the physical label remains anchored to the product, the data behind it continues to evolve—transforming a piece of labeling into an intelligent touchpoint connecting product, manufacturer, and user.

Learn more about TwinLead or book a demo!

Brady EMEA

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.brady.eu

How WayKen Controls Alignment in Machine Vision Camera Housings

Details

Hits: 133

Machine vision housings do more than protect cameras. Their mounting faces, threaded holes, optical openings, and internal interfaces determine whether the camera remains positioned correctly to the target. In custom manufacturing, even small shifts in housing geometry can change optical alignment, focus, or repeatability. Machining therefore has to control deformation, feature position, surface condition, and assembly relationships together rather than treating the enclosure as a simple protective shell.

Mechanical Alignment Directly Affects Machine Vision Performance

In a camera housing, the way it's mounted determines where everything else in the machine vision system sits mechanically. In a 5-axis CNC machining center, since the mounting holes on the base are moving relative to the optical window opening, there will be no possibility of the camera being perfectly aligned. A warped surface at which the camera mounts will produce tilt. If there are variations in the threads of the parts to be fastened with screws, then it may become impossible to mount covers or internal brackets uniformly.

WayKen's imaging-device housing represents all of these requirements. The 253 x 160 x 115mm aluminum housing is very thin (only 3.5mm), and has an uncommon configuration of eight sides of an internal, hollowed out area. Removing material would create stress relieving forces that would likely warp the part; therefore WayKen chose 6061-T6 aluminum stock and specified machining parameters and coolant usage along with using fixturing to support both the cavity and underside of blind holes created during the custom manufacturing process.

This imaging housing included some blind holes and undercuts as well. Consequently, WayKen needed to use special tools and five-axis machining.

Thin Walls and Multiple Interfaces Complicate Camera Housing Machining
The thin walls of the camera housing component are prone to damage from cutting forces; they vibrate during machining and may become hot. The unsupported cavities of the housing will deform during removal of the material, which will cause the locations of the surfaces that will house lenses, sensors, covers, and electronic circuits to change. Therefore, workholding must provide sufficient support without inducing too much clamping distortion.

As another example, WayKen's marine thermal imaging housing has several examples of how difficult it is to machine a housing with deep cavities (78.5mm) and very thin walls (1.5mm). To prevent breakage and deformation, WayKen relieved the stresses in the 6061-T6 aluminum prior to machining. Additionally, WayKen cut at slower speeds than usual, and continuously reviewed and modified the toolpath designs. 

Assembly interfaces often need to have precise features and surface finish. On this housing, one of the assembly interfaces needed to be finished to a surface finish of Ra 1.6μm and therefore was fine-milled. A sealing groove was milled using a high-precision method for a rubber sealant to fit into. Two threaded holes also needed to have a tolerance on their location from reference points of ± 0.025mm. When selecting a CNC milling service, these requirements demonstrate the necessity of machining optical housings based on the functions of each interface.

Treatment of the surface can also impact alignment. WayKen treated the interior assembly surface of the housing with chromate conversion coating, and then anodized the exterior surface with black hard anodize. Masking was applied over the threaded holes and other areas that would be damaged if exposed.

How WayKen Controls Housing Geometry and Assembly Relationships

Process planning should identify the features that establish the camera and housing relationship before selecting machining operations. Critical faces can become machining datums, while hole locations, openings, and threads are controlled from those references. Reducing unnecessary repositioning can help preserve these relationships.

WayKen’s imaging housing used 5-axis machining to access its different faces with 

fewer clamping operations. Its marine housing similarly used 5-axis CNC machining. This approach reduced the multiple clamping positions that three-axis milling would require and helped preserve accuracy.

Inspection should verify dimensions and relationships. For CNC milling services, checking hole positions, mounting faces, surface roughness, and assembly interfaces provides more useful evidence than measuring overall size alone. WayKen also performs trial assembly on the imaging housing, confirming that cover through-holes align with the housing’s threaded holes and that deformation has not compromised fit.

For CNC milling services, process control must continue through finishing and assembly verification. Masking, cleaning blind holes, and protecting treated surfaces can prevent debris or coating from interfering with threaded connections.

Conclusion

Machine vision housings require controlled geometry because enclosure establishes the camera’s physical reference. Thin walls, deep cavities, undercuts, threaded interfaces, sealing features, and surface treatments can all influence alignment. WayKen’s examples show how material selection, fixtures, toolpaths, 5-axis machining, controlled finishing, and trial assembly work together. When manufacturing uses 5-axis CNC machining and inspection follow functional assembly requirements, housing geometry can support stable camera positioning and repeatable imaging performance.

Industrial-grade tablets: greater flexibility and functionality in manufacturing and logistics

Details

Hits: 122

When errors occur in industrial processes, the cause is rarely found in the machines themselves. Often it is inconsistent processes and data disconnects in the communication chains that hinder efficiency. Tablets designed specifically for industrial use can bridge these digital gaps. They enable digitalization and, as a result, a noticeable optimization of production and logistics processes. However, this requires thorough specification and customization of the hardware and software to fit the specific work environment.

The path to a truly smart factory inevitably involves the consistent digitalization of processes directly on the shop floor. Modern wireless technologies make data and processes accessible and visible in a decentralized manner. However, consumer hardware quickly reaches its limits in this context. What is needed are devices that combine a large screen size and high processing power with the necessary ruggedness to withstand dust, moisture, drops, and vibrations to ensure reliability. Industrial-grade tablets offer decisive business and operational advantages in this demanding environment:

Accurate data capture: Thanks to scan modules, modern camera systems, and AI analysis, data can be captured quickly and, above all, accurately in many situations, thereby significantly improving data quality within the company.

Error reduction through AR/VR: By displaying live overlays of the components requiring maintenance, potentially in conjunction with AR glasses, the error rate can be significantly reduced and productivity increased.

Mobile ERP and MES integration: Tablets running Windows as operating system can execute standard software and can therefore be easily integrated into existing ERP, WMS, and MES infrastructures. This eliminates the need for a subsequent, error-prone transfer of information from paper to IT systems.

On-site documentation: Work order management and the documentation of completed tasks, including photos, can be carried out directly on-site. This ensures that all systems are always up to date. Companies can also maintain audit-proof records of which activities were performed.

Secure internet communication: Thanks to biometric authentication, NFC readers beneath the display, 5G, Wi-Fi communication, and comprehensive encryption—both for data storage and information transmission—tablets are perfectly equipped to meet all security-related requirements.

Industrial-grade tablets from Pepperl+Fuchs

To successfully implement such mobile strategies, companies are increasingly turning to specialized manufacturers. Pepperl+Fuchs is a prime example of this approach. With the Tab-IND series, developed specifically for demanding outdoor use, the company addresses the unique challenges of industrial environments. The advantage of in-house development lies in its adaptability: components can be flexibly modified, for example, using so-called SmartBacks. For certain minimum order quantities, the production of customer-specific extensions is also possible. For the end user, this means a high level of investment security as well as fewer interfaces, since hardware support and system integration come from a single source.

The Tab-IND series exemplifies the modular approach of modern industrial hardware. Application-specific modules can be added via rear interfaces, including infrared barcode scanners, power packs for shift operation, or specialized adapters for machine and vehicle fitting. Available in 8- and 10-inch models with Android or Windows operating systems, they enable use even under extreme conditions thanks to brightness levels of up to 700 cd/m² and a wide temperature range (-20° to +50° Celsius). Operation remains precise even when wearing work gloves or in wet conditions. The tablets natively support all current wireless communication standards (Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 BLE, 5G, or LTE). They feature a built-in NFC reader beneath the front screen for convenient authentication.

In industrial settings, the mobile portfolio is often supplemented by stationary units. Pepperl+Fuchs offers kiosk terminals (15- and 22-inch, Android 15) for this purpose, which are ideal for access control, as information dashboards, or for interactive workflows at central hubs.

Typical use case: on the production line

In modern manufacturing environments, tablets are increasingly complementing permanently installed HMI terminals at individual workstations. The resulting mobility enables new process steps: components or car bodies equipped with RFID or UWB tags can be scanned directly on the assembly line. The tablet synchronizes immediately with the work order management system and provides the worker with context-sensitive tasks.

The added value is also evident in maintenance. Maintenance technicians use mobile devices to read machine data on-site and proactively initiate tool changes via predictive maintenance applications. A key driver of efficiency here is the interaction between the tablets and the sensors installed in the facility. Not only can sensor data be securely retrieved via the device, but the sensors can also be configured directly and used for diagnostic purposes.

Typical use case: warehouse management

Intralogistics requires the highest levels of speed and precision, such as when transporting goods via industrial trucks. Modern industrial tablets support the process right from the moment the operator gets on board: The operator is authenticated contactless via the integrated NFC reader. The system ensures that only authorized personnel operate the vehicle, automatically provides digital work packages, and simultaneously regulates the approved routes.

During operation, the tablet serves as the central navigation and control unit. Through integration with inventory management and ERP systems (e.g., SAP), inventory levels can be scanned and reconciled in real time, either via the built-in camera, connected handheld scanners, or RFID bulk capture that takes just seconds. The system calculates route-optimized paths for the forklift and automatically documents transport orders. Switching between the vehicle dock (including a charging function) and mobile handheld use is ergonomic and can be done in a single motion.

Typical use case: logistics support

Similar opportunities exist in traditional logistics, particularly in order picking. Industrial-grade tablets combine picking, scanning, and shipping operations in a single device or in combination with a handheld scanner. To account for physical strain, ergonomic carrying and strap systems are essential.

In addition, the hardware already offers the performance reserves needed for future AI-supported applications. For example, camera-based systems will be able to automatically verify whether the correct component has been removed from a bulk goods bin. In conjunction with current mobile communication standards, the tablet remains permanently connected to the central IT infrastructure, which significantly accelerates inventory processes.

A comprehensive solution

A rugged tablet for industrial environments—one that can be configured and expanded modularly and puts an end to the paper-based processes of the past—can significantly boost productivity in companies and increase employee satisfaction. As a one-stop system solution provider, Pepperl+Fuchs not only has the right hardware and software but, thanks to decades of industrial experience, also possesses the expertise to offer solutions optimally tailored to the customer’s needs or to develop them upon request.

https://www.pepperl-fuchs.com/

The connected cold chain: why lift truck technologies matter in food processing

Details

Hits: 134

To tackle operational changes, many food processing facilities are looking past just individual equipment selection and fleet composition. Instead, exploring how integrated technologies can also play a valuable part in helping create connected, responsive, and efficient operations.

Solutions beyond lift trucks

Lift trucks, pallet trucks, and other warehouse equipment are often viewed as tools for transporting loads. In reality, they have the potential to generate valuable operational data.

For food processing sites, a delay in moving ingredients to production lines, inefficiencies in cold stores, or product damage during handling can have consequences far beyond warehouse efficiency. They can affect product quality, lead to waste, impact customer service, and increase operating costs.

A more holistic approach, combining lift trucks with technologies such as telemetry, operator assistance technology, advanced battery solutions, and application-specific engineering, may help provide more precise visibility into operations and empower managers to make more informed and data-led decisions.

The cold store challenge

Few materials handling environments are as severe as cold storage. Equipment reliability becomes particularly important, as unplanned downtime can have a direct impact on efficiency and operational continuity. This is where integrated technologies can add value.

For example, telemetry systems can provide insight into truck utilisation, helping managers identify underused assets, monitor operating patterns, and support proactive maintenance planning. Similarly, operator assistance technologies like lights and sensors can support drivers working in challenging visibility conditions or busy storage areas.

Data-driven decision making

Food processing facilities often operate multiple truck types across different applications. Better visibility into fleet activity assist managers to identify bottlenecks, improve equipment utilisation, support maintenance planning, and make more informed decisions about fleet investment.

Integrated telemetry solutions can monitor factors such as usage hours, impacts, idle time, and maintenance requirements. This information can be particularly valuable during periods of seasonal or fluctuating demand, allowing operations to optimise fleet deployment and potentially avoid unnecessary equipment costs. It is easy to assume “we need more trucks” but the data may reveal that the fleet is sufficient, and there is equipment spending large parts of a shift idle.

Just as importantly, operational data helps food processing facilities make improvements based on facts, not guesswork. A supervisor might say that the cold store is causing excessive downtime. However, the data might show that most downtime stems from impacts and operator-related issues, not the environment itself.

Supporting operator performance

Busy environments, shift work, and demanding schedules can create challenges that affect consistency and efficiency. Operator assistance technologies may support performance by improving awareness of surrounding activity, encouraging consistent driving practices, and providing additional support in challenging work areas such as cold stores or congested warehouse zones if the specific application requires it.

As food processing businesses continue to focus on productivity, quality, waste reduction, and cost control, access to better operational insight is becoming increasingly important. By combining application-specific materials handling equipment with integrated technologies, operations may be better positioned to make informed decisions, optimise workflows, and build a more resilient future-ready operation.

www.yale.com