Rugged SA – specialised distributor of durable, ruggedised technologies – now brings Chainway Information Technology Co’s ruggedised RFID and bar code scanners and printers to South Africa’s manufacturing, warehouse and logistics and retail industries.
Johan Harmse, Chainway sales expert at Rugged SA, says Rugged SA focuses on Chainway’s handheld RFID readers and rugged bar code scanners, industrial tablets and industrial printers for the local market.
“With the partnership between Chainway and Rugged SA, we have successfully served a number of clients by aiding in the selection of some of the top products in order to improve their business processes,” he says.
Harmse says Chainway fills a gap in the market for cost-effective and advanced technology that is built to perform in harsh environments.
“Technology changes rapidly. You don’t want to purchase or upgrade every two or three years. Purchasing the correct device will save you time and money,” he says.
Harmse adds: “The bar code environment is evolving and the 1D linear bar code is rapidly changing to 2D bar coding. This means companies will need to upgrade their hardware, which can be a costly exercise. However, this upgrade will offer organisations more data to support faster decision-making. RFID labels or tags are also slowly overtaking bar code technology, but small to medium companies may find it difficult to adapt due to the costs associated with RFID hardware, software and consumables.”
“Customers are constantly looking for cost-effective solutions. Chainway is one of the world’s leading brands, with customers in over 140 countries. It consistently improves its products and invests in R&D to add value to its mobile computers, RFID handheld, RFID fixed readers and desktop label printers,” he says.
“Chainway aims to offer turnkey solutions for data collection, inventory and asset management control. Chainway also offers many accessories and additional solutions like NFC, fingerprint/biometrics, RFID, standard range or extended scanning range to enhance efficiency, maximise productivity and reduce operational costs.”
Chainway use cases
Harmse says Chainway products can be found in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, government, mining, public sector, warehousing, banking and agricultural sectors.
Importantly, Chainway is compatible with leading ERP systems and applications including Sage, SAP and Linux, and focuses on the Android operating system. The solutions integrate with mobile applications like visitor management systems, stock take solutions, vehicle inspection, facilities management, asset management, livestock management, supply chain, logistics and fleet management.
Highlighting a typical use case for retail, he says: “Chainway caters for businesses of all sizes – from SME retailers through to the full FMCG ecosystem. Chainway solutions support in-store, back-office, warehouse and logistics processes. Drivers can also use Chainway mobile computers or tablets for EPOD (electronic proof of delivery) solutions or collection.”
Chainway devices can also be integrated with functions like time and attendance via bar code, biometrics, NFC or RFID technology, geo tagging in the public or security sector, perimeter checks, asset management for fixed or moveable asset auditing and control, incident reporting with data collection or capturing of images, electricity meter reading, ticket checking management, electronic management of gas, tool management and mobile healthcare management.
Harmse notes: “This technology helps organisations change from manual to digital processes, which increase productivity and reduce costs. We have many successful case studies for any industry.”
Chainway options
Chainway mobile computers or tablets can be ordered with or without bar code scan engine, RFID attachments or built-in options, standard battery or extended battery capacity, different charging options, mount options for vehicles or forklift application and fingerprint modules.
Chainway started their first desktop label printer series in 2022 and currently offers two models – the CP20 and CP30 RFID. The printers are available in 203dpi or 300dpi print resolution and are capable of printing in direct thermal or thermal transfer printing methods. RFID encoding is optional, with various connectivity options available.
Chainway works in close partnership with Impinj in research and development of RFID products and applications, and is also set to release its first 5G UHF RFID reader in the third quarter of this year.
Rugged SA helps support buying decisions with a full breakdown of extended warranty options, comprehensive cover options, preventative maintenance options, protective gear accessories, capex or opex options.
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