Material Handling Management articles from December 2005

Material Handling Management archives from December 2005

IBM builds a successful mentoring program: the mentoring program within IBM's Integrated Supply Chain organization helps future leaders identify short- and long-term goals and develop new skills.(International Business Machines Corp.)
December 1, 2005... Mentoring is not coaching. Coaching, be it on the playing field or factory floor, focuses on immediate tasks and tactics for quick results. The focus of mentoring should be guidance; using experience to help an individual succeed in the company...

Modular Conveyor systems offer versatility.(Supplier SOURCE: New Products, Equipment & Services Showcase)
December 1, 2005... Dynamic Conveyor's light- to medium-duty DynaCon[R] modular conveyor systems offer true versatility. DynaCon's modular conveyor systems can be reconfigured in less time, in ever-changing manufacturing or workflow environments. Made from...

Precision lifting.(Supplier SOURCE: New Products, Equipment & Services Showcase)
December 1, 2005... More precise than a hoist, more efficient than an air balancer. Gorbel's new Easy Arm[TM] lifting device gives you the speeds you need to increase productivity, the precision you need to decrease product damage, and the strength to protect your...

Select-IT.(Supplier SOURCE: New Products, Equipment & Services Showcase)
December 1, 2005... Pick-to-Light System can improve your Distribution Center's order fulfillment productivity and accuracy. SeayCo Select-IT is a light-directed selection system that offers a 200% improvement over paper picking. Lights and LED displays guide the...

Census of distribution.(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... CENSUS of DISTRIBUTION What are your warehousing costs as a percentage of shipping value?: 15 or higher 30.5% 2.0-4.9 27.4% 5.0-9.9 18.9% Less than 2 12% 10-14.9 11.2% Almost one third of...

That first-day feeling.(Light Lifting)(production managers' attitudes)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... Think for a moment about how people look and feel on the first day of a new job. They're excited and nervous and unusually chatty, or unusually quiet. They haven't made friends yet, and don't know exactly who they'll end up working with, so...

Trade show offers surprise package.(Transport Packaging)
December 1, 2005... Attending a trade show or educational conference is not unlike drinking from a fire hose. While you're happy to have survived the experience, often you're left with only a flavor of what really happened. So it was with Pack Expo Las Vegas at...

2005: Lessons learned, forgotten and resurrected.(sharing radio frequency identification data among suppliers)
December 1, 2005... When the editor told me I'd have the opportunity for this column to be the "last word" in 2005, dozens of possible topics immediately came to mind. Then I saw the news release from Target and Wal-Mart announcing that they would begin sharing...

Changing with The Times: automated palletizing system handles odd-shaped newspaper bundles for News International.(News International PLC)
December 1, 2005... Here's the challenge: * The product is perishable; * Its shape and configuration change daily; * Its production envelope is only a couple of hours; * Production delays are a given; * Hundreds of thousands must be...

Damaged goods: better packaging, shipping practices, warehouse design and software reduce the $2.5 billion lost to damaged, unsaleable products in the grocery industry.(Industry Focus)
December 1, 2005... Cutting the cost of unsaleable products is a constant challenge. MeadWestvaco Coated Board (Stanford, Conn.) is developing packaging material that better protects frozen food. H. J. Heinz Company (Pittsburgh, Pa.) conducts internal and external...

RFID: coming to an Airport near you: drowning in paperwork, the airfreight industry turns to radio frequency identification for a lifeline.(radio frequency identification)
December 1, 2005... The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a program that promises paperless cargo processing by 2010. The initiative could save $1.2 billion annually (based on current cargo volumes) and reduce shipping times by up to 25%....

Peter Drucker's legacy.(Peter F. Drucker)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The influential management theorist Peter F. Drucker died on November 11th. He was 95. Drucker was a professor of Social Sciences and Management at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) from 1971 to 2003 where he continued to write and consult up...

Six organizations receive 2005 Baldrige Awards.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez announced six winners of the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest honor for quality and performance excellence. The 2005 Baldrige Award...

Brands opens new distribution center in Shanghai.(Yum!)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Yum! Brands (Louisville, Ky.), which operates KFC and Pizza Hut chain restaurants, opened its largest distribution center in China to increase control over its supply chain, the Shanghai Daily reported in late November. In other overseas...

BJ's Wholesale Club Inc.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (Natick, Mass.) broke ground on a 618,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Uxbridge, Mass. The facility will be one of three facilities supporting 159 clubs across the eastern United States. It will be capable of...

Venture Development Corp.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The world market for bar code printers will grow to $1.9 billion in 2005, up 12% over 2004, forecasts Venture Development Corp. (VDC), a technology research firm based in Natick, Mass. Stationary thermal printers are the most commonly used...

TNT Logistics North America (Jacksonville, Fla.) opened a 250,000 square-foot distribution center for BMW of North America, LLC in Stockton, Calif.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... TNT Logistics North America (Jacksonville, Fla.) opened a 250,000 square-foot distribution center for BMW of North America, LLC in Stockton, Calif. The new DC receives after sales replacement parts and accessories from more than 100 domestic...

Radio Beacon Inc.
December 1, 2005... Radio Beacon Inc. (Toronto, Ontario), a developer of warehouse management software, received a certificate of recognition in the Innovation Award for Productivity Improvement (Lean) at the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Annual Conference...

International Paper.
December 1, 2005... International Paper's high profile Smart Packaging business has changed its name to ASURYS (Memphis, Tenn.). The business will continue to focus on radio frequency identification technology.

Kuka Robotics Corp.
December 1, 2005... Kuka Robotics Corp. (Clinton Township, Mich.) launched a free web-based help and information center for manufacturers who are looking to make the transition from traditional mechanical or physical automated packaging and palletizing to a more...

Wal-Mart Inc.(plans to build food distribution center )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Wal-Mart Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.) announced plans to build an 880,000-sq.-ft. food distribution center in Mankato, Minn. It will reportedly support Wal-Mart grocery stores in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Iowa. In local news reports,...

FORTE.
December 1, 2005... FORTE, a distribution consulting-engineering firm specializing in automated material handling system design and integration, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Wal-Mart.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Federal officials said the arrest of 125 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart (Bentonville, Ark.) distribution center in mid-November, should serve as a warning to employers who hire illegal immigrants. All 125 workers arrested in...

In late November a former employee shot two supervisors at a food-distribution business in Glen Burnie, Md., then fatally shot himself in the head.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... In late November a former employee shot two supervisors at a food-distribution business in Glen Burnie, Md., then fatally shot himself in the head. The 54-year-old gunman had been fired several weeks earlier. He had worked as a truck driver for...

2006: Forward Ho! Hurricane Katrina, transportation capacity and RFID were the big stories in the world of material handling and logistics in 2005. Members of MHM's editorial advisory board talk about their outlook for 2006.(Year in Preview)
December 1, 2005... If there's one piece of advice that material and distribution managers should take to heart as they plan for 2006, it's not to follow the herd. Just because a particular strategy or technology is hot, doesn't mean it will pay off for every...

Electric walkies run longer.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Cat Lift Trucks' new line of electric walkies have alternating current (AC) drive motors, 500-hour service intervals, advanced regenerative braking for longer run time and reduced energy consumption, and a compact design for the most...

Semi-automatic palletizer.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The No-Lift semi-automatic palletizer lifts and stacks boxes onto shipping pallets. Boxes come from an in-feed conveyor and are positioned on the ball transfer table forming a layer. Once a layer is full, the operator pushes a button and the...

Move and shrinkwrap loads; wash pallets.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The LTS Automatic Load Transfer Station moves two loads per minute and has integrated pallet washing and stretch wrapping. The machine helps to eliminate warehouse worker injuries. It streamlines plant and warehouse operations, improves plant...

Motorized roll-up door.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The Power-Roll, a new motorized roll-up heavy-duty vinyl door has built-in fiberglass protrusion tubes for stiffeners and has a rugged custom extruded guide track. With the combination of the track and the stiffeners, wind cannot blow curtain...

Shrink wrap transport packages.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The SB-2000 shrink wraps 30 transport packs per minute with low energy consumption and consistent placement. It can be used for product shipped on corrugated trays, pads, U-boards or with film only, such as canned goods, beverages, ice cream,...

Size-sensing palletizer.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The C4000 Palletizer has pattern recognition technology, which eliminates the need for muting sensors. The machine's safety light curtain can be placed where material needs to enter and exit the machine. Worker access is prohibited due to the...

Tamper-resistant containers.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The IPL FlapNest 2115 reusable handheld containers have tamper-resistant plastic hinges. They are closed with security straps, ties, or clips and includes other security features that make them tamper resistant and suitable for shipping...

Ergonomic lifting.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The Thork-Lift can pick up a unit load, transport it to the workplace, and lift it to a convenient working height or remove it from a bench. It has a lifting capacity of 2,200 lbs. and can be raised to 31 1/2 in. Two configurations handle open-...

Screen door keeps bugs out.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The new Flyweight screen door keeps out birds, flies, moths, mosquitoes, gnats, wasps and other pests--plus dust and debris. Best of all, the door lets in fresh air and better light; and it offers increased security and comfort plus improved...

Save, change process workflows.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... An upgraded warehouse management software, ViaWare WMS 7.0, includes Service Orientated Architecture (SOA), which provides integrated business intelligence and personalization capabilities. With SOA, ViaWare WMS can easily be integrated into an...

Keeping supplies moving.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... Savi SmartChain Consignment Management Solution (CMS) lets military logisticians manage consignments in real-time as they pass through their own RFID networks or through the interoperable RFID networks of allied defense forces. The company's...

Safety product catalog.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... A new, 12-page safety products catalog features products that protect people, equipment, machinery, building columns, conveyors, rack systems, in-plant offices, overhead doors, walls, loading dock areas and more from lift truck accidents and...

Module runs personal-protection equipment.(Product News)
December 1, 2005... The new SB-INT-01 AS-Interface Safety at Work module is IP67 protected and is equipped with two safety-rated solid-state inputs. It interfaces with safety-light curtains and safety-laser scanners on an AS-I bus. It is also equipped with five...