Modern Materials Handling articles from February 2003

Modern Materials Handling archives from February 2003

Conveyor manufacturers look forward to '03. (Breaking News you Should Know).(over three-quarters of Modern Materials Handling readers say they will purchase conveyor equipment during the next 18 months)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... More than three-quarters of MMH readers say they plan to buy conveyor equipment in the next 18 months, according to an e-mail survey conducted by this magazine. Half of them are evaluating suppliers now, and a little more than a quarter are...

Gillette will test RFID tags. (Breaking News you Should Know).(radio frequency identification tags)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Gillette Co. announced plans early last month to buy 500 million radio frequency identification (REID) tags from Alien Technology Corp. (www.alientechnology.com) if initial tests go well. The tags, which will be embedded in labels and...

Ergonomics takes on new importance. (Breaking News you Should Know).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Is ergonomics a troublesome regulation or a smart business decision? John Henshaw, the Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA, votes for the latter--"the business case for ergonomics is becoming more and more evident," he says. Henshaw addressed...

Merger recasts packaging firm. (Breaking News you Should Know).(Greif Bros. Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This tough economy hasn't sent every company running for cover--some have used the downtime to recreate themselves, to better tackle business challenges when the markets improve. After a year that culminated in a major acquisition, the...

New workbook trains the trainers. (Breaking News you Should Know).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Successful warehouse supervisors must be true polymaths, specializing in recruiting, interviewing, and selecting associates, as well as the technology and techniques of their individual facility. Now the Warehousing Education and Research...

Making sleepless nights pay off. (Editorial).(making best use of a new distribution center)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... What keeps you up at night? If you're like the rest of us, there are plenty of opportunities these days to have your REM sleep interrupted. For our cover man, Tim Beauchamp of Corporate Express, one of his concerns not long ago was making...

Outlook.(manufacturing gathering strength)
February 1, 2003... ISM survey shows manufacturing gathering strength The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) latest comprehensive "Report On Business showed that economic activity in the nation's manufacturing sector improved markedly between November...

ProMat covers the waterfront: from exhibitors to conference sessions, this year's show offers a range of materials handling solutions. (Event).
February 1, 2003... Show time is here. ProMat 2003, set for February 10-13 at Chicago's McCormick Place North, will feature more than 650 exhibitors and is expected to attract 40,000 attendees, according to the event's sponsor, Material Handling Industry of...

Narrow-belt technology accumulates. (Conveyors).(Ermanco introduces narrow-belt sortation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... For Ermanco, a Paragon Technologies company (www.ermanco.com), this month is a sequel to a debut two years ago. At ProMat 2001, the company introduced narrow-belt sortation. And this month at ProMat 2003, the focus is on narrow-belt...

First antimicrobial containers debut. (Packaging).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... When a product can't be trusted, the supply chain suffers. Recently, there have been several high-profile recalls for contaminated food products. Such events not only cause health problems but also damage suppliers' reputations. To meet...

AS/RS builds value. (Automation).(automated storage and retrieval systems )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... European suppliers of materials handling automation are pushing to enter the U.S. market. Perhaps the most recent of these new entries is viastore systems (www.viastore.com). This supplier of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)...

Scooter speeds warehouse work. (Innovation).(Segway used in warehouse operation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Segway HT (human transporter) is a self-balancing scooter invented by engineer Dean Kamen (wwww.segway.com) that was introduced amid considerable fanfare late in 2001. At $5,000, the electric machine is rather expensive for personal use,...

Consolidate your distribution. (Supply Chain).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... One of the biggest challenges facing Unilever HPC (www.unilever.com), the home and personal care products giant created from the merger of Lever Brothers, Cheesebrough-Ponds, and Helene Curtis, was how to integrate three distinct distribution...

Appointments/Promotions. (People & Companies).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Swisslog appoints Remo Brunschwiler as chief executive officer...Jim Dicke Ill is named president of Crown Equipment Corporation...RedPrairie hires three sales consultants: Steve Hopper as an account executive for the retail industry, Chris...

Alliances/new facilities. (People & Companies).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Kewill Systems partners with SMC3 to expand its less-than-truckload (LTL) rating support...MARKEM Corporation teams up with B.L.I. Leasing Company to offer a leasing program of identification systems, software and supplies for product coding...

Materials handling boosts electric drives. (Components).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The market for electric drives is getting a major boost from the materials handling industry, according to a study published by Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com). Worldwide, sales of electric drives to the materials handling sector grew by 3.9%...

Regional engineering offices at Siemens Dematic get a boost. (Systems).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Although regional engineering offices have been in place for some time at Siemens Dematic (www.siemens-dematic.com), two recent developments have expanded their capabilities, says Ken Ruehrdanz, manager of marketing communications. The...

Speedrack doubles manufacturing capacity. (Expansion).(Speedrack Products Group Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Coming off a year when its business was up 20%, Speedrack Products Group Ltd. (www.speedrack.net) has just opened a new manufacturing facility in Quincy, Mich. The building's 340,000 square feet will double the company's manufacturing capacity,...

Calendar.
February 1, 2003... FEBRUARY 2003 February 10-13 ProMat 2003 McCormick Place Chicago, IL Sponsor: Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) Call: 800-345-1815 Web: www.promat2003.com Enter 417 at mmh.com/info ...

Ergonomic solutions. (FYI).
February 1, 2003... A 17-page brochure titled Ergonomic Solutions Guide summarizes the design criteria and operating uses of various ergonomic products that protect employees from repetitive motion, cumulative trauma and lifting injuries. An outline of the...

Study guides for warehouse managers. (FYI).
February 1, 2003... A second series of self-study guides for warehouse supervisors and managers are available from the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC). Titled "Communicating, Decision Making & Managing Conflict," the guide incorporates an...

Pallet rack safety manual. (FYI).
February 1, 2003... A rack safety manual helps users properly assemble, install and maintain their pallet rack. With colorful symbols and detailed descriptions, the manual gives the step-by-step processes of using pallet rack and lists important do's and don'ts....

Door to desk delivery: a new automated fulfillment center serving metro New York makes distribution just another day at the office for Corporate Express. (Warehouse of the Month).
February 1, 2003... Corporate Express cut its niche in the office supply business through fast processing of orders and by offering next-day delivery directly to their customers' desks. It is a sound strategy that has made this company the world's largest...

Merging cultures. (One-on-One).(consolidating distribution facilities)(Interview)
February 1, 2003... Tim Beauchamp recently led Corporate Express through the building of a new DC that consolidated three existing facilities. Beauchamp shares what he learned through the consolidation process. MMH: Your company consolidated three distribution...

Automated palletizers stack it up: choose flexible, affordable, or fast--you can't have it all. (Equipment Report).
February 1, 2003... Picking orders with high efficiency is great. Efficient manufacturing is also desirable. But what do you do when all those cases and cartons and bags arrive at the shipping dock and you need to build pallets as fast as you picked and produced?...

Study: machine wrapping lowers costs, raises safety. (Advertisement).
February 1, 2003... MEMPHIS, TN (February, 2003) Businesses who switch from handwrapping to wrapping pallets with an Orion stretch wrapping machine can significantly reduce film costs, dramatically improve the integrity of the wrapped load, and create an...

Efficiency soars at ITT Industries: new horizontal carousels at the Aerospace Controls manufacturing facility have made parts picking faster with fewer people while delivering an 18-month payback. (Manufacturing Spotlight).
February 1, 2003... The goal of all automation is to gain productivity while expending less effort. Aerospace manufacturer ITT Industries recently accomplished this and more when it automated storage that supports production at its Aerospace Controls facility in...

The PLC is dead! Introducing the PAC! Once written off by some as a dinosaur, the programmable logic controller is morphing into a more powerful programmable automation controller. (Information Management).
February 1, 2003... Software controls or programmable logic controllers (PLCs)? Which is best when it comes to controlling materials handling equipment on the factory and distribution center floor? That discussion has been raging for several years now. For a...

Cadillac takes the lead: using the best practices known to GM worldwide, Cadillac's new Lansing Grand River plant sets a new standard. (Special Report: Manufacturing).
February 1, 2003... General Motor's new Lansing Grand River facility is special. To begin, it's the first U.S. facility the automaker has built from the ground up since the Tennessee Saturn plant in the late 1980s. Total cost of this new plant was $560...

When old is new: Magid Glove & Safety turned its old factory into a new warehouse with 80% improved efficiencies. (Special Report: Warehousing).(Magid Glove & Safety Co.)
February 1, 2003... At Magid Glove & Safety Co., something had to be done to cope with growing demand for its line of protective clothing and safety equipment. Not only was the amount of space in its adjoining manufacturing and warehousing operations insufficient...

The right answer for Rite Aid: the drugstore giant's new DC ships 99% of orders on time to its 425 southern California stores. (Special Report: Distribution).
February 1, 2003... To the people at Rite Aid Corp., efficient handling and processing within its distribution centers assures that the company's drugstores stock the products customers need when they want them. That requires agile facilities able to respond...

Spiffed up distribution: by replacing corrugated boxes with returnable totes, State Service Systems saves $100,000 a year shipping orders to its beauty supply stores. (Solution).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... From its distribution center in Clearwater, Fla., State Service Systems ships beauty supplies to more than 240 independent distributors and company-owned stores in 15 states. Each month the company was shipping nearly 30,000 corrugated cartons...

Self-propelled scissor lift. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... Lifting up to 500 pounds to a height of 25 feet, the GS-1930 is a self-propelled scissor lift featuring disc brakes, a variable speed motor and built-in self-diagnostics that notify operators of possible fault conditions. Its swing-out battery...

Maneuver drums easily. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... With a combination of adjustable bolted forks and optional drum grabber attachments, a drum stacker can pick up almost any type of 30- or 55-gallon drum weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Users can raise the stacker to heights between 48 and 86...

Lifted up to high places. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... The XQSL-series quadruple scissor lift tables are heavy-duty, electro-hydraulic tables for high-lift, high-travel requirements. Handling loads between 2,500 and 6,000 pounds, the tables travel as high as 240 inches or as low as 28 or 36 inches....

Electro-hydraulic scissor lifts. (Focus).
February 1, 2003... A family of electro-hydraulic scissor lift tables offers 2,500- and 3,500-pound capacities with a vertical travel of 36 inches. The scissor lifts feature entrapped scissor rollers for increased stability, a heavy-duty torque tube at...

Automatically load pallets. (Focus).
February 1, 2003... The PalletPal Level Loader automatically loads and unloads pallets weighing up to 4,400 pounds while maintaining the top of each load in the 30- to 38-inch recommended working height. Features offered are fork pockets for easy relocation,...

Lift, tilt and turn. (Focus).
February 1, 2003... A line of high-speed, electro-hydraulic industrial scissor lifts supplies narrow and wide based units with base frame widths ranging from 24 to 48 inches and load handling capacities up to 6,500 pounds. Available in platform sizes from 24 x 36...

Lift loads to 8,000 pounds. (Focus).
February 1, 2003... A skillet scissor lift is a constant speed unit suited for lifting almost any type of material with high duty cycles. The unit is rated for capacities ranging from 1,000 to 8,000 pounds with programmable duty cycles that can be adjusted to suit...

Easy lifting and balancing. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... Operators can manipulate heavy loads almost effortlessly with the Lift lifting and balancing system. An inline slide or pendant handle allows users to apply minimal force to quickly and precisely move loads. The system has a 150-pound capacity...

Retrofit kits adjust worksurface heights. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... Retrofit kits allow users to adjust the worksurface height of most basic four-leg workbenches and the Dimension 4 Workstations to correspond with physical requirements. For standard four-leg workbenches, the kits provide a 12-inch height...

Move workstation loads effortlessly. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... A ball-transfer workstation features omni-directional steel balls inserted into a laminate worksurface in either a fixed position or with the ability of pneumatic operation. The raised balls allow operators to effortlessly position...

Industrial manipulator. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... The Artic-U-Lift manipulator is available in two versions: a pneumatic model handles loads weighing up to 5,000 pounds while the hydraulic model manages heavier loads. Both versions can be pedestal-mounted or suspended from an overhead bridge...

Raise tons of products. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... With a 2-1/2 ton load capacity, an air spring actuated lift table raises and lowers loads on a platform measuring 60 x 48 inches. Operation requires a simple hookup to an existing air supply. Vertical travel is 24 inches while the lift range is...

One person can handle bulky products. (Product Focus).
February 1, 2003... Equipped with front-mounted controls and gauges, a series of vacuum lifters allows one person to handle large, heavy products weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Its design involves a special vacuum pad with articulating pads that conform to curved...

Material handling automation: from man to machine. (A Special Automation Supplement).(some materials handling managers are looking to reduce costs by eliminating people)
February 1, 2003... From the very first time someone replaced a man with a machine to the latest advances in robotics and lights-out, totally automated factories, managers have been looking for ways to reduce costs by taking the human element out of the equation....

Durable plastic pallets are reusable. (New Products).
February 1, 2003... With a static load capacity of 30,000 pounds and four-way forklift entry, Ropak plastic pallets can be used and reused for years. The pallets are available with flat surfaces in three sizes- 32 x 30 inches, 40 x 48 inches and 45 x 48 inches-and...

Heavy-duty floor scale. (New Products).
February 1, 2003... The enhanced RoughDeck series of floor scales now offers a rugged aluminum junction box that is mounted as a slide-out tray. Surrounded by a six-inch steel channel frame welded to a durable steel deck, the junction box provides rigidity. The...

Seal cartons quickly. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A high-speed automatic random case sealer can seal as many as 14 cases per minute. The machine operates with a minimum case size of 10 x 7.5 x 5.5 inches and maximum case size of 22 x 16 x 20 inches, and can also be modified for non-standard...

Improving high-speed door safety. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The I-Zone area detection system utilizes infrared technology to sense if a pedestrian is within seven feet of a high-speed door. Preventing a door from closing when someone enters the seven-foot zone, the safety device's sensors monitor both...

The power of three. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Three AC induction motor controllers are designed for 24-80V battery systems with 60-800Arms 2 minute current ratings. One power controller model is suitable for small equipment such as pallet movers and floor maintenance equipment. The other...

Print engines for label printer-applicators. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Two additional Zebra print engines are available for use with the Model 5200 label-printer applicator. Each system includes a choice of a high-density on-demand thermal/thermal transfer printer that provides crisp text, in-spec bar code and...

Dispenser for transparent and small labels. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The LD-100S label dispenser has a footswitch controlled advance mechanism to dispense transparent and small labels that ordinarily cannot be sensed by electronic means. When an operator presses the footswitch for the next label, a variable...

Lightweight, portable bench scales. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A series of lightweight, portable bench scales combine accuracy and ruggedness. The scale's resolution is as low as 0.002 pounds, and maximum capacity is 150 pounds. With a 12- x 16-inch stainless steel platform and load sensors, the scales are...

Pick orders at multiple levels. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Designed for efficient and safe order picking, a stock selector has all controls located on the elevating operator compartment to provide complete maneuverability. Operators can pick orders at various levels and move safely to another location...

Software for high-speed sortation. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... BOSS sorter control module designed specifically for high-speed sortation is a software package that can handle more than 200 cartons per minute at speeds up to 600 feet per minute. The module combines advanced conveyor and sortation controls,...

Load transfer station with pallet dispenser. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A load transfer station with pallet dispenser (LTS-PD) can decrease pallet transfer times, increase transfer efficiency and enhance pallet and load alignment. The LTS-PD saves labor by allowing a single forklift operator to perform the entire...

Tri-level stacking container. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The MultiPac is a bi-colored container featuring three stacking levels on a 24- x 20-inch footprint. Pivoting steel bails swing in for stacking, creating a 5.8-inch internal height for multiple layers of products. When the bails swing out, the...

Label rewinder. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Supporting labels between one and four inches wide, the GLR-50 label rewinder operates at speeds up to ten inches per second. Features include automatic speed control and an auto-switching power supply for 100-250 VAC and 47-63 Hz. Label...

Tray cart features static dissipative material. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A 20-station tray cart system handles 20 trays that have a permanent static dissipative elastomer inlay material for cushioning and protecting electrostatic discharge sensitive PC boards and assemblies. Including a cart, trays and inlays as a...

Crush 55-gallon steel drums. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Featuring a crushing power of 38,000 pounds. a hydraulic drum crusher reduces drum storage space and disposal costs by crushing 55-gallon steel drums down to approximately six inches. Components include a pressure relief valve to prevent...

Produce RFID labels and tags. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A radio frequency identification (REID) kit is compatible with the CL408e and CL412e label printers featuring serial numbers above 20390000. Utilizing high-frequency chips embedded in the labels, the REID kit enables the printers to...

Storage systems for a range of needs. (New Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A new line of steel shelving, pick racks, and storage cabinets are manufactured from 22-gauge steel with baked enamel finish. The pick racks provide convenient, high-density storage with bench-height, freestanding, and mobile styles. The...

Don't be stupid! People get frustrated (rightly) when they are unnecessarily doing silly things repeatedly, and nothing gets changed. (Great Ideas).
February 1, 2003... Every time I have the opportunity to begin work on a new project, I get a stark reminder that it is not the employees on the floor who keep repeating the same old mistakes. Instead, it's those of us who have the responsibility for planning the...

Sterling's net advantages.
February 1, 2003... STERLING'S Conveyor, Rack Guard and Warehouse Nets will reduce your product damage, your employees and customers risk from injury. Compare the advantages of Sterling's nets: * Meets OSHA's standards and insurance company requirements....

Sterling's net specifications.
February 1, 2003... STERLING'S NET SPECIFICATIONS Rack Guard, Conveyor & Warehouse Net Styles STYLE SQUARE MESH TENSILE CORD RATED LOAD NUMBER SIZE BREAK / LEG: TEST: 63116 3/16" sq. 25 lbs. 100 lbs. 63285 ...

Warehouse/conveyor nets.
February 1, 2003... SMALL PART RETENTION NETS 63116 Square Mesh Size 3/16" sq. Load Test Maximum 100 lbs. Uses: Ideal for collecting small light parts under conveyor. Maximum pass through security. 63711 Square Mesh Size 1/4" sq. Load Test...

Warehouse/rack guard nets.
February 1, 2003... 63915 Square mesh size 4" sq. Double Load Test Maximum 6,000 lbs. Uses: Heaviest duty net available from any source. Ideal for maximum overhead loading, i.e. coal transport and mineshaft protection. Available in black only. ...

FKI Logistex Automation Division: the future of material flow. (Company Profile).
February 1, 2003... With nearly a century of material handling experience, FKI Logistex Automation Division has the industry's most extensive base of design and application knowledge in creating intelligent material handling and control systems. Automation...

Providing global logistics solutions. (Company Profile).
February 1, 2003... SSI Schaefer Systems International, Inc., supplier/systems integrator for all types of automated warehousing, distribution and picking systems. This includes rack, AS/RS and conveyor integration, automated order picking and fulfillment systems,...

Murata machinery USA. (Company Profile).
February 1, 2003... As a world leader in the Design, Manufacture and Installation of Automated Material Handling Systems, Murata takes pride in understanding every aspect of our customers' requirements. Murata's approach to system design is to utilize tried and...

Transbotics new counter-balanced fork style AGV. (Product Release).
February 1, 2003... Transbotics is pleased to announce their new counter-balanced fork style vehicle. While this specific vehicle can carry a maximum weight of 3000 lbs., and comes equipped with SICK safety bumpers. Transbotics' vehicles utilize the latest in...

Anyone can bend steel. (Company Profile).(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2003... The world is full of companies ready to sell you all the parts you need to build an automated material handling system. But it takes an enterprise like FKI Logistex to put it all together, giving your system real intelligence for the...