It is no secret that two way radios are essential tools in the manufacturing industry. Whether you have a small warehouse or a huge manufacturing plant, two way radio communication will help your company operate more efficiently.
Two way radios will give your employees a direct line of communication with other co-workers and/or supervisors. This will eliminate the need to leave a station unmanned to go find a fellow employee when something is needed. Studies have shown that two way radios typically pay for themselves with time savings in just a matter of months. In a manufacturing or assembly plant where an employee leaving a station could stop production, these savings are realized even more quickly.
Recommended Radios
We almost exclusively recommend UHF radios to manufacturers. UHF radios will tend to work better in most situations, as the radios will typically be used indoors. UHF frequencies penetrate thru solid objects such as steel and concrete better than VHF frequencies.
Here are a couple of basic UHF business radios that would be ideal in smaller warehouses or plants:
Motorola RDX RDU2020 (UHF) - One of our most popular models, the RDU2020 is a 2 watt, 2 channel UHF radio. It is built tough and is very durable. Comes standard with a lithium-ion battery, belt clip, and has a fixed antenna. As with all Motorola products, the RDU2020 has outstanding voice clarity. Also has the capability for accessories such as earpieces or speaker microphones for hands-free use. 1 year warranty from Motorola included.
Kenwood TK-3300-U4P (UHF) - Another one of our popular business radios. As with the Motorola model, the TK3300 delivers 2 watts of output power, but with 4 channels. This would be the better choice, say, if you had multiple departments and wanted each department on a specific channel. Also comes with lithium-ion battery and belt clip. The antenna for this model will be quite a bit longer than the Motorola model, but since it is removable, you can switch it over to a stubby antenna if you prefer (this would reduce range). Also earpiece/speaker microphone capable. 2 year warranty from Kenwood included.
For bigger warehouses or plants, you may want to go with a radio that has a little more "juice". Here are some more powerful radios:
Motorola RDX RDU4100 (UHF) - This radio is in the same family as the RDX RDU2020, but will offer 4 watts of output power and 10 different channel selections. This model has a removable antenna and lithium-ion battery that come standard. Very tough, durable radio but still offers exceptional sound quality. The RDU4100 can be programmed to work with a repeater if even more range is needed. A 1 year warranty from Motorola is included.
Vertex VX-351-AG (UHF) - The VX-351 will get you the maximum business radio output power of 5 watts with 16 channels. For exceptionally large buildings, this model would be a good choice. It is built to military standards for water, dust, and shock resistance and comes standard with a long lasting lithium-ion battery. An industry leading 3 year warranty from Vertex is included.
Callboxes and Intercoms
We also carry call boxes and intercom systems that will definitely come in handy for large warehouses that do a lot of shipping and receiving. These call boxes will mount on the outside of your building and are programmed to match the frequencies of your handheld radios, allowing the driver for any incoming shipments to press a button to alert someone inside the warehouse that they have arrived.
This type of communication is necessary for many manufacturing facilities, but could also come in handy during those cold winter months and hot summer months when it may not be ideal to leave the warehouse bay doors open. Some Ritron callboxes even have options to automatically open a gate or activate other devices! Here are a couple of the call boxes that we suggest:
Ritron RQX-451-XT Outpost 1 Series Callbox (UHF) - The 1 Series XT Callbox is built in a fiberglass and stainless steel case that is built to withstand outdoor conditions. Comes with tamper-resistant fasteners to ensure that no one will be able to access the callbox when your business is closed. Has the capability to run wirelessly with D batteries, or you can hook up an external wired AC power source. Ideal for most situations.
Ritron RQX-451 Outpost 1 Series Basic Callbox (UHF) - This is the RQX-451-XT's little brother. Built in a weather resistant housing, this model can also run off of D batteries wirelessly or be connected to an AC power source. Can't be used exclusively outdoors in the weather without additional weatherproofing of the antenna.
Intrinsically Safe Two Way Radios
With manufacturing, we understand that sometimes there are special needs for two way radios. We run across quite a few facilities that work with chemicals or explosive gasses and need a radio that will never produce a spark that could ignite them. In these cases, an intrinsically-safe radio will be key. Intrinsically safe (IS) is a protection technique for safe operation of electronic equipment in explosive atmospheres. These radios will limit energy to prevent fire or explosions in areas with hazardous chemicals or gases. Here are a couple of intrinsically safe radios that we stock:
Vertex VX-427 Intrinsically Safe (UHF) - The VX-427 delivers the full 5 watts of power, and would be ideal in large chemical plants or any other environment where intrinsically safe radios are needed. Also comes standard with an intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery, belt clip, removable antenna and rapid charger. As with all Vertex radios, it is built to military standards and is very durable. Also comes with the industry leading 3 year Vertex warranty.
Icom IC-F60-81-DTC Intrinsically Safe (UHF) - Small but heavy duty radio that offers 4 watts of output power. Intrinsically safe radio as well as intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery. Comes with belt clip, removable whip antenna and direct trickle charger. Built to military standards and comes with the 2 year Icom warranty.
No matter what your manufacturing plant produces, two way radios are excellent communication tools that can be used to help your company run more smoothly. If you have any questions about the radios listed above or any of our other products, please do not hesitate to contact us!
