Material Handling Management articles from February 2006

Material Handling Management archives from February 2006

Guidelines for smart shippers.(Transport Packaging guidelines)
February 1, 2006... By now, most of the bills from the holiday season have arrived. Once again we ask, "Who bought all this stuff?" And, "Where is it now?" I have some information about who delivered all that stuff (I'll give you a clue; it wasn't Santa...

Peek-a-boo: real time locating systems.(Data Intelligence)
February 1, 2006... Children play the "peek-a-boo" game based on the assumption that "I can't see you so you can't see me." In a warehouse, that may actually be true. A well-designed warehouse management system (WMS) can help you keep track of products that...

A place for everything, everything in its place: proper slotting offers enhanced ergonomics, strengthened order accuracy and better space utilization. All of which add up to increased productivity.(Warehouse Planning)(Company overview)
February 1, 2006... Slotting a distribution center is the process of finding the most efficient spot in the building for every item. Proper slotting enhances the use of the building's cube, reduces the travel time required by employees to fill orders and helps...

The quest for zero inventories.(Light Lifting)
February 1, 2006... In the early 1980s Tom Peters and Robert Waterman published In Search of Excellence (Harper & Row, 1982). The book tells the story of 43 American companies and the eight basic principles of management that made them successful. The bestseller...

Function follows fashion: Vera Bradley's distribution strategy: Vera Bradley's plans for making the distribution function more flexible opens the door to creativity and progress for the entire company.(Cover story)
February 1, 2006... When a company is located on Progress Road, just down the street from the corner of Profit and Dividend, one might question the wisdom of tempting the Fates by building a new distribution center anywhere else. Vera Bradley (Ft. Wayne, Ind.),...

Extreme Packaging.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2006... [Re: "Transport Packaging," Jan. 2006, p. 15] As a manufacturer of store fixtures we ship nationwide but rarely to the same location. Luckily most shipments are full truckloads, but when we have to ship LTL our packaging costs are very high...

Outsourcing system operation to vendors doesn't work.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2006... Your suggestion [to outsource the operation of automated systems to vendors, "Manufacturing Management," Jan. 2006, p. 38] has been entertained in my industry (petroleum refining) for years. The greatest problem is that the vendor's expertise...

On time, on budget, on track.(Project Management)
February 1, 2006... Project management is hot. Over the 10-year period from 1995 to 2004, the Project Management Institute (PMI, Newtown Square, Pa.) grew from 12,000 to 153,000 members in 146 countries. Today PMI has over 200,000 members. Last year PMI...

Novel approach to shipping books.(Case History)
February 1, 2006... Transportation packaging is typically thought of as an end-of-the-line process. For folks like Mark Nason, vice president, operations, and Brian Duarte, director of operations, for rare-book distributor Alibris (Sparks, Nev.), improving the...

Secret sauce: LiDestri Foods uses an automated storage/retrieval system to keep up with growing customer demand.(Case History: ASRS)
February 1, 2006... LiDestri Foods, a family-owned, quarter-billion dollar manufacturing and packaging company, is on pace this year to produce and move 25 million cases of pasta sauces, salsa and specialty sauces under its own label and national brands like...

Changing venue: market forces are expanding the four walls (and the ceiling) of new warehouses and distribution centers.(Facility Design Trends)(ProLogis)
February 1, 2006... Bigger. That in a nutshell sums up the major trends in warehouse and distribution center design and construction today. A lot bigger. For Denver-based ProLogis, a provider of distribution facilities and services that added 17...

What is world-class? Leading facilities implement more management practices and emphasize training for superior results.(Census of Distribution)
February 1, 2006... From the executive suite to the shop floor, the phrase "world-class" has been repeated so many times that the word itself no longer has much meaning. Still, most material handling, distribution and logistics managers will recognize a...

NA2006 show business: MHM looks at the logistics and material handling expertise behind the Material Handling Industry Association's upcoming tradeshow.(NA 2006 Preview)
February 1, 2006... Consider what it would be like to move into a new 320,000 sq.-ft. facility, unpack and erect a host of material handling equipment and display material over a 5-day period, fill the space with inventory and people, and then, a few days later,...

30 minute heavy duty concrete floor joint & crack repair polymer.(Supplier SOURCE: New Products, Equipment & Services Showcase)
February 1, 2006... Metzger/McGuire's Spal-Pro 2000 is a rapid setting, heavy-duty polyurea polymer product for repairing joints and cracks in industrial concrete floors. Spal-Pro 2000 comes packaged in easy-to-use dual-component cartridge kits. This means no...

Load Transfer Station.(Supplier SOURCE: New Products, Equipment & Services Showcase)(Company overview)
February 1, 2006... Safer and faster than load inverters, Columbia's Load Transfer Stations (LTS) reduce shipping and receiving costs and improve plant and process cleanliness. By allowing users to transfer from one type of pallet or load base to another, this...

NYK Logistics automates yard management: active RFID improves throughput for Target's logistics partner.(Radio Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... NYK Logistics needed to optimize its operations to keep up with one of the highest-volume, most demanding distribution channels in the world: Target Corp. (Minneapolis), which posted annual sales of almost $47 billion in its most recent fiscal...

RFID readers on stretch wrappers.(Radio-Frequency Identification)(www.wulftec.com)
February 1, 2006... Available on all Wulftec semi-automatic and automatic machines, this wireless reader is attached to the machine's film-feeding unit, allowing it to read RFID tags continuously as the palletload rotates during the wrapping process. This...

Handheld RFID reader.(Radio-Frequency Identification)(www.rfidinc.com)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The 125-KHz JETT-RFID handheld computer's radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader is located in a flip attachment and is capable of operating in read only or read/write modes with many standard 125-KHz RFID tag chips. It operates on a...

Tag-to-ship RFID integration.(Radio-Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... Fast Tag DataServer and DeviceManager offer a complete tag-to-ship solution for RFID tagging, automation and verification. The FAST Tag DataServer provides IT integration middleware and EPC serialization management, while the FAST Tag...

Test RFID tags and inlays.(Radio-Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... EPC Inlay Master software for high-speed, roll-to-roll RFID tag and inlay testing works with off-the-shelf RFID readers to perform inline parametric testing and programming of Class 0, Class 1 and Gen 2 inlays, with existing high-speed...

RFID chipset supports HF, UHF.(Radio-Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... Combining a dynamically programmable, analog signal processor with RangeMaster2, RFID reader 3.3-volt chip set solution. It lets system vendors' design and maintain a universal reader that can be customized to read different RFID tag types. The...

RFID for Global Supply Chains.(Radio-Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... Compatible with UHF frequency band (915MHz), he V740 Series RFID system can communicate with tags using both EPC and ISO standards. The system supports EPC Class 0 and 1 protocols and EPC Class 1 Generation 2 protocols. It is designed for...

RFID asset management software.(Radio-Frequency Identification)
February 1, 2006... The Intelligent Long Range system tracks, locates, identifies, and collects and processes data delivered by RFID hardware. The system's RFID components include tags, readers, antennas, and a data collection system that integrates with...

Pneumatic marine lift truck.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... The pneumatic Neptune series marine lift truck has a capacity range from 15,000 to 25,000 lbs. with a 96-in. load center. It's powered by a 5.9-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel engine or an optional GM 5.7-liter LPG powers. Soft-touch controls...

Shipping protection for irregular products.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... Made from recyclable paper fibers, the shape of Cushion Cubes gives them the ability to compress and reset, providing continuous product protection despite the drops, bumps, and jolts of the normal shipping and handling processes. Interlocking...

On-the-go printing.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... Zebra Technologies' RW 420 mobile thermal printer distributed by Paragon Data Systems withstands harsh environments. Uses include printing invoices, delivery receipts, services estimates, sales orders and labels for inventory management. Lift...

Galvanized walkie truck.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... The new MPW-050-W, 5,000-pound capacity walkie truck has a heavy corrosion/wash down package that reduces the overall cost of maintenance in refrigerated food facilities. Corrosion resistant frame, lift linkage, battery well and fork weld-ment...

Brushless DC motor driver.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... The ZL-DK100 Microroller driver offers closed-loop speed control for 24-volt brushless motors used in conveyor systems. The system can set and maintain the speeds of adjacent conveyor zones to within [+ or -] 1 RPM of each other, even under...

More than a timeclock.(Product News)
February 1, 2006... Optimus workforce management terminal boasts a powerful processor, plentiful memory, large display and simple customization. Options include advanced fingerscan biometrics, finger geometry biometrics, bar code, magstripe, proximity, and...

Distributors forecast steady growth.(Industry News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Material handling distributors expect 2006 will be a year of steady growth, according to recent research by the Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association (MHEDA). Over 73% of those surveyed believe sales will grow this year compared to...

Federated to close five DCs, build new facility in Tenn.(Industry News)
February 1, 2006... Federated Department Stores, Inc. (Cincinnati), announced that it will close five of its 31 distribution centers as part of a nationwide consolidation of its distribution network. The move will reportedly reduce duplication as the company...

Walgreens tailors new DC to disabled workers.(Industry News)
February 1, 2006... Walgreens Co. (Deerfield, Ill.), plans to build a new distribution facility in Windsor, Conn. Walgreens will purchase a 130-acre site in the New England Tradeport, a 600-acre planned industrial park. Work on the property will begin in late...

NACCO manufactures 500,000th lift truck.(Industry News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) produced its 500,000th lift truck at its Greenville, N.C., plant. The Hyster Company E80AC, an AC-powered electric rider, rolled off the line and is seen here with the first truck the plant produced, a Yale...

Steel industry outlook.(Industry News)(Industry overview)
February 1, 2006... From the construction of new facilities to lift trucks, racks, conveyors, robots, trucks and trailers, the changing price and availability of steel has a major impact on suppliers and buyers of material handling equipment. In January, MHM sat...

Ex-air force base transforms into logistics hub.(Industry News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Medical supply firm, Medline Industries, contracted with Hillwood (Dallas) to build a 400,000-sq.-ft. distribution center on 20 acres at Hillwood's AllianceCalifornia development in San Bernardino, Calif. The 2,000-acre business park is the...

Material handling industry elects board of governors.(Industry News)
February 1, 2006... Material Handling Industry (Charlotte, N.C.) announced the election of its 2006-2007 Board of Governors, which serves as the board of directors for the organization. Brian McNamara, president of Southworth International Group, Inc., was elected...

Advanced inventory software on the rise.(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The worldwide market for Advanced Inventory Optimization (AIO) software and services is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate greater than 12% during the next five years. The market was $99 million in 2005 and is forecasted to reach...

U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
February 1, 2006... The number of wage and salary workers represented by unions in the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy fell by 19,000 last year to 2.017 million, the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The percentage of...

Jebel Ali International Airport.(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... When the $8.2 Billion (U.S.) project is completed, Jebel Ali International Airport in Dubai will be the combined size of O'Hare in Chicago and Heathrow in London. When completed, the airport will be able to handle annual volumes of 120 million...

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, and the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing are collaborating with industry and academia in the development of a new industry standard for Lean Certification (www.sme.org/lean).
February 1, 2006... The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, and the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing are collaborating with industry and academia in the development of a new industry standard for Lean...

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer Inc. has begun to ship its Viagra product with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags.
February 1, 2006... Pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer Inc. has begun to ship its Viagra product with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to its customers in the U.S. Viagra was selected for the RFID project because it has been a major target for...

Reebok Canada moved its hockey division headquarters and distribution into a new 350,000 sq.-ft. facility located in Saint-Laurent, Montreal.(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Reebok Canada moved its hockey division headquarters and distribution into a new 350,000 sq.-ft. facility located in Saint-Laurent, Montreal. Reebok's global hockey division, known as The Hockey Company, includes a state-of-the-art Hockey...

Raided five times.
February 1, 2006... A warehouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia, which had been raided five times before by law enforcement personnel was busted again in January. In the recent raid 1,241 items of clothing and 246 pairs of shoes carrying brands such as Nike, Adidas,...

Dean Foods installs first stainless steel robot in U.S.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... KUKA Robotics Corp. (Clinton Township, Mich.; parent company KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, Germany) announced that Forte Automation Systems (Rockford, Ill.) installed a KUKA KR 15 SL stainless steel robot at a Dean Foods' dairy product...

RedPrairie buys MARC Global.(Vendor News)(MARC Global Holdings Inc)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... RedPrairie (Waukesha, Wisc.) has announced an agreement to acquire MARC Global Holdings, Inc. (Atlanta). The combined companies, operating under the name RedPrairie Corp., will unify and support all products and services from both...

Brendon Engineering acquires Robocaser product line.(Vendor News)(Pro Mach Inc)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Pro Mach, Inc. (Cincinnati) announced that its Brenton Engineering division (Alexandria, Minn.) has acquired the Robocaser product line from Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed, Inc. Robocaser, an advanced, robotic case packer, is used for packing a range...

Siemens Logistics division becomes Dematic Corp.(Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems Inc)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... In January the former Distribution and Industry Group of Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems Inc. opened for business as Dematic Corp. (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Although the name is new, the company has been in business for nearly 70 years,...

PCC systems changes name to Lightning Pick Technologies.(Vendor News)
February 1, 2006... Lightning Pick Technologies is the new name of PCC Systems, LLC (Germantown, Wis.). It remains part of the Professional Control Corp. (PCC). "Our new identity is more descriptive of what we do," said Jim Bast, general manager. Lightning Pick...

Sato buys bar code business from Checkpoint Systems.(Vendor News)
February 1, 2006... Checkpoint Systems, Inc. (Thorofare, N.J.), completed the sale of its bar code systems businesses to SATO, a global provider of bar code printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions. Price of the sale is reported to be $37 million in cash, plus...

Bendon Ltd. awards contract to Diamond Phoenix.(Awards & Contracts)
February 1, 2006... Diamond Phoenix (Lewiston, Me.) announced the award of a contract by Bendon Ltd., an international intimate apparel company. Bendon selected Diamond Phoenix to design and integrate a material handling system for its distribution center in...

Kimberly-Clark selects Alien Technology.(Alien ALR-9800 Enterprise RFID Reader)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Alien Technology (Morgan Hill, Calif) announced Kimberly-Clark Corp. (Dallas) selected the Alien ALR-9800 Enterprise RFID Reader to help comply with retail-industry mandates requiring the use of RFID technology in the supply chain....

NASA recognizes Flowserve.(Awards & Contracts)(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... NASA has awarded Flowserve Corp. (Dallas), a global provider of fluid motion and control products and services, a certificate of appreciation for custom-engineering new valves for the agency's Johnson, Marshall and Stennis Space Centers....

Northrop Grumman honored for manufacturing prowess.(Awards & Contracts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... A team from the College Park, Md.-based Best Manufacturing Practices Center of Excellence--sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Commerce and the University of Maryland--recognized 41 manufacturing practices at Northrop...