Material Handling Management articles from July 2006

Material Handling Management archives from July 2006

Containers double as picking system: Central Tent Company (Santa Clarita, Calif.) found a way to get more than just storage from its bulk box containers.(Transport Packaging)
July 1, 2006... "We were moving from an old distribution center into a new building in a newly industrialized area of the city," explains Sue Wolf, vice president of operations. "What we did not anticipate was the lengthy permitting process we would encounter...

Superpowered communication: when it comes to employee education, the message matters more than the medium.(employee education)
July 1, 2006... We all have our preferred learning styles. Some of us are better at learning by seeing. Others are better at learning by hearing or by doing. Academics categorize these learning preferences as visual, auditory or kinesthetic. I'm a visual...

A practical, reusable application for RFID.(Transport Packaging)
July 1, 2006... A major break in resolving the challenge of returning reusable containers is about to happen. An initiative to marry reusables and RFID tags has gone beyond the flirting and courting stages. Now we're waiting for the preacher to show up. ...

Media fearmongers give RFID a bad rap.(Data Intelligence)
July 1, 2006... Bad News travels fast." It's an old adage but it's certainly true. Think about it: When was the last time you saw "good news" about RFID being picked up wholesale by popular print, broadcast or electronic media? Don't strain yourself. The...

The price of ignorance is death: you don't buy lift truck safety. You live it.(Andel on Lift Trucks)
July 1, 2006... He was only 28 when it happened; only on the job five weeks. But with four years' experience working around lift trucks, he figured fate couldn't throw anything at him he couldn't outmaneuver. That was his first and last mistake on this job....

Tugger power: for almost 10 years the Whirlpool Corp. plant in Marion, Ohio, has been delivering parts on an hourly basis to its assembly lines using carts and tuggers. In April of last year they started installing a brand new line from the ground up. It was an opportunity to try something new.(Equipment Update)
July 1, 2006... "Today on our traditional main assembly lines we only bring out small boxes of purchased parts, like screws, nuts and bolts, and small plastic parts [by tugger]," says Bill Condon, lead materials engineer at the Marion Division. Dryer...

Overhead stretch wrapper.(Product News)
July 1, 2006... Over 100 off-the-shelf options, such as a Pallet-Grip load locking system or a 6,000-lb. capacity conveyor. It can be designed for conveyorized feed, in-line, end-of-line or freestanding installation to accommodate load accumulation. The...

Ergonomic Work Platforms.(Product News)
July 1, 2006... The length and height of Work-Catch Platforms can be easily adjusted to facilitate specific work needs. The platforms are 36 in. wide and 10 ft. long in the retracted position; fully extended, the platform ends can add an additional 78 in.,...

Bolted rack liability?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... [Re: "The Welded vs. Bolted Debate," May 2006, Page 33] You missed an incredibly important point as relates to a disadvantage of bolted uprights: product liability. This could have devastating long-term consequences for the...

Bolted rack supplier responds.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... In the many decades that Dexion (Australia) has manufactured and sold bolted upright rack systems, it has incurred zero claims stemming from the bolted connection, be it a failure of the hardware itself to perform to specifications, or any...

Picking fundamentals: everyone knows A items need to be close to the door and the floor for fast picking. But what happens when the season changes and the As become Cs? In many cases, nothing. Former A items do not get re-slotted, they get in the way and they slow down the picking process.(Warehousing Basics: Common sense is the foundation for effective picking.)
July 1, 2006... Fortunately, there are a number of common-sense practices companies can use to increase picking productivity. It starts with improving process efficiency, adding an incentive program or technology, and positioning products correctly in a...

Rally your forces: everyone appreciates praise for what they do. But does working for a widely admired company, or being told you're good at your job, contribute to greater productivity on the shop floor and a company's overall financial health?(Labor Management: Mom was right. Being nice to people pays off)
July 1, 2006... "An employee's performance has a lot to do with how they feel about the company," says Peggy Gardner, a spokesperson for UPS, Atlanta. "How they feel about the company and its future; and how they're being treated by the company, all translates...

Sheer distribution pleasure: BMW is a hot brand in Canada. The company's January 2006 sales increased 22% over the same month in 2005. Year-over-year sales growth had forced BMW's Whitby, Ontario, parts distribution center (PDC) to expand twice to 56,000 sq. ft., but it still did not have the capacity to handle the company's growing volume.(New Facility: Sales growth drives BMW Canada to move into a larger, more efficient facility.)
July 1, 2006... In January 2006 the operation moved into a new 183,000-sq.-ft. parts distribution center with 30 ft. of clear storage height. The new facility is located three miles from its old location in Whitby, which is about 30 minutes east of Toronto....

Wal-Mart's ASDA signs labor deal, averts warehouse worker strike.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... An anticipated five-day strike by warehouse workers at ASDA, the U.K. division of mass retailer Wal-Mart (Bentonville, Ark.), was called off following negotiations between unions and the supermarket chain. ASDA's chief executive Andy Bond lead...

U.S. employers hiring.(Industry News)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... For the third quarter of 2006, 31% of U.S. employers foresee an increase in hiring activity, 57% expect no change in hiring and only 6% anticipate a decline in staff levels, according to a recent study from Manpower Inc. (Milwaukee). The firm...

On the job.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... THE PERFECT ORDER * PAYMENT (CASH enclosed) * ONE LINE ITEM (STANDARD, OFF THE SHELF) * QUANTITY (AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN COME) * PACKAGING (WHATEVER IS HANDY) * DELIVERY DATE (WHENEVER YOU CAN GET TO IT) * CUSTOMER...

Irving Footlik dies at 88, standard bearer for material handling education.(Industry News)(Obituary)
July 1, 2006... Irving M. Footlik, founder and chairman of Footlik & Associates (Evanston, Ill.), died on June 5 after a short illness. He was 88 years old. "Irv" to his many friends and industry colleagues, Footlik was a licensed professional engineer,...

Furniture maker opens factory in Mexico, cutting facility and DC in Ariz.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... Richter Designs (Los Angeles), a manufacturer of upholstered furniture, will soon open a 335,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. The factory will be five miles away from the company's new 120,000-sq.-ft. cutting...

Take an engineering vacation this summer.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... Whether you plan to hit the road or keep it local, it won't hurt the kids to work a little education into vacation this summer. Before you go check out the Sightseers Guide to Engineering (www.engineeringsights.org). Created by the National...

OfficeMax to add Puerto Rico DC.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... OfficeMax Inc. (Itasca, Ill.), the office products retailer, announced plans to open a new 100,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Carolina, Puerto Rico in October. The new DC will provide more immediate access to office supply, technology,...

Prologis headquarters recognized for environmental building design.
July 1, 2006... ProLogis (Denver, Colo.), a global provider of distribution facilities and services, announced that its new global headquarters in Denver has been recognized for its extensive use of environmental design features by the U.S. Green Building...

Otis Elevator opens regional distribution center in Orlando.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Otis Elevator Company (Farmington, Conn.) opened a new 57,700-sq.-ft. distribution center in Orlando, Fla. It will serve Otis customers in Florida and the surrounding states. The facility joins four other DCs that Otis operates around the...

Borders opens new Northeast DC.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Borders (Ann Arbor, Mich.) officially opened its new Northeast Distribution Center in mid-June. The 600,000-sq.-ft. distribution center is located in Carlisle, Pa. Ultimately employing 500 people, the facility will process and ship books to...

Canadian Tire to build new facility in Coteau du Lac, Quebec.(Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Canadian Tire Corp. (Toronto) will build a 1.5-million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Coteau du Lac, Quebec, to support the company's continued growth in Eastern Canada. "Between 2005 and 2009, we will undertake 300 projects to continue...

Thai Airways blames warehouse for bullets sent to U.S. embassy in Cambodia.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Thai Airways denied mislabeling a shipment of 140,000 bullets accidentally sent to the U.S. embassy in Cambodia, Agence France Presse reports. The embassy in Phnom Penh received the bullets earlier this month instead of artwork that had been...

European equity firm and managers buy Dematic.(Triton acquires all shares of Dematic GmbH )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Triton, an independent European private equity investor, and top managers have purchased all outstanding shares of Dematic GmbH from Siemens AG. This step reportedly concludes the realignment of Dematic, which started in September last year,...

Kalmar builds 40,000th terminal tractor in Kansas.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... In mid-June the 40,000th terminal tractor rolled off the Kalmar's assembly line in Ottawa, Kans. The terminal tractor was sold to YRC Worldwide (formerly Yellow Roadway Corp. of Overland Park, Kans.) and was one unit in a package of more than...

FKI Logistex consolidates manufacturing and engineering locations.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... FKI Logistex (St. Louis), a global supplier of integrated material handling technology, consolidated its North American manufacturing and engineering locations within its Airport, Post and Parcel division to take advantage of operational...

RedPrairie acquires BlueCube Software.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... RedPrairie Corporation (Milwaukee), a supply chain company, acquired BlueCube Software Inc. (Atlanta). The combined companies, operating under the name RedPrairie Corp., will unify and support all products and services from both organizations,...

TNT Logistics expands manufacturing support services with Eaton Corp.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... TNT Logistics North America (Jacksonville, Fla.), a provider of logistics services, expanded the warehousing footprint it provides to Eaton Corp. at its facility in Indianapolis. The Eaton Logistics Center (ELC) provides aftermarket parts...

Viastore systems to provide AS/RS to new IKEA facility in Savannah.(IKEA contracts with Viastore systems)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Houseware retailer IKEA selected Viastore systems (Grand Rapids, Mich.), an automated material handling and supply chain software provider, to provide automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) for its regional DC currently under...

Siemens wins $12-million baggage handling contract for Orlando International Airport.(contracts won)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Siemens Energy & Automation's Airport Logistics Division (Atlanta), won a $12 million contract from Hensel Phelps Construction Co. (Greeley, Colo.) to expand the in-line screening system at the Orlando International Airport. Siemens will...

Automated Packaging wins packaging design award.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... Automated Packaging Systems (Streetsboro, Ohio), received a product design award for its AirPouch void-fill air pillows. The National Institute of Packaging, Handling and Logistics Engineers (NIPHLE) presented the award at its annual conference...

Intermec files patent lawsuit against Alien.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... Intermec, Inc. (Everett, Wash.) filed a lawsuit on June 29 against Alien Technology (Morgan Hill, Calif.) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware for patent infringement. Intermec alleges that Alien's Generation 2 RFID readers...

Finnish company acquires MMH Holdings.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... After acquiring a majority ownership position in May, the U.S. subsidiary of KCI Konecranes Inc. (Finland), has acquired 100% of MMH Holdings, Inc., which owns Morris Material Handling. With U.S. headquarters in Springfield, Ohio, Finland-based...

Management changes at Toyota.(restructuring)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (Irvine, Calif.) announced several management changes, including Hugh Quinnell as national manager, major account parts and service operations; Michael Gunn as national information technology manager;...

New ownership at KEOGH Consulting.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Ravindra Madala acquired all outstanding shares in KEOGH Consulting, Inc. (Cleveland), formerly held by Frank Renshaw, co-founder and former president of the engineering consulting firm. Mandala becomes president and CEO. A 10-year employee of...

Yale honors top performing dealers.(Vendor News)
July 1, 2006... Yale Materials Handling Corp. (Greenville, N.C.), honored its 14 top performing dealers with its 12th Annual Dealer of Excellence Awards. Every year Yale's dealer network competes in a Challenge of Excellence program. The top performing members...

Rack solid: pallet rack systems in more states must now meet seismic standards.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... More earthquakes happen in California than anywhere else in the U.S. Not surprisingly, the first building codes that demanded that pallet rack systems be sturdy enough to withstand earthquakes without collapsing, cracking or otherwise...

Storage rack system reduces risk during earthquakes.(Racking and Shelving)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The new Seismic Storage System from Ridg-U-Rak features a seismic base isolation technology that reduces the effects of violent ground forces created during an earthquake. The new base isolation technology has been tested to a full 200% of...

Lift truck Slip Sheet handler.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... The UniversAll Slip Sheet Accessory is an easy-to-install attachment that converts a lift truck with a standard 4-in. set of forks to a more versatile piece of equipment that can handle slip sheets and pallets. The accessory provides a solution...

High-performance pallet racking.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... The simple-to-assemble Super 456 series racking system is a modular, pallet racking mezzanine platform. Countless different forms and shapes of mezzanines can be created. The system is suited for drive-in installations and for medium- to...

Industrial shelving.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... The interlocking keyhole design of this industrial-quality Z-Line shelving makes installation fast and easy while eliminating the need for clips, gussets, sway braces or other hardware often necessary with conventional shelving. Removing these...

Floor Label Replacement System.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... The Sky-Marx Floor Label Replacement System places labels on durable netting that is suspended near overhead storage areas to identify locations or storage positions. Each strip contains pre-positioned bar code and human readable labels...

Bolted pallet rack.(Racking and Shelving)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The new Interlock rack system features uprights constructed using bolted connections versus welded, and is fully interchangeable with existing Interlake systems. A long-time standard in the rest of the world, bolted racks feature a modular...

Modular dock Door.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... Made from an extruded vinyl material, The G-Flex Universal Door has an interlocking modular design that allows for configuring different sectional door heights. Optional Day-Lite Translucent Slats and 12-, 18- or 30-in. high ventilation panels...

Automated mobile storage picking.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... The SmartPick storage system is a completely automated mobile storage and retrieval system. With a single control station, an automated picking crane, and a series of moveable storage racks, one or a group of storage racks can be moved to give...

Palletizers with a gentle touch.(Racking and Shelving)
July 1, 2006... Tissue and towel producers can benefit from the soft handling of these floor level, high level, or robotic palletizers. The palletizers are ideal for poly-bundled products that require gentle handling at high speeds. New turning devices offer...