Modern Materials Handling articles from April 2008

Modern Materials Handling archives from April 2008

Focus on storage.
April 1, 2008... By Staff Cabinets store multiple sizes, shapes Staff Modular combination cabinets store, secure and move items of varied sizes and shapes. Offered in seven full sidewall heights, the cabinets hold up to 440 pounds. Configurable...

Can you afford 'less is more?'.
April 1, 2008... By Ron Giuntini, Executive Director, OEM Product-Services Institute (OPI) Materials handling logisticians may find it hard to ask for fewer resources, but it could win their leadership team's trust and respect for the long term. When...

Step into the spotlight.(Materials handling equipment industry)(Editorial)
April 1, 2008... Tom Andel, Editor in Chief There are things you enjoy but don't necessarily want to know how they came to be. Yogurt is one (with that live bacteria culture-yum!) A fast-food cheeseburger is another (assembled by disgruntled, minimum-wage...

Labor management: Don't forget the people.
April 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor Even the most sophisticated labor management program requires more than good software. You need the right training, tools and incentives for employee buy-in. Sales of labor management systems are on...

Crane basics.(materials handlings equipments)
April 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large When it comes to moving product overhead, cranes maximize floor space while increasing productivity. Mention materials handling, and most people think of moving materials at floor level, using lift...

IC engine lift trucks.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
April 1, 2008... By Tom Andel, Editor In Chief It's always important to follow OSHA guidelines, but when it comes to IC lift trucks, further guidance is in order. Keeping the following pointers in mind will help you get the most out of these vehicles-and...

Fuel cell R&D.
April 1, 2008... Leo Plonsky The environmental impact of fossil-based energy use has inspired the Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Congress to explore new energy technologies. Because the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a key link in the DoD's...

Get lean and green.(Conference notes)
April 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor Speakers at the recent Scope East conference gave practical advice to help companies reduce waste. Eliminating waste is the goal of lean manufacturing initiatives. It is also the goal of many...

Meet Modern's publishing director.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Staff Modern Materials Handling is proud to welcome Christopher Platt as its publishing director. Platt also heads up Modern 's sister publications in the supply chain group at Reed Business Information: Material Handling Product News ,...

Player enters fuel cell market.(Oorja Protonics, inc. )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator While the lift truck industry has been buzzing with news about hydrogen fuel cells, a California company called Oorja Protonics (www.oorjaprotonics.com ) has been quietly developing its own fuel cell technology based not...

AGVs applying for healthcare duty.(automatic guided vehicles)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Tom Andel Among the items on the research agenda being discussed by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA, www.mhia.org ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, www.nist.gov ) is a major overhaul of the...

Productivity Achievement Awards.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Staff Modern 's annual Productivity Achievement Awards honor companies that have made outstanding strides in improving operations through materials handling and related information systems. Modern 's editorial advisory board chose this...

American Eagle reinvents retail.
April 1, 2008... Staff The retailer's multi-use DC outfits store and direct-to-consumer deliveries for three clothing brands. American Eagle Outfitters has long been a fashion trendsetter. With a new 552,000 square foot multi-use distribution center,...

CAMI breaks the mold.(CAMI Automotive Inc.)
April 1, 2008... Staff Automatic guided carts and a wireless call button-enabled handling system radically changed parts delivery to the assembly line. Sometimes a break with the past is critical to future success. And that is exactly what happened to...

Staples' robotic retrievers.
April 1, 2008... Staff The office-supply giant installed the industry's first robotic fulfillment system, taking a novel approach to break-pack picking. Each picking. Piece picking. Split-case picking. Whatever they call it, most companies find picking...

Timothy Cavanagh: Hospital handling.(Lawrence & Memorial Hospital)
April 1, 2008... Staff Our first-annual Modern Thinker award honors an individual who brought materials handling science out of the DC. This magazine has come to define 'modern' as something you are rather than something you use. That's the concept...

Good distribution is always in fashion.
April 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large To accelerate its distribution processes, Urban Outfitters brought outsourced logistics into its new Reno distribution center. The result: Faster turnaround times and lower operating costs. As a...

Distribution redesign at Urban Outfitters.(Urban Outfitters Inc.)
April 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large This new Reno distribution center relies on high-speed sortation and light-directed picking to speed up the supply chain. Just as Urban Outfitters is redesigning its processes to compress its overall...

Top 20 system suppliers.
April 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor Modern's 11th-annual ranking of worldwide materials handling system suppliers reveals 2007 was a big year for most of the industry's top players. If revenue figures among the industry's top system...

Plastic containers lower fire risks.(Reusable Pallet and Container Coalition )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Staff A grocery DC that switches from corrugated boxes to reusable plastic containers won't need additional fire safety measures, according to a recent study by the Reusable Pallet and Container Coalition (RPCC, www.rpcc.us ). ...

MHIA pledges $100K to academic research.(Material Handling Industry of America)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Staff The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA, www.mhia.org ) has set aside $100,000 in grant money to support industry-related academic research. By supporting the work of materials handling professors, says spokesman Mike...

Robot orders up 25%.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Staff After a tough 2006, North American robotics companies saw orders increase 25% in 2007 to 17,261 units. Materials handling robots accounted for 40% of the new orders, says Jeff Burnstein, executive vice president of the Robotic...

The making of a lift truck.
April 1, 2008... By Staff Ever wondered how a lift truck is made? Watch the Travel Channel on Wednesday, May 14, to find out. Illinois-based Hoist Liftruck will be featured that night on 'John Ratzenberger's Made in America.' The episode will show how...

CHEP buys LeanLogistics.(CHEP acquired LeanLogistics Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... By Jeff Berman of Logistics Management and Corinne Kator Pallet and container pooling company CHEP (www.chep.com ) acquired supply chain software provider LeanLogistics (www.leanlogistics.com ) last month for $45 million. Based in...

People to know.
April 1, 2008... By Staff The electric drives and controls technology group of Bosch Rexroth Corp. named Ted Thayer PLC and HMI product manager-William Kiel passed ownership of Carron Net Company to his son William Kiel, Jr. , and son-in-law Troy...