Modern Materials Handling articles from June 2008

Modern Materials Handling archives from June 2008

Protective packaging basics.(Editorial)
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor Distribution operations use a variety of materials-from paper and air cushions to foam-in-place packaging-to protect goods during shipment. Distribution operations use packing peanuts, air cushions,...

Maintain good maintenance.
June 1, 2008... By James P. Kaletta, Guest Columnist Keep your employees safe while keeping your lift trucks in top condition. Maintenance shouldn't become so routine that safe practices get overlooked. Here's a look at some common maintenance issues...

'My kid in a DC?' Say yes.
June 1, 2008... By John Hill, principal, Transystems ESYNC Materials handling is making the distribution center a great career choice. The characterization of distribution center employment is a major challenge for materials handling logistics. Last...

Much ado about dead meat.(Editorial)
June 1, 2008... By Tom Andel, Editor in Chief The problem with standing on a soap box is that eventually someone will want to kick it out from under you. The problem is worse if they tie a rope around your neck beforehand. Now you wouldn't think I'd ever...

Load building.(Editorial)
June 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Anyone who has purchased eggs, light bulbs and laundry detergent during the same trip to the grocery store; packed the back of an SUV with luggage for five people; or tried to figure the best route to get...

Be bright about dimming.
June 1, 2008... By Denis McNary and Duane Olson Denis McNary : Many of the products we ship are large and light weight, so we can cube out a delivery truck before weighing it out. Parcel carriers maximize load revenue on their end by charging based on...

Overseas sourcing pushes inventories higher.
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor If you're sourcing from overseas, inventory increases are inevitable, but they can be kept in check. While order fill rates and picking productivity have steadily improved over the last three years,...

Raymond, Ballard research lift truck design.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator Electric lift truck maker Raymond Corp. (www.raymondcorp.com ) has signed an agreement to work with Ballard Power Systems (www.ballard.com ) to begin developing a lift truck built specifically for fuel cell power. ...

Crossdocking on the rise.
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator Crossdocking, the process of receiving products and then quickly shipping them out without putting them in storage, is becoming a common practice. Third-party logistics provider (3PL) Saddle Creek Corp....

New owners for HighJump, Blesco and Gross.
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator Acquisitions took place in three different sectors of the materials handling market last month-software, automated equipment and consulting. Software : HighJump Software (www.highjumpsoftware.com ) won't be 3M company...

Auto-ID leaders honored.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator AIM Global (www.aimglobal.org ), a trade association for the automatic identification industry, honored four members of the auto-ID community at a recent awards gala in Washington, DC. The association gave its highest...

Outsourcing reverse logistics.
June 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock Companies large and small are increasingly turning their reverse logistics responsibilities over to third party logistics providers (3PLs). There are good reasons for that, says Tim Konrad, president of reverse...

People to know.(Justin Testa has pomoted at Cognex Corp)(Carl Walters has appointed at Drivecon)(Dan Fannin has been appointed as a president of Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Assoc)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Staff Cognex Corp. promoted Justin Testa to executive vice president-Drivecon named Carl Walters sales manager-Dan Fannin was elected president of the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Assoc.-Indoff added three new sales partners: Robert...

Modern's first salary survey.(Editorial)(Survey)
June 1, 2008... By Corinne Kator, Associate Editor Results of our first reader salary survey show that materials handling professionals are pretty comfortable-when it comes to paychecks and job satisfaction. Materials handling professionals earn a...

Save the Ales.
June 1, 2008... By Tom Andel, Editor in Chief This small Texas brewery cut damage by 20% and raised productivity substantially by adding a multi-purpose three-wheel electric lift truck to its fleet. As the owner of St. Arnold's Brewery in Houston,...

Boscov's sort of success.(Editorial)(Company overview)
June 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large More dock doors and a sorter enable this retailer to ship out about 25% more cartons per day than it receives during peak periods. The receiving process begins with the electronic transmission of an...

How Boscov's breaks bottlenecks.(Company overview)
June 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large High speed sortation and additional dock doors help this retailer deal with a good problem to have: continuing growth. Modern first visited Boscov's 395,000 square foot Reading, Pa., distribution...

Focus on conveyors.
June 1, 2008... By Staff High-speed sortation with mini-unscrambler Staff To orient cases into a single-file line at rates up to 100 cartons per minute, the Mini-Unscrambler conveyor sets up products for induction into high-speed materials...

3PL revenues still rising.(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Staff Revenues for U.S.-based third-party logistics providers (3PLs) passed the $100 billion mark in 2007 for the third consecutive year, according to a report by Armstrong & Associates (www.3plogistics.com ). U.S. 3PL revenues...

AS/RS design tool available.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Staff If you're considering automating your warehouse with an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), a new tool from the AS/RS experts at Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA, www.mhia.org/ASRS ) can help you generate a...

NA08 caption contest winner.
June 1, 2008... By Staff Modern sponsored a cartoon caption contest during the recent NA 2008 materials handling trade show in Cleveland. We commissioned an environmentally themed cartoon to fit the "green" theme of the show. The winner of the...

Meet the Reusable Packaging Association.(Returnable Pallet and Container Coalition has now changed it names as a Reusable Packaging Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... By Staff The Returnable Pallet and Container Coalition has changed its name. The group is now known as the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA). With the name change comes a new logo and Web site, www.choosereusables.org . ...