Modern Materials Handling articles from November 2008

Modern Materials Handling archives from November 2008

Focus on Lift truck attachments.
November 1, 2008... By Staff Paper roll clamp doesn't damage product Staff The H-Series paper roll clamp lift truck attachment prevents damage when knifing between rolls in trailers, containers and rail cars. The system's contoured shape allows lift...

Productivity primer.
November 1, 2008... By Ron Giuntini, Executive Director, OEM Product-Services Institute Learn to gauge productivity and you can improve it. Here's how. Over the past 40 years, U.S.-based organizations have seen a dramatic percentage increase in output....

Job security.
November 1, 2008... By Tom Andel, Editor in Chief If this country's economic malaise makes you worry about your kids' future, there's a line of work you can direct them to that seems to be recession-proof. It's in the warehouse. The Warehousing Education and...

Picking technologies: Beyond the basics.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Automated and semi-automated picking technologies can lead to improved warehouse productivity and accuracy. Have you mastered the basics, but still have a picking bottleneck? Well, you aren't alone....

Battery basics.
November 1, 2008... By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large Having the right battery and battery maintenance program for the job are key to getting the most from your battery-powered lift truck or automatic guided vehicle. Lift trucks and automatic guided...

Battery upkeep.(Column)
November 1, 2008... By James P. Kaletta, Guest Columnist Follow these tips to safely charge, change and maintain batteries. When batteries are part of the work environment it's important to control inherent hazards. Nationally, about 2,300 people are...

Bullets in boxes.(packaging techniques of Ezra Weinstein at Sports South Inc.)
November 1, 2008... By Ezra Weinstein Sports South is in the shooting sports industry. Our inventory includes firearms, ammunition and accessories. Now, a box of ammunition is heavy. Drop it and ammo will fly. Our challenge was to automate our packing...

Your company needs you.(services of supply chain professionals )
November 1, 2008... By Tom Andel, Editor-in-Chief Supply chain professionals will be indispensable during future economic volatility and uncertainty, according to experts at CSCMP. You have never been more important to your company, more than 3,000 supply...

Energy trends excite lift truck suppliers.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... By Tom Andel While the Industrial Truck Association's (www.indtrk.org ) new energy storage systems subcommittee met to discuss the challenges of integrating fuel cells into lift trucks, the U.S. Fuel Cell Council was applauding the House...

CDO Technologies, Lockheed Martin partner with DoD.
November 1, 2008... By Staff Systems integrator CDO Technologies and global security company Lockheed Martin both recently signed contracts with the Department of Defense. CDO will deliver passive RFID hardware, software and professional services to the...

Billed conveyor sales drop slightly in first half of 2008.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... By Staff Overall industry billed sales for the first six months of 2008 dropped 3.3%, compared to the first half of 2007, according to numbers recently released from the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA). Total...

CHEP partnering with immigration.(Immigration and Customs Enforcement)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... By Allison Manning Pallet and container pooling company CHEP is partnering with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to manage and monitor its 7,000-member workforce. CHEP, which issues, collects, conditions and reissues more...

Growing with the flow.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... By Allison Manning, Associate Editor It had been only three years since C&M Fine Pack made its Fort Wayne distributorship 118,000 square feet larger. Meanwhile, customer demand for its upscale disposable packaging was growing. Rather than...

Carousels score hat trick.(Editorial)(Company overview)
November 1, 2008... By Allison Manning, Associate Editor Hat World implemented a horizontal carousel system and a put-to-light put system. The result: tripled throughput, improved quality and reduced labor costs. The hat business is like most other retail...

Carousels: Automatic productivity improvement.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... By Allison Manning, Associate Editor Reducing travel time by having the product come to packers saved labor and increased throughput at Hat World's Indianapolis facility. Instead of having associates crawling over one another to...

Top 20 warehouses.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... By Allison Manning, Associate Editor Third-party logistics providers and public refrigerated warehouse operators held steady in their rankings, showing some insulation from economic chills. How many commercial warehouses does it take...

Manufacturing index lowest in seven years.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... By Staff September could be remembered as the beginning of months of bad news in the manufacturing sector, after the PMI hit its lowest level in nearly seven years-43.5%. Issues in the financial sector, the cyclical end to a major...

Lower turnover, higher wages for warehouse workers.(Survey)
November 1, 2008... By Staff Despite the Slow economy, hourly warehouse workers are leaving their jobs at lower rates than most businesses and taking home higher pay, according to two surveys conducted by the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC)....

Datalogic acquires Datasensor.(Datalogic Corp. has acquired Datasensor)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... By Staff Automatic data capture (ADC) company Datalogic announced its acquisition of Datasensor, a photoelectric sensors and devices company. According to a release from Datalogic, the deal will allow the two companies to strengthen...

Jervis B. Webb president and co-CEO retires.
November 1, 2008... By Staff Jervis B. Webb Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daifuku Co., announced the retirement of Susan M. Webb as president and co-CEO. She will continue to serve on the board of directors. Ryuichi Kitaguchi will succeed Webb and...

Get some satisfaction.(Toyota Material Handling of Northern California)(Survey)
November 1, 2008... By Brian Ceraolo Consumers pride themselves on researching potential big-ticket purchases, like cars or refrigerators. If fact, you've probably heard about or have even used one of J.D. Power's customer satisfaction surveys when making a...

Productivity and Performance.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... By Bill Atkinson, contributing editor Efficiency and easy operation help drivers achieve peak performance. If productivity and performance are the primary ends for a lift truck buyer or leaser, efficient operation and easy operator...

Safety and Ergonomics.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... by Bill Atkinson, contributing editor Companies want lift truck operators and those who work alongside them to stay safe. While productivity and performance may top the list of things customers ask for from their lift truck suppliers, if...

Financing Strategies.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... by Bill Atkinson, contributing editor Lease, rent or buy? Here are some guidelines that will make sense on for your bottom line. Some lift truck fleet owners like to hang onto their equipment until it falls apart. Squeeze every dime...

Maintain good maintenance.
November 1, 2008... by Jim Kaletta Maintenance shouldn't become so routine that safe practices get overlooked. Here's a look at some common maintenance issues and how to keep both operators and maintenance techs safe. Pre-use inspection Provide...

Observe, coach, reinforce.
November 1, 2008... by Jim Kaletta You're in compliance with OSHA 1910.178, which means you've put your lift truck operators through classroom training and had them demonstrate safe driving skills on a practical applications course. So now you're all set...

Product showcase.(Buyers guide)
November 1, 2008... By Staff Scanners read 2D and HD bar codes Staff Two versions of the 3800g linear bar code scanner read specialized 2D and HD bar codes, making them ideal for manufacturing. Features include an ergonomic and durable housing with...