Material Handling Management articles from February 2009

Material Handling Management archives from February 2009

Building blocks: modular conveyors take a "Lego" approach to adapt quickly from one job to the next.(Automation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After surviving an oil crisis, a global economic downturn and heated congressional debate over the future of General Motors and Chrysler, automotive suppliers have witnessed a decade's worth of drama in the span of...

Green (ware)house effect: from innovative construction techniques to the latest lighting, heating and cooling technologies, buildings for material handling operations are looking greener and greener.(Building Green From the Outside In)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Until fairly recently, green buildings were dismissed as impractical--a noble gesture toward the environment, but not a serious solution for the material handling community. But, that rigid mindset has changed...

Greening the process: JohnsonDiversey's massive distribution center in Wisconsin emphasizes sustainability, even on the inside.(Building Green From the Outside In)(Company overview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Well known for its household products, S.C. Johnson is also recognized for its environmental efforts, both in its home city of Racine, Wis., and around the world. A recently opened distribution center (DC) for one of...

The other green.(Data Intelligence)
February 1, 2009... By now, you may be a little green around the gills from all the talk about going green. If so, you're not alone. The term "green" was number one on Lake Superior State University's annual "List of Banished Words" for 2009. (See www....

The triple bottom line: when formulating an alternative energy strategy, think in terms of economic, environmental and social progress.(Facilities)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Before the presidential election, then-Sen. Barack Obama spoke of creating 5 million new jobs in renewable energy and nearly tripling the percentage of the nation's electricity supplied by renewables by 2025....

Triple vision.(Front Line)
February 1, 2009... If you think the recession will put the brakes on sustainability, think again. Programs that focus on green--and its counterpart, corporate social responsibility--will probably accelerate. Why? Because when the U.S. credit market collapsed,...

Fitness for your business.(Inner Circle)
February 1, 2009... Lots of people join gyms to work on their health and fitness goals. It's a great way to relieve stress and meet others who can help you learn new ways to get in shape. Joining a trade association is like keeping your business in shape. By...

Get paid to go green: drowning in high energy costs? Here's one way power-hungry facilities can electrify the bottom line.(Building Green From the Outside In)(Company overview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Manufacturing facilities and distribution centers are notorious power hogs. Material handling equipment zips from point to point, while climate-control systems toil around the clock. It's easy to see how powering...

West Coast influence: as California sets the stage for widespread emissions control, lift trucks in other states may become subject to more stringent regulations.(Powered Vehicles)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While environmentally friendly lift trucks are certainly not new, the push to clean up powered industrial vehicles has never been stronger. Controlling emissions from vehicles operating in industrial facilities is no...

Making green: for Toyota, delivering a sustainable product to end customers is only one part of the green equation. The company has also altered the way it manufactures its lift trucks.(Powered Vehicles)
February 1, 2009... Every process at the Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) plant in Columbus, Ind., is continually analyzed and altered to meet Toyota's corporate-wide commitment to sustainability. One example is TIEM's process of painting the...

Fast forward: cutting-edge technologies.(Powered Vehicles)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Researchers in the computer science and artificial intelligence laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are testing a "semi-autonomous" lift truck prototype that protects troops as they move materials in war-ravaged danger...

Pallet-able solutions.(Transport Packaging)
February 1, 2009... Whether wood, plastic or metal, pallets are mission-critical assets. Selecting the right pallet for an application keeps costs down and preserves product quality. As sustainability enters the picture, the decision becomes even more complicated....

Tomorrow's promise: mitigating climate change is sure to top legislative agendas in the years to come. Smart companies are using new technology tools now to turn the potential burden into an opportunity.(Technology)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Any regulation aiming to mitigate climate change is often seen as a burden or even a threat, particularly when budgets are tight. However, some companies are rethinking greenhouse gas (GHG) management as a way to...

911 solution: companies are struggling to cut labor costs without losing key employees. One 3PL offers a flexible answer: logistics temp services.(Workforce)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flexibility isn't just a catchword these days. It's a basic tenet of survival in a time of whipsaw turbulence and economic uncertainty. At a time when a growing number of employers struggle to cut their labor...