Industrial Fluid Systems Blog

RoboCrib™ Vending Machine Provides 24/7 Access to Components

Vending machine tracks inventory, issues real-time reports and frees up staff.

edmonton valve inventory

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It's a high-tech vending machine that swiftly dispenses a wide range of components or products, keeps track of who is taking parts and what job they're for, and then prepares inventory reports for management. The configurable machines come in several different sizes so you can store anywhere from 500, 1100, or 2000 parts. The largest of the three dispensers is slightly bigger than five feet by five feet.

Touch-screen ease

Here's how it works. When someone needs a part, he or she logs in with a user name and password, using RoboCrib's™ touch-screen keyboard. The screen identifies the functions that person is authorized to perform, and the user interface provides real-time visibility to the inventory. Once the associate types in the part number and the job number or purchase order, RoboCrib brings the right part to the front and automatically opens the door, all in less than 10 seconds and with a level of security unmatched in the industry.

RoboCrib's software application manages all inventory transactions and supports multiple levels of control and security. With the secure access control you can limit the use of any inventory item to a specific quantity for each day, week, or month. RoboCrib can send instant alerts to management when a job is using an abnormal number of components. You can limit access by dollar amount, departmental budget, or time restrictions by shift.  Over 150 different reports are pre-designed and built into the system and the system interfaces with Swagelok’s business system software.

The bins also are easy to reconfigure, so one machine can dispense parts as small as a single tube fitting and as large as a sample cylinder. The time between refills varies with the customer, of course. Some may need to restock once a week, others may go several weeks.

Winning reviews

RoboCrib not only frees up space, it can free up labour. Customers who have used RoboCrib are quick to see its benefits.

Says James Dickie, Robocrib specialist for Edmonton Valve & Fitting, “A neat thing is that instead of having someone handing out safety glasses or other items, they can be doing a job that is more important to the company. And management falls in love with it because they know where parts are going."

If you'd like to have the parts you need accessible 24/7, freeing your labour force for more productive use, download the RoboCrib brochure.

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