Material Handling Management articles from August 2006

Material Handling Management archives from August 2006

On environmental pests.(Transport Packaging)
August 1, 2006... Late in the last century (January 1999), when the business world was wringing its collective hands about the pending devastation of the Millennium bug, I noted that the real bug about to raise havoc was the Asian longhorned beetle. It was...

Wal-Mart's fuel cell trials: short-term, Wal-Mart is testing the viability of fuel cells. Long-term, maybe Wal-Mart will become a major player in the hydrogen economy.(Andel on Lift Trucks)
August 1, 2006... Remember Geoffrey Ballard, a.k.a., the "Father of the Fuel Cell?" Anyone designated the "father" of anything technological leaves himself open to being called either a "visionary" or a "crackpot." If you read Ballard's vision of a hydrogen...

Standards are bad!(Data Intelligence)
August 1, 2006... I know that I have stood on the stump more than once and extolled the virtues of globally-recognized standards. I know I have repeatedly pointed out, over the years, how industries can leverage the countless hours that went into producing...

Material handling: parts DC boosts accuracy.(New Facility)
August 1, 2006... Three years ago Belgium-based TVH Forklift Parts acquired Systems Material Handling (SMH, www.smhco.com). Executives of TVH (www. tvh.be), a major distributor of lift truck parts and accessories in Europe, Asia and Australia, saw an opportunity...

Problem solving step one: Awareness.(Light Lifting)(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... Once you become aware of something, it's a little freaky how it starts popping up everywhere you go. Not because it's new, what has caught your attention has usually been there all along, but something happens to trigger your awareness. It...

The case of the pilfered pallets: Outright theft or benign neglect? Either way, USPS is losing pallets at an alarming rate.(Transport Packaging)(United States Postal Service)
August 1, 2006... The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is running low on pallets. An unprecedented shortage of plastic pallets used by bulk mailers has led Paul Vogel, v.p., network operations management, to find new ways to resolve this ongoing challenge. User...

Readers sound off on RFID.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Re: "Media Fearmongers Give RFID a Bad Rap" (July, page 45), do you honestly believe the overall attention given to RFID has been a "bad rap"? What about the overly optimistic, rose-colored glasses, solve-all-our-problems "good rap" that RFID...

Lift truck safety.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I agree with Jim Shephard (Re: "Andel on Lift Trucks," July 2006, Page 48), upper management must take a bigger part in safety programs. I conduct a 40hour forklift safety training program for companies and a 60-hour program for individuals...

Lighten the load: finding the right pallet for international shipments depends on price, weight and strength requirements, and compliance with local standards and regulations.(Import/Export Handling)
August 1, 2006... There are two major criteria to consider when choosing the type of pallet to use for exporting and importing product: compliance and cost. What type of pallet does the recipient country and customer accept, and how much will pallets factor into...

WMS: evolving to best of breed: going from a cookie-cutter WMS to more functional alternatives.(Information Technology)(Company overview)
August 1, 2006... How quickly do you react to pain? If you're like the proverbial frog placed in a pot of tepid water, you start out pretty comfortable. As someone turns up the heat a few degrees at a time, you hardly notice, until you boil to death. If you...

IT to the rescue: IT investments pay off for the vast majority of users.(Census of Distribution)(information technology)
August 1, 2006... Nobody who has ever been asked, "Have you tried rebooting?" by their friendly help desk person really expects information technology to transform the day-to-day operation of their distribution operation into a walk in the park. Still, when...

TPM: the foundation of lean: when a company wants to run lean, it has to put the horse before the cart.(Factory Floor)
August 1, 2006... When Seiichi Nakajima--an officer with the Institute of Plant Maintenance in Japan who is credited with being the first person to define and spread the core concepts of total productive maintenance (TPM)--was writing his books in the early...

Better bottle tracking: WMS lets bottler keep track of expanding number of SKUs.(WMS: Service-Oriented Architecture)(warehouse management software, stock keeping units)
August 1, 2006... Consolidation in the brewing industry has turned many empty breweries into new condominiums, apartments and parking lots. But not the old Pabst Brewery in La Crosse, Wis. Because it was a fixture in La Crosse, a start-up company and the city...

WMS integrates with Sage ERP system.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2006... The embedded interface of the Radio Beacon WMS for Sage MAS 500 ERP version 7.0 lets Sage users control warehouse processes--such as allocation, waving, and shipping--without leaving the MAS 500 desktop. The WMS can process higher volumes of...

Mobile devices have Web access.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2006... Users of mobile devices can directly access inventory information from the store and warehouse floor using the Terminal Emulation 6.0 Wavelink Industrial Browser. Hot keys let users toggle back and forth between Web-based and terminal emulation...

WMS upgrades labor management.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2006... DLx Warehouse from Red Prairie helps optimize labor productivity and facility throughput by streamlining logistics operations. Flexible technology platform built on a service-oriented architecture enables radio frequency handheld devices, voice...

Modular Warehouse Management Software.(Westfalia Technologies Inc. )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Savanna.NET modular WMS system adapts to individual logistics requirements. Users only need to invest in the functions that they need, and can expand the system incrementally with full or partial upgrades. A new user interface eases operation....

Electric walkie straddle stackers.(Toyota Material Handling U.S.A.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The versatile and maneuverable 7-Series electric walkie, straddle stacker lift truck is available in 2,000- and 2,500-lb. capacity models. Both models have adjustable baselegs. MOSFET controller and Separately Excited drive motor and transistor...

Pantograph reach truck.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2006... The ETR 320 pantographic reach truck has a three-stage mast and a pantograph mechanism for precise load placement at heights to 33 feet. The energy efficient vehicles feature good load and fork visibility, and smooth lift-hydraulics. The...

Lift trucks maneuver in tight places.(Combilift Ltd. )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A new range of lift trucks from Combilift reportedly offer greater safety, productivity and improved handling. Tele- Combi features a boom lift that lets users load and offload trailers from one side. The semi-rough terrain C10,000L lift truck...

Safe, precise belt cutting.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... The 840 Series and Clipper 845LD Belt Cutters deliver safe, precise belt squaring and perpendicular cuts. Cutter blades remain enclosed during cutting. Flat-top design provides protection from the tip when the upper beam is opened. After use,...

Operator efficiency and comfort.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... 4700-series, four-wheel, sit-down electric lift trucks are available in capacities from 3,000 to 6,000 lbs., and 36- or 48-volt configurations. They have the dimensions and turning radius of smaller trucks and feature an easy-to-access operator...

RFID conversion kit.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... Simple Conveyor Portal Solution kit is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) conveyor portal/tunnel designed to be used with existing conveyors. It uses T-slot technology for easy modification and assembly. Only one hand tool is required for...

Modular, flexible and quiet conveyors.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... WhisperTrax HO-Series horizontal offset conveyors offer flexibility in turning radius and straight lengths to fit almost any application. The conveyor's curve angles and straight-section length can be customized. Conveyor finishes include epoxy...

Cross belt sorter.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... The Wally Cross Belt Sorter will sort items weighing 100 lbs. (46 kg), at speeds to 500 ft (150m)/min. A range of belt rates, surface textures, and finishes are available. The complete setup can include automatic induction, custom chutes and...

AC trucks offer longer service intervals.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... N-Generation, AC-powered, three-wheel electric lift trucks feature increased range of maneuverability and extended service intervals. Three models have capacities from 3,000 to 4,500 lb. Control system of the FB16NT-FB20NT series has modifiable...

Accurate, low-cost checkweigher.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... Low-cost, high-accuracy inline checkweigher is designed for conveyor applications moving 15 cartons per minute or less. The CASI-921 in-motion check-weigh system features a simplified design with a single compression load cell mounted on a...

Less maintenance, more productivity.(Product News)
August 1, 2006... Redesigned BBX series, electric, counter-balanced, sit-down truck has lifting capacities from 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. They have both an AC-drive motor and hydraulic motor aimed at reducing maintenance costs and the number of replacement parts....

Lower freight costs lure Oneida to Savannah.(Industry News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Oneida Ltd. will relocate its east coast distribution center for its stainless steel and silver-plated flatware from Oneida, N.Y., to a new facility in Savannah, Ga. It also plans to expand its sales and marketing offices in New York City, but...

On the job.(Industry News)(Cartoon)
August 1, 2006... DAMMIT, JIM, I'M A DOCTOR, NOT A WAREHOUSE MANAGER! In their retirement, crew members from the USS Enterprise earn extra cash by running a high-speed e-fulfillment operation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Hickory Hardware moves operations to Nashville.(Industry News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Hickory Hardware (Portland, Tenn.), a designer and manufacturer of decorative and industrial hard-ware, will centralize operations in a new facility in Nashville. The move is part of an overall effort to improve efficiencies and combat...

Robot sales fall 38%.(Industry News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... New orders received by North American based robotics companies fell 38% in the first half of 2006, reports the Robotic Industries Association (RIA, Ann Arbor). The organization attributes the steep drop from last year's record sales to a...

MeadWestvaco sues city officials who change mind about DC Project.(Industry News)
August 1, 2006... In early August attorneys for Mead-Westvaco Corp. (Stamford, Conn.) sued the city of Buena Vista, Va., for $7 million in damages for alleged legal shenanigans in connection with proposed deal to build a $20 million consolidated distribution...

Trends in retail DCs.(Industry News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A recent Supply Chain Consortium (Raleigh, N.C.) benchmarking and best practices survey of 100 top retail and related companies reveals some interesting facts about current DC operations and configurations. Key findings from the DC benchmarking...

Benefits of tighter supply chain security outweigh costs.(Report by Stanford University.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Companies that invest in supply chain security measures can expect benefits that outweigh the costs of the security expenditures, according to a new report by Stanford University that was recently released by The Manufacturing Institute, the...

Researchers say Fishbone rack layout can improve efficiency and reduce warehouse costs.(Industry News)
August 1, 2006... University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.) researchers have reportedly found a way to make some distribution centers more efficient. "Our results suggest that for unit-load warehouses, radically new designs could lead to faster retrieval rates...

Conveyor Safety video.(Industry News)
August 1, 2006... The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) Unit Handling Section recently completed a revision of its Unit Handling Conveyor Safety video. The new video aligns with the twelve panels on the CEMA Safety Posters (right) which is...

Sara Lee Branded Apparel opens West Coast distribution center.
August 1, 2006... Sara Lee Branded Apparel (Winston-Salem, N.C.) opened its first distribution center on the West Coast in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The facility will be managed by APL Logistics, a provider of logistics and supply chain services. "Opening...

Target opens monster distribution facility in California.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Minneapolis-based Target officially opened a 3.1 million sq. ft. distribution campus on 240 acres in Rialto, Calif. The site represents be the largest single investment in an operating unit in Target's history. In addition to a regional...

Nestle to build new factory, distribution center in Indiana.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Nestle USA (Glendale, Calif.) will build a $359 million, 880,000-sq.-ft. factory and distribution center in Anderson, Ind. About 40 miles northeast of Indianapolis, the facility will produce Nesquik Ready-To-Drink and Nestle Coffee-Mate Liquid...

Golden State Foods opens new DC to serve McDonald's.(distribution center)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Golden State Foods Company executives opened a 270,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in City of Industry, Calif. It is reportedly the first new facility that has been opened in the McDonald's restaurant supply chain system in 10 years. The new DC...

WOW Logistics to open distribution center in Aurora, Ill.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... WOW Logistics (Appleton, Wis.) opened a 350,000-sq.-ft. public distribution center in Aurora, Ill. On Sept. 1 the company will relocate its current operations from Naperville, Ill., to the Aurora facility, which is 4 miles away. The new...

Logistics mega mergers are not benefitting customers.
August 1, 2006... A recent study by SCALA, a supply-chain consulting firm based in the U.K., highlights some differences in perspective between logistics companies and their customers. "Logistics companies see benefits in growth through being able to...

Jungheinrich retires Multiton Brand.(Vendor News)(Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp., Multiton MIC Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp. (Richmond, Va.) announced that it will integrate its Multiton business into its core product lines. The phase-out of the Multiton brand name will be completed by October. The phase-out is the final stage of the...

Linde material handling sales up 16%.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... Linde AG (Wiesbaden, Germany) increased sales by 15.9% in its material handling segment to 1.9 billion euro ($2.4 billion) in the first half of 2006. Incoming orders exceeded the prior year by 9.1%. Linde's material handling business benefitted...

Crown Turret Stockpicker wins Industrial Design Award.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... Crown Equipment Corp.'s (New Bremen, Ohio) TSP6000 Turret Stockpicker was named a winner in the Business and Industrial products category of the 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Awards sponsored by the Industrial Designers of America (IDSA)...

Komatsu and Linde terminate JV, continue to work together.(Vendor News)(joint venture)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Komatsu Ltd. (Tokyo) and Linde AG (Wiesbaden, Germany) entered into a share transfer agreement that terminates the "joint venture agreement" related to their joint venture company, Komatsu Forklift Co., Ltd. Komatsu agreed to buy back the 35%...

Fortune adds Toyota Industries Corp. to list of 50 Most Admired Companies.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Fortune magazine named Toyota Industries Corp. (TICO, Irvine, Calif.) to its list of the top 50 World's Most Admired Companies. This is the first time that TICO has appeared on the Global top 50 All-Star list ranking as the 36th most admired...

Crown names top dealers for 2005.(Vendor News)(Crown Equipment Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Crown Equipment Corp. (New Bremen, Ohio) recognized 13 dealers and branches for 2005 during its 11th annual Summit Awards program. The company selected the 2005 winners from 37 Crown branch operations and 64 independent dealers. Crown Lift...

U.S. Defense Logistics Agency's to deploy symbol RFID Technology.(Vendor News)(radio frequency identification, Odin Technologies)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... ODIN technologies (Dulles, Va.) selected Symbol Technologies (Holtsville, N.Y.) to support its recent contract with the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). DLA is the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) logistics combat support agency for U.S....

Intermec and Symbol resolve intellectual property lawsuits.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... Intermec, Inc. (Everett, Wash.) and Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Holtsville, N.Y.), both leaders in automated identification and data capture (AIDC) technologies, reached an agreement that settles all outstanding intellectual property disputes...

Eaton names Penske Logistics lead logistics provider.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Eaton Corp. (Cleveland) selected Penske Logistics (Reading, Pa.) to serve as its lead logistics provider for the company's North American automotive and truck business segments. Under the agreement Penske Logistics will manage the inbound...

IFCO Systems opens pallet services facility in Milwaukee.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... IFCO Systems (Houston) opened its newest pallet services facility in Milwaukee, Wis. The addition of this facility brings IFCO Systems' total number of pallet management service facilities to 54. In the United States IFCO offers a national...

Prologis boosts presence in Mexico.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... ProLogis (Denver), a provider of distribution facilities and services, acquired more than 3.5 million sq. ft. of industrial space and land in Mexico for $238 million in cash and debt. "Over the past several years," said Jeff Schwartz, CEO...

Hydrogenics to supply fuel cells for international test projects.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Hydrogenics Corp. (Mississauga, Ontario), a designer and manufacturer of hydrogen and fuel cell systems, received an order for a fuel cell that will be integrated into a Japanese OEM's Class 1 forklift. The company also announced that it...

HighJump acquires Pinnacle Distribution Concepts.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... HighJump Software (Eden Prairie, Minn.) acquired Pinnacle Distribution Concepts Inc. (Knoxville, Tenn.). Pinnacle is the developer of a Web-based transportation management system (TMS) known as FreightLogic. The addition of Pinnacle expands...

Motion Industries earns Supplier Award from Honda Mfg. in Alabama.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... Motion Industries (Birmingham, Ala.), a distributor of industrial maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts, received the Power Transmission Supplier of the Year Award from Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. Criteria for the award...

Siemens awarded contract for JetBlue Baggage Handling System.(Vendor News)
August 1, 2006... Turner Construction (New York) awarded Siemens Energy & Automation's Airport Logistics Division a $28 million contract to design and build a baggage handling and inline security system for JetBlue Airways' new Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy...

Made2Manage Systems acquires Intuitive Manufacturing Systems.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Made2Manage Systems Inc. (Indianapolis), a provider of enterprise software and services, acquired Seattle-based Intuitive Manufacturing Systems, a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for discrete manufacturers. Backed by...

Infor closes SSA Global acquisition, acquires additional software firms.(Vendor News)(Extensity Inc., Systems Union Group PLC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Infor (Atlanta), a provider of enterprise software for mid-sized firms, recently closed three acquisitions. In addition to the previously announced acquisition of SSA Global, Infor acquired Extensity, a financial software company, and Systems...