Material Handling Management articles from January 2004

Material Handling Management archives from January 2004

Happy new year ...(From the Publisher)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... ... and it looks like 2004 will give most of you something to be happy about. I just finished a 14-week tour across our great country, talking to advertisers and readers of Material Handling Management to find out their business plans for 2004...

A full house can lose: it's good for 3PLs, but you'd better be ready for wild cards.(Editorial)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Around Thanksgiving time last year, The Wall Street Journal was crowing about the beauty of all the full warehouses adorning the U.S. economic picture. The headline read "Full Warehouses Are Good News This Time Around." Funny, only a few years...

Smart Material Handling eases rate pain.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2004... On January 4, a new hours-of-service rule for truck drivers became effective. It is imperative that your company know what impact the new rule has on your bottom line. The transportation cost increase to companies will depend on what mix and...

RFID advice aplenty.(Acsis Inc. announced the expanded capabilities of its RFID Laboratory)(RedPrairie Corporation announced it has built a fully functional, EPC-compliant RFID laboratory)(RedPrairie Company Leader John Jazwiec says Our objective in developing the first EPC compliant RFID Lab)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... On the heels of its release of the RFID Expert System, Acsis Inc. announced the expanded capabilities of its RFID Laboratory, set up to aid Wal-Mart suppliers in their efforts to comply with the RFID mandates. Acsis can advise how best to...

Pigs do fly!(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Exel, a major provider of supply chain management services, has successfully flown a herd of British rare breed pigs to Bhutan in the Himalayas. Exel teams in the UK and Thailand worked together to complete the shipment, which was reported to...

Crown Lift Trucks win award.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Masco Corporation announced Crown Lift Trucks was a winner of its MASTAR (Masco Supplier Team Award Recognition) 2003 Program. Other winners of the 2003 awards are: Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc., Blum Inc., Chevron Phillips Chemical, Grainger,...

Companies making news.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2004... International Paper and ESYNC announced that the two companies have established a strategic partnership to provide RFID integration and consulting services focused on the Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards and other related...

Managers making news.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2004... Exel announced that Patrick Moebel will join the company as chief executive officer (CEO) for technology and global freight management-Americas. "We recognize Patrick as a top U.S. executive with an extensive background in the industry. Patrick...

Top manufacturers use 3PLs.(News Briefs)(More top U.S. manufacturers are using third party logistics providers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... More top U.S. manufacturers are using third party logistics providers (3PLs) as part of their extended supply chain than ever, according to the latest research conducted by Accenture and Northeastern University. The percentage of large...

Associations making news.(News Briefs)(The Healthcare Distribution Management Association)(The Association for Automatic Identification and Data Capture Technologies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association reports that its September 2003 Booked Orders Index was 116, up two points, or an increase of two percent from August's Index. The September Index represents a decrease of 10 percent from...

Supply chain investment hot.(News Briefs)(U.S. companies have begun to attack the more than $117 billion in excess inventory and $83 billion in lost sales)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... U.S. companies have begun to attack the more than $117 billion in excess inventory and $83 billion in lost sales associated with disconnected and uncoordinated supply chains, according to Yankee Group. The research firm says companies have...

RFID presentation area at ProMat 2005.(News Briefs)(Department of Defense, Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has announced plans for a special RFID Presentation Area at ProMat 2005)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... As industry gears up to respond to the January 2005 RFID deployment mandated by Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense, Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has announced plans for a special RFID Presentation Area at ProMat 2005,...

Raymond fleet services program enhanced.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The fleet services program from the Raymond Corporation provides users with online information and reports on lift truck fleet data by truck, facility, region and company. The program maximizes lift truck efficiency while reducing operating and...

Supply chain planning market solid.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2004... The overall supply chain planning and collaboration market exceeded $1,903 million in 2003 despite the weak macro-economic environment over the past two years. This is particularly interesting since the recession in the U.S. had substantial...

Environmental Stewardship Award.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ORBIS Corp., a subsidiary of Menasha Corp., manufacturer of plastic reusable packaging for use in a wide range of material handling applications, has received the Orion Environmental Stewardship Award for its installation of energy-efficient...

ABB strengthens U.S. power supply.(News Briefs)(high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system link interconnecting the eastern and western power grids of the United States)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ABB, the power and automation technology group, says it has successfully commissioned a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system link, interconnecting the eastern and western power grids of the United States. The back-to-back...

Compliance more than data submission.(News Briefs)(The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) says adherence to the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act means more than providing raw data to avoid the act's civil or criminal penalties)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) says adherence to the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act means more than providing raw data to avoid the act's civil or criminal penalties. ...

Inventory visibility.(Ask the MHM Editorial Advisory Board)(Material Handling Management)(Panel Discussion)
January 1, 2004... Our cover story on the military's efforts to establish asset visibility throughout its supply chain inspired this month's query to the MHM Editorial Advisory Board. We asked board members several questions about how their companies establish...

New products, equipment & services showcase.(Supplier Source: Special Advertising Section)
January 1, 2004... Contact these companies directly for more information about their new products or services for material handling, transport packaging, warehousing and distribution applications EXPORT & DOMESTIC PALLETS Litco's Inca presswood pallets...

Strategic Council on Security Technology.(News Briefs)(Smart and Secure Tradelanes)
January 1, 2004... The Strategic Council on Security Technology announced the global rollout of phase two of the Smart and Secure Tradelanes (SST) initiative. In the last year, SST has become the largest cargo security program in operation, helping global...

New GM at Akro-Mils.(News Briefs)(David J. Grider appointed general manager)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Akro-Mils, a Myers Industries company, announced the appointment of David J. Grider as general manager. Grider assumed the responsibilities for overall operation of the company on September 1, 2003. Akro-Mils, a manufacturer of plastic storage,...

Savi, Symbol, Matrics host RFID Symposia.(News Briefs)(RFID Symposia for DoD Suppliers)(Savi Technology, Symbol Technologies and Matrics--will host a series of educational seminars for suppliers seeking to meet new RFID requirements for the U.S. military)
January 1, 2004... Beginning February 17, three leading providers of RFID supply-chain tracking solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial enterprises--Savi Technology, Symbol Technologies and Matrics--will host a series of educational seminars...

ABB sharpens focus.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ABB said it has merged its six automation business areas into three globally-focused businesses. The move continues an evolution that began in late 2002 when the group merged two automation-related divisions and combined 11 business areas into...

Industrial engine approved.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Impco Technologies Inc. has been granted emission approval for the General Motors 1.6L industrial engine for off-highway mobile use beginning in 2004. Impco is the only company to receive multiple off-highway emission approvals for GM engines.

Beauty can be more than skin deep.(Transport Packaging)(Underwriters Laboratories has opened a pallet testing facility in North-brook, Illinois)
January 1, 2004... An architect once told me a good exterior is a silent recommendation. Too bad the theory doesn't hold with pallets. To help reveal the beauty beneath the skin, Underwriters Laboratories has opened a pallet testing facility in North-brook,...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... February 9-10 WMS: Steps to Success. Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel, Tempe, AZ. Sponsored by WERC. Visit www.werc.org or phone (630) 990-0001. February 18 Partners in Packaging. Sofitel Los Angeles. Sponsored by PMMI. Visit...

Using the same tag the world over.(Cutting Edge)
January 1, 2004... The EasyCoder Intellitag PM4i printer writes to Intellitag RFID chips embedded into a label, and simultaneously prints bar codes and human-readable text. The PM4i programs frequency-agile Intellitags that operate in the 800-928 MHz UHF range....

e-kanban system eliminates lost cards.(Cutting Edge)
January 1, 2004... The SupplyWorks wireless e-kanban automation system helps manufacturers eliminate lost cards by scanning card barcodes at the work cell. Each signal is transferred from the wireless device to the SupplyWorks MAX procurement application, and...

Advanced modular distributed I/O and device integration system.(Cutting Edge)
January 1, 2004... The Telemecanique Advantys STB system allows one fieldbus node to distribute I/O across an entire machine or process. The system's power distribution modules distribute field power across two separate buses--a sensor bus for input modules and...

The military's war on invisibility; material that goes missing in action along the last mile of the battle field supply chain has been a major cost to our armed forces. Today the military's strategies to restore asset visibility deserve your attention.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Flexibility has always been a desirable attribute in managing material handling logistics. However, our armed forces are discovering that being flexible isn't enough any more. You need to be adaptive. What's the difference? Being adaptive...

Material handling's premier event NA2004; new venue, plenty of new products and more information than ever are just the beginning for NA2004--the material handling & logistics show and conference.(NA2004 Preview)
January 1, 2004... It's time to think spring! NA2004 is only a couple months away so here is a first, brief look at what you can expect in Cleveland beginning March 29. Full show and conference information, as well as registration, can be found at www.NA2004.org....

Packaging for lean: Delphi Technologies, Inc., 3D optimized packaging simulation software technology.(MHM Innovators of the Month)
January 1, 2004... Delphi Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Delphi Corporation, developed a tool to improve efficiencies throughout the product lifecycle, including initial container purchase, work-in-process parts handling, inbound/outbound freight costs and...

RFID update: are you in shape for DoD's marching orders? Live web conference March 31, 2004.
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Defense may be following Wal-Mart's lead in requiring suppliers to adopt radio frequency identification technology, but don't expect them to march in lock-step. If you do business with either or both of these giants, you...

On drugs and distribution.(Warehousing & Distribution)
January 1, 2004... Welcome to the new "Warehousing & Distribution" section of Material Handling Management. In the coming months, we'll cover topics like storage, small item picking, dock efficiency, warehouse networks and cross-docking. This month, we're...

Warehouse management systems.(Warehousing & Distribution)(Directory)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... Company name/website Inventory management Abraham Technical (www.abetech.com) * Services Accu-Sort Systems (www.accusort.com) ...

How a WCS boosts WMS performance: a warehouse management system can help increase your productivity, but you'll need a top-notch control system to support it.(Warehousing & Distribution)
January 1, 2004... Home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma has four distribution centers (DCs) in the greater Memphis area and a fifth DC on the West Coast. The facilities were operating a legacy warehouse management system (WMS) that was no longer supporting...

What a WMS can do for you: improved order accuracy is the main benefit of a WMS.(Warehousing & Distribution)(warehouse management system )
January 1, 2004... If you haven't yet invested in a warehouse management system (WMS), or are looking to upgrade your system but are unsure of the return on investment (ROI), it may be helpful to hear the experiences of others. The Warehousing Education and...

2004: a banner year for manufacturing.(Manufacturing Management)
January 1, 2004... What does 2004 have in store for manufacturing in America? Is this the year we've all been waiting for--the year that brings back the bounce in factory orders, the year that heats up industry hiring, the year that pumps up producer profits? The...

New inspiration from the old Denver airport disaster.(Innovation)
January 1, 2004... Ten years ago people wondered whether the Denver International Airport would ever open; now the story is all about making the airport secure. Ten years ago was 1994 and Material Handling Management (then Material Handling Engineering)...

Large and deep cabinet.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The HyperSpace cabinet is 22 and 1/2 in. deep. It contains 4 and 1/2 square ft. of surface area per drawer and has 18 in. deep drawers that require only 36 in. of aisle space for full drawer extension. The cabinet drawers permit a load capacity...

Rear Combination lamp.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Model 280 LED Rear Combination lamp is designed especially for material handling vehicles, such as lift trucks. The lamp is a two-point mount rear combination lamp with stop, turn, tail and back-up functions. The lamp plugs directly into...

Label for rough surfaces.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The FoamTag label is intended for rough or cast surfaces. The label consists of an .008 in. thick stainless steel, laser markable tag atop a foam adhesive. The tag and adhesive are carried by a release film. The tag is marked by a low power CO2...

Air-operated lift.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The V-900 Lift, designed as a module, has a profile of four in. The lift has a capacity of 6,000 lbs. and 25 in. of travel and can be stacked two or three high. The lift allows a direct one-to-one lift ratio, eliminating the need for mechanical...

Case history: pneumatic vacuum system eliminates dust.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... Specialty flours producer Tropical Foods Company, Inc., of Clifton, SC, was using a screw conveyor system to transport material (approximately 2,500 lbs. of various ingredients, in powder form, from bags into a mixer). The main difficulties...

Moveable countertop conveyor.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The SmartMove Workstation Conveyor has moveable in-line countertops that can be located above the belting. Workers can accumulate parts, perform the assembly operations, and then put the parts back onto the moving conveyor. The conveyor is...

Modular switch for Ethernet applications.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Modular Managed Switch is designed to facilitate Ethernet set-up. The switch does not requires complex IT programming; the operator plugs in the needed modules and configures the browser-based interface. A head station and two side-by-side...

Improving the cycle count process.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The FastPic4 inventory management and control software is designed to manage manual and automated storage and retrieval systems, including shelving and rack, pick-to-light, horizontal carousels and vertical storage devices. The system works by...

Reusable container is also collapsible.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The MAX3 container can be loaded two-wide, 14-deep, and two-high in a standard 53-ft. trailer, allowing for 20 percent more payload than typical shipping platforms. The reusable container features a 4.5:1 collapsed ratio and can be used for...

Retrofit stairs and landings.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... These custom industrial quality stairs and landings are designed to retrofit to existing installations that may be in violation of building codes. The stairs are available with open or closed risers and in welded or bolted configurations, with...

A dock where before there was none.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The 1045 portable load dock scissors lift is on wheels and is designed to load and unload trucks in areas that have no loading dock. The lift has a built-in two-HP power unit. The height goes from five-and-a-quarter in. to 58-1/4 in. Features...

Well-grounded containers.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... Conductive and anti-static bulk bags protect against electrostatic discharges. The Pactainer ED container is grounded during use. It is constructed of fabric that contains special threads to route static charges to groundable black tabs. The...

Hygienic bulk bag discharging.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The yoke closure bar for bulk bag dischargers allows for an easy tie-off and can prevent powder leakage. The bars consist of a series of "Y"-bars that cinch the bulk bag shut, improving operator safety when tying and untying the bulk bag. The...

Conveyor lights things up.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The 2200 and 3200 Series Backlit conveyors come installed with an internal lighting system that shines through the conveyors' translucent belt. The 2200 Series conveyors have an 80-lb. load capacity, belt speeds of up to 276 ft. per minute, and...

Putting a lid/seal on it.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The VL 480 lidder lids/seals standard, design style and bliss style trays in one continuous motion at speeds up to 30 trays per minute. The adjustable design can accommodate a wide range of tray sizes. According to the manufacturer, the open...

Like having a longer Arm.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Easy Arm Intelligent Lifting Arm device uses a processor-controlled servo-drive system to create an ergonomic articulating jib design. According to the manufacturer, the lifting arm acts like an extension of the operator's arm and can lift...

Stacker trucks for narrow aisles.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The man-up ETX-Kombi lift truck has an AC drive control designed for narrow aisle applications. The operator can stand or sit in the driver's cabin and get unobstructed views of the fork, load and aisle way. The truck has a 180-degree swing...

Continuous thermal transfer coder.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The SmartDate 3c 128 wide area continuous printer is designed for generic packages that require a larger-than-average area for printing. Features include: automatic real time date coding; keypad code changes with no manual setup of characters...

Custom mast lift.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... Mast lift offers motion on two axes for turbine equipment inspection in a power generation facility. The lift has a capacity of 5,000 lbs. and the tooling and fixture can be raised at a rate of approximately 2.5 ft. per minute. A power rotator...

Palletizer/de-palletizer.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The K-Bot Palletizer is a four-axis, floor-level palletizer and de-palletizer capable of running single or dual line applications at a rate of up to 10 cycles per minute. It allows for pallet sizes of up to 48 in. X 48 in. and unit loads up to...

A little light on the subject.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... Day-Lite Translucent slats, used in conjunction with the Universal GX-4000 panel, allow natural light into the dock area and plant. The six-in.-high slat is made from an extruded acrylic material and can be retrofitted to the Universal GX-4000...

Bringing the product to the picker.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Shelf Storage and Picking System presents two sets of shelves at a time to the picker. The shelving units are designed to take up the alloted space to allow more efficiency in storage, and rotate to display the available inventory. Pickers...

A new Wave Vehicle.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Work Assist Vehicle, or Wave, elevates an operator and load up to seven feet. The vehicle provides 84 in. of lift and 161 in. of height for a typical operator standing on the platform. There is also a load tray for easy handling when the...

"Miniature" ball transfer units.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... "Miniature" ball transfer units can perform conventional material handling and positioning functions for transfer of small parts. The units allow for 360-degree movement and can be installed inside sensitive equipment as an alternative to...

Rack and Pinion Lifting System.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... The Max Climber 2000 Rack & Pinion Lifting System features five-foot, 95 lb. galvanized mast sections and can be installed with four bolts. The system features a customizable basket size of 57 in. X 52 in. and is equipped with emergency upper...

Plastic pallets for international shipments.(Product News)
January 1, 2004... This 40 in. x 48 in. plastic, nestable pallet has been designed for export and one-way shipping applications. The pallet weighs 21.5 lbs. and complies with all European Union and Asian import packaging standards. According to the manufacturer,...