Material Handling Management articles from March 2002

Material Handling Management archives from March 2002

Good as new? Make sure. (Editorial).
March 1, 2002... Someone once said that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. That's a good image to keep in mind next time you hear that a used rack system is on sale for a fraction of its original cost. Unless your application is very similar to that of...

NA 2002 hosts special industry events.
March 1, 2002... This April, industry professionals from the United States and across the globe will attend NA 2002 at Detroit's Cobo Hall to find productivity solutions for their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics operations. A number...

Learns WMS lesson. (K Mart).
March 1, 2002... Kmart's supply chain problems have been widely reported. What hasn't made much news until recently were the troublesome details. Kmart's struggle with warehouse management system (WMS) implementation was a big one. When news got out that Kmart...

John J. Acerra. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... John J. Acerra, president and CEO, Acerra & Associates, died of cancer February 1. He formerly worked for Baker Material Handling and Linde Hydraulics before starting his own business to serve numerous clients in the material handling industry....

Intelligrated Inc. breaks ground. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Intelligrated Inc. was formed by a management team led by Chris Cole, CEO, Jim McCarthy, COO and president (former senior executives at Pinnacle Automation) and Thomas Schulte, vice president. The company is a supplier of integrated material...

Healthy growth for automation products. (News Briefs).
March 1, 2002... The worldwide market for automation products and services for discrete industries -- nearly $25 billion in 2001 -- is expected to grow at a healthy compounded annual growth rate of 7.9 percent over the next five years, reaching more than $36...

Why are inventories up? (News Brief).
March 1, 2002... The move to more flexible systems, lean systems, JIT, postponement and other highly coordinated relationships among organizations is supposed to lead to lower inventory requirements with the attendant savings in inventory carrying costs. Well,...

Companies not using technology. (News Briefs).
March 1, 2002... The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech (TLI) announced the results of a recent survey of companies operating private and dedicated truck fleets. The Transportation and Logistics Survey focuses on transportation costs, how companies operate...

ORBIS Corporation. (Companies Making News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... ORBIS Corporation has acquired Nucon Corporation, headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. Nucon will operate as a subsidiary of ORBIS . Also included in the acquisition are Nucon De Mexico, S.A. de C.V. and Nucon Europe N.V. Both will operate as...

SupplyPro Inc. (Companies Making News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SupplyPro Inc., provider of automated point-of-use inventory and information systems management, has acquired Vertex Technologies, developer of automated supply chain solutions.

SyVox Corporation. (Companies Making News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SyVox Corporation, a provider of speech-based solutions for industrial markets, and Ann Arbor Computer, supplier of warehouse management systems (WMS) and automated material handling control systems, announced the formation of a strategic...

Bolzoni. (Companies Making News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bolzoni, manufacturer of specialized lift truck attachments, has acquired Auramo, manufacturer of attachments for paper roll handling, and the palletless-handling attachment manufacturing operations of Brudi.

The Glennon Group. (Companies Making News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Glennon Group is the new name of the Glennon Corporation, Illinois Marking & Sealing and Marcraft Corporation.

Ranpak Corporation. (Companies Making News).(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Ranpak Corporation, maker of packaging material and machinery, has been purchased by First Atlantic Capital Ltd. for a reported $100 million.

People making news. (News Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Ken Morris has been appointed president, Stanley Vidmar and ZAG, a business group and subsidiary of The Stanley Works. Steven Selfridge has been named CEO and president for Acsis, a supplier of automated data collection and supply chain...

Material Handling business points to recovery. (Conventional Wisdom).
March 1, 2002... John Nofsinger, CEO of the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), says that judging by bookings for this year's North American Material Handling Show and, particularly, next year's ProMat Show, manufacturers seem optimistic about a...

Calendar.
March 1, 2002... March 18-21 National Manufacturing Week. McCormick Place. Chicago. Sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers. Visit www.manufacturingweek.com. March 18-21 WESTEC 2002 Advanced Productivity Exposition. Los Angeles Convention...

Frontline report from the Pallet Wars. (Transport Packaging).
March 1, 2002... A recent advertisement denigrating wooden pallets, and touting plastic pallets as the primary solution for shipping products to Europe, has set off another scattering of small-arms fire in the Pallet Wars. I've taken my wrinkled correspondent's...

Take the money and run. (Controls & Systems).
March 1, 2002... Now that at least some businesses are looking at ethics, it's time to ask: Is it ethical to over-promise and under-deliver to make the sale? It's the way a lot of business is done today. From automation systems to simple consumer-geared...

Robots 'see' factory's future. (Manufacturing Management).(Braintech Inc., ABB Automation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Is the factory of the future on the industrial horizon? Over the past few years, what used to be considered too far ahead in the "imagine this" category has begun to look more doable. Consider the incorporation of vision technology into...

PITOT's progress, OSHA style. (Compliance).(Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training, United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training (PITOT) standard, 29 CFR 190.178, was promulgated in 1999 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and is just now starting to show results. That's about right for the OSHA...

Dock report: Time for a checkup; New products and attitudes can cure what's ailing your dock and add years to your company's well being.
March 1, 2002... Imagine your manufacturing plant or distribution center as a heart with valves at specific locations. You call those valves receiving and shipping docks. Now, think of those valves in more accurate terms as material transfer zones. You've...

Practical simulation: At times, simulation software's glitz factor has eclipsed its promise for testing material handling systems. Here are some common-sense ways to separate the cinema from the science.
March 1, 2002... Simulation software can fall victim to its own strengths. The software offers sparklingly realistic, 3-D animation that charms the eye. The challenge lies in that a snappy warehouse animation, loaded with hidden and untested production...

Advantage yours: Plenty of opportunities to improve your operations await you at NA 2002. Be sure to take advantage of them. (NA 2002 Show Preview).(Material Handling & Logistics Show & Conference, Detroit, Michigan)
March 1, 2002... A slow economy is a great time to enhance or fine-tune your material handling processes. And what better place to find just what you need than at the Material Handling & Logistics Show & Conference, NA 2002, going on from April 8 through 11, at...

Getting the Blue-Light special out of the red. (Material Handling Basics).(inventory management)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Why put a column on material handling basics in a management-oriented magazine? Just pick up the Wall Street Journal. Chances are you've been reading about Kmart's efforts to stay in business. The reason it got in trouble in the first place is...

Planning a warehouse: Every warehouse has unique problems, but planning for a new one calls for basic decisions. Going through the planning process may help make better use of your existing space.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Space Utilization Before putting time and effort into planning a new building, take some basic steps to increase the space available in the current warehouse. * Get rid of any junk equipment that has found a home there. * Use JIT...

Slotting optimization as high-return project. (Material Handling Basics).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In recessionary times, distribution and supply chain managers are looking for short payback projects to optimize their operations. Many companies are delaying implementing broader-based supply chain initiatives such as warehouse management and...

Proven space-saving strategies. (Material Handling Basics).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... At our popular workshops on warehouse layout, we ask: "How many of you have more space than you need?" Among thousands of attendees over many years, almost none have raised their hands. Most of us operate most of the time with some degree of...

Rugged pallet racks. (Product News).(Steel King Industries Inc., SK3000 rack)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SK3000 rack is a cost-effective storage system for drive-in, drive-through or selective pallet storage. The rack offers structural angle frame bracing and high-strength, dual-bolt beam connections. The wraparound connection plate and two-bolt...

General-purpose photoelectric sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Series-28 universal photoelectric sensors are available in diffused mode with background suppression and in polarized retroreflective mode with foreground suppression. Features include adjustable sensitivity, high-intensity LEDs visible...

Intelligent manipulators. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The iLift lifting and balancing manipulator features a float mode that has vertical speeds to 4.9 feet per second. Operators can handle loads quickly, applying just over two pounds of physical force to move a 150-pound load. It can be installed...

Maintain ink jet printers automatically. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Auto Maintenance system needs no personnel interaction, eliminates lengthy start-up procedures and print distortion. It automatically primes each printhead, forcing a small amount of ink through the channels, expelling trapped air and...

Get in control. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Simatic Rack PC 840 installs in 19-inch rack mounting consoles. There's a separate display monitor for human-machine interfacing tasks, data acquisition and processing, and PC-based control. It can come with a choice of processors, RAM...

Avoid spillage. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Cargotainer Rack-Shield protects palletloads from accidental spillage, slippage or dislocation while being stored or retrieved from rack bays. Wire mesh panels attach to the rear opening of pallet rack rows and prevent the palletloads from...

Hand pallet for heavier loads. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... The PTH 60 Series hand pallet truck has a capacity of 5,000 pounds and a lower fork height of 2.9 inches for easy pallet entry. It offers an entry and exit system that uses metal ramps to position pallet boards onto the rollers. The handle...

Ergonomic side-tilting cab. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... The ability of the cab on the Comfor-Cab II to tilt sideways makes it easier to service. The cab pivots to the right, letting operators access the engine, transmission and service check points. The cab design features full-suspension,...

Accurate container counting. (Product News).(Superprox Model CT1000 )(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... The Superprox Model CT1000 ultrasonic counting sensor accurately counts containers on single-file conveyor lines. Its dual-transducer design maintains accuracy even when the line stops or reverses. The sensor works with separated and...

Hassle-free international shipping. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Plastic Export pallets handle all sanitary international shipping applications. They do not contain metal fasteners, therefore reducing the chances of product damage or worker injury. They are available in nestable or stackable styles. The LN...

Stretchwrappers. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Line of stretchwrappers includes features such as resettable speed, powered turntables, variable speed and pre-stretch. The machines have easy-to-use control, low-maintenance components and powered pre-stretch dispensers. Advance Lifts;...

Layer-forming robotic palletizer. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... This hybrid palletizing solution combines row- and layer-forming technology with a robotic palletizer to stack layers of lightweight products at high rates. The system features a floor-level row former and layer table working with the robotic...

Wire decking and dividers. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Wire construction decking has reinforced channels and can enhance efficiency and safety. It provides high visibility for inventory inspection and better air circulation; the mesh improves water penetration of overhead sprinklers. Available in...

Small-footprint automotive pallet. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Structo-Cell plastic pallet has a footprint of 32 by 38 inches. For use in automotive applications, it is compatible with 12" x 7.5", 12" x 15" and 12" x 30" totes. Its one-piece construction is due to foam-molded ALN-120, a polypropylene...

Faster stretch wrapping. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The SXT straddle stretchwrapper automatically attaches and cuts film, letting lift truck operators drive up, position the load, start the machine with a lanyard switch and drive away without leaving the truck. The system is suited for tall,...

Put loads in their place. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The AccuLoad Pallet Positioner lets users pinpoint loads to 3,000 pounds. It puts a load anywhere up to a 30-1/4-inch raised height. The platform is made of solid 3/8-inch steel mounted on a heavy-duty sealed bearing system. The base is 24 by...

High-speed case sealing. (Product News).(Loveshaw Little David LD-16R)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... The Little David LD-16R random case sealer seals tops and bottoms of 10 random-sized boxes per minute depending on box variance and stability. An indexing gate automatically sequences boxes one at a time into the machine. The servo drive drops...

Print and apply. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Model 2038 Print and Apply printer-applicator is compatible with most label printers. It applies labels using tamp, tamp blow or air blow labeling technology. It can apply labels at any angle. Maximum label size is 4.5 by 6 inches. It can apply...

Laser coding. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The DSL 1 scribing laser is powered by a sealed CO2 laser. It marks crisp clear, permanent codes on a variety of material including paper, cartons, plastics, glass and paint. Speeds can reach to 1,300 feet per minute while maintaining...

Stainless steel pallet handling. (Product News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Heavy-duty pallet conveyors and systems are designed for sanitary warehousing operations. The components handle full pallets, including transportation, accumulation and reversing conveyors, right-angle transfers and gravity roller conveyors....

Buffer for storage and accumulation. (Product News).(Eskay MSS II)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The MSS II serves as a short-term buffer and vertical sorter. It accumulates low-to medium-volume items, reducing the number of needed dedicated conveyor lines. It holds boxes or totes until an order is complete, then sends the order out in...