Anyone wishing to automate, optimise or simply make a modern warehouse run more efficiently often starts with something less spectacular than robots, shuttles or AI: the data. After all, without reliable information about the dimensions and weight of products and pallets, it becomes difficult to make optimal use of storage space, choose the right packaging, calculate shipping costs accurately or automate processes intelligently.
This is precisely where Cubiscan makes the difference. At Logistica Next, authorised Cubiscan distributor Inther Group will demonstrate how the automatic measurement and weighing of products contributes to better master data and more efficient logistics processes. The main highlight at the stand is the Cubiscan 325, alongside a Cubiscan 100 for regularly shaped items.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and your company?
Inther Group is a hybrid systems integrator specialising in intralogistics. We analyse, design, build and optimise solutions for the automated picking, packing, storage and sorting of items in warehouses. In doing so, we combine software, hardware and automation with service and support throughout the entire lifecycle of a system.
Cubiscan fits seamlessly into this. As an official distributor, we supply various Cubiscan systems for the automatic measurement and weighing of products and pallets. In doing so, we help companies build up reliable product master data and make it immediately available for their logistics processes and WMS.
What is the innovation you’re showcasing at the trade fair, and what makes it unique?
The Cubiscan 325 takes centre stage at Logistica Next. This is the top-of-the-range model in the Cubiscan range and can measure and weigh both regularly shaped and irregularly shaped items, as well as packaged goods. Examples include boxes, polybags, clothing, rucksacks and tools.
Its strength lies in the combination of speed, accuracy and the ability to measure even products that do not fit neatly into a cube shape. The Cubiscan 325 measures dimensions to an accuracy of 1 millimetre and records weight in 2-gram increments. Depending on the product and the application, the operational speed ranges from 3 to 7 seconds.
This goes beyond mere measurement. The collected data can be made directly available to the ERP or WMS system. This creates reliable master data that can be used immediately in operations.
Alongside the Cubiscan 325, we are demonstrating a Cubiscan 100. This system is specifically designed for regularly shaped, cube-shaped products. Here, too, the focus is on the rapid and accurate collection of reliable dimensional and weight data.
What market trends or challenges prompted this development?
Warehouses are becoming increasingly complex. The number of SKUs is growing, product ranges are changing more rapidly and, at the same time, available space is under pressure. Automation and digitalisation can solve many of these challenges, but only if the data on which the systems operate is accurate.
This makes accurate product master data increasingly important.
At first glance, an incorrect weight or dimension might seem like a minor issue. In an automated warehouse, however, such a discrepancy can have knock-on effects on storage locations, slotting, packaging choices and order processing. During transport, incorrect dimensions or weights of items and/or pallets can lead to discrepancies between expected and actual shipping costs, resulting in unnecessary additional costs.
Manual measuring and data entry is also time-consuming and prone to errors. Cubiscan automates precisely that part of the process.
How does the solution help to improve processes and business operations?
It starts with something very concrete: collecting reliable data more quickly.
Cubiscan automatically measures length, width, height and weight. This reduces the need for manual data entry and minimises the risk of human error. The measurement data is then transferred directly to the WMS or another system where the product master data is managed.
This data then influences several aspects of the logistics operation. For example, accurate dimensions help to utilise warehouse space more efficiently and improve slotting. They can also be used to select the right packaging and calculate shipping costs more accurately.
This is particularly relevant for e-commerce businesses and logistics service providers. When carriers calculate charges based on actual weight or volumetric weight, accurate dimensions and weight data help to prevent unexpected transport costs and disputes over dimensions.
The Cubiscan 325 offers a further key advantage: its technology enables even irregularly shaped products and packaging to be measured. For example, the sensor can measure through transparent packaging materials such as polybags. This helps to collect data that more accurately reflects the actual situation in the warehouse.
Ultimately, the result is more than just an accurate database. Better data forms the basis for more efficient operations, lower costs and, consequently, higher profits. Cubiscan therefore pays for itself in no time at all.
What is your vision for the future of the sector?
The future of intralogistics is becoming increasingly data-driven. Robots, automation, WMS systems and smart software can only function optimally when they have access to reliable information.
That is why we are seeing the importance of product master data continue to grow. Not as an administrative afterthought, but as the foundation of logistics operations.
An interesting development is that measurement is increasingly ceasing to be a separate process. The data collected during measurement must become an immediate part of the digital supply chain: from product data to the WMS, from the WMS to storage and order processing, and ultimately to packaging and transport.
That is precisely where the strength of a solution like Cubiscan lies: a relatively simple step in the process creates value across multiple links in the supply chain.
What can visitors expect when they visit your stand?
Visitors can see the Cubiscan technology in action. The Cubiscan 325 will take centre stage. We’ll be demonstrating how the system measures and weighs both regular and irregularly shaped products, as well as packaged goods, and how quickly that information becomes available.
There will also be live demonstrations of a Cubiscan 100 for regularly shaped items. This will allow visitors to see for themselves the differences between the various applications and discover which type of system best suits their product range and logistics process.
Of course, there’s scope to discuss your specific situation. After all, the question isn’t whether a company needs a Cubiscan, but rather which Cubiscan is right for them. Because, whichever way you look at it, you simply need accurate data to make a warehouse operate more efficiently.
Why should visitors definitely not miss your stand?
Because at a trade fair like Logistica Next, it’s easy to be drawn in by the spectacular side of automation. Robots move, systems sort and software displays impressive dashboards. But beneath all that technology lies something far more fundamental: accurate master data.
With the Cubiscan 325, we demonstrate how you can establish that foundation automatically, quickly and accurately – even when products aren’t perfectly rectangular.
Anyone wishing to discover the impact that accurate product data can have on storage, slotting, packaging, transport and automation would therefore be well advised to visit Inther Group.
Because smarter automation can sometimes start surprisingly simply: by first knowing exactly what you’ve got.
Visit Inther Group at Logistica Next from 3 to 5 November and discover what reliable product data can do for your warehouse: Stand 07.B038 Order a free ticket here.
