Material Handling Management articles from February 2002

Material Handling Management archives from February 2002

Hire brain and brawn. (Editorial).(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... If measuring material handling productivity in your plant or warehouse is high on your priority list, good for you. But if the numbers you're getting are less than stellar, maybe it's because you didn't share your high labor standards with the...

More Lemelson lawsuits filed. (News Briefs).
February 1, 2002... Arthur H. Stroyd, Reed Smith LLP Arthur H. Stroyd is the partner of Reed Smith LLP, a full-service law firm including Intellectual Property, and is a trial lawyer specializing in commercial and product liability litigation. He serves as the...

Positive supply chain news. (News Briefs).
February 1, 2002... Lower interest rates, a strong Christmas and improving credit terms will allow mass merchandisers to continue to invest heavily in supply chain hardware and software systems and point-of-sale (POS) systems in the next six to l2 months,...

Online ordering improves for e-tailers. (News Briefs).
February 1, 2002... Online purchasing continues to improve for consumers in the United States and remains far ahead of key European markets, according to Accenture's third annual holiday eFullfillment survey, which included for the first time France, Germany,...

Companies making news. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... FKI Logistex announced the signing of an alliance agreement with Manhattan Associates Inc. The alliance was formulated to enhance the integration of warehouse management systems with order processing and warehouse control systems for common...

Association news. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... L. Drew Rosen, Ph.D., has been elected president of the board of directors of APICS -- The Education al Society for Resource Management. Assisting Rosen in leading the 60,000 member association will be Bob Collins, president elect; Mark K....

IoPP relocates. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Institute of Packaging Professionals has moved from its Virginia location to Chicagoland. Full address and phone information is available on the organization's Web site, iopp.org. Edwin 0. Landon has been hired as the new executive director...

Resources on the Web. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Visit TOTALsupplychain.com for sponsored articles. "Mining Value from Private Exchanges" by Ilse Schultz describes a Gold-Rush mentality that surrounds business exchanges; eve brick-and-mortar companies hay joined in. But, before rushing off to...

New AIAG Supplier Guidelines. (News Briefs).
February 1, 2002... To help the automotive industry implement a common approach to evaluating supplier delivery performance, the Automotive Industry Action Group's (AIAG) Supplier Delivery Performance Metrics Work Group -- under the direction of the Materials...

CLM elects officers. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Members of the Council of Logistics Management (CLM) elected officers for the coming year. Under the council's bylaws, the first vice president automatically succeeds to the presidency. Thus, Joel Sutherland will serve as president. Elected to...

Managers making news. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Alvey Systems Inc., an FKI Logistex company, has promoted Ted Clucas to vice president, systems engineering and operations. Savi Technology has named two leaders in supply chain software and consulting services to its executive team. The...

Surviving the new economy. (Transport Packaging).(Statistical Data Included)(Column)
February 1, 2002... A recent quickie survey by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) shows some interesting results -- if you read between the numbers. In response to the first question -- Do you accommodate customer requests for shipments using...

It's time to develop healthy paranoia. (Controls & Systems).(security measures)(Column)
February 1, 2002... A little behind in you're security measures? You're not alone. Even the U.S. Government is behind. Last November, the U.S. congressional Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernment Relations flunked 16...

Improving productivity: Proceed with caution. (Automatic Data Collection).(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... It's almost a "gimme" today that we're facing another round of cost containment. This means more layoffs, fewer resources and more emphasis on "working smarter, not harder" and similar platitudes that mean very little in the real world. ...

Automation needs 'the right stuff'. (Maufacturing Management).(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... How do you profit from using manufacturing automation? By finding the right people to back it up, from chairman to machine operator. Yet, few companies seem ready with a plan for hiring until the economy -- or disaster -- calls for it. ...

Dot-coms are more than a memory. (Compliance).(Interview)
February 1, 2002... In the January 2000 issue, Patrick Sedlak, vice president of Sedlak Management Consultants, talked about the e-commerce practitioners -- the dot-coins -- and how speed of competition was the only factor they considered in designing and building...

Workforce report measurement + management/productivity: You no longer compete solely on the price and functionality of your product. Labor, and how it's managed, affect production costs and, in turn, profits.
February 1, 2002... If you were heading off on a perilous adventure, which tool would you choose: compass or clock? While time may be of the essence in business, direction is more important. And the direction your company takes is determined by the employees...

Robots or People? Balance the costs.: Labor is fast and flexible. Robots are dependable and precise. Sometimes you can afford the best of both.
February 1, 2002... When comparing the cost of a material handling robot vs. manual labor, you should consider not just the hourly rate but the total cost of that labor. Your calculation should include workers' compensation insurance, costs of vacations and other...

AGVs and software keep Deere running: to keep up with orders while building the variety of tractors John Deere markets, flexibility had to be a key part of its new assembly system, its handling devices, and even its workforce.(automatic guided vehicle)
February 1, 2002... Tractors are almost as unique as people at John Deere. In an era where customer service is a critical competitive advantage, that makes automated manufacturing a must. Nowhere is that more evident than at John Deere's Augusta, Georgia, plant,...

Overcoming the barriers to e-commerce. (Supply Chain Flow).
February 1, 2002... Reports of the demise of the business-to-business e-commerce model are greatly exaggerated, to borrow a famous phrase. Fewer than the 1,000 launched in the last two years survive, but the point is, they are alive and, in many cases, kicking...

B2B e-commerce: a look at what works. (Supply Chain Flow).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The economy is in the dumpster; news reports are filled with business-to-business exchange failures; and no one seems to be spending money on the tools needed for these systems. Now for the good news. There are many companies that have...

AGV moves pallets. (Product News).(automatic guided vehicle)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Automatic guided vehicle with forks uses a laser guiding system to move pallets to and from stations or storage locations, with a positioning accuracy of [+ or -]0.25 inch. It's powered by standard steer-drive package with an electric braking...

Modular, outdoor buildings. (Product News).(Model EQP)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Pre-assembled Model EQP buildings offer indoor or outdoor protection for equipment. They can be customized to secure electronic and mechanical possessions. They are constructed of 11-gauge welded steel tubing. Write 218

Storage and retrieval system. (Product News).(STAK System, pallets)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The STAK System combines removable and adjustable pallets with a built-in lifting and handling device. The standard STAK System is 16 feet tall, and 2,000-and 4,000-lb. pickup capacities are available. Accessories include tub kits, special...

Convert mechanical dock systems to air. (Product News).(ATC Air Technology Conversion Kit)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The ATC Air Technology Conversion Kit converts mechanical dock leveler systems to air technolgoy without structural modification or removal of the leveler from the pit. The air lifting module includes a bag made of reinforced PVC-coated...

Easy conversion. (Product News).(RocketPort 550)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... RocketPort 550 in-server multiport cards help you change controls and PCs from old ISA expansion buses to the current PCI bus standard. They are available with variety of connector and serial protocol configurations, including RJ45, DB25, RS232...

Narrow Aisle Stacker. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... BGN Series Narrow Aisle Stacker for pallet stacking has adjustable straddle legs that accommodate a range of pallet sizes. Features include ergonomics, programmable electronic controls for maximum battery usage between charges and solid steel...

Easy-to-assemble shelving. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Wide-span shelving handles wide, bulky loads. It bridges the gap between conventional shelving and pallet rack. Configurable, it ranges from a single unit to multi-level picking. Quick to assemble, it is available in 18-, 24-, 30-, 36- or...

Ergonomic Carts. (Product News).(Ergo-Carts)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Ergo-Carts lift, rotate, tilt and transport material handling containers easily and safely. They come in several sizes to accommodate most containers. It takes only 35 pounds of effort to move 3,000 pounds of load. The carts can be fitted with...

Faster picking. (Product News).(Digital Pick)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Digital Pick pick-to-light is a carrier-on-wire system. It offers snap-on, snap-off lights that can be placed anywhere on the racks as product mix changes. It supports paperless, priority-based picking. Lights show employees where and how...

Scissor lift crate positioner. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The unit is ergonomically designed to bring and position the load to align with the worker's specific needs and comfort while giving visibility, performance and safety. The electro-hydraulically operated lift positioner. comes in 2,000-,...

Ergonomic lifts. (Product News).(lift tables)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Expanded line of ergonomic lift tables uses air bags to assure a safe lift. The tables include low-profile, multipurpose and human lifts, as well as tilters. The air bag design permits lifting using a one-to-one ratio, which reduces stress and...

Automated carousel software. (Product News).(Spectrum/ACS software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Spectrum/ACS software, based on Windows, manages the activity of orderpicking, put-away and cycle count of inventory items for up to four carousels in one pod. It automates horizontal and vertical carousels and supports light trees. It...

Portable lift tables. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... These lift tables have powered drive portability useful for applications that require a single lift table to be in multiple locations. The tables feature dual wheel steering, a comfort-grip handle and a maintenance-free battery with charger....

Work positioners. (Product News).(materials handling equipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... These work positioners raise, lower tilt or turn all kinds of material to a worker's comfort zone. Products available are hydraulic and air-powered lift, turn and tilt tables; portable and low-profile tables; upenders; dumpers; carousels and...

Easy picking. (Product News).(Easypick Trak Light picking system)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Easypick Trak Light picking system features modular units that snap in at the pick face. This makes the pick-to-light system easy to reconfigure and maintain. Unique internal addresses let the system communicate independently with one...

Handle conveyed objects safely. (Product News).(speed controllers for conveyors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Series 4,000 speed controllers control the speed of packages and palletized loads on conveyors. There are three types: brake within a roller, tandem brake and conventional spring-loaded brake. The model, with a self-energized centrifugal-action...

Rotating container dumper. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The dumper empties up to 4,000 lb of material and rotates a container 180[degrees]. It can be customized to fit a variety of applications and containers. A lift truck driver can load, operate and unload the dumper without leaving the vehicle...

Parts kitting. (Product News).(software manages storage and retrieval systems)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... FastPic4 can improve throughput and productivity of operations using printed pick lists. All that's needed is the kit number, and the software directs operators automatically to all components that make that kit. The program manages manual and...

Drum Handler. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Model 5500 Drum Handler safely lifts, palletizes transports and weighs steel, plastic and fiber drums weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Benefits include comfortable maneuverability, user-friendly controls, durabi1ity, and smooth, safe handling....

Speed controller for AC motors. (Product News).(alternating current)
February 1, 2002... The SCL Series of AC drives includes an integrated EMC filter and IP20 enclosures. For single-phase 220V supply and power needs ranging from one-quarter to three horsepower, the drives take up little space. Write 234

Computer on wheels. (Product News).(portable PC for use on lift trucks)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Model VX4 vehicle-mounted computer for use on lift trucks is based on Windows. Inside is an Intel Pentium 266 MHz processor. The computer also includes a 10-inch color display with touchscreen interface. It has an IP66 environmental rating....

Pick-to-light. (Product News).(E-Pick distribution software system)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The E-Pick system is modular and expandable, letting users upgrade to a digital system with minimal downtime. It reduces wiring cost and installation time by up to 60 percent. The light modules are easy to read, with the lights displaying the...