Zelo Scanner

Material and Production Tracking Barcode Scanning System

Version 1.0 | Zelo Industrial Solutions d.o.o.

Executive Summary

Manufacturing operations lose 2–5% of productive capacity to manual tracking, misrouted parts, and delayed quality interventions. Zelo Shop-Floor Scanner eliminates these losses by placing intelligent barcode scanning at every work center, connecting operators directly to the production control system in real time.

Unlike traditional MES barcode modules that rely on periodic batch uploads or fragile HTTP polling, Zelo uses a message-driven architecture built on NATS — delivering sub-second response times and zero data loss even under unreliable factory network conditions.

The result: every element is tracked from creation to completion, every operator action is recorded, and quality issues are caught at the point of origin — not at final inspection.

The Problem

Modern discrete manufacturing faces a persistent gap between planning systems (ERP/MES) and the physical shop floor:

Challenge	Impact
Paper-based tracking	Delays of hours or days before production data reaches MES
Manual data entry	3–7% error rate in operator-reported quantities and times
Lost elements	Parts misrouted between work centers with no visibility
Late quality detection	Defective parts processed through multiple operations before being caught
No real-time status	Production managers making decisions on stale data

Existing solutions either require expensive MES suite upgrades (€50k–200k+) or rely on fragile custom integrations that break under real factory conditions — intermittent Wi-Fi, dusty environments, and operators wearing gloves.

The Solution

Zelo Shop-Floor Scanner is a purpose-built barcode scanning system designed for the demands of discrete manufacturing. It runs on ruggedized Zebra handheld devices and connects to your existing ERP/MES through a lightweight middleware layer.

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    FACTORY FLOOR                        │
│                                                         │
│   📱 Scanner 1     📱 Scanner 2     📱 Scanner N       │
│   (Work Center A)  (Work Center B)  (Work Center ...)   │
│         │               │                │              │
└─────────┼───────────────┼────────────────┼──────────────┘
          │               │                │
          ▼               ▼                ▼
    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │         NATS Message Broker             │
    │     (Real-time, fault-tolerant)         │
    └────────────────┬────────────────────────┘
                     │
                     ▼
    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │     Zelo Processing Server              │
    │  • Command routing & validation         │
    │  • Business rule enforcement            │
    │  • Multi-device state management        │
    └────────────────┬────────────────────────┘
                     │
                     ▼
    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │     Your ERP / MES System               │
    │     (REST API integration)              │
    └─────────────────────────────────────────┘

One scan. Instant feedback. Full traceability.

An operator scans a barcode → the system identifies the entity (element, operator, work center, or order) → applies business rules → executes the action in the backend → confirms to the operator — all within under one second.

Key Capabilities

1. Real-Time Element Tracking

Every construction element carries a barcode. Scanning it at any work center instantly shows:

Current status (waiting, in process, quality check, completed)
Which work center should process it next
Whether it's already being processed elsewhere
Full processing history

Business rules are enforced automatically:

Elements can only be started at the correct work center
Concurrent processing is prevented unless the work center explicitly allows it
Completed orders are automatically cleared to prevent misassignment

2. Inline Quality Control

Quality inspection happens at the point of production, not at a separate QC station:

Operators can flag elements for quality review at any stage
Elements can be marked as valid (continue production) or scrap (remove from production)
Scrapped elements automatically trigger replacement order creation — no manual intervention needed
Quality status is immediately visible across all work centers

3. Operator Management

Badge-scan login — no passwords, no typing with gloves
Each scanner tracks its logged-in operator independently
All processing actions are attributed to the responsible operator
Operators can log out and hand off devices between shifts seamlessly

4. Work Center & Order Context

Operators select their work center by scanning a station barcode or choosing from a list
Production orders can be mandatory or optional per work center (configurable)
Order completion is detected automatically — preventing stale order associations

5. Scan History & Auditability

Last 10 scans per device are immediately accessible for review
Every action creates a traceable record in the backend system
Operators can re-examine any recent scan for details

Technical Differentiators

Message-Driven Architecture (NATS)

Unlike HTTP-based solutions that suffer from timeouts, connection drops, and polling overhead, Zelo uses NATS messaging — a technology proven at scale by companies like Synadia, Netlify, and Mastercard.

Feature	HTTP Polling	Zelo (NATS)
Latency	1–5 seconds (poll interval)	< 100ms
Network resilience	Connection drops = data loss	Auto-reconnect with resubscription
Server push	Not possible	Native pub/sub
Scalability	1 connection per request	Multiplexed on single connection

Native Zebra EMDK Integration

Zelo integrates directly with Zebra's Enterprise Mobility Development Kit — the same SDK used by major logistics companies (DHL, FedEx, Amazon warehouses):

Hardware trigger scanning — operators use the physical scan button, not touchscreen
Continuous scan mode — rapid successive scans without re-triggering
Multi-format support — Code39, Code128, EAN-13, EAN-8
Bluetooth scanner support — works with connected external Zebra scanners

Hybrid UI Architecture

The user interface runs as a native-embedded web application — combining the reliability of native Android with the flexibility of web technologies:

UI updates can be deployed without app store releases
Works in full kiosk mode — operators can't accidentally exit or navigate away
PIN-protected settings — only administrators can modify device configuration

Deployment Model

Zelo is designed for minimal infrastructure footprint:

Component	Requirement
Scanner Devices	Any Zebra Android device with EMDK (TC52, TC56, TC72, MC33, etc.)
Server	Single Docker container (< 100MB, < 256MB RAM)
Message Broker	NATS server (single binary, < 20MB)
Network	Standard factory Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz)
Backend	Any ERP/MES with REST API capability

Typical deployment timeline: 1–2 weeks from contract to production.

Integration

Zelo connects to your existing systems through a REST API adapter layer. Current proven integrations:

Zelo DigiRN (native MES platform)
Any system exposing REST endpoints for:
- User authentication
- Element/part lookup and status updates
- Work center management
- Production order management

Custom API adapters can be developed for SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or proprietary MES systems.

Return on Investment

Based on deployments in discrete manufacturing environments:

Metric	Before Zelo	After Zelo	Improvement
Data entry delay	4–8 hours	Real-time	~100%
Tracking error rate	3–7%	< 0.1%	95%+
Quality detection time	End of line	At source	80–90% faster
Scrap re-order time	1–2 days (manual)	Instant (automatic)	~100%
Operator onboarding	2–4 hours training	15-minute walkthrough	75–90% faster

Typical payback period: 3–6 months for a 5–10 work center deployment.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Mobile OS	Android 8.0+ (API 26+)
Scanner SDK	Zebra EMDK 7.6+
Messaging Protocol	NATS 2.x (TLS supported)
Server Runtime	Node.js 16+ (Docker)
API Protocol	REST/JSON over HTTPS
Authentication	JWT bearer tokens
Barcode Formats	Code39, Code128, EAN-13, EAN-8 (extensible)
UI Framework	HTML5 / Bootstrap / jQuery
Localization	Croatian (additional languages on request)
Max Concurrent Devices	Limited only by NATS capacity (1000+)

For technical demonstrations, proof-of-concept deployments, or partnership inquiries, contact Zelo Industrial Solutions d.o.o.