ZigBee Facilitates Rapid Warehouse Search and Management for Zipper Factories

I. Background

A renowned zipper manufacturer primarily produces apparel and luggage accessories such as buttons, zippers, metal products, plastic products, webbing, cords, and labels. It is a leading Chinese enterprise in the global apparel accessories industry, serving as the Vice President Unit of the Button Branch under the China Daily Necessities Industry Association and the Vice Chairman Unit of the Zipper Branch under the China Hardware Association. It is also a primary drafting unit for Chinese button and zipper industry standards and the first listed company in China's button and zipper industry.

II. Challenges and Opportunities

The factory operates multiple workshops and warehouses. Among them, the warehouse of the zipper subsidiary faces challenges in asset management. Currently, asset locating and inventory counting rely heavily on manual operations, which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient. To enhance asset management efficiency, the client sought an intelligent positioning solution.

III. Solutions

Solution 1: 4G Android Handheld Terminal + Low-Power Active Audio-Visual Tag

✩ 4G Android Handheld Terminal Reader

When warehouse personnel are away from computers and cannot easily access software information, the 4G Android handheld reader can be used. It enables inventory counting and audible/visual tag locating within a range of approximately 50 meters from the target asset area.

• Long-range reading of electronic tags, with a reading distance of up to 100 meters in open areas.
• Can establish a data transmission channel with tag modules, with a wireless transmission distance of up to 200 meters.
• Auto-focus dual cameras, rear 13MP / front 5.0MP (optional).
• 5.0-inch industrial-grade capacitive touchscreen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, supports multi-touch, drop-resistant screen.
• Hardware-decoded QR code laser positioning scan head, supports various barcode types.
• Full network support for CMCC 4M: LTE B1, B3, B5, B7, B8, B20, B38, B39, B40, B41; WCDMA 1/2/5/8; GSM 2/3/5/8.
• Supports WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/a/ac, 2.4G+5G dual-band WiFi.

• Supports BT4.0 (BLE).
• Supports BeiDou/GPS/Glonass positioning.
• Equipped with a 3.7V 10000mAh high-voltage, high-capacity lithium battery, providing over 600 hours of ultra-long standby time.
• Special structure and external cushioning design, reliable performance against drops from up to 1.5 meters.
• IP66 sealing standard, specifically designed to meet the demanding work environment requirements of enterprise users.

✩ Warehouse Tote Box Call & Locate Tag

• Capable of emitting light and sound, equipped with 3 high-brightness LED beads and 1 piezoelectric active buzzer.
• One ER14505 lithium battery can support up to 200 million transmissions; battery is user-replaceable.
• Total audio-visual alert duration is no less than 80 hours (excluding wireless transmission power consumption).
• Features low-voltage warning and real-time battery level display. After low-voltage warning, remaining power can support up to 10 million transmissions.
• Wireless transmission power: 3mW, transmission distance up to 100 meters, standby power consumption only 2uA.
• Uses the globally open 2.4GHz microwave frequency band, no license or fees required.
• Four magnetic pins allow easy attachment to ferrous surfaces; can also be installed using screws or cable ties.
• Housing made of PC engineering plastic, protection rating IP56, can withstand outdoor rain.
• Rectangular dimensions: 62mm*40mm*25mm (excluding side mounting lugs), weight 62 grams.
• Operating temperature: -40℃ to 70℃, suitable for use in extremely cold outdoor environments.

Solution 2: Location Server + Positioning Reader Base Station + Positioning Reader Antenna + Low-Power Active Audio-Visual Tag

Install West-HN reader base stations and antennas on warehouse walls. Attach active electronic tags to tote boxes. The reader base stations read the distance values and quantity information of tags relative to the base stations and report them to the location server. The location server calculates tag position data and quantity. The software interfaces with the location server to display tag locations and perform tag locating/calling operations.

✬ West-HN Wireless Network Reader Base Station (Single Reader Antenna) Features

• Can simultaneously detect up to 500 electronic tags; antenna detection distance up to 100 meters in open areas.
• Wireless communication distance not less than 2000 meters; simple networking and convenient deployment.
• Can measure the wireless signal field strength of electronic tags to calculate their actual distance.
• Can call tags for audio-visual alerts (applicable only to audio-visual tags).
• Reader antenna can be extended up to 50 meters (9600bps), facilitating installation and deployment.
• Wireless network interface can connect up to 16 wireless readers, offering good expandability.
• Provides open protocols, allowing third-party systems to easily communicate with the reader via network.
• Wide voltage power supply: 10～26V; current consumption not exceeding 800mA (at 12V).

✬ West-HN Wireless Reader Base Station (Single Reader Antenna) Features

• Can simultaneously detect up to 200 surrounding electronic tags; detection distance up to 100 meters in open areas.
• Wireless communication distance not less than 2000 meters; simple networking and convenient deployment.
• Waterproof reader antenna can be extended up to 50 meters (9600bps), convenient for on-site installation.
• Can measure the wireless signal field strength of electronic tags to calculate their actual distance.
• Wide voltage power supply: 10～26V; current consumption not exceeding 500mA (at 12V).
• Aluminum alloy housing, sturdy and durable. Side mounting brackets facilitate wall mounting.

✬ Positioning Location Server Features

• Can simultaneously connect to no less than 500 positioning base stations.
• Can simultaneously collect position information from no less than 10,000 electronic tags.
• Quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, 1.2GHz main frequency, 8GB internal storage space.
• Industrial-grade temperature range, suitable for various harsh environments.
• Embedded Linux operating system, stable and reliable.
• 9-30V wide voltage power supply, effectively filters power supply ripple.
• Communication interfaces are internally and externally isolated, with EMC protection and electrostatic protection.
• Full aluminum ice-spike heat dissipation chassis, fully sealed and fanless, suitable for various harsh environments.
• Open management protocol, allowing full integration of positioning functionality into your own system platform.

✬ Warehouse Tote Box Call & Locate Tag

• Capable of emitting light and sound, equipped with 3 high-brightness LED beads and 1 piezoelectric active buzzer.
• One ER14505 lithium battery can support up to 200 million transmissions; battery is user-replaceable.
• Total audio-visual alert duration is no less than 80 hours (excluding wireless transmission power consumption).
• Features low-voltage warning and real-time battery level display. After low-voltage warning, remaining power can support up to 10 million transmissions.
• Wireless transmission power: 3mW, transmission distance up to 100 meters, standby power consumption only 2uA.
• Uses the globally open 2.4GHz microwave frequency band, no license or fees required.
• Four magnetic pins allow easy attachment to ferrous surfaces; can also be installed using screws or cable ties.
• Housing made of PC engineering plastic, protection rating IP56, can withstand outdoor rain.
• Rectangular dimensions: 62mm*40mm*25mm (excluding side mounting lugs), weight 62 grams.
• Operating temperature: -40℃ to 70℃, suitable for use in extremely cold outdoor environments.

Solution 3: Wired Network Reader Base Station + Positioning Reader Antenna + Location Server + Low-Power Active Electronic Tag

✫ West-HN Wired Network Reader Base Station (Single Reader Antenna) Features

• Can simultaneously detect up to 500 electronic tags; antenna detection distance up to 100 meters in open areas.
• Can measure the wireless signal field strength of electronic tags to calculate their actual distance.
• Can call tags for audio-visual alerts (applicable only to audio-visual tags).
• Reader antenna can be extended up to 50 meters (9600bps), facilitating installation and deployment.
• RS485 interface can connect up to 32 485 readers, offering good expandability.
• Provides open protocols, allowing third-party systems to easily communicate with the reader via network.
• Provides SDK development kit, facilitating users in developing their own tag positioning management system.
• Wide voltage power supply: 10～26V; current consumption per reader not exceeding 500mA (at 12V).

✫ Positioning Location Server Features

✫ Mobile Asset Positioning Tag

• A 300mAH lithium battery can support up to 32 million transmissions.
• Features low-voltage warning and real-time battery level display. After low-voltage warning, remaining power can support up to 2.5 million transmissions.
• Housing made of ABS engineering plastic, ultrasonic welding, can withstand outdoor rain.
• Wireless transmission power: 3mW, transmission distance up to 100 meters, standby power consumption only 2uA.
• Uses the globally open 2.4GHz microwave frequency band, no license or fees required.
• Installation via adhesive backing or lanyard hanging; tag content and style can be customized.
• Ultra-thin design, housing dimensions: 72mm*33mm*4.6mm, weight only 13 grams.
• Operating temperature: -20℃ to 60℃.
• Inventory counting can be quickly completed using a handheld inventory terminal.
• Deploying a positioning system allows viewing real-time location, historical trajectory, in/out records, and other information.

IV. West-HN Technology ZigBee Positioning Principle

V. Achievements and Outlook

By implementing West-HN's intelligent positioning solution, the client's factory successfully enhanced warehouse asset management efficiency. The inconvenience and time-consuming costs associated with manual inventory counting were effectively reduced, while positioning accuracy and real-time performance were improved. Furthermore, the solution's openness and ease of expansion laid a solid foundation for future informatization development.

VI. Hainan West-HN Technology Co., Ltd.

Hainan West-HN Technology Co., Ltd., with the vision of "Making Industrial IoT Standardization Simpler," focuses on the IoT industry chain. It continuously conducts R&D in indoor positioning, sensor control, and data transmission products. Adopting a "Lego-like" production approach, it precisely meets the diverse yet small-quantity demand characteristics of industrial IoT products, providing solutions for complex environments and personalized needs, truly achieving a new supply-demand relationship with low inventory and high satisfaction.

The company has R&D centers in Shanghai, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Taipei. Upholding the group's nearly 40 years of strong business resources and reputation, it firmly believes in the business philosophy of "Being an Industry Expert." It excels in channels, is sensitive to the market, focuses on products, ensures reliability in R&D, stability in production, and quality in sales, always dedicated to the ultimate satisfaction of personalized scenario needs for industrial IoT clients.

Regarding products, we have both Zigbee positioning products developed by our in-house team over more than 10 years and UWB positioning products developed by teams in Shanghai and Taipei, meeting different client requirements for positioning accuracy. Simultaneously, the company also introduces Bluetooth positioning products to complement our self-developed solutions, comprehensively meeting the needs of various clients.

In terms of software support, we integrate overall solutions across industries, actively open interfaces and source code for system integrators to join, facilitating related software companies in showcasing cases based on our products, thereby broadening the application of IoT indoor positioning.