Material Handling Management articles from June 2006

Material Handling Management archives from June 2006

Packaging guides provide direction.(Transport Packaging)
June 1, 2006... The transport packaging industry has done much has done much to reduce material headed for the landfill. When you seek help you sometimes get more than you bargain for--and that's a good thing. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark thought...

Item-level RFID: playing the fields.(Data Intelligence)
June 1, 2006... Pilot projects and test have shown that both HF and UHF are switchable for item-level tagging. The conventional wisdom (CW) is that some RFID tags can be read only at close range and some RFID tags only at a greater range because of the...

The limits of inventory reduction.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I could not agree more with your May 2006 editorial ["The 'I' Word, pg. 5]. We are a company who went through lean (and continue to work on developing it in our company) and reduced lots of inventory--all of it WIP. We learned that we could not...

Operator efficiency and comfort.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... 4700-series, four-wheel, sit-down electric lift trucks are available in capacities from 3,000 to 6,000 pounds, and 36- or 48-volt configurations. They have the dimensions and turning radius of smaller trucks and feature an easy-to-access...

Less cost, does more.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Redesigned BBX series, electric, counter-balanced, sit-down truck has lifting capacities from 4,000 to 6,500 lbs. They have both an AC-drive motor and hydraulic motor aimed at reducing maintenance costs and the number of replacement parts....

Beware the "givens": quality and safety cannot be taken for granted.
June 1, 2006... I keep a Hot Wheels toy car hanging in its original package on a bulletin board in my office. I bought it at one of those giant retail stores several years ago. It's a modified Nash Metropolitan painted deep purple with flames on the side. The...

California hits lift trucks with more strict emission standards.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... The California Air Resources Board (CARB, Sacramento) has voted to adopt more stringent emission standards and test procedures for lift trucks and similar industrial equipment. "Our focus on cleaning up cars and trucks has lead to dramatic...

On the job.
June 1, 2006... "Battery life is a challenge, but you won't believe the energy savings!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

UPS announces $1 billion-plus expansion plans.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Four years after opening its Worldport facility in Louisville, an advanced air package sorting hub, UPS is expanding the facility to increase sorting capacity over the next five years by 60% to 487,000 packages per hour. The $1 billion...

Organic Valley touts environmental benefits of new warehouse.(Industry News)
June 1, 2006... Organic Valley Family of Farms (La-Farge, Wis.) broke ground on a new $15-million warehouse in Cashton, Wis. Expected to open in spring 2007, the new facility will support ongoing growth of the farmer-owned coopertive, which increased sales 17%...

American Honda breaks ground on New DC in Ohio.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Troy, Ohio) broke ground on a new Midwestern consolidation center in Troy, Ohio. The $89-million investment will expand the company's U.S. parts distribution operations in the region. Employing 110 people, the...

Aging U.S. transport system can't keep up.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... America's aging transportation infrastructure can't keep up with relentless world trade growth. If it isn't overhauled, consumers and the U.S. economy will pay a steep price. That was the message of John Bowe, president of the Americas for APL...

Infor buys SSA Global.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... SSA Global (Chicago), a supplier of ERP software and services, is being acquired by Infor, one of the largest providers of enterprise software for the manufacturing and distribution industries. Under the terms of the agreement, Infor will pay...

Cardinal Health tests use of RFID to track drugs.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Cardinal Health, Inc. (Dublin, Ohio), announced the next phase of its end-to-end pilot program to improve the safety and efficiency of the nation's drug supply. The pilot program will track medication with RFID labels to verify its authenticity...

Canadian government funds fuel-cell powered research project at Vancouver airport.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... General Hydrogen Corp. (Richmond, B.C.) will participate in a fuel-cell project at the Vancouver International Airport. The project will test the use of fuel-cell power packs in "tuggers" that tow baggage to and from aircraft. The Government of...

Coldwater Creek selects Clayco for DC expansion.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Coldwater Creek (Sandpoint, Idaho), a retailer of women's apparel, jewelry, gifts and accessories, has selected Clayco to construct a 385,000-sq.-ft. expansion to its distribution center in Parkersburg, W.Va.. Clayco (St. Louis) was the...

Express delivery market growing rapidly in China.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The U.S. express and delivery market is the largest in the world, but the Asia-Pacific market is the world's fastest growing. What's more, China is set to become the sixth largest express market in the world by 2010, provided it continues...

USDA missed Midwest port entry points for bugs.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Emerald ash borers, tiny Asian beetles, first identified in 2002 in the Wayne County area of Detroit, are thought to have arrived in the U.S. inadvertently in wooden shipping crates or pallets from China. This probably occurred occurred before...

Pacer International to expand warehousing capability.
June 1, 2006... Pacer Distribution Services (PDS, South Gate, Calif.), Inc., the warehousing and distribution unit of Pacer International, Inc. (Concord, Calif.), is expanding its warehousing capability through a strategic alliance with Efill America, Inc....

McGuire drops dock equipment line, closes N.Y. factory.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... WB McGuire, a division of Overhead Door Corp. (Dallas), will stop production of loading dock equipment and close its plant in Hudson, N.Y., on July 31, 2006. Excluding the land and building, Systems Inc. (Milwaukee) has purchased all remaining...

Pallet services and CHEP settle dispute.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Pallet Services, Inc. (PSI, Portland, Ore.) and CHEP USA (Orlando) have agreed to a settlement to solve their pending litigation. CHEP had brought suit against PSI for conversion of CHEP pallets and sought damages and injunctive relief. PSI had...

U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognizes FabEnCo.(Vendor News)
June 1, 2006... FabEnCo, Inc. (Houston), a manufacturer of self-closing safety gates, received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Blue Ribbon Award for its dedication to excellence in several categories, including financial performance, staff training...

Finnish company acquires majority stake in MMH Holdings.(Vendor News)(KCI Konecranes Inc)(MMH Holdings Inc)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The U.S. subsidiary of KCI Konecranes Inc. (Finland), has acquired 59.2% of the shares of MMH Holdings, Inc., the owner of Morris Materials Handling, Inc., for $38.5 million. In announcing its position, Konecranes reported that it may acquire...

Toyota material handling manufactures 250,000th lift truck at factory in Indiana.(Vendor News)
June 1, 2006... Toyota Material Handling (Irvine, Calif.) recently marked the production of its 250,000th lift truck at the Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) factory in Columbus, Ind. Toyota dealer Al Rawson, president of Atlas Toyota Material...

Descartes Systems Group wins international award.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Logistics network and software applications specialist The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (Waterloo, Ontario) won this year's "Best Business Turnaround" in The International Business Awards. The International Business Awards are an...

Airtrax signs up distributors in Florida and Arkansas.(Vendor News)(Affordable Equipment, Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Airtrax, Inc. (Blackwood, N.J.), the developer of a patented, multi-directional lift truck, recently sold and shipped four ATX-3000 Sidewinder vehicles to Affordable Equipment, Inc. of West Palm Beach, Fla. Airtrax signed a twoyear agreement...

Cisco recognizes Intermec.(Vendor News)(Cisco Systems, Inc.)(Intermec Technologies Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Cisco Systems, Inc. (San Jose, Calif.), recognized Intermec Inc. (Everett, Wash.) as Cisco's U.S. Solutions Technology Integrator (STI) Partner of the Year for 2005. This is the second consecutive year Intermec has been named a Cisco Partner of...

Riekes material handling earns Steel King distributor award.(Vendor News)
June 1, 2006... Steel King Industries, Inc. (Stevens Point, Wis.), named Riekes Material Handling (Waukee, Iowa) its Most Valuable Distributor 2005. To achieve the recognition, Riekes Material Handling excelled in total and relative sales volume, completing...

TNT Logistics NA recognized for quality and investment in people.(Vendor News)(TNT Logistics Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... TNT Logistics North America (Jacksonville, Fla.), was selected for the Investor in People (IiP) Standard by Investors in People UK and the International Quality Centre (IQC). IiP is international standard in training and human resource...

Frost & Sullivan names Siemens 2006 "company of the year".(Vendor News)(Frost and Sullivan Inc.)(Siemens AG)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Frost & Sullivan named Siemens (Munich and New York) its 2006 Company of the Year. Frost & Sullivan, a global consulting firm based in San Antonio, presented the award in recognition of Siemens' automation solutions that it provides to the...

Purdue incorporates Netsuite into distribution courses.(Vendor News)(NetSuite, Inc.)(Purdue University )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... NetSuite, Inc. (San Mateo, Calif.), a business software supplier, said that Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.), one of two major schools in the U.S. for industrial distribution, has become the first institute of higher education to...

Viastore Systems to provide AS/RS to Lockheed Martin.(Vendor News)(Viastore Systems)(Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Lockheed Martin selected Viastore Systems (Grand Rapids, Mich.), to provide an automated storage retrieval system (AS/RS) for the expansion of its engineering and production facility in Orlando, Fla. Viastore Systems will manufacture and...

Infor and version one form partnership.(Vendor News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Version One (Poynton, Cheshire, U.K.) a developer of electronic document management and imaging software, signed a partnership agreement with Infor (Alpharetta, Ga.), an enterprise software provider focused on the manufacturing and distribution...

Philips Medical selects UPS for global parts network service.(Vendor News)(Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Royal Philips Electronics (Amsterdam) announced that it has tapped UPS (Atlanta) to redesign and operate its global service parts logistics network to improve customer service at its Medical Systems division. UPS will provide Philips...

Buyer be ready.(Lift Trucks Purchasing: Total cost of operation is what really matters. Here's how some of today's lift-truck buyers get more for their money.)
June 1, 2006... Peter Ulibarri is suffering from the sins of his company's past. Want to help him out? Buy one of his old lift trucks so he doesn't have to sink more money into them. Come on, he'll give you a deal. Ulibarri is plant manager of Ito...

All juiced up.(Battery Maintenance: Simple maintenance can add years to the life of industrial batteries and dollars to the bottom line.)
June 1, 2006... Adding water to a battery is not like adding gasoline to an engine. It's more complicated and has the potential to kill the industrial vehicle--or at least the power source--if not done correctly. It's tough to talk about battery...

It's flow time.(Cross Docking: Cross docking is a simple concept to talk about, but a challenging one to implement.)(Network Services Company )
June 1, 2006... Paul Cella has an idea. Under the umbrella of Network Services Company (Mount Prospect, Ill.), a collaborative enterprise that coordinates national account sales for 72 regional distributors of janitorial and disposable foodservice...

Putting people first pays off.(Census of Distribution: The right people really do drive industry-leading performance.)
June 1, 2006... Many operations managers believe as a matter of faith that if they take care of their employees--offer continuous training, regularly assess their performance, and treat them with the same respect with which they would like to be treated--those...

Pallets connect the dots in the logistics picture.(Innovation: At CHEP's Innovation Center, researchers work to use the most basic of material handling devices--the pallet--to take maximum advantage of RFID.)
June 1, 2006... To more clearly see the whole logistics fulfillment picture, companies must connect the dots. Currently, one way to connect those logistics dots is with RFID. At least that's where CHEP USA (Orlando, Fla.) is directing its research efforts. ...

Keeping it fresh: improved lift trucks help keep frozen food fresh at Newark Refrigerated Warehouse.(Product Focus)(Newark Refrigerated Warehouse Inc.)
June 1, 2006... Newark Refrigerated Warehouse (Newark, N.J.) is the definition of a demanding lift-truck environment. The facility, strategically located near the Port Newark docks overlooking New York City, moves 15,000 pallets of exotic frozen foods from...

Pallet trucks.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Class 3, 7-Series pallet trucks offer an ergonomic control handle, mechanical chassis enhancements and a cushioned rider platform. Options include double and triple-length pallet forks, fork entry rollers, battery gate interlock switches and a...

Yale VNA truck.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Very narrow aisle truck, available in 3,000 and 3,500-lb. capacities, offers AC motors, Smart Guide continuous height sensing, an auto-deceleration braking system and tri form or quad form mast with lift heights to 55 ft. NTA-SB lift trucks...

VNA turret stockpicker.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... TSP 6000 series turret stockpicker has multi-task controls for blended operation of travel, main and auxiliary lift/lower, traverse and pivot all at the same time. Auto Pivot keeps the auxiliary mast's forks evenly centered between racks,...

AC powered three-wheel lift trucks.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Three-wheel lift trucks feature a MicroCommand alternating current (AC) control system, an operator presence detection system and an increased range of motion and maneuverability. Three models have capacities from 3,000 to 4,000 lb. All can...

Less vibration for operator comfort.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Internal-combustion engine lift trucks are available in capacities from 5,500 to 7,000 lb. EZlift hydraulic system uses tandem pumps for lifting and steering, allowing for lifting without accelerating the engine and more control in tight areas....

Cushion-tire lift truck.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Boxcar-style Titan series cushion-tire lift truck has an 80-in. wheelbase, capacities from 18,000 to 22,000 lb. and a load-center from 24 to 36 in. Two- or three-stage mast are available, featuring improved visibility with lift cylinders...

Low-maintenance AC lift.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... AC technology that powers the E45-65Z series of lift trucks provides torque, speed capabilities, reliability and thermal performance throughout the entire usable discharge cycle. Brushless design of the AC traction motor reduces service...

Three-wheel articulating lift.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Bendi B3 series, 3,000 lb.-capacity, three-wheel articulating lift truck has 205-degree articulation and is suitable for use in very narrow aisles. Single front wheel drive and steering provide good traction, reduced steering effort and smooth...

Mast-style boom lifts.(Product News)
June 1, 2006... Electric-powered model E26MJ mast-style boom lifts have a vertical telescoping mast with a 360-degree pivoting jib boom that extends the platform away from the mast. With the mast lowered and jib retracted, the compact lifts are easy to...