Material Handling Management articles from March 2008

Material Handling Management archives from March 2008

Automation pushes the envelope.(Automation)(Cox Target Media)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Every year, Cox Target Media mails more than 19 billion coupons in 500 million of the familiar blue, #10 Valpak envelopes. Faced with rising variable costs and looming capacity constraints, Cox managers could see a...

Space equals money: you can't manage what you don't measure. So, how do you manage--or measure--all those boxes in the warehouse?(Information Management)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea of using dimensional and weight data has long been attractive in the parcel shipping and distribution business. Shippers and carriers are always looking for ways to optimize the use of buildings and...

Making the most of NA08: The Material Handling & Logistics Show & Conference: April 21-24, 2008 Cleveland I-X Center.(SPECIAL SECTION)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In just a few weeks, you'll be joining tens of thousands of supply chain and logistics professionals at Cleveland's I-X Center to see NA 2008, the Material Handling Industry of America's (MHIA) highly anticipated...

Greening of NA 2008.(SPECIAL SECTION)(Interview)(Company overview)
March 1, 2008... Spring made its official entrance to North America on Mar. 20. The subject of green, however, has been on the minds of many in the material handling business for many months--if not years. Companies are in business to make money, and while...

NA08 product preview.(SPECIAL SECTION)
March 1, 2008... Here's a sampling of exhibitors you'll find at NA 08, the material handling and logistics show and conference. For a full exhibitors list, or any other information, visit www.NAShow.com Automatic Speed Control Dematic will introduce a...

Massive shark moved by lift truck.(News From the Other Side)
March 1, 2008... LONDON -- Four men and a lift truck were needed to carry a gigantic shark into a market hall where it was auctioned off for 50 GBP ($1.03) a kilogram. The 510-kg, five-meter-long shark was caught by fisherman Roger Nowell who, with his crewmate...

MHIA elects 2008 industry roundtable leaders.(Industry News)(Discussion)
March 1, 2008... CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) announces the recent election of its 2008 MHIA roundtable of industry leaders. The roundtable includes the MHIA board of governors and the MHIA directors at large. The board of...

OSHA renews alliance.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed a two-year renewal of its alliance with the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), the Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI) and the Monorail...

Plastic container fire study.(Industry News)(Report)
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A scientific, quantifiable study has determined conclusively that reusable plastic containers (RPCs) filled with commodities require no additional fire safety measures than when the same products are stored in corrugated...

PMMI seeks speakers for Conference at Pack Expo.(Industry News)(Conference news)
March 1, 2008... ARLINGTON, Va. -- PMMI invites packaging professionals with technical, engineering, research, operations, marketing or design expertise to submit presentation proposals for the upcoming Conference at Pack Expo. The three-day conference program...

New high data capacity barcode spec.(Industry News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... WARRENDALE, Pa. -- AIM Global, the trade association recognized as an authority on automatic identification and mobility, announced that the public review draft of the International Symbology Specification-Datastrip 2D developed by AIM Global's...

Wago expands headquarters.(VENDOR NEWS)
March 1, 2008... GERMANTOWN, Wis. -- Wago Corp., a supplier of spring-pressure connection products, has completed the expansion of its North American headquarters. The company says the expansion, which began in August 2007, has increased its product...

CHEP supports research, education.(VENDOR NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- CHEP, an international pallet and container pooling provider, presented a $10,000 check to the National Watermelon Association (NWA) at the group's annual convention. The money will help fund research, lobbying and...

NetSuite launches NetSuite Giving.(VENDOR NEWS)
March 1, 2008... SAN MATEO, Calif. -- NetSuite Inc., a vendor of on-demand, integrated business management software suites, has launched NetSuite Giving, a philanthropic initiative designed to revolutionize the operations of charities and social enterprises....

Lift truck safety: the time is now: OSHA is getting tougher on lift truck safety, so it's time for material handling managers to revisit operator education. Here's how vehicle manufacturers can help.(Powered Vehicles)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An employee at a Medley, Fla., manufacturing plant was checking oil in a lift truck. While standing outside of the vehicle, he started the engine. The lift truck rolled over him, killing him. An OSHA...

New method for blocking, bracing loads.(Transport Packaging)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] About five years ago, Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas Co.--an $8.9 billion specialty materials company--decided to take a serious look at blocking and bracing programs being used in its North American plants. ...

A welcome relief.(Voices of Industry)
March 1, 2008... As if supply chain uncertainties were not enough, conditions entering 2008 and its first quarter have had everyone struggling for some form of relief and a quick return of normalcy--to the extent there is such a thing. While the jury is...

Disruptive demographics.(Witt's End)
March 1, 2008... The heartbeat of America needs a bit of resuscitation. The simplicity of the complicated General Motors buyout of its workforce gives pause. In an effort to stem the bleeding and slow ongoing losses, GM has offered lucrative buyouts to 74,000...

Beauty and the beast: the wooden pallet has long been viewed as a prime candidate for carrying RFID tags.(Transport Packaging)
March 1, 2008... It's hard to imagine two desperate pieces of material handling equipment coming together to produce such a gifted child. What seems to be happening is that the slender RFID tag and the husky wooden pallet have improved upon what has been a...

Sustainable workforce: there's a way to improve retention and productivity while reducing labor costs.(World of Difference)
March 1, 2008... We all know it. Keeping workers happy and productive is expensive. Some material handling managers buy more ergonomic equipment. Some increase pay rates. There's another way to improve retention and productivity while reducing labor costs....

Making lemonade.(Data Intelligence)
March 1, 2008... Most people know the old adage, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." (There's a modern alternative that suggests selling them on eBay instead, but that's a different story.) The point you're supposed to take from the saying is that you...

Red Gold goes with green lighting: tomato processor cuts its electric bill, saves energy and helps the environment without sacrificing lighting quality.(Facility Operations)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it was time to upgrade its lighting system, Red Gold wanted it all. The tomato processing company based in Orestes, Ind., wanted to cut its electricity bill and save energy. However, Red Gold had no...