Associating barcodes with touching parcels
Reading every visible barcode is not enough when parcels travel side by side. A rule selects the authoritative identifier.
Line solution
Test this on your samplesScan tunnel and parcel dimensioning system
// Short answer
A scan tunnel is a frame of logistics code readers over a conveyor that reads the barcode on every carton or parcel in motion, from three to six sides, and sends it to the warehouse system or sorter; with a dimensioner and a scale it becomes a DWS station that also records size and weight. addaScan builds it on HIKROBOT ID6000 and ID7000 readers. An indicative installed budget for a typical application is R 1 210 000 – R 4 150 000 excluding VAT, with the tunnel and dimensioning blocks estimated.
// At a glance
The station in three lines
- Faults caught
- Unscanned cartons, no-reads, codes unknown to the WMS, touching items, items out of size
- Configuration
- ID7000 line-scan reader on top and ID6000 readers at the sides, or six ID7000 readers; dimensioner and scale
- Line link
- Code, size and weight to the WMS or sorter over TCP; no-reads to a manual lane
// Fit & limits
What this station will not do, and what it needs
What it will not do
- Billing approval: dimension and weight data used to charge customers may need legal-for-trade approval; this page claims none.
- Code grading: reading a label is not grading its print quality to the GS1 levels; that is a verifier’s job.
- Unreadable labels: a missing or torn label, film glare, or a label on a face not covered is a no-read, not a guess.
- Irregular items: HIKROBOT states its dimensioning figure for regular objects; bags and soft parcels are measured on samples first.
What makes it work
- Singulated items: a gap between items, so each one is read, measured and weighed alone.
- Label rules: labels on agreed faces where possible; the more faces allowed, the more readers.
- A WMS that answers: a defined message format, and a lane decision from the WMS or sorter in time.
- Samples: cartons, totes and bags from your real flow, including the worst labels.
// On South African lines
Distribution centres in South Africa, the SSCC, and what a scan tunnel adds
Retail goods in South Africa move through large central distribution centres. The Shoprite Group reports 29 distribution centres with over 900 000 m² under roof, and its Riverfields DC in Gauteng serves over 500 stores (Shoprite fact sheet). In a distribution centre of that kind, every carton and tote is identified by barcode, many times between receiving and dispatch.
On a GS1 logistic label the SSCC is the single mandatory element, carried in a GS1-128 barcode, and the same GS1 specifications set a minimum print quality for symbols used in distribution (GS1 General Specifications, 2026). A barcode tunnel scanner reads that label in motion on whichever face it is, so nobody has to turn a carton to find it. Add a dimensioner and a scale and the station records length, width, height and weight against the same code: a dws system, for dimension, weight and scan.
No South African rule requires a scan tunnel. One rule to check before you rely on the data: where measured weight or volume is used to charge a customer, legal metrology may require approved, legal-for-trade equipment. addaScan does not claim that approval for any device on this page, and it should be confirmed before dimension or weight data is used for billing.
What the dispatch and sortation teams report, and what the tunnel checks
| What the line reports | What a station checks | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|
| “Cartons went to the wrong store because the label wasn’t scanned” | Every item’s label is read on any of the faces covered and the SSCC is sent to the WMS or sorter for routing. | A label on a face the tunnel does not cover, the bottom in the three-side case, is a no-read. |
| “We scan every carton by hand at dispatch” | Fixed readers read each item in motion; handhelds are needed only for the items sent to the manual lane. | Items have to be singulated, one at a time with a gap, for each read to belong to one item. |
| “We don’t know the size or weight of what we ship” | The dimensioner measures length, width and height and the scale weighs each item, both stored against its code. | If the data is used for billing, legal-for-trade approval may apply; it is not claimed here. |
| “No-reads pile up at the end of the conveyor” | Every no-read is diverted with the images the readers took, so the team sees whether the label was missing, damaged or hidden. | The tunnel does not fix bad labels upstream, and reading a code is not grading its print quality. |
| “Two cartons touching went through as one” | Gap sensors and the dimensioner show an item longer than it should be, or two codes on one item; it is diverted. | The conveyor must singulate; the tunnel can flag touching items, not separate them. |
// The complete solution
Scan tunnel and DWS station: readers, software and installation
Items enter the tunnel one at a time. A line-laser 3D camera measures each one, line-scan and area logistics readers read its label from the top and sides (and the bottom in the six-side case), a scale section weighs it, and HIKROBOT CodePlatform joins code, size and weight into one message for the warehouse system or sorter.
[Schematic]Plan view, not to scale
Swipe sideways to see the whole drawing →
[1]: Photoelectric sensors confirm a gap and start the read for each item.
[2]: A line-laser 3D camera measures length, width and height in motion.
[3]: An ID7000 line-scan logistics reader reads labels on the top across the belt.
[4]: ID6000 logistics readers with external lights read labels on the sides.
[5]: No-reads, multi-reads and out-of-size items go to a manual lane.
Hardware
| Component | HIKROBOT example | Role in this station |
|---|---|---|
| Top reader | HIKROBOT ID7000 8K line-scan logistics code reader, MV-ID7080EM-35F-WHA, with its matching HIKROBOT ID7000 accessory | Reads labels on the top of every item across the belt width |
| Side readers | Two HIKROBOT ID6000 12 MP logistics code readers, MV-ID6120PM-00C-NNG, with MVL-KF1224M-25MP lenses and MV-LLDS-H-1400-40-W bar lights (the ID6000 has no light of its own) | Read labels on the side faces |
| Six-side read (high case) | Six HIKROBOT ID7000 line-scan readers: top, four sides, and the bottom through the gap in a split belt | Reads a label on any face, with no need to orient items |
| Dimensioner | HIKROBOT MV-DL2125 line-laser volume camera (in motion), or an MV-DB500S-V RGB-D camera at a static station; budgeted as a bought-in item at an estimate | Length, width and height of each item |
| Scale | Not HIKROBOT: in-motion scale or checkweigher section, budgeted at an estimate; HIKROBOT describes scales as part of its DWS systems but lists none on its English product menu | Weight of each item, joined to its code |
| Tunnel frame and conveyor | Local supply: tunnel frame and guarding, split-belt section for the bottom read (high case), panel and server | Holds readers and dimensioner in line with the belt; keeps hands and stray light out |
Software and vision tools
| Tool or software | What it does here |
|---|---|
| HIKROBOT CodePlatform | Collects the reads from every reader into one result per item, filters duplicate codes and outputs it over TCP, UDP, HTTP or serial. |
| Code rules | Which code counts when an item carries several: the SSCC by its GS1-128 structure first, then a product or courier code by pattern. |
| Size and weight join | Joins the dimensions and the weight to the code of the same item, using belt position from the encoder and gap sensors. |
| WMS or sorter message | One message per item, code, size, weight and read status, in the format agreed with the WMS or sorter supplier. |
| No-read image archive | Images of every no-read and multi-read, so the team can see why and fix the cause upstream. |
Installation and integration
01
Mounting and enclosure
Readers, lights and dimensioner on one tunnel frame square to the belt; guarding panels keep hands out and plant light and daylight off the readers. The MV-DL2125 is a Class 3B laser device, so it is guarded.
02
Lighting and shrouding
The ID6000 readers have no light of their own, so a bar light sits beside each side reader; the enclosed tunnel keeps the image the same on every shift.
03
Trigger and tracking
Gap sensors and a belt encoder track each item from the dimensioner through the readers and over the scale, so code, size and weight belong to the same item.
04
PLC link
HIKROBOT lists SmartSDK, TCP, serial and FTP for the ID6000 and ID7000 (and UDP for the ID7000), not PROFINET or EtherNet/IP; results go to the WMS or sorter over TCP, and to a PLC through a gateway where one is needed.
05
Reject and confirmation
No-reads, multi-reads, touching and out-of-size items are routed to a manual lane by the sorter or a divert, with confirmation; if the tunnel is down, items go to manual handling, not onward unscanned.
06
Recipes and operator screen
Code rules, size limits and lane logic in one configuration per conveyor; a screen shows reads and no-reads per shift and the latest no-read images.
// Indicative cost in South Africa
What this station costs, excluding VAT
Indicative budget for a typical application of this kind. Every project involves custom requirements (your products, line speed, layout, PLC and acceptance criteria), so the final price differs from case to case. A firm price follows the sample test.
- Low
- R 1 210 000
- three-side read on your conveyor
- High
- R 4 150 000
- six-side read with split belt
- Basis
- Typical application of this kind, indicative
- South African rand, excluding VAT
- Prices as at 2 October 2026
- Travel (Gauteng): outside Gauteng quoted separately
// Included and excluded
The low figure is a three-side read (a line-scan reader on top and two side readers) on your existing conveyor, with a bought-in in-motion dimensioner and scale. The high figure is a six-side read with six line-scan readers, the bottom read through a split belt, a larger dimensioner and scale, and integration with the WMS and sorter. The tunnel frame, dimensioner and scale blocks are estimates because no public price exists for them. The high case is above every standard range on the cost guide, so this work is priced here separately. Legal-for-trade approval of weighing or dimensioning, the sorter, WMS changes, conveyors outside the tunnel, utilities and VAT are excluded.
Hardware is priced from public list prices converted at the ECB reference rate, plus freight, clearance and margin; engineering at R 900 – R 1 300 per hour. How these ranges are built →
Swipe the table sideways to see the high figure and the basis →
| Cost block | Low | High | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision hardware (landed, with margin) | R 294 800 | R 838 400 | Low: one ID7000 line-scan reader on top with its accessory, two ID6000 side readers with lenses and bar lights. High: six ID7000 line-scan readers with accessories |
| Software licence | R 0 | R 0 | None: the reader software and CodePlatform carry no licence cost in this budget |
| Local materials and reject | R 600 000 | R 2 000 000 | Estimates, no public price: low in-motion dimensioner, scale section, tunnel frame and guarding, panel. High: dimensioner and scale, split-belt conveyor, tunnel frame and guarding, panel and server |
| Engineering (recipes, PLC link) | R 180 000 | R 624 000 | 200 h at R 900 to 480 h at R 1 300, including the WMS or sorter interface |
| Installation, FAT, SAT, training, documents | R 86 400 | R 312 000 | 96 h to 240 h |
| Project management | R 43 200 | R 156 000 | 48 h to 120 h |
| Travel (Gauteng) | R 8 000 | R 20 000 | Outside Gauteng quoted separately |
| Total (rounded) | R 1 210 000 | R 4 150 000 | Low: three-side read on your conveyor. High: six-side read with split belt |
// Related technology
Which technologies this scenario uses, and why
The technologies behind this station, how much each matters here, and where each is explained in depth.
| Technology | Role | Why it matters in this scenario | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed code reader (HIKROBOT ID series) | Core | Logistics readers, ID6000 area and ID7000 line-scan, read labels on moving items of different heights. | Choosing a code reader |
| Code content matched to PLC, MES or WMS data | Core | Each read is matched in the WMS: the SSCC must be known and routed, and code, size and weight must belong to the same item. | Carton and pallet verification |
| 3D laser profiling | Supporting | Volume comes from a line-laser 3D camera measuring every item in motion. | Dimensional inspection |
| Line scan imaging | Supporting | The ID7000 builds its image line by line as the item passes, which suits reading across the full width of the belt. | Web and line scan |
| Lighting technique | Supporting | The ID6000 has no built-in light; external lights and an enclosed tunnel keep images the same on every shift. | Machine vision lighting |
| PLC link and reject with confirmation | Supporting | No-reads must go to a manual lane with confirmation, never onward unscanned. | PLC and reject integration |
// Acceptance
How the station is proven before handover
Every station is accepted on your products, against numbers agreed in writing before the build. How we deliver →
01
Sample test
Cartons, totes and parcels from your real flow, including poor and badly placed labels, read with the proposed readers and measured with the proposed dimensioner; the result says how many faces must be covered and which items need manual handling.
02
FAT with challenge items
Before delivery, a marked set of challenge items (no label, damaged label, label on each face, two touching items, an item out of size, a code unknown to the WMS) must each go to the manual lane, and good items must be read, measured and routed.
03
SAT on the line
On your conveyor, at production rate, the challenge items are run again, and no-reads, wrong routes and size or weight mismatches against reference items are counted over an agreed run.
// FAQ
Questions about scan tunnels and parcel dimensioning
What is a barcode scan tunnel in a distribution centre?
It is a frame of fixed logistics code readers around a conveyor that reads the barcode on every carton, tote or parcel as it passes, on three to six faces, and sends the code to the warehouse system or sorter. With a dimensioner and a scale it also records each item’s size and weight. Items that cannot be read are sent to a manual lane instead of being routed blind. Suppliers also call it a scan tunnel system or a tunnel scan machine.
How much does a scan tunnel with dimensioning cost in South Africa?
An indicative installed budget is R 1 210 000 – R 4 150 000 excluding VAT, at 2 October 2026 prices. The low figure is a three-side read on your conveyor with a bought-in dimensioner and scale; the high figure is a six-side read with a split belt and WMS and sorter integration. The tunnel frame, dimensioner and scale are estimates because no public price exists for them. A firm price follows a sample test on your items. This is a typical application: every project involves custom requirements, so the final price depends on your products, line and acceptance criteria.
Can dimension and weight data be used to bill customers?
Only once you have confirmed that the equipment is approved for that use. Where measured weight or volume is used to charge a customer, legal metrology may require legal-for-trade equipment. addaScan does not claim that approval for the dimensioner or scale on this page. For internal use, such as checking carton sizes, planning loads or catching wrong items, approval is not the question.
Is a static dimensioning system for warehouses an alternative to a tunnel?
For low volumes, yes. A static station has an operator place each item under a 3D camera next to a code reader and a scale; HIKROBOT describes its static DWS system as code reading cameras, an RGB-D stereo camera and a static scale. An automated parcel dimensioning system in a tunnel measures items in motion without anyone handling them. The flow rate and the labour decide which fits. Whole pallets are a different class again: a freight dimensioning system for pallets is not covered on this page.
Is a scan tunnel the same as a DWS system?
DWS stands for dimensioning, weighing and scanning. A dimensioning weighing scanning system adds a dimensioner and a scale to the code readers of a scan tunnel, as on this page; a tunnel without them only reads codes.
Does the tunnel check SSCC label quality?
It reads the SSCC and can record which labels were hard to read, but reading is not grading. GS1 sets a minimum print quality for distribution barcodes, and checking a label against it is a verifier’s job, done on samples at the point of printing. Labels that repeatedly fail to read in the tunnel are a good reason to verify that printer.
Does it connect to PROFINET or EtherNet/IP?
Not directly. HIKROBOT lists SmartSDK, TCP, serial and FTP for the ID6000 and ID7000 logistics readers, with UDP on the ID7000, and CodePlatform outputs over TCP, UDP, HTTP and serial. Results usually go straight to the WMS or sorter controller over TCP; where a PLC needs them, a gateway is used. The interface is agreed with your WMS or sorter supplier before the build.
Sources
- Shoprite Holdings fact sheet: supply chain and the Riverfields DC (company fact sheet, checked 2026-10-02)
- GS1 General Specifications 2026 (SSCC on the GS1 logistic label; symbol quality) (standard, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT MV-ID6120PM-00C-NNG logistics code reader (ID6000) (vendor product page, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT MV-ID7080EM-35F-WHA 8K line-scan logistics code reader (ID7000) (vendor product page, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT MV-DL2125-04H-R line-laser volume camera (vendor product page, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT at Parcel+Post Expo 2023: static DWS system composition (vendor news, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT CodePlatform (result outputs, duplicate filtering) (vendor page, checked 2026-10-02)
Related:
More line solutions in distribution:
// Next step
Send us a pallet of your hardest-to-read cartons
Describe the line, the products and the fault. We test on your good and faulty samples and reply with a feasibility note and a budget.
Planning this inspection outside South Africa
Use the country guidance to prepare the line data, interfaces and delivery scope for a project assessed from Johannesburg.
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