Material Handling Management articles from May 2005

Material Handling Management archives from May 2005

Top 5 reasons to use warehouse simulation software: modeling equipment, processes and rules help to optimize warehouse productivity.(Warehousing & Distribution)
May 1, 2005... There are five major reasons why equipment and facility developers and operators need to consider using warehouse simulation software: 1. Proof of Concept.--Software simulation shows the effectiveness and operating rates of new equipment....

WMS installation hurts sales for Superior Uniform.(Industry News)(warehouse management system )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Superior Uniform Group, Inc. (Seminole, Fla.) blamed the bungled implementation of a new warehouse management system (WMS) for poor first quarter performance. Sales for the first quarter dropped 6 percent, or $1.9 million, compared to the...

Toyota reorganizes Material Handling Group.(Industry News)
May 1, 2005... By mid-year Toyota Industries Corp. has announced that it will combine its BT Industries Group (BT) and Toyota Material Handling Company to create a new, global organization, Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG). The merged operations will...

Valero opens Texas DC.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Valero Energy Corp. (San Antonio) recently opened a new 132,000-sq. ft. distribution northeast of San Antonio. The facility, which has 2.6 million cubic feet of storage space, will supply 600 of Valero's Diamond Shamrock stores in Texas....

Auto Part distributors roll forward.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Advance Auto Parts Inc. (Roanoke, Va.) and U.S. Auto Parts (Carson, Calif.) have both bulked up their distribution networks. Advance Auto Parts added a new 650,000-sq. ft. facility in Weisenberg Township in Eastern Pennsylvania to serve stores...

Resin prices impact material handling: with no near-term supply increase and growing Chinese demand for resin, the long-range outlook does not bode well for users of plastic containers and plastic pallets.(Cover Story)
May 1, 2005... The cost of plastic resin has increased more than 50 percent in less than a year. The pain of this dramatic increase is currently being felt by the manufacturers of plastic containers and pallets, and will soon be reflected in the price paid...

Global standard improves material flow: guidelines developed by the auto industry offer a roadmap for enhanced material handling, ease the identification performance gaps in the supply chain, and establish long-needed performance benchmarks.(Automotive)(Global Materials Management Operations Guideline Logistic Evaluation )
May 1, 2005... Who says industry standards can't be exciting? Two automotive groups focused on streamlining information and material flow between OEMs and suppliers have developed a new global standard for material management. It is being used by companies...

The right stuff: spring cleaning sets a precedent for freeing up space in the warehouse.(Light Lifting)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... At home, just as our "needs" flex to match available income, and work expands to fill available time, our stuff multiplies to fill available space. The garage is a great example. Enticingly empty when a vehicle is pulled out, if left vacant for...

Charming Shoppes, Inc.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Charming Shoppes, Inc. (Bensalem, Pa.) a retail apparel chain specializing in women's plus-size apparel, shipped the one billionth unit from its Greencastle, Ind., distribution center at the end of March. The facility serves the company's 1,029...

RedPrairie Corp.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Francisco Partners, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based private equity fund, acquired RedPrairie Corp. (Waukesha, Wis.), developers of supply-chain execution software. "Our technology investments, acquisitions and rapid growth has significantly...

Ben E. Keith Foods.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Ben E. Keith Foods (Fort Worth, Tex.) broke ground on a new facility in Amarillo, Texas. The food distributor expects the new 300,000-sq. ft. facility to cost $30 million to build. It will open in fall 2006.

Orgill, Inc.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Memphis-based, independent hardware distributor, Orgill, Inc., opened a new facility in Hurricane, Utah, to serve the West Coast. It is the company's fifth distribution center. Beyond supplying product, the company provides its small retail...

Bush Hog.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... An "uncommon" weather incident tore apart part of a Bush Hog (Selma, Ala.) warehouse in mid-April, the Dallas County Emergency Management Agency reported. First mistaken for a tornado, National Weather Service meteorologists described the...

W.W. Grainger Inc.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... W.W. Grainger Inc. (Lake Forest, Ill.) opened a new 250,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Southaven, Miss. The distributor of facilities maintenance products reported sales of $5 billion in 2004, up 8 percent from the previous year; earnings...

MeadWestvaco Corp.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... MeadWestvaco Corp. (Stamford, Conn.) announced plans to build a $20 million, 600,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Buena Vista, Va. The area's largest employer, the company reportedly wants to consolidate its five local warehouses to reduce...

The Intermodal Association of North Amerca (IANA).(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) moved to a suburb of Washington, D.C. The new address: 11785 Beltsville Dr., Suite 1100, Calverton, MD 20705-4048.

Hino Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Hino Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), opened a new, 100,000-sq. ft. national parts distribution center in Southhaven, Miss. The company is the U.S. sales division of Hino Motors Ltd. (Toyko), which annually manufacturers over...

Practice safe shipping.(Shipping Management)(Column)
May 1, 2005... I was in my investigative reporter role at ProMat in January, eavesdropping on a conversation. My back was facing some folks discussing the role of transport packaging as the first line of defense in security. Often transport packaging is the...

AS/RS update: equipment suppliers have been working hard on new machines that extend the capabilities of automated storage/retrieval systems.(Cutting Edge)
May 1, 2005... The developers of automated storage/retrieval systems (AS/RS) have been chipping away at the technology's perceived and real limitations, including the lack of flexibility, installation speed, ease of maintenance, space utilization and initial...

DHL delivers for Overstock.com: Overstock.com improves the efficiency of its distribution centers by teaming with DHL.(Best Practices)
May 1, 2005... Our business is growing at roughly 100 percent year over year," says Tad Martin, Overstock.com's vice president of operations. "You can imagine trying to build an operations system around that--how difficult it can be, and how any minor...

Lean material handling takes center stage: being in the limelight--good when things are going well, stressful when they are not--is what being a materials manager is all about says Cliff Gilroy of International Truck and Engine.(Executive Insights)
May 1, 2005... Cliff Gilroy, director-lean supply chain, International Truck and Engine Corp. (ITEC), says he's always looked at materials management as the axle that the rest of the company rotates around. That's because materials managers have to interact...

International hires global trade management specialists: knowing product classifications for differing global tariffs can be daunting. International Truck & Engine Corp. benefits from outside assistance.(Automotive)
May 1, 2005... The complexities of world trade are sometimes better understood by experts in the field. Using a third party makes sense when a company wants to concentrate on its core competencies. International Truck and Engine Corporation, (ITEC) the...

Warehousing today: outsourcing by manufacturers, the addition of more value-added services and network consolidation, are the major trends shaping the U.S. warehousing landscape. Here are some of the implications of these changes, and what successful managers must do to stay ahead of the curve.(Warehousing & Distribution)
May 1, 2005... Firms rely on their warehouses to coordinate the flow of material and information among multiple supply chain participants and, when necessary, to modify the material. The pressure on warehouses to be both cost effective and responsive in this...

New ideas for handling electronic product returns: global eco-directives and customer demands are changing how electronic product returns are managed.(Returns Management)
May 1, 2005... In two years, companies selling to countries in the European Union (EU) will be responsible for managing and tracking the entire lifecycle of all components and materials in consumer and commercial electronic products, including end-of-life...

"Waste not, want not".(Manufacturing Management)
May 1, 2005... So said the always-practical Benjamin Franklin. So also say more and more industrial managers and management gurus. In fact, the lean enterprise has become a corporate model for some aspects of plant-floor thinking throughout the world judging...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... May 14-17 Annual Meeting of the Bearing Specialists Association. Fairmont Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia. (www.bsaconventions.org, 630-858-3838) May 17-19 DC/EXPO 2005. Navy Pier, Chicago. Sponsored by C.S. Report....

Packaged conveyor Parts Kits.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Performance Parts Kits are pre-configured parts kits for custom conveyor. The kits are designed for fast installation and include all of the parts necessary for repair. Drive and idler spindle kits are available. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Easy to configure pick-to-light.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Easypick Trak3 modular pick-to-light systems are designed for durability and easy response to finger pressure. An elastomer keypad design gives greater reliability. The devices snap into the track at the pick face with a cableless...

Shrink-wrap forming head boosts productivity.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The new SW-5000 shrink-wrapping machine has a Self-Threader forming head that delivers a centered lap seal without setup adjustment. The head changes over rapidly with its quick-disconnect feature. The machine can handle 75 packages per minute...

Conveyor and accumulator chains.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... High-performance accumulator chains for continuous conveying, accumulating, singling out and acceleration have simple mounting points to position materials and acceleration rails for enhanced transport speed capabilities. The chains evenly...

Bubble cushions made on demand.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Pillow Pak'r air cushion system makes 24-inch wide bubble material on demand. It produces 72 linear feet per minute. Each roll of film makes two 1,000 square-feet bundles of inflated cushioning material that cannot pop and lose its...

Stainless-steel hose Reel Catalog.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Stainless steel Reel Catalog has information and specifications on stainless-steel hose reels for washdown, chemical transfer, potable water, food ingredient transfer, fuel and fire protection applications. The catalog includes narrow-frame...

Lift and convey with ease.(Product News)(Bayne Premium Lift Systems)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The BEST series of commercial and industrial lifters are designed to safely and quickly lift and dump any size or shape of material handling container. The line includes stationary and mobile lifters that use Thinline rack and pinion actuators...

LP gas lift truck works in 7 ft. Aisles.(NARROW-AISLE FORKLIFT)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... The Aisle-Master articulated forklift is designed to maximize storage space by reducing operating aisle widths. The truck can work both indoors and outside like a regular counterbalance truck. The Aisle-Master has 4400 Ib. lift capacity, with...

The Legacy Low Maintenance Battery delivers power.(BATTERY)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... The Legacy Low Maintenance Battery has a new internal design that takes advantage of optimized grid metallurgy and new technology to give true Low Maintenance performance and unquestionable quality. Our new separators and internal construction...

Modular conveyor systems offer versatility.(CONVEYOR SYSTEMS)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Dynamic Conveyor's light- to medium-duty DynaCon[R] modular conveyor systems offer true versatility. DynaCon's modular conveyor systems can be recon-figured in less time, in ever-changing manufacturing or workflow environments. Made from...

Double coverage up to 6-ft-wide mezzanine openings.(SAFETY GATES)(FabEnCo, Inc)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Protect a 6-ft-wide opening with standard FabEnCo XL71 Series Self-Closing Safety Gates for $500 or less. Special features allow for mounting on either side of your mezzanine opening with no opposite point contact. No cutting, welding or...

Precision lifting.(LIFTING DEVICE)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... More precise than a hoist, more efficient than an air balancer. Gorbel's new Easy Arm[TM] lifting device gives you the speeds you need to increase productivity, the precision you need to decrease product damage, and the strength to protect your...

Modular ergonomic industrial workstations.(WORKSTATIONS)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Choose from basic four-leg stations, hand-crank or electric height-adjustable, technical systems, wire harness stations, clean room, LAN stations, ball transfers and packaging stations, cabinets and lab furniture. Many units IN STOCK. Our...

Heavy-duty floor cabinet is strong and functional.(STORAGE CABINETS)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... Strong Hold floor model cabinet has drawers that hold up to 225 pounds and adjustable shelves. The wrap-around design from 12-gauge steel and one-piece all-welded construction makes it the strongest storage cabinet available today. The...

Right back atcha.(Data Intelligence)(return merchandise authorization )
May 1, 2005... Why is it that when you want someone to return something (like a phone call or an e-mail), they don't--but when you're hoping they won't, they do? But, as we all know, returns are a way of life--even more so with the increase in...