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An industrial data collection terminal is a rugged device, built for dust, moisture and vibration, where operators on the line, in the warehouse or in the field start work orders, log quantities and scrap, and scan barcodes. Digital Bridge designs and builds the housing, readers and embedded software in-house and connects the terminal to your MES, WMS or ERP.
A standard PC next to a production line soon gives up against dust, vibration, humidity and gloved hands. When entering data is a chore, operators leave it until the end of the shift or skip it altogether, and however well your MES or ERP is set up, the data from the floor never arrives and reports end up based on guesswork.
We design and build each terminal for the conditions it will work in and the job it has to do. Enclosure, screen, reader and embedded software all come from the same team, so operators see only the screen they need: scan the barcode, enter the quantity, confirm. The record reaches your back-end systems straight away.
Example scenario: if operators on an assembly line write work orders, quantities and scrap on paper at the end of the shift, and the planning team keys the same figures into the ERP the next day, a terminal at the line turns those two steps into one. The operator scans the work-order barcode, enters the quantity and scrap, and the record goes straight to the back-end system, where it feeds production traceability and reporting. Nobody collects paper or types the same data twice, and managers see how the line is doing during the shift, not the next morning.
To plan how records will flow before the terminals go in, see our guides: how to run a stock count with a handheld terminal, what MES is and how it differs from ERP and our IoT and hardware guides.
IP-rated housing against dust and water, components suited to industrial temperature ranges and vibration-resistant mounting, with glove-friendly touch screens on request.
Barcode, QR, RFID or fingerprint readers are built into the housing: no trailing cables, no handheld scanners going missing.
We write the device software around your process. Each station shows only the steps it needs, so operators complete a record in a few taps.
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 4G or LoRa. If the network drops, records wait on the device and are sent automatically once it is back, so nothing is lost.
Because we build the device, we hold the design and bill of materials. Repairs and spares don't depend on a distributor's stock.
We see the environment, usage and operators on site, then set protection class, screen size and reader type. Technical feasibility is free of charge.
We design the electronics and housing and choose components. The prototype is tried at the real station and refined with operator feedback.
Device software and the back-end connection are built and tested under a real workload.
The approved design is produced, installed on site, and operators and maintenance staff are trained.
High minimum order quantities often make a pilot impossible on custom hardware projects. Because design and production sit with the same team, a pilot with a small number of devices is possible: try it at a few stations first, then roll out the same design once it has proved itself. Pilot quantity and timing are agreed together during the needs analysis.
Digital Bridge has developed software and hardware within one team since 2013. Technical feasibility for hardware projects is free of charge; after the needs analysis we set out scope, phases and cost in a written proposal. Tell us which station the terminal is for and what it needs to record, and we will settle the protection class, reader and connectivity together. If you need a custom device beyond a terminal, see our device manufacturing and IoT service.
An industrial data collection terminal is a rugged device where operators on the production line, in the warehouse or in the field start work orders, log quantities and scrap, and scan barcodes. It is built for dust, moisture and vibration where office PCs fail, and each record reaches your MES, WMS or ERP straight away.
Barcode, QR, RFID card or fingerprint readers are built into the housing, depending on the job, so there are no trailing cables or missing handheld scanners. Glove-friendly touch screens are available on request. Each station shows only the steps it needs, so operators complete a record in a few taps.
Yes. The terminal connects to ERP, MES, WMS or quality systems, and if middleware is needed in between, Digital Bridge writes that too. It communicates over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 4G or LoRa. If the network drops, records wait on the device and are sent automatically once it is back, so nothing is lost.
Yes, a pilot with a small number of devices is possible. Because design and production sit with the same team, the terminal is tried at a few stations first and the same design is rolled out once it has proved itself; pilot quantity and timing are agreed during the needs analysis. The process runs from environment analysis through prototype, embedded software and integration to series production and installation.
We first see the environment, usage and operators on site, then set protection class, screen size and reader type. Technical feasibility for hardware projects is free of charge. The prototype is then tried at the real station and refined with operator feedback before the approved design goes into production.
For some jobs an off-the-shelf handheld is enough, and we say so during discovery. A custom terminal makes the difference when the reader must be built into the housing, the device is fixed at a station, operators wear gloves, the enclosure must withstand dust and moisture, or the screen should show only that station's steps. One team builds the device, firmware and integration, so there is one point of contact for faults and changes.
Typical uses are starting work orders and logging quantities and scrap on the production line, goods receipt and stock counts in the warehouse, measurement and reject records in quality control, maintenance and fault reports at machines, vehicle and load checks at dispatch gates, entry and exit records in cold stores, and site records on construction projects. Terminals for staff time tracking and canteens are used together with SmartPass.
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