X-ray component reel counter

[NorthGuy]

If I had even a clue how many parts I had before I set out to make a package of PCB's  - I would not be ordering so many extra parts. At the moment, I have a half-baked system and counting takes a very long time.

Have you tried using some sort of inventory tracking with software? Seems easier than counting.

[rx8pilot]

If I had even a clue how many parts I had before I set out to make a package of PCB's  - I would not be ordering so many extra parts. At the moment, I have a half-baked system and counting takes a very long time.

Have you tried using some sort of inventory tracking with software? Seems easier than counting.

I sort of have a system, but it relies on me remembering to enter all the data  - detailed BOM, changes, substitutions, mess-up, prototypes, etc......

It gets real ugly real fast. Any system that relies heavily on people to enter accurate data everytime they do something, is not a good system.

[james_s]

I wonder if weight would work? A sensitive scale might provide an accurate enough measurement to adequately approximate the number of components in a reel. Even the xray counter would rely on some manual work to setup and maintain an inventory though in either case having a barcode on the reels of parts could help to automate part of the process.

[ar__systems]

It gets real ugly real fast. Any system that relies heavily on people to enter accurate data everytime they do something, is not a good system.

This is how everything in our society works - law, medicine, aircraft maintenance. Maybe the system does not work for you, but it does not mean the system is bad...

[NorthGuy]

It gets real ugly real fast. Any system that relies heavily on people to enter accurate data everytime they do something, is not a good system.

It might be possible to hack PnP software to record inventory changes every time it picks up something.

[rx8pilot]

It gets real ugly real fast. Any system that relies heavily on people to enter accurate data everytime they do something, is not a good system.

This is how everything in our society works - law, medicine, aircraft maintenance. Maybe the system does not work for you, but it does not mean the system is bad...

I agree....those disciplines you listed are examples of massive human effort. My unrealistic self sees anything less than fully automated as totally inefficient, lol.

[JohnG]

It gets real ugly real fast. Any system that relies heavily on people to enter accurate data everytime they do something, is not a good system.

This is how everything in our society works - law, medicine, aircraft maintenance. Maybe the system does not work for you, but it does not mean the system is bad...

I don't know about law, but there is a lot of automation in aircraft maintenance and diagnostics already, and more on the way, because the cost of the necessary checks is so high. It is also the impetus behind electronic health records for medicine, where mistakes happen surprisingly often, sometimes with deadly consequences. Medicine is particularly difficult because its practice still involves a lot of art and intuition and there are privacy considerations. However, preventing debilitating or deadly mistakes has high priority.

John

[rx8pilot]

There are a lot of automation examples in medicine for sure, but the success of the system as a whole is still hugely dependent on the people inputting relevant and valid data in an exact format.

They have dispensing and dosing machines, e-charts, cameras, sensors, software, etc, etc that are all trying to reduce the human errors and omissions. It is a tough challenge, but the nature of that industry (life-death-money) - they spend $gazillions$ to save time and patients. I wish I had any budget at all, lol. 

[mikeselectricstuff]

They have dispensing and dosing machines, e-charts, cameras, sensors, software, etc, etc that are all trying to reduce the human errors and omissions.

Hey - let's connect them all together on the internet, what could possibly go  wrong..

[ar__systems]

Let's turn it up a notch or two. How about full ofiice x-ray scan? It will give you exact count of all of the reels. As a bonus it will also tell you where that stupid wrench is that you misplaced last month

[rx8pilot]

Nothing will find that stupid wrench..... or my car keys.

Short and misplld from my mobile......

[mikeselectricstuff]

Nothing will find that stupid wrench..... or my car keys.

Short and misplld from my mobile......

I've seriously thought of putting a dashcam in the workshop.
 to help find stuff I just put doen somewhere

[james_s]

I've seriously thought of putting a dashcam in the workshop.
 to help find stuff I just put doen somewhere

My favorite is when I look all over for something then realize I'm holding it in my other hand. Doesn't happen often but it has happened enough.