Modern Materials Handling - December 2012
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® mmh.com PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING December 2012 What’s new and what’s next ProMat 2013 | Chicago 18 SYSTEM REPORT Kenco’s conventional thinking 46 BIG PICTURE A new take on unit-load storage 54 SPECIAL REPORT Top 20 3PL warehouses 63 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Future of LMS 68
Transcript of Modern Materials Handling - December 2012
®®
m m h . c o m
PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING
December 2012
What’s new and what’s nextProMat 2013 | Chicago 18
SYSTEM REPORT
Kenco’s conventional thinking 46BIG PICTURE
A new take on unit-load storage 54 SPECIAL REPORT
Top 20 3PL warehouses 63 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Future of LMS 68
MMH1212_Cover_sansProducts.indd 1 12/6/12 11:52 AM
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NCR CoRp. ReCeNtly announced a definitive agreement to acquire Retalix, a leading global provider of retail software and services, for a cash purchase price of $30 per Retalix share, imply-ing a transaction value of approxi-mately $650 million. the addition of
Retalix will strengthen NCR’s global leadership position in the retail industry and builds upon its successful integra-tion of Radiant Systems into
the NCR portfolio of solutions. “Retalix’s market-leading software
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New rack considerations published by RMI
mmh.com ModeRN MateRIals HaNdlINg / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 3
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the RaCk MaNufaCtuReRS Institute (RMI) of the Material handling Industry of america (MhIa) recently published “Considerations for the planning and use of Industrial Steel Storage Racks – 2012 edition.” this publication is designed to promote the effective
purchase and use of storage systems using pallets, pallet racking and mechanical handling equipment in industrial facilities.
these considerations detail the purchase and use of storage systems that are well designed, diligently maintained, and used as intended. It provides guidance on the best practices and proper use of industrial steel storage racks for the warehouse or distribution center operator who may not be a specialist in technical matters or in the detail design related to the storage facility.
this publication is for sale in the MhI Bookstore for $25. It is offered at no charge to RMI members.
the kIoN GRoup has acquired Voltas limited’s 34% minority shareholding in Voltas Material handling (VMh). VMh was founded jointly by the kion Group and Voltas limited in May 2011. the kion Group has now become the sole shareholder.
VMh will continue to use the “Voltas” brand. the kion Group includes the linde and Still brands.
VMh’s manufacturing is based in India and its business activi-ties focus primarily on the Indian market. Its product range includes diesel trucks, lpG trucks and elec-tric forklift trucks.
“the acquisition of VMh in its entirety is another mile-stone in our successful global growth strategy,” said Gordon Riske, Ceo of the kion Group. “this step paves the way for us to continue to tap into the Indian market and harness its attractive long-term potential for growth.”
the kion Group is No. 2 on Modern’s annual top 20 lift trucks ranking with $5.6 billion in 2011.
NCR to acquire Retalixworld-class portfolio of offerings. that innovation, plus the addition of exceptional talent to our team, posi-tions NCR as the global leader in retail innovation,” said NCR chairman and Ceo Bill Nuti.
Retalix is ranked No. 14 on Modern’s annual list of top 20 SCM providers reporting $50.9 million in 2011.
547 million square feetTotal square footage of this year’s
Top 20 3PLs.
Source: Armstrong and Associatessee top 20 story, p. 63
Kion group acquires Voltas Material Handling
demag Cranes group becomes terex Material Handling Port solutions teRex haS held a majority share in demag Cranes Group since august 2011, and a domination and profit and loss transfer agreement came into effect in april 2012. Since then, demag Cranes has been
integrated into terex as a fifth business segment named “Material handling & port Solutions.” demag Cranes Group will operate under the terex Material handling & port Solutions name in its dealings with customers and the market, replacing the demag Cranes identity.
the material handling business group com-prises the industrial cranes business along with its associated services in most countries. the globally renowned demag brand will be extended to include the tagline “a terex Brand” and continues to stand for the industrial cranes, components and related services.
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mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 5
PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING
VOL. 67, NO. 12
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 3/ Upfront 7/ This month in Modern14/ Lift Truck Tips: Safety16/ Packaging Corner: Alternative materials82/ Special Supplement: Robotics94/ Focus On: Pallets99/ Product Showcase106/ 60 seconds with...
NEWS 9/ Show Preview: Preparations set
for record-setting ProMat 10/ MAPI economic forecast11/ What keeps PalletOne’s CEO
up at night13/ ISM’s manufacturing data dips in
November for the fourth time in six
COVER STORYSHOW PREVIEW
18 ProMat 2013:What’s new and what’s nextProMat 2013, slated for January 21 to January 24, will showcase more than 800 exhibits and include a comprehensive educational conference.
FEATURESSYSTEM REPORT
46 Kenco’s conventional thinkingUsing narrow aisle racking and turret lift trucks, the 3PL created a solution that reduced space requirements by 28% and improved accuracy.
THE BIG PICTURE
54 A new take on unit-load storage As end users optimize their facilities, high-density dynamic storage is getting a fresh look.
SPECIAL REPORT
62 Top 20 3PL warehousesFollowing a post-recession bump, third-party logistics providers are on track to stay flat through 2013.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
68 The (very near) future of LMSMulti-faceted labor management software stands ready to make operations much more efficient, and coming advances promise even greater returns.
PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS
78 Clear sign of safety
80 Taking control of a controlled-temperature dock
60 Seconds with Howard Bernstein
Modern Materials Handling® (ISSN 0026-8038) is published monthly by Peerless Media, LLC, a Division of EH Publishing, Inc., 111 Speen St, Suite 200, Framingham, MA 01701. Annual subscription rates for non-qualifi ed subscribers: USA $119, Canada $159, Other International $249. Single copies are available for $20.00. Send all subscription inquiries to Modern Materials Handling, 111 Speen Street, Suite 200, Framingham, MA 01701 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Framingham, MA and additional mail-ing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Modern Materials Handling, PO Box 1496 Framingham MA 01701-1496. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or part without written permis-sion of the publisher is prohibited. All rights reserved. ©2012 Peerless Media, LLC.
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This monTh in modern
If the findings from our 2012 Warehouse and Distribution Center (DC) Operations Survey are any indication, my guess is
that the show floor at ProMat 2013 will be steeped in tempered enthusiasm.
The responses revealed that as we continue to slog through the slowest recovery on record, warehouse and DC decision makers are pretty much split into two camps heading into 2013: those tak-ing a conservative position on materials handling equipment spending and those who are ready to turn on the jets and do something truly revolutionary inside their operations.
In fact, the majority (52%) told us that they’re going to continue to be cautious and remain focused on fundamental improvements such as process reconfigura-tion, racking, and software upgrades with a concentration on labor management. This statistic reveals that the cost control efforts put forth during the heart of the recession are still in play with many—and perhaps burnt into our collective consciousness.
However, we did find a more aggressive group at the other end of the spectrum: the 17% who reported that they spent $1 million or more in 2012 and another 16% who are planning to spend the same or more in 2013. “That’s money planned for significant projects and an indicator that these companies are doing more than just replacing worn out equipment,” says Don Derewecki, senior consultant with our sur-vey partner TranSystems.
It’s also an indication that many of those managers have done their best to shave
points off their operating costs over the past few tough years—and now the low-hanging fruit is gone. “So, they’re starting to get more aggressive and finally look-ing to squeeze the trigger on investments in mechanization and automation,” says Derewecki.
And, when the doors open next month at ProMat in Chicago’s McCormick Place (Jan. 21-24), we’re projecting that the mixed signals emanating from our readers will set the tone for the event.
While there may be a fair amount of “tire kicking” from that 52% working on a wish list, I have a feeling that there will be more strategic conversations happening this year—more warehouse and distribu-tion center decision makers sitting down with systems integrators, automation and technology vendors to discuss how to piece together the “game-changing” solution.
“This will be a breakthrough year for many organizations in terms of upgrading systems,” says Derewecki. “According to the findings, corporate is making its pres-ence felt inside the warehouse and DC now more than ever, and there’s an increas-ing recognition of the importance of the operations inside the four walls and how much money needs to be spent there.”
So, expect McCormick Place to fill with a warm glow of enthusiasm next month. While it may not be enough for a January thaw, it should be enough to foster the growth of fundamental change inside the warehouse and DC operations of many of today’s supply chain visionaries.
ProMat 2013: tempered enthusiasm
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Modern Online Follow
facebook.com/mmhmagazineTwitter | @modernmhmagWeb | mmh.com
BY JOSH BOND, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
SHOW PREVIEW
Preparations set for record-setting ProMat EVENT HIGHTLIGHTS TO INCLUDE RETURNING FAVORITES, FIRST-EVER PRESENTERS AND NEW PARTNERSHIPS.
PROMAT 2013 IS ALMOST HERE, and as the date approaches, the number of educational sessions keeps climbing, for a current total of more than 100. From January 21 to 24, Chicago’s McCormick Place will host those sessions, three key-notes and more than 800 exhibits covering 300,000 square feet. Modern caught up with George Prest, CEO of event organizer Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) for his thoughts on this year’s record-setting event.
“Our core focus con-tinues to be on the equip-ment and systems that increase overall effi ciency and profi tability and on the unique face-to-face interac-tion that only events like ProMat can provide,” said Prest. “However, ProMat evolves every year to bring our visitors the latest on the innovations and trends they need to know about to do their jobs better and make their companies more productive.”
One of the ProMat keynote presenters is Steve Forbes, chair-man and editor in chief of Forbes Media. He will assess the impact of the second Obama administration on the future of the economy and business growth.
ProMat will also feature key-notes by Henrik I. Christensen,
KUKA chair of robotics and director of robotics at Georgia Tech, who will speak on the new wave of robotics that is revolutionizing manufactur-ing and distribution operations. And futurist Edie Weiner will lead a panel discussion of industry leaders on the future of materials handling, logistics and the supply chain.
ProMat is partnering with other organizations including AIM, CSCMP and NIOSH on fi ve educational track sessions and will once again have the Automate show co-located across the hall.
“In addition, we will be launch-ing our fi rst-ever ProMat Innovation Award,” said Prest. “This award will showcase new products and innova-tions presented by ProMat exhibi-tors.” The winners will be chosen on
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January 21 in two categories: “Best New Innovation” and “Best Innovation of an Existing Product.”
ProMat will also offer opportunities for attendees to network with their peers, including The Hub social net-working lounge and two social hour events on Monday and Tuesday directly after the show.
“We are very excited about ProMat and look forward to welcoming a record crowd at this year’s event,” said Prest.
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MAPI ECONOMIC FORECAST
Moderate growth likely pending fiscal cliff compromiseMAJOR ISSUES STILL NEED to be addressed, but pre-suming the United States gets its fi scal house in some semblance of order, the U.S. economy could be in a tran-sition from sluggish growth to a longer period of moder-ate growth, according to a new report.
The Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innova-tion (MAPI) Quarterly Economic Forecast predicts that in-fl ation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) will expand by 1.8% in 2013 and by 2.8% in 2014, a slight increase from the 1.7% anticipated for 2013 and the 2.7% expected in 2014 in MAPI’s August report. The new forecast includes a fi ve-year window where it envisions GDP growth averag-ing 2.7% from 2013-2017, a subpar expansion following a deep recession, and with a high of 3.3% growth in 2015.
MAPI believes fi nal 2012 GDP growth will be 2.1% and manufacturing production will be 4.2%.
“Much of the outlook is predicated on political dynam-ics,” said Daniel J. Meckstroth, MAPI chief economist. “For the transition to moderate growth to occur successfully, there needs to be compromise on the ‘fi scal cliff’ issues, agreement on raising the debt ceiling early in 2013, and establishing a ‘grand compromise’ plan for meaningful long-term federal defi cit reduction that phases in over several years.”
Manufacturing production is expected to show growth of 2.0% in 2013 and 3.2% in 2014. The 2013 fi gure is down from 2.3% and the 2014 estimate is down from 3.3% from the August forecast. Manufacturing is ex-pected to see a net increase in hiring, with the sector expected to add 163,000 jobs in 2013, below the August forecast of 231,000 jobs. The longer-term outlook is for an increase of 270,000 jobs in 2014 and 230,000 jobs in 2015, but a rise of only 150,000 jobs in 2016 and 97,000 jobs in 2017.
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tomers that had an over-designed or under-designed pallet,” Wallace says. “We were able to show them where they can save money and get immedi-ate results.” However, Wallace adds that it’s a longer sales process and is generally successful with companies
that involve a team. “You really need to have packaging, engineering and plant personnel involved along with purchasing to see the value in the ap-proach,” Wallace says.
Building a better mousetrap: Since we cover pallets and packaging,
PALLETS
What keeps PalletOne’s CEO up at nightON THE HEELS OF Modern’s annual pallet usage reader survey and a related webcast, we recently had an opportunity to talk to Howe Wallace, the CEO of PalletOne.
Headquartered in Bartow, Fla., and with more than $200 million a year in revenue, PalletOne is one of the largest, if not the largest, manufactur-ers of new pallets in the country. The company produces more than 15 mil-lion new pallets a year and operates 17 plants and four sawmills in 11 states. While its heritage is in new manufac-turing, PalletOne also recycles wood pallets in selective markets.
Wallace discussed a variety of top-ics impacting pallet users and the pal-let manufacturers that supply them.
Growth of the market: Pallets are a lagging economic indicator. Companies stop using pallets after the economy has slowed because warehouses are full of product and manufacturers are no longer running their lines full tilt. Pallet usage picks up only after the economy begins moving again and those warehouses have emptied out. According to Wallace, the growth in pallet usage has been slow, steady and stable since the economy bottomed in 2009. “There has been no massive growth,” Wallace says. “But we’ve seen a general 2% to 3% increase in pallet usage and it’s been stable.”
System-based approach to unit load design: In the last few months, Modern has written a fair amount about several leading pallet manufac-turers embracing the system-based approach to unit load design devel-oped at Virginia Tech. Count Wallace as one of the converted. PalletOne is both a believer and an investor, as one of the backers of the develop-ment of Best Load, a new unit load design software package. “We have had some success stories with cus-
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we receive a regular stream of e-mails from inventors and entrepreneurs who have come up with the alternative to the wooden pallet. So far, we haven’t seen a product that is as versatile as the wooden pallet at a comparable price. Wallace agrees. “I try to keep
an open mind and look diligently at the ideas that come across my desk,” Wallace says. “So far, I haven’t seen anything that changes my opinion that there will always be a place for the wooden pallet for a long while.” The reason, he adds, is simple. The
pallet has to endure weather, racking, fl oor stacking and all types of modes of transportations. What’s more, it’s a relatively minor expense if it’s lost or stolen. Most of the alternatives are either far more expensive or only perform well in niche applications. “The game-changer could be if the risk of product contamination from a pallet outweighed the cost savings from using wood,” Wallace says. “If we reach the point where you can extrude plastic as cheaply as we can process wood, then plastic may be a viable alternative. But, we get better at processing wood all the time.”
What keeps Wallace up at nights? “Materials, markets and manpower,” was his short answer. The longer an-swer: “My biggest concern is whether our industry as a whole will be able to meet demand when the economy comes back,” Wallace says. “I worry that without an immigration policy, we won’t have enough labor to sustain sawmills and pallet plants. During the recession, we’ve seen a downsizing of the lumber industry and the support system for pallet makers. What I won-der is whether it will be possible to open up the mills and plants that have been shuttered during the recession.”
At the same time, he adds, meet-ing the demands of a booming economy is a challenge most of us would welcome.
—Bob Trebilcock, Executive Editor
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m m h . c o m MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 13
where that is going to come out, and they are fearful that if it translates into more taxes and big spending cuts that it will be a problem for them for expansion and for new orders from customers and consumers.”
In recent months, with the PMI at, above, or below the benchmark
of 50, Holcomb said it refl ects how manufacturing has been moving sideways, and that was highlighted in the ISM member respondents’ com-ments in the report.
“We defi nitely need more New Orders to keep manufacturing mov-ing forward,” said Holcomb. �
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ECONOMY
ISM’s manufacturing data dips in November for the fourth time in six months
CONCERNS OVER the Fiscal Cliff are front and center when address-ing concerns about the United States economy, and the November Manu-facturing Report on Business from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) was further proof of that.
The ISM reported that manufac-turing output dipped for the fourth time in six months in November, following two months of growth in September and October, which was preceded by declines from July through August.
The PMI, the index used by the ISM to measure manufacturing activ-ity, was 49.5 in November, which was down 2.2% from October’s 51.7. This represented the lowest level for the PMI since July 2009, when it dropped to 49.2. A reading of 50 or higher indicates growth is occurring. Economic activity in the manufac-turing sector had expanded for 34 straight months prior to June’s con-traction and overall economic activity has expanded for 42 straight months. November’s PMI was 2.4% below the 12-month average of 51.9 and 1.6% below the 6-month average of 50.3.
Key metrics of the report were more down than up.
New Orders, which often are referred to as the “engine” that drives manufacturing, dropped 3.9% to 50.3, which leaves it in growth territory despite the dip and they are up for the third straight month—in terms of overall growth—following three months of contraction. And Production was up 1.3% to 53.7, while Employment fell 3.7% to 48.4.
“It seems like the fi scal cliff is the big worry right now,” said Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the ISM Manufac-turing Business Survey Committee, in an interview. “People just are not sure
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lift truck TIPS
Following an OSHA mandate requiring checklists be routinely completed before every lift truck operation, the industry has finally become comfortable having a
routine. But, that doesn’t mean forklift users have gotten any better at it. In 2011, more than 3,400 citations were issued for non-compliance with section 1910.178 govern-ing powered industrial trucks. As an alternative, truck-mounted fleet management technology from a variety of suppliers offers built-in compliance with official and user-defined safety standards.
In theory, checklists are kept on the lift truck, complet-ed at the start of each shift, collected and reviewed by a supervisor weekly (or sometimes monthly), then filed in anticipation of an OSHA inspection or an incident.
The possibility exists for an operator to complete a checklist, mark the truck “unsafe for operation” then go and drive the truck. Only when the checklist crosses the supervisor’s desk will there be an opportunity to take the unit in question out of service.
“If there’s an incident before those repairs, the super-visor can only hope that the checklist demonstrating a lack of action is nowhere to be found,” says Jim Gaskell, director of Global Insite Products for Crown Equipment.
Truck-mounted technology can now automatically shut down the unit upon a failed inspection while immediately sending e-mails to the supervisor and service provider. Those inclined to “pencil whip” the randomized check-list questions are held accountable by a dashboard that shows a supervisor whether each operator has taken 30 seconds to complete a recommended 3- to 5-minute inspection. When it comes time for an audit, the process can be cut from as much as a day of collecting and orga-nizing paper checklists to a few minutes to generate and print a report.
These systems can provide a 13-month ROI and en-able much more than checklist compliance. But, they also require a sizable cultural shift in labor management. An operator whose truck locks down after a failed inspection will have to find another one. And, an operator whose required refresher training period expired yesterday will
find he cannot access any forklift in the building.Supervisor visibility into the fleet and its operators also
allows managers to evaluate each worker based on the sum of his productivity, speed and safety. For instance, a supervisor who always perceived the fastest picker to be among the most valuable might suddenly see all the impacts that have come as a result of that speed. Less-experienced operators can have their profiles adjusted to set speed caps on whatever forklift they are using.
“One customer found that an employee’s forklift never lifted throughout the day,” says Gaskell, offering an extreme example. “The guy had just been driving around the warehouse talking to people.”
Josh Bond is Modern’s associate editor and can be reached at [email protected]
Beyond checklist complianceTruck-mounted fleet management technology ensures unsafe equipment and operators are immediately addressed.
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
Truck-mounted fleet management technology offers built-in compliance with safety standards.
Of 3,432 violations in 2011, the top five cited sections of OSHA 1910.178:• 1910.178 (I)(1): Safe operation of industrial trucks.• 1910.178 (l)(4): Refresher training and evaluation requirements.• 1910.178 (I)(6): Employer shall certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as required.• 1910.178 (p)(1): Requires industrial trucks in need of repair to be taken out of service until restores to safe operating condition.• 1910.178 (q)(7): Requirements for examining
industrial trucks before they are placed into service.
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We hate to brag. So we’ll let the United States Auto Club do it for us. In recent
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16 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com
packaging corner
By sara Pearson specter, editor at Large
Presswood pallets are sustainable certified and a good choice from pharmaceutical to electronics to small parts handling.
Alternative pallet material offers unique benefits
Choice reigns supreme in the wide world of pallets: more than 20 different sizes; stackable or nestable; stringer or block
construction. And then there are the materials: paper, plastic, metal or wood.
Gary Sharon has another option for the pallet shopper: presswood pallets. Made of a combination of recycled wood and damaged lumber fibers mixed with a thermo-set resin, these sustainable-certified pallets are preci-sion-molded under high heat and 1,200 tons of pressure, explains Sharon, vice president of Litco International.
As an alternative material, presswood rep-resents a small percentage of the overall pallet market. However, a few unique qualities have helped them find a home in a range of dispa-rate markets—from pharmaceutical to electron-ics to small parts handling.
“Presswood pallets are ideal for both small- and large-volume users in a variety of applications, particularly for export, because they are considered processed wood and not regulated by IPPC-ISPM 15 for phytosanitary compliance,” he says. “The heat and pressure used in manufacturing reduces each pallet’s moisture content to less than 3%. They are also moisture resistant.”
The production process makes them impervious to in-sect or mold infestations, adds Sharon. Likewise, they do not require additional heat treatment and special stamps. They are free of chemicals such as brominated phenols (TBP), trichlorophenol (TCP) and methyl phenols (MP) of-ten used by overseas pallet manufacturers instead of heat treatment. As these chemicals can contaminate product loads with strong odors, their use in pallets poses both public health and environmental safety concerns.
Presswood pallets are molded to be nestable, meaning
that nearly three times as many can be stacked together than traditional wood pallets for ease of storage and maximum volume in returning them by trailer or shipping container after use.
“They also lack nails or fasteners, so their use has in-creased in handling all types of bagged products,” he says.
Finally, in comparison to nestable plastic pallets, press-wood tends to yield a stiffer, more rigid pallet. “It has the density equivalent to red oak,” explains Sharon. “This enhances the integrity of a unit load because the stiffer the pallet, the better the packages perform overall for less product damage during transit. And, they’re gener-ally more affordable.”
Sara Pearson Specter is an editor at large with Modern and can be reached at [email protected].
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Monday, January 21, 201310:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23, 201310:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 24, 201310:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SHOW HOURS
What’s new & what’s next
ProMat 2013, slated for January 21 to January 24, will showcase more than 800 exhibits and include a comprehensive educational conference. The event, held at McCormick Place in Chicago, will offer an array of products to help increase productivity inside your operations.
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mmh.com Modern Materials Handling / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 19
High-speed, low-maintenance sortation and conveyor Ideal for high-capacity operations with gentle product handling needs, a line of sortation and conveyor equip-ment maximizes throughput while minimizing maintenance. Sortation equipment offerings provide high throughput rates and include tilt-tray, cross-belt and high-speed slid-ing shoe sorters. Generating quiet, positive transportation and zero-pressure accumulation, the conveyor line handles products rapidly without damage. Sliding shoe sortation
systems feature patented soft-touch diverting tech-nology for gentle product handling. All systems are customized to meet specific requirements. intelligrated, 866-936-7300, www.intelligrated.com. Booth 2903.
Monitor and control warehouse and distribution operations with mobile appThe Mobile App software application monitors and controls warehouse and distribution operations from a smart phone or tablet device. The software displays materials handling system status and operational status in real time in a simple, easy-to-understand format. Wi-Fi accessibility gives instant access to data and controls critical to managing the operation. Features include the DC View interactive visualization interface that produces a bird’s eye view of the facility layout. Standard, gesture-based navigation supports finger touch panning and pinch zooming. Navigable dashboards provide operational information for all areas, including receiving, storage, order fulfillment, sorting and shipping. dematic, 262-860-6546, www.dematic.com. Booth 1203 and 1212.
Handle loads up to 900 pounds in storage systemSaving 90% of floor space over tradi-tional shelving, the LogiMat compact storage lift handles tray loads up to 900 pounds. Similar to an oversized drawer cabinet with two rows of trays—one at the front and one at the back—a rack and spur gear lift located between the rows picks or places individual trays from their respective positions, and delivers them to the opera-tor’s window at an ergonomic height. Items are displayed on a touchscreen with a user-friendly operating interface. The WMS transfers the order items directly to the storage lift, where the respective trays of items are controlled and moved to the operating window. This goods-to-person picking principle enables six-times faster picking from trays as deep as 32 inches and as widths greater than 13 feet. schaefer systems international, 877-724-2327, www.ssi-schaefer.us. Booth 2003.
RFID-equipped lift trucks To support a semi-automatic approach to reaching desti-nations by lift truck, the supplier’s warehouse navigation system uses RFID transponders placed in the facility floor at specific distances. The transponders communicate with an RFID reader/writer in the lift truck to identify aisle locations and distances. Armed with this information, the lift trucks know where to go. Increased productiv-ity is achieved by having the truck select the optimum combination of driving and lifting to reach a pallet position in the fastest, most efficient way. Because pallet lifting and put away is principally con-trolled by the truck, not the driver, product damage is reduced. Jungheinrich, 877-543-6757, www.jungheinrich-lift.com. Booth 2041.
Dynamic storage solutions save space, boost accuracyA full line of dynamic storage solutions is offered, including vertical lift mod-ules, horizontal carousels, vertical carousels and mobile shelving. Operating on the goods-to-person picking principle, the storage systems eliminate wasted walk and search time, increasing productivity up to 66%. The systems use ver-tical storage space from floor to truss and eliminate the wasted space found in standard shelving. When integrated with the supplier’s FastPic inventory management software, the equipment can support pick-to-light, batch picking, bar code scanning, user management and other reporting functions. Kardex remstar, 800-639-5805, www.kardexremstar.com. Booth 3623.
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SHOW PREVIEW
Pallet truck carries user-friendly featuresThe 8000 series pallet trucks operate with up to 33% more energy efficiency, allowing it to move more product in less time. They are engineered with significant increases in material strength for heavy-
duty use. Reinforced components reduce wear, deliver more uptime and lower costs. Other user-friendly highlights include a roomy operator compartment with padding and multiple lean points, accessory bars with lights and fans, large storage totes, and additional caster options. To help operators reduce steering effort, the truck is equipped with speed-sensitive steering for optimized productivity and precise, smooth control at all speeds. The Raymond Corp., 800-235-7200, www.raymondcorp.com. Booth 3219.
Mobile robot travels dynamically, autonomouslyA highly dynamic autonomous mobile robot optimizes operational productivity by roboti-cally transporting work-in-process and fin-ished materials between manual work cells or islands of automation. Completely unte-thered by traditional support lines, the robot can travel throughout a facility, including into spaces where traditional automatic guided vehicles cannot venture. Its adaptive nature is ideal for just-in-time delivery in dynamic production environments. ADAM Robotics, 905-643-9700, www.adamrobot.com. Booth 3919.
AGVs move pallets and materialsA line of automatic guided vehicle systems provides safe and cost-effective movement of pallets and other materials in appli-cations including food, beverage, consumer products, ware-
housing, manufacturing, automotive, printing, dis-tribution and paper industries. The vehicles store/retrieve pallets in racking or can be used for end-of-line processes, movement of materials through-out a facility, and loading/unloading trailers. By reducing labor and material costs while improving safety and reducing product and equipment dam-age, the vehicles deliver a return on investment. JBT, 800-922-9080, www.jbtcorporation.com. Booth 1547.
Driverless shuttle navigates freely for transport, pickingDiffering from conventional driverless transport systems, the Open Shuttle moves freely across a surface without lines
for guidance. These free-moving vehicles can be used for transport and picking activities. They move using laser navigation and react quickly to new or changed transport routes. The shuttles also react dynamically to obstacles by planning an alternate detour to the optimal route while keeping order parameters in consideration for optimal throughput. Easily adapted to changes, such as capacity fluctuations or warehouse reconfigurations, no structural modifications are necessary because of flexible route planning. KNAPP Logistics Automation, 888-606-0695, www.knapp.com. Booth 3203.
Save space with compact, high-frequency fast chargers Featuring digital power control and wire-less communications, Express eMax HF line of advanced high-frequency industrial fast chargers has been engineered to deliver high performance and reliability in a compact package. The small, light-weight device has a low profile installation footprint to open up floor space. Multiple installation options include mounting to a wall or rack, or to the floor with a space-saving stand. To operate the charger, drivers pull up and plug in their vehicle. The charger automatically recognizes the status of the battery and keeps it properly charged and equalized. For real-time battery and charger fleet management, advanced wireless communications are included to relay device data, alerts and reports. EnerSys, 610-208-1921, www.enersys.com. Booth 603.
Handle food, powder or liquid in collapsible drumRecyclable and intended specifically for the food, powder and liquid handling markets, a collapsible 60-gallon plastic drum is offered as an alternative to steel and fiber drums for cost sav-ings through a better return ratio. It features a 40 x 24 x 20-inch footprint and is composed of three components: base, sidewalls and lid. All components feature offset surfaces and interlock-ing flanges to eliminate joint cracks and prevent penetration of potentially contaminating devices. Four assembled drums interlock to cube a 48 x 40-inch pallet made either of wood or plastic. Buckhorn, 800-543-4454, www.buckhorninc.com. Booth 2027.
Mini-load AS/RS allows multiple cranes in the same aisleThe DUOSYS mini-load automated storage and retrieval system acts as a highly efficient sortation system by allowing multiple cranes to function in the same aisle, moving past each other without interference. The system increases throughput up to 2,200 cases per hour. Also offered is the model 100 TT SmartCart automatic guided cart. Low to the ground, the cart tunnels under customized carriers and—when equipped with an automatic hitch—it can inde-pendently couple and decouple from the carriers. Ideal for use in assembly lines, the cart can also deliver pallets to and from stretch wrappers, roller conveyors and palletizers, or move loads around a facility. Daifuku Webb, 800-253-1003, www.daifukuamerica.com. Booth 1512.
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Robotic tow tractor doesn’t need a driverThe unmanned, robotic GT10 tow tractor automates the movement of flatbed cars, trains or carts with vision-guided technology. Once a load is attached to the GT10, the operator types in the route on the keypad, and the vehicle travels without wires, lasers, tapes or magnets. Ideal applications
include the transport of finished goods from the end of the line to the warehouse, wrapper or shipping dock. It can also supply raw materials from storage production lines, guaran-teeing on-time deliveries while reducing material shortages. By eliminating non-value-added travel, the vehicle cuts labor costs, increases safety and improves productivity. seegrid, 412-379-4500, www.seegrid.com. Booth 1531.
Semi-automated system for high-density pallet storageProviding high-density storage, the semi-automated Pallet Mole system stores loads up to six pallet positions high and 50 deep, while increasing warehouse productivity and SKU selectivity. The system runs underneath the pallet loads on rails, delivering and extracting pallets within deep-lane storage racking. It works in either first-in/first-out or last-in/first-out applications and indexes loads directly to the first position at the aisle face. Using a RF controller, the opera-tor instructs the electro-mechanical platform to lift, lower or shuttle pallets to the desired position. Frazier industrial, 800-614-4162, www.frazier.com. Booth 4205.
Mountable, portable fansA full line of large-diameter, low-speed fans prevent heat-related illnesses, improve winter dexterity and reduce heat bills, remove condensation from floors, increase the effective-ness of ventilation systems and reduce noise in warehouses. The Powerfoil X 2.0 features fixed aerodynamic devices
applied along the airfoil to break up the air and redirect the fan’s air velocity profile. For facilities with overhead obstructions or for temporary worksites, the compact AirGo 8-foot diam-
eter mobile fan incorporates a right-angle drive, precision-machined hub and aerodynamic airfoils. Big ass Fans, 859-254-9921, www.bigassfans.com. Booth 452.
High-speed order fulfillment combines storage with pick stationsTailored for the e-commerce market, the Click&Pick high-speed order fulfillment system combines the supplier’s AutoStore inventory storage technology and high-speed pick stations, with its fulfillment software suite. The system allows orders to be filled up to five times faster than manual shelving systems, at rates up to 1,000 picks per selector per hour. With the system’s flexible, scalable infrastructure, inventory and throughput can be increased independently to meet evolving business needs. By creating a cubed-out warehouse, the system reduces space requirements by 60% over SKU storage in static bin shelving. swisslog, 757-820-3467, www.swisslog.com. Booth 2912.
Scalable, energy-efficient AS/RS shuttle Ideal for dynamic storage and buffer applications, the scalable Stingray shuttle is an integral component of the supplier’s automated mini-load automated storage and retrieval sys-tem. With travel and lift axes function-ally separated, the shuttle delivers higher throughput performance than stacker cranes. This enables scalability of capacity and performance in top-end applications, plus high availability and maximum energy efficiency as moving masses are reduced. Its modular construc-tion enables operators to vary the number of shuttles in operation, as well as change the configuration of tote and shuttle lifts. At maximum capacity, the system per-mits placement of a shuttle on each rack level with two tote lifts in each warehouse aisle. tgW systems, 231-798-4547, www.tgw-group.com. Booth 4237.
Goods-to-person picking with horizontal carousel, VLMA full line of flexible and scalable AS/RS improve order picking and packing by through goods-to-person
product presentation that eliminates walking, searching, reaching and bending activities. The Viper vertical lift machine uses a series of trays stored vertically on each side of a column with a robotic inserter/extractor in the center. Trays are automatically scanned and stored in the least amount of space or pre-assigned positions for maximum throughput and density. sapient automation, 888-451-9711, www.getsapient.com. Booth 2016.
Rugged mobile computers support omni-directional scanning
Next-generation CK3 rugged mobile comput-ers incorporate OMAP architecture for superior processing performance. Features include extended battery life, enhanced bar code scan-ning capabilities and device health monitoring. The CK3R model offers a small size and light form factor. It contains the EA31 scan engine for quick and accurate scanning operations and sup-port for omni-directional scanning of 1D and 2D bar codes. The CK3X model offers the choice of standard range or near/far range scanning and
reads damaged 1D and 2D bar codes. intermec, 425-356-1652, www.intermec.com. Booth 4263.
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SHOW PREVIEW
High-speed, goods-to-person piece picking systemThe Perfect Pick auto-mated, high-speed goods-to-person piece picking system is based on iBOT intelligent, wireless vehi-cles that have 100% access to the inventory in a single aisle, and works without elevators, conveyors or lifts. The iBOTs pick and stock inven-tory simultaneously on both sides of the aisle, delivering totes or trays with precise sequencing directly to the pick-ing station. It reaches rates up to 1,000 dual-cycles per hour. OPEX, 856-727-1100, www.opex.com. Booth 619.
RFID-enabled AS/RS tracks inventory 24/7The MicroVert AS/RS integrates RFID hardware and software, an automatic door, and an ergonomic product counter. The RFID system provides real-time put-and-pick verification and cycle counting. Stock transactions can be securely and accurately monitored without operator intervention, and inventory can be audited on-demand in less than 30 seconds. For real-time verification of all transactions in and out of the unit, the RFID antenna is embedded in the removable coun-ter, ensuring control and continuous visibility of inventory transactions. SencorpWhite, 508-771-9400, www.sencorpwhite.com. Booth 4808.
Fit a custom AS/RS into low- or high-bay warehousesA line of automated storage and retrieval systems can fit into existing high- or low-bay warehouses with ceilings as low as 20 feet. Customizable, these systems maximize storage, optimize product flow, reduce costs and keep perishables rotating through the warehouse. Included are storage/retrieval machines, load-handling devices, the supplier’s Savanna.NET warehouse management system software and AS/RS rack structures. All can be integrated with other warehousing tools such as pick-to-light/pick-to-voice order fulfillment, pallet flow systems, conveyors and palletizers. Westfalia Technologies, 800-673-2522, www.westfaliausa.com. Booth 1236.
Compact power driven stacker For use as an adjustable height workstation that loads and unloads pallets, Stack-N-Go powered stackers are versatile multi-purpose machines ideal for transporting or stack-ing loads up to 7 feet high. Two models are available: a 3,000-pound capacity, 43-inch lift single stage mast unit, or a 2,500-pound capacity, 90-inch lift two-stage mast unit. Offered in adjustable fork over and straddle styles for use in light manufacturing, warehousing, assembly and retail facili-ties, the stacker’s narrow mast and offset handle maximize operator visibility. Features include an ergonomic handle with redundant left- and right-hand controls and auto revers-ing bump switch. Two 12-volt, 70-amp hour batteries with an onboard 110-volt charger power the units. Southworth, 207-878-0700, www.southworth-products.com. Booth 1026.
Mobile computer supports voice-directed picking and scanningFor use in receiving dock and truck-based workflows, as well as for picking in both dry and freezer environments, the Talkman A700 accommodates demanding environments with optimized voice workflow support. The system enhances hands-free and eyes-free productivity, and also provides wearable, orientation-free scanning when needed. Its advanced capabilities, lower accessory costs and predictive analytics provide a lower total cost of ownership and increase ease of use. For addi-tional picking productivity, the system can be used in conjunction with the supplier’s SRX2 wireless headset. Vocollect, 412-349-2684, www.vocollect.com. Booth 3964.
Windows tablet offers a brilliant, large multi-touch displayLess than 1 inch thick and weighing slightly more than 2 pounds, the M9700 tablet delivers lightweight mobility in a rugged tablet with a 9.7-inch multi-touch display for pan and zoom functions. The device is equipped with a 32 GB drive and runs on a Windows-based operating system for seamless migration into existing Windows-based networks. Protected against water, dust and 4-foot drops to concrete, the M9700 offers a more durable solution than consumer tablets, enabling its use in a variety of environ-ments. Communication options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and GPS. An autofocus camera with flash allows mobile work-ers to document issues and communicate them with the home office in real time. DAP Technologies, 855-327-8324, www.daptech.com. Booth 3959.
Cushion-tire lift truck The S50CT cushion tire lift truck for tough applications features a 2.2L LPG engine and lighter overall weight to increase efficiency. It lowers fuel costs by 12% less than comparable vehicles. The truck provides a 5,000-pound
lifting capacity and ergonomic features that increase operator comfort, such as an adjustable tilting steer column, a non-
cinching seat belt and a 14-inch step height. The truck’s construction includes cowl-to-counterweight access and one-piece floor plate. Hyster, 252-931-5679, www.hysterusa.com. Booth 1503.
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See Perfect Pick® in action at ProMat 2013 - Booth #619.
ThE OPEX PErfEcT PIck Is a warEhOusE gamE-changEr. 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access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory provides 100% access to the inventory in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with 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industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading in a single aisle with industry leading throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and unmatched reliability. throughput and 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MMH1212_Ads.indd 23 12/3/12 11:38 AM
24 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
SHOW PREVIEW
Scan bar codes from 25 feet away The BHT-1100 series of handheld wireless bar code terminals incorpo-rates scan plus CCD technology to read bar codes three times faster than a laser scanner. It works as far as 25 feet away, allowing an operator to continuously scan stock shelves from floor to ceiling without a stepladder. For accurate scanning of smeared or obscured bar codes, the terminals feature an expanded scan pattern. The terminals’ ergonomic design fea-tures a large, easy-to-read screen and a slim, easy-to-hold grip, to reduce operator fatigue. To prevent eyestrain, the device’s scan angle minimizes screen glare and provides high readability under varying lighting condi-tions. Wide-area 802.11b/g/n wireless coverage and high-speed data
transmission enable fast communication, while an optional built-in digital camera allows the operator to take photos of defective goods during inspection. Denso ADC, 888-693-3676, www.denso-adc.com. Booth 2686.
Print shipping information and packing slip on single labelFor distribution and fulfillment centers, the TwinPrint family of printers and printer applicators feature two printheads to print both the shipping information and a confidential packing slip on a single label. The ship-ping address is printed on the top label; the packing slip is printed on the label liner. Die cut such that it remains with the label, the liner provides a protec-tive secure adhesive perimeter around the label.
Once applied to the carton, the packing slip information on the printed liner remains confidential and provides tamper-evident protection during shipping. Simply tearing a zipper strip accesses the packing slip. FOX IV Technologies, 724-387-3500, www.foxiv.com. Booth 4512.
Pocket-sized IP67-rated device The rugged Dolphin 70e Black smart device offers auto-iden-tification and data capture users a sleeker form factor than a typical AIDC industrial device that is tougher than a consumer-grade phone. Lightweight and compact, the hybrid device weighs 7 ounces and is 0.75-inches thick, allowing it to be stored in a pocket when not in use. Capable of scanning, access-ing the Internet and capturing data, the device features an IP67 rating for submersion in water, completely dust-proof construc-tion and 4.3-inch capacitive touch display that can be viewed in direct sunlight. Its user-replaceable battery delivers up to 12 hours of operating life. Honeywell Scanning and Mobility, 770-447-4224, www.honeywellaidc.com. Booth 3568.
Voice picking solution runs on standard mobile computers
Jennifer VoicePlus voice-directed ware-house solution improves efficiency, productivity and fulfillment accuracy by creating a two-way conversation with associates who wear a headset con-nected to a standard mobile computer. Capable of running on standard industri-al mobile computers, the system allows seamless use of voice recognition and scanning in a single multi-modal applica-tion. The latest version includes a next-generation speech recognition platform for minimal user training and improved recognition accuracy across all lan-guages. Lucas Systems, 724-940-7144, www.lucasware.com. Booth 3844.
Tilting bins in storage systemTo improve organization and efficiency in the storage of small parts and prod-ucts, the TiltView line of bins is offered for use with an expandable, high-density storage system. Made of clear
polystyrene, the bins come in six sizes and tilt out smoothly for access to
contents. They may be used individu-ally, on a desktop, or attached to steel rails, frames or louvered panels with a hanging system made of 16-gauge steel rail in three lengths: 24, 48 and 70 inches. Akro-Mils, 800-253-2467, www.akro-mils.com. Booth 412.
Container maximizes cube in vertical carousel systemsFor storage of more volume in less space, a new container series maxi-mizes cube in vertical carousel systems. Sized to fit both the stor-age unit and the stored products, the containers also organize contents. The containers can eliminate up to 19% of previously wast-ed space inside the carousel. Flexcon Container, 908-871-7000, www.flex-container.com. Booth 1834.
Belt tray sorter The BS 7 belt tray sorter provides fast, precise sorta-tion of large numbers of goods. The sorter includes multiple moving conveyor belts—the belt trays—arranged at a 90-degree angle to the direction of conveyance, enabling them to feed in or discharge products to the left or right. Because its configura-tion makes it possible to deploy to narrow destina-tions arranged close together, the sorter takes up
little space. Electrical energy is transferred from a fixed supply source to a moving transformer through a small air gap, reducing energy use and lower-ing maintenance costs by 80%. Beumer, 732-893-2892, www.beumer.com. Booth 3603.
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www.kardexremstar.com
Step into a world of dynamic storage and retrieval systems with a solution that gives you total freedom.
High Density Storage: Maximize storage density in up to 80% less fl oor space.Practical Design: With a basic VLM design, the Element VLM is quick and easy to implement.
Save space, time and money.
The intelligent dynamic storage lift system for high density storage in a compact footprint.
Call for Information: 800-639-5805
MMH1212_Ads.indd 25 12/3/12 11:38 AM
26 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
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Gently sort small items at high speedsThe Dual-Tray unit sorter provides gen-tle sorting of apparel, books, small pack-
ages, jewelry, poly bags, accessories, pharmaceuticals and multi-media products. A variety of tray choices, multiple induction methods, value-added equipment and sorting desti-
nation types may be selected. It delivers maximum throughput capacities and gentle product handling in order fulfill-ment, reverse logistics, receiving, store replenishment and order-assembly. EuroSort, 410-363-6345, www.euro-sort.com. Booth 1219A.
Biodegradable, compostable loose fi ll packagingThe PakNatural loose fill light cush-ioning material has been certified as biodegradable and compostable. Sustainable, the packaging protects products with less dust and greater inherent strength than starch-based
loose fill packaging. It also offers better anti-static performance compared to polysty-rene. Sealed Air, 800-648-9093, www.sealedair.com, Booth 2642.
Robotic gantry order picking Using robotic gantry technology, customized turnkey solutions automate case and layer picking in distribution centers, as well as provide goods-to-person picking for high-SKU, high-rate operations. By combining large and fast gantries with a network of conveyor and integrated support equipment, the gantry systems create space efficient, dynamic work envelopes. RMT Robotics, 905-643-9700, www.rmtrobotics.com. Booth 3619.
Tugger for cart deliveryEquipped with a sophisticated control system, the CA-A50060-NSI BST tugger can navigate up to 50 courses (128 commands each) and is programmable by PC or an onboard touchscreen. The units follow a magnetic tape guidepath and function as automated tuggers, eliminating the need for manned delivery
vehicles. They drive under a stationary cart equipped with a BST hitch, extend a tow pin into the hitch, deliver the cart to a designated work area, then retract the tow pin and move out to pick up another cart. Programs can be
downloaded with USB memory, Ethernet cable or radio frequency. For command initiation, the unit includes an RFID reader. Creform, 800-839-8823, www.creform.com. Booth 1881.
Controller for vertical storage runs four different modesOffering color touchscreen user interface, the MP-12N line of microprocessor-based controllers can operate a line of automated vertical storage systems in four different modes. The standard mode provides integrated inventory management with multiple built-in capabilities. For use without integrated inventory management, the host-comm mode allows the ERP/WMS to control the storage unit to the bin level by exchanging CSV/flat-file data. The host-data mode—also without integrated inventory management—permits the ERP/WMS to control the equip-ment with structured programming lift run macros. Finally, the host-Web mode uses either the supplier’s inventory management software package or customer-programmed custom interface. Hänel, 412-787-3444, www.hanel.us. Booth 1013.
System speeds up mid-range case pickingThe automated stacker crane pick-door system speeds up case picking for mid-range case selection. Ideal for case products that do not always need to
be in a pick-face location, the system intermittently places a certain SKU into the pick face and back to a reserve slot as needed. This process allows each pick face to be used for an infinite range of article numbers. Operators are protected from the auto-matic stacker crane aisle while pallets are placed in
a typical pick face of a case-picking tun-nel. LTW Intralogistics, 888-589-7978, www.ltwusa.com. Booth 3538.
Replacement conveyor beltsThe Powerturn line of replacement conveyor belts is fabricated with a digital cutting system for precision and employs AutoCad for all drawings. For further custom-ization, a full line of accessories is available, including chain, grommets, rivets, washers, bushings and bear-ings. Habasit America, 800-458-6431, www.habasita-merica.com. Booth 456.
5- and 10-ton electric wire rope hoists offered in quick ship programThe Yale Global King electric wire rope hoist may now be acquired through the Flex-48 quick ship program. Select units may be ordered as a standard mono-rail unit or as a complete plug-and-play crane kit. Configured for broad appeal, both offerings come in 5- and 10-ton units and carry a three-year standard war-ranty. Columbus McKinnon, 800-888-0985, www.cmworks.com. Booth 1838.
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Fixing warehouse connectivity issues or improving data
accessibility for logistics and distribution operations can be a
daring task. Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s MES-IT solution
bridges the gap between the warehouse and the offi ce.
As an integral part of our e-F@ctory automation solution, MES-IT
enables bi-directional data communication from warehouse
controls to enterprise IT systems. Solve your connectivity problems
fast with the latest in automation technology.
• Delivers superior management of material fl ow and inventory
• Optimizes warehouse yield and throughput while ensuring full traceability and containment
• Reduces network infrastructure, overhead costs and points of failure
• Handles large amounts of data without corruption or loss
Informationlink
Warehouse Controls and Equipment
Enterprise
MES Interface Products
Improve MES Connectivity Fast!
Enterp
riseManagement
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KT 2.4!-MMH.indd 1 6/26/12 4:25 PM
Fixing warehouse connectivity issues or improving data
accessibility for logistics and distribution operations can be a
daring task. Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s MES-IT solution
bridges the gap between the warehouse and the offi ce.
As an integral part of our e-F@ctory automation solution, MES-IT
enables bi-directional data communication from warehouse
controls to enterprise IT systems. Solve your connectivity problems
fast with the latest in automation technology.
• Delivers superior management of material fl ow and inventory
• Optimizes warehouse yield and throughput while ensuring full traceability and containment
• Reduces network infrastructure, overhead costs and points of failure
• Handles large amounts of data without corruption or loss
Informationlink
Warehouse Controls and Equipment
Enterprise
MES Interface Products
Improve MES Connectivity Fast!
Enterp
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Enterp
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KT 2.4!-MMH.indd 1 6/26/12 4:25 PM
Please visit us at Promat 2013, Booth No. 447
MMH1212_Ads.indd 27 12/3/12 11:38 AM
28 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
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Customized DC motors and controls meet unique application specifi cationsFor suppliers who need specific performance characteristics not found in standard motors and drives, the MotorWorX family is offered as a line of application-specific and custom DC motors and controls. Models include a custom 24-volt brushless DC motor with a custom closed loop, constant torque, and constant speed driver module. Additional capabilities include dual, synchronized or inde-pendent motor control, regenerative braking, industrial network interfaces such as CAN or Ethernet/IP, and custom packaging and labeling. Holjeron, 971-224-1650, www.holjeron.com. Booth 3903.
Energy-effi cient synchronous drum motor drives conveyor beltsFor use as a conveyor belt drive, the energy-efficient D-series synchronous drum motor features a motorized pulley. The motor delivers high torque with an efficient gear transmission for high-energy yield. The steel planetary
gearbox transfers 92% to 95% of the available power directly to the conveyor sys-tem for a reduction in power loss when compared to conventional AC gear motor or motorized pulley drive systems. Interroll, 812-206-6103, www.interroll.us. Booth 2603.
Gently sort any product in a small footprintPatented activated roller belt (ARB) sorters provide gentle and precise sorting of items in any size—including large and small packages, cases, polybags and trays. The units sort bi-directionally at rates exceeding 100 packages per minute and reach rates from 30 to 60 packages per minute for right-angle sorting. Operating within a small footprint, the systems require minimal controls. Intralox, 888-427-2358, www.intralox.com. Booth 1041.
Convey extreme weights with one motor driven rollerThe PM635KE roller provides a motor driven roller solution for extreme heavy-load conveyor applications. The 24 VDC motor can move pallets weigh-ing more than 3,000 pounds with a single roller. Its 2.5-inch diameter and 11/16-inch hex shaft mounts into standard conveyor frames for new and ret-rofit applications. Paired with the supplier’s CBM-103FN, it allows built-in thermal production, vari-able speed, pulse signal output, adjustable ace/decal, and stable speed functions. The brushless DC high torque motor offers long life and high-quality performance. Itoh Denki USA, 888-310-8811, www.itohdenki.com. Booth 2347.
Sorter combines cross belt with tilt tray technologies The space-efficient Sortrak is ideal for unit-level sortation because it combines traditional cross belt and tilt tray technologies. The system enables elevation changes to all levels of a DC, making it ideal for use in store distribution, e-commerce, order fulfillment and returns-processing applications. With 14,400 trays pass-ing a single point per hour, the sorter incorporates a chainless drive mecha-nism mounted at multiple points throughout its path, enabling it to make left- and right-hand turns. SDI Industries, 818-890-6002, www.sdiindustries.com. Booth 4227.
AC-powered order selector lifts 3,000 pounds to heights of 300 inchesPowered by a 24-volt AC motor with an optional 36-volt AC motor, the OS030BF lift truck is a durable, order selector solution. Offering increased
uptime, the vehicle includes ergonomic fea-tures such as a multi-function control handle with rotational adjustment and variable speed lift and lower, as well
as a foot released electric park brake and pallet clamp. Operators are kept safe with a full-body harness and tether. Highly maneuverable to accommodate a range of applications, the truck reaches 6.5 miles-per-hour maximum travel speed with a 300-inch, multi-stage maximum fork height. It measures 40.7 inches wide and lifts up to 3,000 pounds. Yale Materials Handling, 252-931-5535, www.yale.com. Booth 1003.
Control environment year-round with interchangeable roll-up barrier productsOffering additional versatility to current door installations for environmental regu-lation, Screen-Pro bug screens enhance flying insect control, while Bird-Pro heavy mesh screens provide a barrier against birds and larger flying insects. To separate differing environmental areas, Vinyl-Pro supported PVC doors can be deployed to mitigate temperature, dust, debris, fumes and noise. All three products use the same roll-up door technology, allowing them to be swapped out as needs or seasons change. TMI, 412-787-9750, www.tmi-pvc.com. Booth 2670.
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Solutions for Unit Material Handling
Drive Components
Raider® Plus Worm Gear
Reducers
Mounted Ball and Roller Bearings
Conveying Components
Drive
Morse is a registered trademark of Borg-Warner Corporation, used herein under exclusive license. Browning, Emerson, Emerson. Consider It Solved., Emerson Industrial Automation, Jaure, Kop-Flex, McGill, Raider, Sealmaster, System Plast and Valu Guide are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co. or one of its affiliated companies. © 2012 Emerson Power Transmission Corp., All Rights Reserved. MCAD12022E • Printed in USA
®
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Maintenance-free rubber door debutsThe Powerhouse SD industrial roll-up door can help facilities resist exposure to dust, debris and the ele-ments. Fast and easy to open and close, the door is maintenance free and fits a wide range of exterior door-ways. The door is made of engineered styrene butadi-ene rubber and operates without springs or a counter-balanced system to eliminate service costs. The door resists wind and pressure while maintaining a tight seal to protect equipment and operations, as well as keeps internal temperatures consistent. Rytec, 262-677-9046, www.rytecdoors.com. Booth 4853.
Safety netting protects personnel from falling loadsA line of safety netting for use around conveyors and racks protect personnel in the event of a fall-ing load while reducing product damage. OSHA-compliant, the industrial nets are cost-effective and easy to install with available hardware. Offered in custom sizes, the netting can also be fitted to
floor-stacked and mezzanine applications. The nets can hold up to 5,000 pounds. Carron Net, 800-558-7768, www.carronnet.com. Booth 252.
Ergonomic hand trucks sport powered lift functionCombining a standard two-wheeled hand truck’s durability and functional-ity with automatic lifting and lowering capabilities, Lift’n Buddy mobile lifting device supports proper ergonomics and safety for any moving and lifting job. Offered in two models, the Half-Back version holds 250-pound loads,
while the Full-Back version handles 500-pound loads. Both devices lift loads up to 37 inches. Fabricated of durable, lightweight, extruded aluminum, they feature pneumatic tires, a 10-amp/12-volt bat-tery and remote control. Ergologistics, 701-499-5270, www.liftnbuddy.com. Booth 115.
Prevent fatigue with anti-slip, high-traction fl oor matsA line of premium anti-fatigue mats is ergonomically engineered to provide maximum safety and comfort for employees while standing. The durable prod-ucts are backed by a compre-hensive five-year warranty. Certified by the National Floor Safety Institute for anti-slip and high-traction qualities, the mats use propriety one-piece SmartTech poly-urethane technology in their construction. Smart Step Flooring, 800-981-4979, www.smartstepflooring.com. Booth 4748.
Monitor water levels in industrial batteries The i-Lite water monitor for industrial batteries provides LED light alerts for operators when it is time to water the batteries. A solid green light means the electrolyte level is okay; a solid red light means water is needed. Should the red light be ignored, the sensor can tell the operator how long the battery went without water. Other features include a probe that can be mounted in the center of the battery and an electronic housing kept separate from the sensor probe for safety. The system includes multiple fuses. Battery Watering Technologies, 877-522-5431, www.batterywatering.com. Booth 431 and 1889.
Press-on tires Offered for new forklifts or as aftermarket replacements, the Everest Iron Horse press-on polyurethane tires are ideal for 48/80-volt AC-driven trucks as well as for hand pallet trucks. Made of a non-marking tread compound, the tires provide high load capacity in rigorous conditions, with maximum traction for the initial torque of AC motors, emergency braking, and overall grip control on slip-pery surfaces. With more than 50% lower rolling resistance compared to standard wheels, the tires significantly reduce battery drainage, particularly in freezer environ-ments. DuraStar, 866-532-1698, www.durastarcasters.com. Booth 361.
Forklift battery engineered for cold storage, freezer useThe Arctic battery delivers optimal voltage, capacity and service life in cold storage and freezer applications, while protecting against undercharg-ing and de-rationing of capacity and charge acceptance. Featuring thick-plate, high-performance technology that has been integrated with a special cold-use electrolyte solution, the bat-tery can run up to 15% longer in low temperatures than a standard lift truck battery. It also includes a thermal tray insulator for effective capacity and volt-age levels, and five-fold plate insulation for dependable service life. Additional highlights include flip-top vent caps for easy watering and reduced dripping of electrolyte into cell covers; trays protected with electrostatic baked-on epoxy to withstand corrosion and reduce voltage tracking, short circuits
and rust; and optional quick connect cables that reduce downtime and mainte-nance. Douglas Battery, 336-650-7118, www.douglasbattery.com. Booth 1121.
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704-394-6900 Charlotte, NCToll Free : 800-368-7282 | [email protected] | www.muratec-usa.com
Mini-Load AS/RS
World-class high-speed Mini-Load Crane
High-density storage and High-throughput operations
Flexible, Multiple case handling
Multiple Load Handling Devices
Rear-Hook Fork for Free-size case handling
Energy saving by Lightweight design and Electric power regeneration
Muratec’s new Mini-Load AS/RS
Booth #3208
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Monitor battery cell electrolyte levels with indicator deviceThe Eagle Eye electrolyte level indicator accurately monitors and displays the status of battery cell electrolyte levels with a solid green or blinking red light. Featuring a trimmable probe, the device does not require calibration. Using captive sensing tech-nology, the unit measures electrolyte levels without a direct cur-
rent being drawn from the cell, eliminating the potential for corrosion between plates and probe. Product highlights include a sealed polypropylene lens that protects the LED and electronics from impact and acid migration; terminals sealed to the wires to prevent corrosion; and a reverse polarity protected light with three self-resetting fuses. Flow-Rite Controls, 616-583-1700, www.flow-rite.com. Booth 947.
Warn pedestrians with projected safety light Avoid forklift/pedestrian collisions with the installation of a blue safety light on the vehicle. When the device is added to the rear portion of a forklift’s over-head guard, its two high-performance LED lamps project a focused beam of blue light that appears on the ground behind the forklift. The visual cue is more effective than backup alarms that can be drowned out by employees wearing headphones or distracted by other tasks. Features include an expected life of 20,000 hours and an IP67 rating for use in wet environments and to withstand power washing. Intella Liftparts, 616-796-1288, www.intellaliftparts.com. Booth 4509.
Dual-motion triggering alarm systemThe Crossing Guard forklift collision awareness system requires the detection of two separate motions to trigger an alarm, reducing the occurrence of nui-
sance alarms. Additionally, the system distinguishes the presence of motionless individuals who might be obscured from the forklift operator’s vision. Four adjustable sensors—either infrared or ultrasonic—monitor the definable detection area. In produc-tion pick up areas and loca-
tions where infrared is impractical, an optional weight-sensitive sensor model may be specified. All models sound an audible alarm coupled with a high-inten-sity LED alarms light. Features include a micro-processor that collects and saves sensor activities, eco-friendly solar panel to trickle charge the rechargeable DC battery using ambient warehouse light, and a second battery to warn when the primary battery needs recharge, repair or replacement. Flow-Rite Safety Solutions, 905-616-5509, www.crossingguardsafety.com. Booth 245.
Plug-in conveyor module The VertiSwitch 1-0 module allows a high rate of packages to be diverted between two or more elevations. It consumes a minimal amount of energy due to the use of a mechanical energy storage device. Offered as a plug-and-play conveyor that can be integrated into new or existing systems, the compact unit runs in either merge or divert configurations. Transnorm, 214-988-3119, www.transnorm.com. Booth 435.
Decentralized frequency inverter The enhanced 8400 Motec decentralized frequency inverter drives enable plug-and-drive communication on real-time Ethernet networks. The addition of plug-in interfaces for PROFINET and EtherCAT make it possible to seamlessly integrate
the variable speed drives into existing communications networks. Power dense and energy efficient, the device is suitable for applications in plants covering large areas using a power range between 0.37 and 3 kW. Its structure com-prises three modules: drive unit, communication unit and wiring unit. Lenze Americas, 508-278-9100, www.lenzeamericas.com. Booth 1763.
Self-supporting hand truck reduces back strain in loading, unloadingA hand truck improves ergonomics and worker safety when stocking milk from crates on pallets into the cool room fridge displays. The self-supporting Rotatruck carries loads up to 330 pounds while reduc-ing the height from which the load is removed to stack into store shelves. In addition to reducing the number of lower back bending and forward flexion episodes greater than 20 degrees, the truck enables shelves to be loaded 21% faster. Rotacaster, 61-02-4907-8100, www.rotacaster.com.au. Booth 3651.
Wireless remote sensor for dry contact applicationsThe SureCross Q45 remote device is a self-contained, wireless standard pho-toelectric sensor for control and monitoring applications that interfaces with isolated dry contacts or PNP outputs to connect with any digital sensor. It also features a mode that allows it to interface directly with NAMUR inductive proximity sensors. Features include a self-contained battery, radio and sensor for simple deployment and untethered communications. Operating on less than 100uA of current, the sensor’s battery lasts at least five years. Banner Engineering, 888-373-6767, www.bannerengineering.com. Booth 141.
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Leading Edge Power Solutions
After laying the foundation for high-frequency
charging, HAWKER® continues their tradition
of motive power innovation with their patented
high-frequency, IONIC smart charging technology.
With the greatest efficiency, highest power factor,
and highest charge effectiveness available in the
industry, HAWKER®’s IONIC patented charge
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Call 1.877.7HAWKER to join the high-frequency ioniC revolution.
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MMH1212_Ads.indd 33 12/3/12 11:39 AM
34 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
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Capture RFID tag information easilyThe CaptureTech interpreter provides an easy way to get RFID tag data into any Windows-based PC application. Using plug-and-play technology, the device can be implemented and begin reading RFID tags in less than 1 minute with existing legacy applications. It plugs into a USB port on a PC, identifies itself and inputs RFID tag data into existing applications. Integrated features include an RFID reader, antenna and tag data processor into a portable desk-top device. Barcoding, 888-412-7226, www.barcoding.com. Booth 2884.Select from 50+ confi gurations
of hand pallet trucksOffered in more than 50 configura-tions of sizes and capacities, Rol-Lift hand pallet trucks work in any applica-tion. Economy models for occasional use have a 4,500-pound capacity and 48-inch forks. For more frequent use, standard and heavy-duty models have 5,000- and 5,500-pound capacities, 20.5- or 27-inch wide configurations, and fork lengths from 32 to 72 inches. Handling up to 6,500-pound loads, super duty trucks can be specified with multiple fork lengths and widths. For special use
needs, the trucks can be zinc coated for hostile environ-ments, or manufac-tured of stainless steel for sanitary applications. All trucks feature a
tight turning radius to get in and out of confined spaces and fork tips that glide easily over pallet bottom boards. Presto Lifts, 800-343-9322, www.prestolifts.com. Booth 1831.
Attachment protects loads, palletsManufactured to fit any forklift, a line of attach-ments protects products and pallets during handling. The device has been tested and dem-onstrates a 75% to 80% reduction in product damage. It also doubles the life of pallets for reduced damage and increased profitability. Product Protector, 541-344-3666, www.productprotector.com. Booth 5009.
Air chain hoist in three modelsThe CLK series pneumatic air chain hoist comes in three models capable of handling 275, 550 and 1,100 pounds each. Featuring a two-stage differential trans-mission that multiplies motor torque and reduces speed, the hoist’s gearing components are made from high-strength, heat-treated steel alloy. Upper and lower limit stops prevent over-travel of the hook in either direction, reducing possible damage to hoist and load. For high-torque and low-maintenance, a 100% duty cycle multi-vane air motor is included, while a non-asbestos disc brake is spring-engaged with an air release for sig-nificant control with minimal air consumption. Ingersoll Rand, 908-238-7106, www.ingersollrandproducts.com. Booth 3949.
Floor-mounted rotary tower stretch wrapperCombining flexibility with full automation, the Electro-Wrap auto-matic rotary tower stretch wrapper includes a 100% electric sys-tem that operates without compressed air, reducing total energy costs. It is ideal for stretch wrapping unstable pallet loads that are either too light or too heavy to rotate using a turntable style wrapper. The wrap zone can be loaded with either a fork truck or pallet jack; the operator sets the pallet on the floor in front of the wrapper and activates the wrapping cycle from a remote lanyard.
When the job is initialized, the film carriage revolves around the stationary pallet load. Upon cycle completion, the system automatically clamps, cuts and wipes the film to the pallet. Arpac, 847-678-9034, www.arpac.com. Booth 1852.
Hygienic food-handling pallet offers x-ray compatible optionThe enhanced RackoCell 40 x 48-inch pallet is engineered to meet the needs of the food manufacturing/ingredients and pharmaceutical industries. Molded in one piece from polypropylene copolymer, the pallet offers enhanced stiffness and edge-racking up to 2,200 pounds. It features flow-through, all-plastic construction that washes and drains quickly for sanitation. For food plants that use x-ray detection to inspect loads prior to shipping, the pallet may be optionally enhanced with a blend of detectable materials that make it x-ray compatible. Should any piece of the pallet come loose due to aggressive handling, it will be eas-ily detectable. ORBIS, 262-560-5364, www.orbiscorporation.com. Booth 403.
Create right-sized corrugatedbox packaging on-demandTo produce on-demand packaging, the IQ Fusion convert-ing machine creates the exact right-sized box at precisely the right time. The system features a working footprint of 48 square feet and few management requirements, allowing it to be placed in any pack line. It uses corrugated Z-fold for the
box-making process. Also offered, the EM7-25 accommodates larger box-size needs with functionality including longitudinal and transverse cutting, creasing, and perforation. Packsize, 801-944-4814, www.packsize.com. Booth 2344.
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Matthews Marking and Fulfillment Systems The group designs, manufactures,and distributes a wide range of marking, coding and industrial automation products. Manufacturers and suppliers all over the world use our products to identify, track, pick and convey their products across the entire supply chain.
Experience and Expertise From manufacturing to packaging to distribution, Matthews is a leading provider of marking and coding equipment for the industrial and packaging markets, offering an array of solutions that include: product identification and branding, traceability coding, and compliance marking.Best-in-class material handling and order fulfillment automation maximizesproductivity, quality, and efficiency.
Matthews and FulfillmentSystems offers:
Inkjet Printing Thermal Transfer Laser Coding Contact & Indenting Inks Custom Solutions
Motor-Driven Rollers Conveyor Controls Custom Motors
and Controls Pick-To-Light Put-To-Light
Voice-Directed Picking Software Solutions RF Picking LP Dashboard Build2Light Batch Picking Carts
DC Automation Distributed I/O
Products for Automation Automated Sortation Systems
Innovative Picking Technologies, Inc.
Identify. Track. Pick.
Visit us at Booth 3903
MMH1212_Ads.indd 35 12/6/12 1:55 PM
36 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
SHOW PREVIEW
Pallet shows up in inline x-ray inspectionsManufactured with a special compound that is opaque to x-ray and fluoroscopic imaging, Radiopaque ProStack pal-lets are ideal for use in food, beverage and pharmaceutical processing applications. Because the pallet is clearly visible in imaging inspections common in cleanroom and processing areas, it makes it easier to visually detect product contami-nates. The pallets are rated for a 30,000-pound static load,
or a 5,000-pound dynamic load. Polymer Solutions, 877-444-7225, www.prostackpallets.com. Booth 4427.
Returnable totes and dunnage The TransGuard line of returnable totes and dunnage is made of durable, lightweight, expanded polypropylene foam that can be recycled at the end its useful life. Ideal for shipping automotive components from supplier to OEM for assembly, the packaging is returned empty to be filled again with parts. The totes can be molded into complex shapes to fit intricate, sensitive parts. Internally, they can be configured to grip components at the right places to protect class-A surface finishes. Sonoco Protective Solutions, 847-632-9694, www.sonoco.com. Booth 3653.
Film feeding system The Force Anticipation Stretch Technology (FAST) film feed-ing system accurately delivers film to a pallet without react-ing to a demand. By eliminating excessive stress on the film, the system reduces failure, ripping and breakage while using all of the containment force in the film. Tested with 47-gauge film with punctures at 250% prestretch with a 35 rpm rota-tion, the system completely prevents film break. Wulftec/M.J. Maillis, 877-985-3832, www.wulftec.com. Booth 441.
Simplifi ed battery selection, chargingUsing a bright blue light to indicate which battery is fully charged and the most cooled down, the iBOS Lite industrial battery management system is ideal for smaller fleets of 10 to 20 chargers. Its simplified, directed battery selection system enables warehouse personnel to change batteries 2 to 5 minutes faster, and less frequently—increasing productivity. Additionally, due to longer bat-tery cool down times and more even battery usage, the system increases battery life by six months. Philadelphia Scientific, 215-616-0390, www.phlsci.com. Booth 241.
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mmh.com Modern Materials Handling / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 37
On-the-floor or in-the-field, Peak-Ryzex helps you seize the opportunities present-ed by the mobile revolution with a comprehensive range of business-optimized mobility, managed service, enterprise printing and data capture solutions.
From the selection, deployment and integration of mobile devices, to SAP integra-tion, data collection, asset management and depot services, Peak-Ryzex leverages technology to optimize your most business-critical supply chain and field-based initiatives. Our solution sets include:
• MobilitySolutionsfortheService-drivenWorkforce
• StrategicMobileManagedServices
• SeamlessSAPSCMandSAPLESLogistics
• Best-fitMobileDataCollectionandVoice-enabledLogistics
• EnterprisePrintingandLabeling
With 30-years’ experience and coverage throughout North America and Europe, Peak-Ryzex delivers the financial strength, international presence, and exemplary customer service to support even the most extensive enterprise.
Harness the power of your mobile, data collection, voice logistics and printing assets and realize sustainable return on all your technology investments.
We Know Mobility... Inside and Out.
Findouthow.VisitPeak-RyzexatPROMAT2013,Booth3663.www.peak-ryzex.com 888-275-7325
Peak-Ryzex HalfPg112812b.indd 1 11/29/12 11:11 AM
Adjustable label holders make viewing, scanning easyTo eliminate climbing or bending to read or scan labels, the flexible AngleVu PVC label holder is engineered to snap onto major brands of standard wire shelving. The holder presents the label at one of three dif-ferent angles: 90 degrees (flat), 60 degrees and 30 degrees. They feature a clear plastic window to protect an insertable label or bar code, and include 25 white paper inserts per package. aigner label Holder, 800-242-3919, www.aignerlabelholder.com. Booth 324.
Fabric buildings for material storage, movementConstructed of high-quality steel and fabric material, a line of structures is offered as a fast, economical solution for equipment and material storage, warehousing and manufacturing. The buildings can be built to any length and up to 300-feet wide to provide tall heights and wide-open spaces with ample clearance for access and ease of movement. Each structure is custom-engineered to fit the requirements of the specific loca-tion, such as snow load or foundation type. Easy to relocate, the buildings can be permanent or temporary. Clearspan, 866-643-1010, www.clearspan.com. Booth 979.
Pipe racks support power and control linesPre-engineered, manufactured pipe rack systems support elevated piping, con-duits, cable trays, ducting and other over-head facilities support systems. The rack systems are ideal for manufac-turing and processing plants that require large numbers of facility service connections between production and ancillary equipment, particularly when quick and clean installation of the sup-port steel is required. The racks are engineered and manufactured with heavy-duty square tub-ing and cold-formed C-channel components. Custom-designed, each installation meets capac-ity, height, length and other dimensions or specifications as required. Cubic designs, 800-826-7061, www.cubicdesigns.com. Booth 2368.
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SHOW PREVIEW
Rack attachment aids in fi re protectionThe heavy-duty FlueKeeper HD pallet rack attachment can be easily installed to keep pallets and their loads out of transverse flue spaces. Intended for use with hand-loaded boxes, the attachment meets the 2012 International Fire Code section stating that fire code officials can now require rack storage installations to be equipped with approved devices to protect the required flue spaces.It maintains open flue spaces within the racks to assist in activating ceiling sprinklers and delivering water to an in-rack fire event. DACS, 866-400-8107, www.fluekeeper.com. Booth 2512.
Dual-movement rack frame offersimpact, seismic resistanceIncorporating a dual-movement frame, the TubeRack system allows flexibility both front-to-back and side-to-side. This enables it to withstand impacts and seismic events safely. Its horizontal-bolt-together modular construction can handle higher capacities with less steel, while reducing the stress on the slab. Its modu-larity also allows for future flexibility. TubeRack can be used in all of the supplier’s storage rack solutions, including selective, dou-ble deep, push back, pallet flow, drive-in, and AS/RS. Hannibal Industries, 323-588-4261, www.hannibalrack.com. Booth 659.
Dense storage system incorporates textile columns suspended from rackingThe SpeedCell storage system for carton and individual SKU storage turns dead space into cost-effective and efficient hand-picking areas. As a vertical shelving accessory, the system consists of a collection of durable, flame and water-retardant vertical textile columns. Capable of holding 25 pounds per shelf and up to 230 pounds per vertical column, each column is suspended from a racking structure from a rail system that allows them to move from side to side. Each bay-set can be up to five rows deep, with those at the front sliding aside on the rail system to enable access to the cells contain-ing SKUs in the rear rows. Holland Storage Systems, 616-772-2052, www.speedcell.net. Booth 4147.
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mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 39
How Much Can weHow Much Can weReduce your Handling Costs?That’s the question behind the reuseablepallets we manufacture for food, beverage,and pharmaceutical customers around the world.
Whether you need a custom or standardsolution in Radiopaque, FDA approved,or FM approved materials,you’ll find it at PSI
Toll Free (877) 444-7225Email: [email protected] • Medford, NJ 08055 USA
www.prostackpallets.com
One Piece ProGenic
Reduce your Handling Costs?That’s the question behind the reuseablepallets we manufacture for food, beverage,and pharmaceutical customers around the
Whether you need a custom or standard
Double Leg Ratchet
Radiopaque ProStack® Pallet
EdgeRackable
EdgeRackable
Visit Us At
ProMat 2013Booth 4427
Protect rack from forklift impacts with column guardThe high-strength Max Guard Force col-umn protector is engineered to provide impact resistance for rack systems. As a free-standing, heavy-duty column guard, the unit is secured to a concrete floor with two 0.75-inch anchors. It provides more
than 20,000 pounds of impact resistance to guard against forklift outrigger damage. Mac Rak, 815-557-5643, www.macrak.com. Booth 4209.
Customizable aluminum ladder carts do not rust, corrodeModel 99555 non-rusting ladder carts are constructed of aluminum and carry a life-time guarantee against rust and corrosion. Featuring easy-load top shelves, handles and steps designed for comfort and safety, the carts incorporate extended push handles and continuous grip handles for ascending
and descending. Extra wide steps are securely welded and bolted into place, and include non-slip tape for increased safety. Fully customizable, they can be engineered to fit spe-cific needs with various shelving, storage, attachments and sizing options. New Age Industrial, 800-255-0104, www.newageindustrial.com. Booth 2341.
Structural storage shelving reaches up to four levels highClipper and Erectomatic shelving consists of indus-trial grade components configurable as a variety of multi-level storage structures in distribution center, ware-housing, manufacturing and record storage applications. The systems combine structural stair and mezzanine/work platforms with posts and shelves for storage instal-lations up to four levels high. Shelving—offered in 24 different standard powder-coated colors—is tailored to each job with an assortment of accessories. For installa-tions in areas of seismic activity, a complete engineering analysis ensures that the structure meets all state and local required safety requirements. Penco Products, 800-562-1000, www.pencoproducts.com. Booth 1119.
Deep-lane, dynamic system provides high-density storageUsing controlled gravity or power to induce the move-ment of loads, a controlled flow, high-density dynamic storage system is ideal for either first-in/first-out or last-in/first-out applications. The system handles both palletized/containerized or pallet-less loads on slip sheets. The structure uses fewer mov-ing parts and can interface with auto-mated storage and retrieval systems. Capable of providing deep-lane storage, it also works in -10°F freezers. SafeFlo Technologies, 866-266-5887, www.safeflotech.com. Booth 4256.
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40 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
SHOW PREVIEW
The Drexel model R60i4 has been redesigned with the following new features:• PowerfulandEfficientHydrostaticDriveSystem
• TierIVApproved4.3L,GMVortecEngine• RedesignedFrontPivot/ShiftAssemblyforIncreasedReliability
• EasyAccessforMaintenanceofMajorComponentsIncreasedSignificantly
Performance:• Handles6,000lb(2727kg)LongLoadsasaSideloader;HandlesPalletsasaVNAForklift
• SolidPneumaticTiresforWorkingIndoorsoroutonPavedorUnpavedSurfaces
• ExcellentforHandlingLumber,Pipe,andotherLongLoads.
• Climbsover15%GradewithFullLoad
LANDOLL CORPORATIONMATERIAL HANDLING PRODUCT DIVISION1900 North Street · Marysville, KS 66508
785-562-5381 · Fax [email protected] . 800-428-5655
WWW.LANDOLL.COM/MHP Visit us atPROMAT Booth #2319
SWINGMAST® SIDELOADER and VNA TRUCK
Mobile, iPad-based solutions for distributorsTwo mobile applications for tablets—the mobile business analyzer and Eclipse customer relationship management system—support high-level decision making by wholesale distributors. Intended specifically for the iPad, the business analyzer provides access to critical key business met-rics such as average invoice and order values, cost of goods sold, profit dollars and profit percent. It also communicates proactive alerts from the supplier’s Prophet 21 enterprise resource planning system. It employs a single, near real-time mobile dashboard across a secure VPN. The browser-based Eclipse enables remote order entry, the ability to view existing and create new sales opportunities and associate them with a customer and specific contacts. Epicor Software, 800-776-7438, www.epicor.com. Booth 3672.
Floating material handler Using air power, the LoadRunner allows a single operator to safely and easily move 2,500-pound loads. It employs an on-board compressed air system to float the load across the floor, reducing friction and requiring a fraction of normal operator effort to move the load. Offered as an alternative to hand trucks, pallet jacks and forklifts, the unit is completely self-contained. The unit features a low profile deck with a 2-inch insertion height and intuitive throttle-style fingertip controls. AeroGo, 800-426-4757, www.aerogo.com. Booth 4753.
Polyurethane wheels handle loads up to 7,200 poundsLasting longer and rolling more easily, polyurethane Ultralast wheels handle heavy loads up to 7,200 pounds in continuous, higher speed use on smooth surfaces. Ideal for heavy manufacturers, heavy industrial uses and in sectors including automotive, aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing and military contractors, the wheels come in two configurations. The standard model has a 0.375-inch thick tread chemically bonded to a heavy-duty, cast iron center. Incorporating 1-inch tread, the super model sports a forged steel center. The material can be molded to the supplier’s lines of cast iron, forged steel and aluminum centers on finished sizes ranging from 3.25- inch to 20-inches in diameter. Hamilton Caster & Manufacturing, 800-733-7655, www.hamiltoncaster.com. Booth 1271.
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mmh.com Modern Materials Handling / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 41
S T O R I N G L I F T I N G G U A R D I N G©Wildeck, Inc. 2012 WAZ 1207 - AD
PROTECTING YOURMATERIAL MAKESA LOT OF AUTOSENZ®
When you select a vertical lift to safely move material, you want the best.
Only Wildeck VRCs have the patented* AutoSenz® Overload Detection System to protect material from damage should a jam occur. Other VRCs, based on a 40-year-old design, just can’t compete with the product improvements available from Wildeck today.
Safety, effi ciency and reliability — make your move to standardize on Wildeck VRCs with advanced AutoSenz® technology built in. It’s a level of quality and craftsmanship you won’t fi nd anywhere else.
800-325-6939 | WWW.WILDECK.COM
CAPACITYGet the most outof your space
EFFICIENCYMove inventorywith ease
SAFETYProtect your facility
*U.S. Patent No. 7,408,317
VIEW VIDEO
WDK_AutoSenz_HalfPg_MMH.indd 1 7/16/12 5:27 PM
Automated picking cart adds orders while cart is in motionThe automated batch picking cart includes a new version of software that maximizes the efficiency of each walk pass through the warehouse. The software’s real location algo-rithm optimizes pick routes by selecting order combinations based on the cart’s real-time physical start location, instead of from a single pre-determined order drop/new batch launch location. To maximize productivity, the system adds single pick orders to moving carts while individual order containers from the original batch are being filled. Communications are maintained with the server through the existing plant wireless LAN network. lightning Pick technologies, 800-827-8878, www.lightningpick.com. Booth 3903.
Steel wire carts roll on welded caster padsA complete line of heavy-duty, steel wire roll carts allows for quick and efficient visual inventory, and can be easily and completely disassembled without the use of tools. Added to complement the supplier’s wire decking and wire container product offerings, the carts are manufactured with heavy-duty square and round tubing. To prevent rust and corrosion, the carts are plated. The carts are equipped with caster pads welded inside the base, making them damage resistant and easy to move. Offered in a wide range of sizes, the carts can be used for product transport, distribution, dis-play and shipping applications. For protection of high-value prod-ucts, a security cart model includes tamper resistant construction. nashville Wire Products, 800-448-2125, www.nashvillewire.com. Booth 1537.
Compact, mobile workstation cart Compact NB series mobile powered workstations save labor and improve productivity. Patented and ergonomic, the carts carry computers (desk-tops, towers or laptops), printers, scales, bar code scanners and other small electronic equip-ment to wherever needed. An on-board battery powers up to four devices simul-taneously during 8 to 10 hours of normal use. The cart includes adjustable shelves that hold up to 75 pounds each. Every model has a slotted mast that allows the user to adjust the height of each shelf. newcastle systems, 781-935-3450, www.newcastlesys.com. Booth 3859.
Kingpinless casters handle capacities up to 60,000 poundsA full line of industrial kingpinless casters is offered. The casters are heavy duty and can handle capacities from 1,500 to more than 60,000 pounds. Custom casters can be fabri-cated to meet exact specifica-tions. rWM Casters, 800-634-7704, www.rwmcasters.com. Booth 2378.
Visit ProMat
Booth 1252
MMH1212_CovStyPromat.indd 41 12/5/12 3:03 PM
mmh.com
Rack it. Track it. Reuse it.
The New Rehrig GMA-228
100% Sustainable Packaging • Supply Chain IntegrationComplete Logistics Services • Enhanced Tracking Capabilities
Minimum 5-Yr Life Cycle
Rackable to 2,800 Lbs.
GPS & RFID Trackable
©2
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Re
hrig
Pacific C
om
pan
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A rackable pallet with measurable ROI• Lower Your Cost Per Trip• Gain Sustainability Scorecard Improvements• Increase Your Yield and Reduce Shrink• Reduce Operational and Packaging Costs• Meet New FSMA Traceability Standards
A FAMILY TRADITION OF GROWTH, SERVICE AND INNOVATION
Phone: (800) 546-4993Email: [email protected]: www.rehrigpacific.com
Come see us atPROMAT 2013
Booth #3641
Date: 11/20/12 Client: Rehrig Pacifi c Job #: 06312012 File Name: 06312012_RPC_GMA-228_Ad_MMH_Dec12_r3
Account Director: Henry Artime Editor: ha Art Director: ha Revised By: ov Production: ov
Color: 4C/Process Trim: 3.375"× 10" Bleed: N/A Safety: N/A Fold: n/a
Publication(s): Modern Materials Handling Run Date(s): December 2012
Special Instructions: Approved By:
SHOW PREVIEW
Tow up to 8,000-pound loads with burden carrierThe Pack Mule BCG-6200 elec-tric tow vehicle’s heavy duty, steel uni-body frame construc-tion can tow up to 8,000 pounds. Combined with a heavy-duty transaxle, the vehicle’s dual-
wheel front-fork has been reinforced to withstand bumps, potholes, curbs and other obstacles. Powered by either a DC or AC drive system, the burden carrier’s oversized battery compartment and frame accommodate the space and weight of industrial batteries. Under heavy loads, the rear suspension helps deliver a smooth ride. The vehicle features 36-inch wide front and rear cargo decks to hold product, equipment or tool boxes. Wesley International, 800-241-2869, www.packmule.com. Booth 2352
Gain convenient access to all shelvingThe patented steel Dual Trak ladder provides safe, conve-nient access to tall shelving on both sides of narrow aisles in storage areas. A 33% increase in vertical storage space is typically achieved. Features include a heavy-duty overhead carriage on which the ladder is mounted. With the car-riage mounted on dual tracks attached to shelving on both sides of the aisle, both carriage and ladder assemblies roll smoothly on along the aisle’s length, as well as roll from side to side across the aisle on the overhead carriage. Swivel casters on the bottom of the ladder assist in this easy move-ment. While in use, the ladder sits firmly on rubber pad legs. Cotterman, 810-679-4400, www.cotterman.com. Booth 4409.
Smart phone cases turn devices into Bluetooth-enabled bar code readersA selection of smart phone cases work with the sup-plier’s suite of Bluetooth bar code data and card read-ers, allowing users to turn their smart phone into a bar code PDA. Cases are offered for several devices, including the Samsung Galaxy SIII, Apple iPhone5, Pantech Vega Racer, Samsung Galaxy SII, Samsung Player 5, Samsung Note, Apple iPhone 4(S), Apple iPod touch 4G, Apple iPod touch 5G and Samsung Galaxy Note2. The cases work with the KDC200, KDC250, KDC300, and KDC400 programmable Bluetooth bar code scanners and sleds. KoamTac, 855-562-6822, www.koamtac.com. Booth 4259.
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mmh.com
Let us sort it aLL out.
Visit eurosort at Booth #1219
It’s ironic, really. If material handling solutions are supposed to help distribution centers run more efficiently, why is it such a hassle to get them up and running?
Sorting made simple.
A USS Company410.363.6345 • www.my-sorter.com
EuroSort changes all that. We simplify design, installation and maintenance to deliver a sortation solution that makes your job easier—and for much less than you’d expect. From retail to e-commerce to pharmaceutical distribution, businesses turn to EuroSort to keep their operations moving in the right direction.
Safety interface controller for end-of-line resistor switchesFor end-of-the-line resistor switch products, the new PSSR/2 safety interface controller has built-in integrity monitoring for use with pres-ence sensing safety mats, edges and switches with a resistor. Equipped with both a manual and auto reset, the device includes three output contacts, force-guided relays, two normally open (safety) and one normally closed (monitor) contacts. Tapeswitch, 800-234-8273, www.tapeswitch.com. Booth 122.
Protect personnel with impact-resistant machine guardingA line of flexible machine guarding products is designed for efficiency and safety. Engineered with high impact resistance, the guarding meets or exceeds global necessary safety standards and directives. Included is the Rapid Fix system, with functional brackets that feature a locking mechanism that enables easy access for maintenance and quick re-installation. Troax, 615-730-7581, www.troax.com. Booth 4547.
Supplement forklift camera systems with radar detection deviceThe RadarEye forklift signaling system supplements camera and monitor visibility solutions by sounding active alarms to alert the operator when there is something or someone behind the truck. When an object or person moves within the danger zone to the rear of the vehicle, the system warns the operator with bright green, yellow and red sig-nals. Both the radar device and the camera(s) can be programmed and configured through the monitor, with a five-zone detection radius adjust-able from 6.5 to 65.5 feet. Orlaco, 705-542 5931, www.orlaco.com. Booth 2578.
Handle cardboard boxes, sacks with vacuum tube lifterFeaturing a replaceable suction pad, the JumboFlex vacuum tube lifter facili-tates ergonomic picking of sacks and cardboard boxes. It is easily operated with an ergonomic handle for one-finger control that directs both up and down movement as well as lifting and lowering speed. The handle also controls the sus-
pension height adjustments, making it easy to manipulate both cardboard boxed loads and sacks weighing up to 75 pounds. Generated by a dry-running pump, the vacuum’s suction capacity of 23.5 cubic feet per minute provides a vacuum of -8.7 pounds per square inch. Schmalz, 919-713-0880, www.schmalz.com. Booth 1728.
MMH1212_CovStyPromat.indd 43 12/5/12 3:03 PM
mmh.com
SHOW PREVIEW
See us at ProMat Booth 612
Selective Pallet Rack • Drive-In • Push-BackFlow • Pick Modules • Cantilever • Stacker Cranes
Roll-Out Shelving • Seismic Base Isolation
Visit ridgurak.com or Call Toll Free: 1-866-479-7225
“...we were under pressure
to have all of our 32,000 pallet positions of
rack operational. RIDG-U-RAK really delivered... on-time and on-budget,
and the way the rack system fit together was very impressive...”
RIDG-U-RAK Delivered!
Kirk HillGeneral Manager, Roberts Trucking
Project: Roberts Trucking• 1.8 million Pounds of Pallet Rack
• 32,000 Pallet Positions
• Double Deep Selective
• Slotted System
• On-Time/On-Budget
• Superior Quality... Fit and Finish
Read more at ridgurak.com/Roberts
The most TRUSTED name in Rack!
HalfPageRobertsAd_Layout 1 10/22/12 3:36 PM Page 1
Rugged, reliable industrial PCRedesigned for enhanced ruggedness and reliability, the C12 industrial PC features sever-al standard interfaces, including two PCI/PCIe slots enabling later expansion. For improved mobility, the C12 supports the Wi-Fi standards
802.11a/b/g/n in the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands. The 12-inch industrial computer employs mobile technology for data transfers, due to remote connection antennas integrated into the front of the housing. noax, 704-992-1606, www.noax.com. Booth 4177.
Soft-sided truck sheltersA line of rigid-framed truck shelters has been expanded to include a soft-sided model that employs high-density foam covered with vinyl in place of rigid wood side frames. This design eliminates the need for the steel protective bumpers. In the event of a trailer mis-spot, the flexible sides will return to their original shape without damage. Attached side curtains are connected with a touch-and-hold system that enables tool-less removal and replacement. Rotary Products, 800-457-5251, www.rotaryproductsinc.com. Booth 876.
Machine guarding features rounded cornersA line of protective machine and perimeter guarding fea-tures rounded corners. The X-GuardContour system com-plies with all safety and functional requirements while meeting each application’s unique specifications. It can be specified with either 45- or 90-degree angle curves. Axelent, 708-745-3130, www.axelentusa.com. Booth 209.
Scissor lift tableUsing high-performance, biodegradable vegetable-based hydraulic oil, the heavy-duty Hercules Green scissor lift table uses food-grade grease in the re-greasable bear-ings and a high-efficiency motor that reduc-
es electricity consumption and heat output. The motor offers a longer service life and reduced operating costs. The water-based finish paint offers quick drying time with fewer odors and emissions. Products for Industry, 800-548-4430, www.productsforindustry.com. Booth 4431.
Enhanced labor management softwareCloud-based ProTrack warehouse labor management soft-ware offers enhanced functionality, including an advanced labor planning module that enables proactive planning and scheduling of labor to reduce overtime, enhance cus-tomer service levels, and address fluctuations in demand and resources. The software also offers automated perfor-mance monitoring of warehouse employees, and dynamic alerting to notify key personnel of operational issues. TZA, 800-229-3450, www.tza.com. Booth 3981.
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mmh.com Modern Materials Handling / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 45
Workstation bridge and jib cranesLightweight, MET-TRACK workstation bridge cranes provide ease of move-ment, reduce fatigue and ensure accu-rate load positioning. Solidly construct-ed to ensure reliability and safety, the cranes can be free-standing, allowing them to be easily relocated as needs change within a facility. Alternatively, they can be ceiling-mounted for build-ings with limited floor space. The cranes handle capacities from 150 to 4,000 pounds and spans up to 34 feet. A line of wall- or post-mounted workstation jib cranes is also offered
with capacities up to 1,000 pounds and spans up to 16 feet. Metreel, 877-830-9803, www.metreel.com. Booth 4919.
Vehicle works with mobile and pallet rackDesigned to handle 40 x 48-inch pallets weighing up to 2,200 pounds, the new SVX automatic guided vehicle operates at a maxi-mum speed of 90 meters per min-ute. The SVX is an unmanned fork-lift capable of working with mobile rack and pallet rack at heights of up to 14 feet. The use of localization and mapping technology eliminates the need for guide paths, reflective plates, or laser guidance. Other fea-tures include function at temperatures as low as -13°F and a three-wheel sys-tem that allows the vehicle to turn in its own footprint. Murata, 800-428-8469, www.muratec-usa.com. Booth 3208.
Mesh gratingsManufactured from carbon steel, a line of MBG PressLock Grating products come in a variety of mesh openings in increments of 7/16 inches. Featuring high load capac-ity and simple “drop-in” installation, the decking offers a high prcentage of open area for light penetration and visibility. ohio gratings, 800-321-9800, www.ohiogratings.com. Booth 1934.
Clear, break-resistant containersFor keeping small and medium sized parts orga-nized, sorted and easy to find, a line of Clear Tip Out Bins is offered. Clear, break-resistant injection molded plastic containers open smoothly to a 45-degree angle and are completely removable for easy access, refilling and cleaning. Molded handles feature slots for labels. The polystyrene cabinet can be stacked or wall mounted, and is available in white, ivory and gray. Optional dividers, locking rod and louvered panel bracket also available. Quantum storage systems, 800-685-4665, www.quantumstorage.com. Booth 107.
For information visit www.enersys.com or call 1-800-EnerSys
TWO NAMES THAT STAND FOR ONE THING:
DEPENDABILITY
Ironclad® exclusive square tube technology exposes 22% to 67% more positive surface plate area to the electrolyte than round or fl at plate designs. The result is higher sustained voltages – and higher work capacity – throughout the discharge cycle. Better electrolyte circulation produces higher voltages, more power.
Using the exclusive IONIC charge profi le with energy effi cient HF charging technology to
ensure the most effi cient charge possible, EnForcer® high frequency chargers cut charge
times, lower charging costs, and reduce battery stress during charging – reducing battery maintenance and extending battery life.
possible, Efrequency
t
positive ectrolyte than
Visit us at ProMat Booth #603
MMH1212_CovStyPromat.indd 45 12/5/12 3:04 PM
Conventional thinking says you can’t put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag.
Yet that was the chal-lenge presented to Kenco,
a national third-party logistics (3PL) pro-vider with headquarters in Chattanooga, Tenn., by a distributor of repair parts for equipment with a long operating life.
Kenco was already managing a portion of the customer’s business in a conven-tional 478,000-square-foot warehouse with 32-foot high ceilings. It was the kind of warehouse that predominates across the industrial landscape: Kenco had dedicated 300,000 square feet to the distributor, with pallets stored on the floor and paper-based picking. Kenco was asked to take on additional business that was being managed by the customer in a 650,000-square-foot building.
The question was: How do you fit 650,000 square feet of product in 478,000 square feet?
“We were asked to increase the SKU count from 2,000 product codes to 32,000 and to increase the number of pieces we were managing from 42,000 to more than 3 million,” says Tim Roth, Kenco’s general manager.
Even after dedicating the remaining
170,000 square feet of building space to the customer’s requirements, the 3PL had to come up with a way to fit all of that material in a building that was 28% smaller than the one the distributor was managing on its own—something akin to putting 90 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag.
46 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com
modern system report
By Bob trebilcock, Executive Editor
Using narrow aisle racking and turret lift trucks, the 3Pl created a solution that reduced space requirements by 28% and improved accuracy.
Kenco’s conventional thinking
tim roth, general manager, Kenco
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To make it work, the 3PL’s team completely redesigned the layout of the space to make the most of conventional warehousing technologies. While some areas were still dedicated to floor stor-age with conventional aisles, more than half the storage area was converted to very narrow aisle racking (Ridg-U-Rack, ridgurak.com) serviced by wire-guided turret lift trucks and orderpick-ers (Raymond, raymondcorp.com). Turret trucks were even installed in a 76,000-square-foot storage area dedi-cated to narrow aisle floor storage.
To create space for 9,000 differ-ent small parts, Kenco created an 11,000-square-foot area with narrow aisle, narrow beam shelving serviced by a wire-guided orderpicker.
Along with narrow aisle storage technology, Kenco replaced the paper-based picking processes with a ware-house management system (WMS) and wireless mobile computing and bar code scanning to improve accuracy and efficiency.
The result: a layout in a conven-tional warehouse that could accommo-
date 30,000 new SKUs to start plus an addi-tional 5,000 SKUs the customer added later.
60 years of distribution Kenco was founded in 1950 with one 100,000-square-foot facility in Chattanooga and two employees, founders Jim Kennedy Jr. and Sam Smartt.
Today, Kenco is still family owned by Jane Kennedy Green. Over the past 62 years, it has grown into one of the largest woman-owned, privately-held, third-party logistics providers with 4,000 employees, more than 100 facili-
ties and more than 30 million square feet of warehouse space in 30 states and Canada.
In addition to warehousing and dis-tribution services, the 3PL provides transportation services, materials han-
dling equipment and real estate man-agement. In addition to parts distribu-tion, it serves customers in the food, appliance, electronics, CPG, retail and apparel industries.
Kenco began distributing spare parts in the Chattanooga facility as far back as 2004. For the most part, these were larger products that were palletized and stored on the floor. In 2009, the 3PL was approached with the opportunity to take on significantly more business. Not only did Kenco add 30,000 SKUs, the new project also required taking on a different profile of products and new processes.
“Many of the parts we inherited are very small parts that don’t lend them-selves to pallet rack storage,” says Roth. “We knew we were going to have to find a way to get as many parts as possible into a very small area.”
In addition, the customer wanted Kenco to absorb a packaging department that occupied about 15% of the build-ing. “Our customer receives parts from a number of different vendors in a variety of packaging formats,” Roth says. “They want us to repackage the product in uni-form packaging. In addition, we do some
modern system report
small parts are picked to an order picking lift truck and then delivered to a packing station.
Kenco installed a special area to store 9,000 different small parts in an 11,000-square-foot area serviced by narrow aisle orderpickers.
MMH1212_SysReport.indd 48 12/5/12 8:44 AM
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50 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com
modern system report
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zanine. In fact, in its old building, the customer had a two-level mezzanine for small parts picking. But, the Kenco team rejected that approach. “We didn’t want a permanent structure occupying 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of ware-house space,” Roth says. “We wanted flexibility for future changes.”
Instead, the team customized a flex-ible strategy with eight distinct areas of storage. They include:
• Three areas, comprising 126,000 square feet, consist of floor storage with normal aisle widths. “There are some parts that just don’t lend them-selves to rack storage,” Roth explains. “We have some very lightweight parts that stack well and some extremely heavy parts that don’t lend themselves to pallet rack. We also have some parts that we carry in large quantities and can store four to six pallet locations deep. In all of those instances, single-deep pallet rack would not be optimal.”
• Three areas, comprising 126,500 square feet, use very narrow aisle pallet racking and other storage techniques. In some areas, for instance, the ground level is reserved for floor storage with pallet locations above the floor. In other areas, the lowest and uppermost storage locations are reserved for pallets. The mid-level storage areas are reserved for
repackaging for their customers.” The first step in the process, Roth
adds, was to take over the 178,000 square feet of the building that was being used for other purposes, expand-ing from 300,000 square feet to 478,000 square feet. However, in a facility where paper-based processes and floor storage ruled the day, the facility was still too small to absorb the new business.
“In warehousing, you have two kings: storage density and travel times,” says Roth. “Our first problem was storage density. We were a 100% floor storage facility and we only had a small amount of additional horizontal space to grow. If we were going to gain more storage space, we had to go vertical to take advantage of the full height of the building.”
Focus on storage The question for Kenco’s design team was how to best take advantage of that vertical space. The order profiles and
throughput did not justify an auto-mated solution. That left creating a bet-ter conventional warehouse.
One possibility was to create a mez-
once orders are packed and ready for shipping, they are conveyed directly into trailers for delivery.
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mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 51
small bin locations. “In those areas, we wanted parts to be accessible by as many dif-ferent pieces of equipment as possible,” says Roth. “The small parts can be reached by an order selector on foot or using an orderpicker. The pallet positions are designed to hold a 40-inch by 48-inch pallet and are serviced by tur-ret trucks.”
• The smallest parts are stored in bin boxes in a very dense racking area compris-ing 11,000 square feet. To accommodate that product, Kenco installed narrow aisle, narrow beam rack in an area located near the shipping dock with room to store 9,000 SKUs. The area is serviced by a wire guided orderpicker. This allows the operator to focus on accurate picking rather than driving the truck. Placing the area near the shipping dock minimized travel time after picking.
• And, 76,000 square feet was set aside for a floor storage area serviced by wire-guided narrow aisle turret trucks. “In part, we did this because we needed to get as much product into the building as we could in a short period of time,” says Roth. “By using floor storage, we didn’t need the addi-tional time to install racks. Using tur-ret trucks allowed us to get more dense storage in a bulk storage area.”
• Finally, the remainder of the build-ing is used for shipping and receiving, packaging and administration functions.
Although Kenco had not previously deployed narrow aisle storage, turret trucks or wire-guided pickers, pushing the technologies to their limits freed up significant amounts of storage space. “In the slow moving parts area, we freed up two 400-foot long rows of rack using the technology,” Roth says.
From paper to WMS In addition to rack, Kenco also intro-duced warehouse management and
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system-directed picking as part of the new solution. “When you are expand-ing from 2,000 SKUs to 37,000 SKUs, you have to have a system-based means
of tracking the prod-uct,” says Roth. Beyond the additional SKUs, the facility increased the number of lines picked and shipped per day from 250 to more than 1,800 lines per day. Moreover, the profile of orders being filled also changed. In the past, Kenco primar-ily handled large items. Now, they were pick-ing smaller pieces and shipping more parcel orders. The increase in volume and the changes in order profile now put a premium on accuracy.
Finally, the number of employees assigned to the customer increased from 14 to 80. That led to an empha-sis on training. “With all of the process
In addition to pallet and bin shelving, Kenco’s facility makes efficient use of bulk storage, including a special area serviced by narrow aisle turret trucks.
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Kenco turned to a combination of floor storage, very narrow aisle racking and conveyor to opti-
mize a conventional warehouse dedi-
cated to spare parts order fulfillment. The facility picks and ships approxi-mately 1,800 lines per day.
• Receiving: Product arrives at the
receiving docks (1) in a variety of ways, including small parcel, less-than-truck-load (LTL) and full truckload ship-ments.
• Small parcel: The facility receives about 120 small parcel deliveries a day. These are scanned and compared against an electronic purchase order. Most of them will have to be packaged before they are put away into storage. For that reason, they are placed on a pal-let and then delivered by forklift to the packaging area (2). Once packaged, they are staged for putaway into one of sev-eral storage areas (3, 4, 5, 6).
• LTL and full-truckload ship-ments: Pallets on LTL and full-truck-load shipments are unloaded, scanned and compared against an electronic purchase order. Once they are received in the warehouse management system (WMS), they are tagged with a license plate bar code label and sent directly to a storage location (3,4,5,6).
52 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com
modern system report
1Receiving
1Receiving
2
Packaging area20,000 sq. ft.
6
VNA densepacking storage
11,000 sq. ft.
5
VNA floor storage76,000 sq. ft.
4
VNA racking storage80,500 sq. ft.
4
25,000sq. ft.
4
21,000 sq. ft.
10 Shippingdocks
9LTL conveyor
7Shipping/
packing
3
Normal aislefloor storage
107,000 sq. ft.
3 12,000sq. ft.
3 7,000sq. ft.
8
Small parcelconveyor
How Kenco manages service partsVery narrow aisle racking and system-directed picking result in efficient storage, accurate inventories and virtually error-free picking.
changes and new personnel, we had to train everyone,” says Roth. “We use an ISO-based quality management system. As part of that approach, we documented changes as they occurred. Typically, that would take place in our daily start-up meetings.”
Three years into the project, Roth says the success of the program is pri-marily measured by customer satisfac-tion. “One of our biggest objectives was to reduce our customer’s cost to fill an
order,” Roth says. “We were able to do that by taking over their distribution activities.”
More importantly, he says, the new storage design worked. The bottom line: “We added another 5,000 SKUs after we were up and running and the customer is look-ing to send additional products our way,” Roth says. “We’re looking at new ways to develop additional space within the facility.” M
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modern system report
Storage: Product is stored in four different types of areas. Pallets are stored on the floor in bulk storage areas (3), in very narrow aisle (VNA) rack storage areas (4), or in a VNA bulk stor-age area (5). Small parts are stored in very narrow aisle, dense rack storage area (6). To initiate the storage process, a lift truck operator scans a bar code label on the paperwork associated with a pallet. The WMS directs the operator to a storage location. There, the opera-tor scans a location bar code label and the bar code associated with that pallet
to confirm that the pallet was put away in the right storage location.
Picking: Since this facility is filling orders for spare parts, the typical order is just two lines and 1.2 items per line—or a total of 2 to 3 items per order. For that reason, one associate is respon-sible for picking all of the lines in a multi-line order. The picking process is initiated when an order selector scans a bar code on a pick list. The WMS will identify the locations and items to be picked for the first order. Items in the very narrow aisle storage areas (4) are accessed with a turret truck while items in normal aisle storage areas (3) are accessed with a lift truck. Small parts stored in the dense racking storage area (6) are picked and scanned to a tote and larger items are picked and scanned to a pallet. Meanwhile, the largest items are stored on a pallet.
Packing and shipping: After pick-ing, product is conveyed to packout
stations in the shipping area (7) area to be prepared for shipping. One con-veyor line handles small parcel ship-ments (8) while another conveyor line conveys LTL shipments (9). Smaller orders are packaged and sealed. Pallets are wrapped for shipment. Once they are packaged and ready to ship, small parcel packages are conveyed directly into a truck in the shipping docks (10). Similarly, palletized orders are removed from the conveyor and loaded onto an outbound trailer (10). M
1Receiving
1Receiving
2
Packaging area20,000 sq. ft.
6
VNA densepacking storage
11,000 sq. ft.
5
VNA floor storage76,000 sq. ft.
4
VNA racking storage80,500 sq. ft.
4
25,000sq. ft.
4
21,000 sq. ft.
10 Shippingdocks
9LTL conveyor
7Shipping/
packing
3
Normal aislefloor storage
107,000 sq. ft.
3 12,000sq. ft.
3 7,000sq. ft.
8
Small parcelconveyor
KencoChattanooga, Tenn.size: 478,000 square feet
Products: spare parts
tHrougHPut: 1,800 to 2,000 lines per day
eMPloyees: 80
sHifts Per day/days Per week: 2 shifts
per day, 5 days per week
system suppliers
system integrator, warehouse control and warehouse management systems: Kenco, kencogroup.com, developed in-house.
Pallet rack and very narrow aisle rack: Ridg-U-Rak, ridgurak.com
lift trucks: Toyota Material Handling U.S.A., toyotaforklift.com
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f you attended the Modex show last February, you may have seen demon-strations of new unit-load storage tech-nologies at booths sponsored by Power Automation Systems (PAS) and the Italian company Smoov.
Both companies were highlighting solutions that combine deep-lane stor-age rack with automatic carts or shuttles that move pallets to and from storage. They weren’t alone. Frazier Industrial was also exhibiting its semi-automated shuttle technology for pallet storage.
If you missed them, you’re not alone. For the last couple of years, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) and mobile
54 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING
By Bob Trebilcock, Executive Editor
As end users optimize their facilities, high-density dynamic storage is getting a fresh look.
A new take on unit-load storage
THE BIG PICTUREWhere Business Meets Materials Handling
I
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W
robots have been getting a tremendous amount of attention. Less noticed have been the innovations around pallet-handling storage technologies.
Look closely, however, and you’ll find technologies that fill the gap between conventional deep-lane pallet storage and a fully automated unit-load automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). Within the industry, these solutions are referred to as high-density dynamic storage. These solutions aren’t right for every application, or even every pallet handling and storage application; however, for facilities that have already gathered the low-hanging fruit, they
may be the next level of improvement. These solutions also illustrate a
way to think about storage. In many instances, storage is no longer simply a process unto itself. In fact, conven-tional reserve storage is set apart from modern supply chains designed to keep product in motion as much as possible.
Instead, as the term “dynamic” sug-gests, storage is becoming an integral component of other processes, such as manufacturing work-in-process, order fulfillment and shipping. Applied dynamically, storage becomes a tool that facilitates even faster movement of prod-uct through a facility. The best solutions
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the big picture Where Business Meets Materials Handling
minimize the space and labor devoted to storage as well as reduce the length of time a product remains at rest.
In this Big Picture, we’ll look at what’s behind this emerging area of unit-load storage and how the technol-ogies are being applied.
What’s in a name?The concept behind high-density dynamic storage isn’t new. Rack com-panies such as Interlake Mecalux, Frazier Industrial, Konstant and LoadBank— a solution now marketed by SafeFlo Technologies—have offered some type of high-density dynamic storage for years.
What differentiated these early solutions from conventional deep-lane pallet rack was the movement of the pallets within the rack—the dynamic
part—so that a lift truck didn’t have to enter the rack system to store or retrieve a load. The idea was to improve productivity and reduce damage to the racks because a lift truck operator wouldn’t have to slow down to safely handle pallets deep in a lane.
What differentiated them from an AS/RS was the degree of automation: Regardless of the solution, they were designed to interface with a lift truck rather than operate autonomously like an AS/RS.
These largely niche solutions were used by manufacturers that needed to store a large number of pallets of a limited number of SKUs. More importantly, they didn’t need to go 60 or more feet high to justify the cost of implementation as is the case with a full-blown AS/RS. For those reasons, the primary competition was conven-tional rack.
If the technology has been around so long, what’s changed? And, why are end users taking a harder look now? The simple answer is the increasing com-plexity of the supply chain: As end users push more and more requirements upstream, manufacturers and distribu-tors need to meet those demands while still controlling costs.
“The analytics that our customers are deploying to understand their prod-uct mix and velocity is allowing them to be more refined about how they man-age their SKUs,” says Dan Garside, general manager of Frazier Industrial’s Canadian operations. “That’s bringing a better appreciation for these unique systems.”
The systems allow shippers to iso-late the ideal mix of SKUs and improve selectivity in a high-density environ-ment. “A dynamic storage system allows you to get between 80% and 90% occu-
pancy compared to about 60% occu-pancy in a conventional drive-in rack system,” says Garside. “That basically means you can reduce the amount of space you need for storage by about 30% for the same number of pallet posi-tions and possibly use fewer lift trucks.” At the same time, he adds, productivity is improved because a pallet is always at an aisle and ready for pickup.
These solutions work especially well in operating environments where man-ufacturers are managing smaller levels of inventory per SKU, managing an increasing number of SKUs or making smaller and more frequent shipments, says Elisabet Fasano, brand marketing manager for Smoov ASRV S.r.l. “AS/RS technology can achieve high through-put and fast response times when the throughput is high and stable,” Fasano says. “But the design is rigid and can-not easily adapt to rapid changes in demand. Shuttle-based systems can be quickly and easily expanded to add more vehicles to support rapid growth or peak seasonal fluctuations.”
In addition to complexity, at least four other factors are influencing the
Pallet-handling cranes store and retrieve pallets from a flow-through storage system. Pallet movement is controlled by air.
More than a decade ago, the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) created a defini-tion for the space:
“We define HD/DS (high-den-sity dynamic storage) as a concept where multiple unit loads of the same SKU are sequentially stored in the same location or lane, (one in front of the other), with a mini-mum distance between loads, thus the item high density. The term dynamic storage implies moving storage, because a HD/DS system also has the ability to automati-cally or semi-automatically index or convey the loads from the load point to the unload point of the system. More realistically, [high-density dynamic storage] is a flow through rack, where loads pass through the rack toward their next point of use, as preceding loads are used or retrieved.”
hD/DS definition
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graphicCaption
interest in high-density storage. • The next level of optimiza-
tion: Manufacturers have historically focused on building higher speed pro-duction lines to bring down their manu-facturing costs. Now, they are being asked to do more with their distribu-tion systems. “They can no longer rely on bulk storage on the floor,” says Fred Grafe, president of operations and sales for PAS Americas. “They have to reduce their supply chain costs.”
• New packaging that won’t stack: The beverage industry, in par-ticular, is looking at high-density stor-age as an alternative to floor stacking. “With new packaging designs, you can’t stack a pallet of PET bottles on top of another pallet of PET bottles,” says Tom Coyne, CEO of System Logistics. “Coming off the production line, you need an efficient way to store product.”
• Retrofitting an existing build-ing: Most end users would rather ret-rofit an existing building than build a new site, says Dan Quinn, president of SafeFlo Technologies. Some of that is being driven by green initiatives. Some is simple economics: High-density dynamic storage allows an end user to make use of the total cube in an exist-ing building. Quinn adds that these solutions can also be configured to
conform to the shape of the building or to work around structural supports. “If you need to make it L-shaped, you can make it L-shaped,” says Quinn.
• Remove employees from a hos-tile operating environment: No one wants to work in a freezer or refriger-ated warehouse space. What’s more, those spaces are expensive to oper-ate. “The fuller you can fill a freezer, the lower the utility cost,” says Steven Beyer, director of business develop-ment for Retrotech. “With a high-den-sity dynamic solution, you increase the storage density and there is no more need for a labor force that constantly requires warm up breaks.”
Regardless of the product or indus-try, the applications where high-density
dynamic storage works best are manu-facturing or distribution environments where product turns are measured by days or weeks instead of months.
“For many of the users we’re talk-ing to, storage is taking on dimen-sions beyond just putting things away and then retrieving them when they’re needed,” says Beyer. “It’s a more active, dynamic and multi-faceted component of the supply chain.”
Four types of solutions At least four types of high-density stor-age solutions are available on the market today. They include mechanical, semi-automated and automated solutions. All three combine high-density, flow-through rack storage with some type of technology to provide pallet movement.
Mechanical solutions: In this solution, pallets are loaded at one end of a lane and are retrieved from the other end. Pallet movement through the racks is controlled by air. Pallets rest on a rail on either side of the rack. Wheels or rollers are set atop an air hose in an inner channel on either side of the rail. When the pallet is at rest, the air hose is deflated. To move the pallets forward, the wheels or rollers are raised by the pulsation of air in the hose. When the channel rises, the load moves by grav-
once a pallet is delivered to a storage lane, a shuttle vehicle puts it away into storage.
HD/DS definition
in a highly automated solution, pallet handling shuttles manage the flow of materials on each level of the storage unit.
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the big picture Where Business Meets Materials Handling
ity in a controlled manner. As the hose deflates and the inner channel is low-ered, the load sets down on the rails for a soft braking. The solution can handle loads as light as 50 pounds and heavier loads from 4,000 to 10,000 pounds in the same lane. It will also operate in freezers as cold as -25ºF. “We’ve done projects as many as 20 pallets deep and the technology has been used in deeper lanes than that,” says Quinn of SafeFlo. The system works best in first-in/first-
out applications, especially in buffer storage applications.
Radio-controlled shuttle tech-nology: In this solution, radio-con-trolled shuttles or carts are used to move pallets. As with the mechanical solution, pallets are only moving for-ward or backward in a lane. A lift truck operator places a shuttle in a designated lane where work is about to take place. Once the cart is in place, the opera-tor uses a radio transmitter to instruct the cart to perform the command. The operator may drive away to retrieve or
deliver another pallet while the shut-tle works on its own. “The beauty of a shuttle system is that you can match up the number of shuttles you need with the number of lift trucks working in an area,” says Grafe of PAS. He adds that a facility moving 16 to 18 pallets an hour with just a lift truck can move up to more than double that amount with a shuttle. “It’s best suited to high-volume, fast-moving product, especially at the receiving or shipping docks.”
Cable-driven shuttle technol-ogy: The shuttles and carts described above are moved from rack to rack by a lift truck operator. In a variation, pallets are moved using a combination of three technologies that allows for computer-controlled load sequencing in a deep-lane storage area. The process begins when a pallet is loaded by a lift truck or a conveyor onto a vertical transfer lift. This device delivers the pallet to differ-ent levels in the pallet rack. Each level of the rack system has a cross-aisle transfer vehicle that can move across all the lanes
of storage on each level. The cross-aisle transfer vehicle deposits the pallet onto a cable-driven shuttle that slides forward and backward in the deep storage lanes. “Because the system has three axes of travel, we can configure the system based on how pallets are shipped and routed and not just on increasing throughput,” says Retrotech’s Beyer. “The software automatically places loads into optimal positions based on the order patterns. Fast movers are more accessible and slow movers are positioned out of the way.”
Automated shuttle technology: Automated shuttle technology is used to automatically store and retrieve pal-let loads of product. Where a unit-load AS/RS uses a crane in each aisle to store and retrieve pallets, automated shuttle technology uses a vertical lift to deliver the pallet to the right level in the system. One or more shuttle vehicles on each level move pallets to a storage location within the lane, simi-lar to the shuttle in a mini-load shuttle. In a deep-lane configuration, a second shuttle or roll cart can drive into the rack to deposit or pick up pallets. The primary advantage is the additional speed in high-throughput applications. “Shuttle-based systems for totes are meant to be faster than conventional mini-load AS/RS systems,” says Coyne of System Logistics. “Similarly, these systems are faster than unit-load han-dling AS/RS systems.”
New processes High-density dynamic storage solu-tions were initially installed to provide very efficient reserve storage. Today, as the nature of storage changes, they are being applied as a complement to a conventional process such as work-in-process or shipping. They are also being combined with other highly automated
lift trucks deliver radio-controlled pallet shuttles to the lane where pallets will be stored or retrieved. When the work is complete, the shuttle is moved to another lane.
“ Our customers are deploying analytics... that allow them to be more refined about how they manage their SKus.”
— Dan Garside, general manager, Frazier Industrial Canada
MMH1212_BigPicture.indd 58 12/6/12 10:41 AM
not thatTHIS
• Maximizes cube space in truck, one cart equals two pallets. Saves on labor and fuel costs.
• Eliminates the use of mechanized equipment (pallet jacks, forklifts, etc).
• Carts are safer and more ergonomic.
• Reduces chronic injuries associated with bending and lifting off pallets.
• Carts are not fl ammable - wood and plastic pallets can be toxic, or fl ammable.
• Carts are sustainable since they are made from steel.
• More environmentally friendly, no additional wrapping materials needed.
• Carts are more secure, protects load from product damage and reduces product theft.
Ask us about our Pallet BusterTM and our automated cart loading machinery!
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OUR PALLET BUSTER CART PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OVER PALLETS.TM
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60 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com
the big picture Where Business Meets Materials Handling
technologies to create new order fulfill-ment processes.
“The concept, and what we’re working on, is a blending of automa-tion and high-density dynamic storage techniques,” says Quinn. “The merge between the two has been slow to catch on, but we’re now seeing interest among the end user community in solu-tions that bridge that gap.”
As an example, Quinn’s company worked with Muratec to develop an alternative to a conventional unit-load AS/RS for a freezer application in the meat industry. A mechanical solution provides the dense deep-lane storage. Instead of dedicating a pallet-handling crane to service each aisle in the AS/RS, the system will be serviced by one crane that can automatically load pal-lets into the system and a second crane at the front of the unit to remove pallets from storage to fill orders. “The cost sav-ings came from reducing the number of cranes required to automate the system,” says Quinn. “In addition, we’re reducing the amount of energy required to main-tain the temperature in the freezer since
you don’t have to light it, and you don’t have lift trucks going in and out of the temperature-controlled area.”
System Logistics is pairing mechani-cal technologies and automated shuttle systems with a case buffering and pick-ing system to automatically sequence
and build mixed-SKU pallets. “SKU proliferation is creating a much more labor-intensive picking process,” says Coyne. “If there are a limited num-ber of SKUs coming off the line, we can put them in a mechanical system. If there are a lot of SKUs, we can put them in an automated shuttle system.”
The high-density storage systems feed a mini-load case buffering system that sequences cartons to the palletizing line as needed. “The flow rate we get with one of these high-density systems allows us to build a 20,000-case buf-fer instead of an 80,000-case buffer and still keep up with demand,” says Coyne.
On the shipping dock, the solutions are being used to reduce the amount of space required for staging and to speed up the truck-loading pro-cess. In a typical solution, the system will begin pulling pallets required for an order when the truck driver pulls into the dock. When the truck is ready for loading, “the lift truck driver is simply pulling a pallet from the
end of the system and putting it directly into the truck,” says Retrotech’s Beyer. “In one of our installations, it’s only 15 feet from the end of the system to the back of the truck.
“As we deploy more of these sys-tems, we’re finding more end users who can get many of the benefits of AS/RS without the heavy costs associated with an implementation,” says Frazier’s Garside. “These systems aren’t right for everyone, but there are a lot of possi-bilities for many industries.” M
companies mentioned in this articleautoMHa usa: automhausa.comFrazier industrial: frazier.com interlake Mecalux: interlakemecalux.com/automated-storage-retrieval-systems/radio-shuttlePower autoMation systeMs (Pas): powerautomationsystems.comMuratec: muratec.comretrotecH: retrotech.com/systems_services/activsaFeFlo tecHnologies: safeflotech.comsMoov asrv: smoov-asrv.eusysteM logistics: systemlogistics.com
High-density solutions like the one above are enabling new storage processes, such as buffering on the shipping dock.
“the merge between high-density storage and automation has been slow to catch on, but we’re now seeing interest from end users in solutions that bridge that gap.”
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Each year, Modern takes look at the Top 20 third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses to see who’s leading the way in regard to total square footage of storage space. This year’s annual ranking again reflects the general state of the economy, with 2011’s strong performance followed by weaker growth in 2012.
This year, we have once again called upon Dick Armstrong, chair of Armstrong & Associates, who closely follows the 3PL sector of the warehousing industry, for his insight. Armstrong predicts 3PL ware-housing revenues for 2012 and 2013 will grow by about 6% each year. This follows 8.2% growth in 2011.
In terms of overall square footage, some adjustments to reported figures make an apples-to-apples comparison for the entire Top 20 a bit tricky. At 547 million square feet, this year’s Top 20 sum would appear less than 1% larger than last year’s 543 million. However, square foot-age for the top eight, whose rankings and reporting prac-tices remain unchanged, has grown by 5.8%. Overall, Armstrong called the growth in square footage modest, and said new construction is very limited.
The value-added segment of 3PL warehousing, which represents about 26%, or $35 billion of the $131 billion 3PL market, has been the fastest-growing seg-ment. The predicted total 3PL market value for 2012 is $142 billion, an 8.4% increase. But growth in net rev-enues for warehousing tends to be about three times the annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP), according to Armstrong. This year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted 2013 GDP growth of 1.5%, as compared to 1.3% in 2012 and 1.6% in 2011. Armstrong cited these figures as the basis for his pre-dicted 6% growth in net revenues for 3PL warehouses in 2012 and 2013.
“We’re going to see single-digit revenue growth that’s nothing to get excited about,” says Armstrong. “That reflects where we are in the economy. Anything above 6% in 2013 would surprise me, and in the worst possible case it will only grow by 2% or 3%, but we won’t see negative growth.”
The worst possible scenario essentially revolves around the fiscal cliff and the potential for large gov-
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
Following a post-recession bump, third-party logistics providers are on track to stay flat through 2013.
Top 20 3Pl warehouses
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Top 20 3PL North American Warehouses
2012 rank
2011 rank
third-Party logistics Provider (3Pl) Headquarters
Warehouse space (MsF)
number of Warehouses Website address
1 1 Exel (DHL Supply Chain - Americas) Westerville, Ohio 111.0 456 www.exel.com
2 2 GENCO ATC Pittsburgh, Pa. 38.0 133 www.gencoatc.com
3 3 Jacobson Companies Des Moines, Iowa 35.0 150 www.jacobsonco.com
4 4 Americold Atlanta, Ga. 34.5 182 www.americold.com
5 5 CEVA Logistics Americas Houston, Texas 33.0 164 www.cevalogistics.com
6 6 OHL Brentwood, Tenn. 32.0 130 www.ohl.com
7 7 Ryder Supply Chain Solutions Miami, Fla. 30.0 329 www.ryderscs.com
8 9 Kenco Logistic Services (KLS) Chattanooga, Tenn. 29.0 102 www.kencogroup.com
9 8 Neovia Logistics Services Downers Grove, Ill. 24.0 100 neovialogistics.com
10 11 UTi Worldwide Long Beach, Calif. 22.9 240 www.go2uti.com
11 DB Schenker Logistics Americas Freeport, N.Y. 20.1 50 www.dbschenkerusa.com
12 12 UPS Supply Chain Solutions Alpharetta, Ga. 20.0 100 www.ups-scs.com
13 13 NFI Logistics Cherry Hill, N.J. 19.0 53 www.nfiindustries.com
14 15 DSC Logistics Des Plaines, Ill. 19.0 45 www.dsclogistics.com
15 17 Penske Logistics Reading, Pa. 18.4 102 www.penskelogistics.com
16 14 Menlo Worldwide Logistics San Mateo, Calif. 18.0 137 www.menloworldwide.com
17 16 Kuehne + Nagel (The Americas) Jersey City, N.J. 15.1 75 www.kuehne-nagel.com
18 18 WSI Appleton, Wisc. 14.0 45 www.wsinc.com
19 19 Warehouse Services Piedmont, S.C. 14.0 30 www.wsionline.com
20 20 Saddle Creek Logistics Services Lakeland, Fla. 14.0 28 www.sclogistics.com
Source: Armstrong and Associates
ernment spending cuts, says Armstrong. Although the elec-tion is behind us, uncertainty still looms.
“This will be a very challenging year, with the possibility of a global recession,” he says. “There’s only so much the United States can do, given what’s happening throughout the world.”
What 3PL warehousing companies can do is hold their
own and continue to nurture the largely organic growth that characterizes this year’s Top 20 list. The top seven companies have remained in the same ranking as last year, with Exel (DHL Supply Chain) pulling even further ahead of the pack. Exel’s current 111 million square feet under management is a full 16.8% greater than last year’s 95 million.
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In second place, Genco ATC tacked on another million square feet for a total of 38 million. The only other shift in square footage for the top seven companies is the addition of 1.8 million square feet for OHL, which Armstrong again credited to organic growth.
Kenco Logistics added 4 million square feet, moving from
“This will be a very challenging year, with the possibility of a global recession. There’s only so much the United States can do, given what’s happening throughout the world.”
— Dick Armstrong, chair of Armstrong & Associates
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modern special report
25 to 29 million and from ninth to eighth place. No. 9 is Neovia Logistics Services, formerly Caterpillar Logistics Services, which last year reported 29 million square feet. Armstrong says the reduction of 5 million square feet is a result of the dedicated Caterpillar facilities being broken out from other contracted warehousing, which now reports as Neovia.
Last year’s 10th place finisher, APL Logistics, has fallen out of the top 20, ranking 22nd with 12 million square feet. Armstrong credited cleaner reporting figures for the shift
from last year’s 24.7 million square feet. The new figure now represents only pure warehousing, excluding transpor-tation terminals, forwarding stations, container stations and the like.
DB Schenker jumped into 10th place with 20.1 million square feet after ranking 20th in 2010 and just missing the list last year with only about 12 million square feet. Armstrong said Schenker’s global footprint had been particularly strong in Canada, where it recently landed some key big box retail accounts.
DSC Logistics and Penske Logistics posted gains in the last year that bumped Menlo Worldwide—whose square foot-age has not changed—from 14th to 16th place. Armstrong credited DSC’s gains to expansion among its existing cus-tomer base, while Penske is successfully transitioning from an automotive focus to incorporate customers in food and electronics as well. At 18.4 million square feet, Penske is up 23.5% over last year’s 14.9 million.
For the most part, says Armstrong, warehousing space is available in North America, with the exception of those regions feeding New York and New Jersey and the Inland Empire in California. “Those were the only places I saw where availability was in the low single digits,” says Armstrong. “Customers in those areas might have difficulty finding a large, modern warehouse.”
Trends for 2013The big get bigger: Last year, Armstrong predicted “mom and pop” standalone operations would lose ground to global players. Advances in technology and visibility have fueled this transition, he says.
“The growth areas for value-added services, such as phar-maceutical and refrigerated grocery, are being dominated by the large players,” says Armstrong. “The ‘pallet in, pallet out’
“I don’t recommend taking transportation back in-house, but people will try because it seems more affordable.”
— Dick Armstrong, chair of Armstrong & Associates
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warehouses might not require that kind of sophistication, but those in need of sophisticated value-added services are being driven to the larger, more capable players.”
As Top 10 companies get stronger in North America and become more involved in the global supply chain, more cus-tomers look to them for end-to-end services and transporta-tion management. These large players can handle product from origin to destination, says Armstrong, with advanced software to provide visibility and traceability through the entire supply chain.
The fall spike is DOA: With increased globalization of economic activity, a strong Black Friday and Christmas shop-ping season is not going to tip the scales, says Armstrong. European and Asian fluctuations are of much more concern. Still, the holiday season, until recent years, marked a notable spike for North American warehousing.
“If you look at the containers and ocean trade, it’s just not anything robust and exciting. For so many years we had a fall surge that was very dramatic, with a lot of good shipment,” says Armstrong. “Because it was good for business, it was good for third-party logistics. But we’re certainly not going to see the fall surge that many of us came to love.”
Bringing transportation management back in-house: Many will try, few will succeed. The growing value-added capabilities of many 3PLs will ensure that most of their clients will not try to duplicate those strengths in an effort to bring that part of the business back in-house. However, transportation management calls for much less intensive— though still significant—IT and management costs.
“I don’t recommend taking transportation back in-house, but people will try because it seems more affordable,” says Armstrong. “It’s a leadership decision, and those who make the decision to take it in-house, having moved in that direc-tion, are likely to find their operations become more medio-cre. They might find that they would have been better off negotiating with a transportation manager who specializes in those capabilities without taking away from their own core capabilities to manage that.” �
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Multi- faceted labor management software stands ready to make operations much more efficient, and coming advances promise even greater returns.
Labor management systems:
The (very near) future of LMS
MODERN information management
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Labor management systems:
The (very near) future of LMS
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
Labor is the largest cost center in any facility and, as a result, the focus of many efforts to improve efficiency. Yet, like so many entrenched practices, labor management is often rooted in outdated notions of optimal worker performance, scheduling and training. Bad habits are sometimes so well established that systems proven to dramatically improve labor efficiency seem incompatible with the prevailing cul-ture of an operation.
“The software is very much outpacing the culture,” says John Reichert, director of product marketing for Tecsys, a supply chain software provider. “The typical problem is cus-tomers over-staffing both labor and inventory to compen-sate for the fact that they can’t control either very well.”
Just as technology is enabling lift truck fleet managers to optimize around more data points than simply the hour meter, granular standards in labor management systems (LMS) offer much more detail about worker performance beyond units per hour. In fact, by tying an LMS to the ware-house management system (WMS), transportation man-agement system (TMS), and demand forecasting models, it could soon be common to schedule part-time workers in 1-hour increments, postpone fulfilling incoming orders until a later time of day, and shift a highly cross-trained workforce from the dock to a forklift to a packing station on the fly.
Many of these customer-driven concepts remain in the very early stages of development. Others stand ready for
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those companies willing to challenge old assumptions. Modern talked to some LMS suppliers to get a sense of current labor management trends and the workforce of tomorrow.
Planning and schedulingTraditional labor management is good at answering the question: “How pro-ductive is my workforce?” However, it never really addresses the question: “How many people do I need?” Effective scheduling and forecasting is becoming a bigger area of focus. “Customers are looking at labor as part of their financial model,” says Charlie Zosel, vice presi-dent of TZA. “It enables true activity-based costing models.”
Facilities typically measured pro-ductivity by the four walls, dividing throughput by labor cost. With the growth of the LMS market, more cus-tomers have seen the value in breaking productivity down by department, by zone and by worker.
“Now we’re seeing the same edu-cation process around scheduling, where most people say they know how to schedule,” says Peter Schnorbach, senior director of product management for Manhattan Associates. “If you take three shifts with 100 people, 10 dif-ferent functions, 20 different process zones, different levels of performance, you’re talking about millions of vari-ables. There are too many to make it humanly possible to optimize without some sort of optimization engine.”
Many companies have been fore-casting labor needs for the next few days and weeks based on known existing orders and/or historical performance. In the future, says Reichert, that fore-casting will become more sophisti-cated, similar to demand-planning algo-rithms. When retailers give information to suppliers about their future needs, for instance, that information will be tied directly into labor planning.
Companies typically think of labor forecasting by the day, says Reichert,
but often it is more efficient to break it down by the hour. “For instance, from 3 to 5, I’ll need 10 people on picking and two on packing. Then from 5 to 7, that will change to four pickers and eight packers.”
Operations looking for this type of precision will need an advanced WMS and strong labor management support. It might make sense to tie in TMS as well so orders and the required labor can be prioritized based on ship times. The WMS will then decide what’s most efficient based on those inputs. The first step on this path is to start providing visibility to the supervisor so they can start driving some of these movements.
Intra-day movements of laborWith the right labor in the right place, what happens when an under-perform-ing worker or zone threatens a missed shipping window? A basic LMS might later provide a report on any shortcom-ings as compared to engineered labor
standards, but by then it is too late. The next generation of LMS will pro-vide visibility into potential bottlenecks before they happen, adjusting staffing levels and workloads on the fly.
When dealing with eaches and small orders that come in today and must ship today, it can be difficult to pre-dict what order will arrive in the next hour. “Using standards and per-worker visibility, you can identify top perform-ers and put them where they mat-ter most when you’re under the gun,” says Reichert. The same theory can be applied to slower days, when a worker picking single-line orders might also then pack the order and apply a ship-ping label.
Intra-day movement of labor requires highly cross-trained workers, a hallmark of the workforce of tomor-row. Although it will take some cultural adjustment, dock workers can then be prepared to either crossdock, jump on a forklift and put away pallets, or move to picking while waiting for the next truck.
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Highly cross-trained workers might soon spend one shift moving between three or more departments as needed.
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“As those barriers come down, the wave of the future is a multi-modal workforce of highly skilled people,” says John Spencer, director of solutions strategy for retail workforce manage-ment for RedPrairie.
This sort of flexibility will also require supervisors with up-to-date data and a consistent presence on the floor. “Predictive software doesn’t count for much if you have to run back to the office to receive an alert,” says TZA’s Zosel.
Additionally, says Schnorbach, com-munication with employees needs to evolve. “Labor doesn’t do anybody any good if you aren’t sharing the informa-tion with the people that are doing the work. Generally, companies have a bul-letin board in the warehouse. That’s a pretty archaic way of communicating with your employees.” Instead, a com-pany might use social media to recog-nize top performers, or a flat-panel dis-play akin to flight status monitors at the airport to present a real-time ranking by worker or zone. “This is a great way to incentivize workers to stay out of the bottom ranks and drive performance well above standards,” he adds.
Again, many of these solutions are still in development, and most require a lot of customer preparedness. A good first step, says Spencer, is to deploy wireless infrastructure and equipment or a “bring your own device” system, where workers’ personal smart phones can be used for a variety of work appli-cations. This can provide immedi-ate savings for tasks as simple as time clocks, where 100 or more people can electronically punch in and get straight to work rather than waiting in line.
Transportation integrationTraditionally, transportation carriers and warehouse labor interface only briefly for a quick handshake at the dock door. Going forward, data col-lected from TMS and LMS will help optimize both workflows and ensure a mutually beneficial relationship.
By integrating with transportation management, lMs can ensure workers tackle orders in an optimal sequence for delivery.
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This can be as simple as determining whether it makes sense for the driver or a warehouse worker to perform a task, such as sweeping out the trailer. “How long does it take for the driver to get out, enter the building, find a broom and get to the dock door?” Zosel asks. “And how much does he get paid?”
Advanced LMS software might also be used to inform product handling throughout the warehouse in an effort to optimize outbound shipments. For instance, as an order is packed, the packing station can provide feedback about the size and type of slots at the packing station that are available to fill. The system can then determine what is the best and most efficient order to pick.
Integration between TMS and LMS is perhaps most important on the inbound side, says Spencer, where vis-ibility into coming inventory is critical.
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system is available, and passes time and attendance data between DC and the store. A fully unified approach is on track for a 2014 release.
Soon, data sharing and robust com-munication channels between the DC and the store might allow the DC to notify the store manager about out-bound shipments, or the store man-ager might reach out to the DC for availability of promotional items or to discuss any shipment damage. Today, after checking for damage, the store manager must send an e-mail through multi-step corporate channels, says Schnorbach. In the future, the DC manager and store manager will be directly connected, and data about any of those exchanges will be captured in the system.
While the “system” will continue to spread from optimization engines to mobile devices and social networks, Zosel emphasized that the technology of a labor management system is just a small part of the labor management program, calling it merely “the tip of the iceberg.”
Reichert offers the example of a cus-tomer whose workers had been used to daily direction such as “unload these two trucks today.” Workers then had a visual sense of how close they were to meeting that objective. The customer was surprised to find that productiv-ity actually decreased after the LMS implementation, when daily direction changed to “just do what the system tells you.”
“The worker’s response was, ‘the system never told me to work fast,’” says Reichert. “What was missing was an appreciation of the human component.” M
Similarly, the impact of incoming orders can be managed based on carrier depar-ture windows. However, end users are hesitant to change processes, especially if it requires any kind of delay.
“Most want to tackle orders as soon as they come in, but if they are confi-dent in the data, it might make much more sense to assemble the complex orders first and then focus on single-line orders right before the carrier window closes,” he says. “But it’s a big cultural hurdle for the supervisor to say, ‘We’ve got these orders, but don’t touch them until 3:30.’ ”
Tying the store to the DCThe concept of “total landed cost” can also be informed by coordinated soft-ware in the warehouse, transportation and retail store spaces. “Stores are tak-ing on more fulfillment-related tasks, and that’s driven by the multi-channel
push,” says Schnorbach. “Retailers are trying to determine the cheapest place to perform a task.”
The first step, and the one most requested by customers, says RedPrairie’s Spencer, is a unified time and attendance system. They want to leverage the same system in the store and the warehouse, he says, and it’s one of the easier challenges to address. Spencer says the first generation of this
Companies mentioned in this articleManHattan associates: manh.com redPrairie: redprairie.comtecsys: www.tecsys.comtZa associates: www.tza.com
“ The wave of the future is a multi-modal workforce of highly skilled people.”
— John Spencer, director of solutions strategy for retail workforce management, RedPrairie
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to keep up with a steady growth in shipping and receiving traffic, Woodman’s Markets’
230,000-square-foot grocery warehouse in Beloit, Wisc., recently underwent a substantial renova-tion and expansion. In addition to increasing space to handle 40 truckloads a day, Woodman’s man-agement saw the expansion as an opportunity to upgrade the facility’s safety procedures and equip-ment, particularly in the loading dock areas.
“Being an employee-owned company, we natu-rally want to support our warehouse employees with state-of-the-art dock safety systems,” says Woodman’s transportation manager Nick Popp. “Trailer restraints and interior/exterior light commu-nications were at the top of that list.”
After reviewing several approaches, Popp decid-ed to install a rotating hook restraint (Rite-Hite, ritehite.com) on one dock station for a six-month trial. The restraints feature a unique hook design that offers a wide reach around a trailer’s rear impact guard and come standard with the supplier’s light communication system. The system gives dock attendants and lift truck drivers a line-of-sight indi-cation of the lock status, letting them know when it is safe to enter or exit a trailer.
One set of lights is located on the upper corners
of the interior dock door and mirrors the status on the control box, giving lift truck drivers and dock per-sonnel a clear view of the lock’s status above obstruc-tions such as product staged next to the dock doors or a forklift’s mast. The lights also provide a reference point for the overhead door opening.
Another set of lights mounted to the back of the dock leveler shows the same status to lift truck driv-ers while they are working inside the trailer. It also provides a reference point for lift truck operators as they back out of the trailer.
“We got positive feedback on the system almost immediately,” says Popp. “The lift truck drivers, truck drivers and dock workers all appreciate being able to see the status so clearly and easily. It elimi-nates a lot of stress.”
Based on that feedback, Popp decided to perma-nently install the system on eight of his 10 dock sta-tions. In addition to improving safety and increasing peace of mind for workers on Woodman’s loading docks, he’s found the new system also increased productivity.
“Since there’s no need to stop and double-check if the trailer is secured, our drivers are more confi-dent and more efficient,“ he adds. “The throughput in this warehouse is higher than ever.” M
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
New trailer restraint and light communications system improves productivity in grocery warehouse.
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modern productivity solution
a dry loading dock is a safer loading dock. Preventing moisture from building up on the
loading dock is of particular concern for cold stor-age facilities such as Wegmans Food Markets in Rochester, N.Y. By installing new doors, the facil-ity has improved safety and energy efficiency while reducing maintenance costs.
Jeff Smith, facilities maintenance supervisor, need-ed to replace failing vertical rise freezer slab doors that had heating strips embedded into the panels. He looked to a new supplier (TKO, tkodoors.com) that installed doors designed specifically for use with verti-cal storing dock levelers.
“The doors have cleared up all of our issues involving our dock doorways,” says Smith. “We are looking to replace all of our cold storage dock doors with the new doors.”
The 4-inch thick, R-23 rated panels equal the thickness of the building wall to provide thermal protection against energy loss and increased year-round efficiency. Along with providing a significant level of insulation, the door panels’ closed-cell XEPS foam cores resist moisture accumulation, leading to longer life for the door’s motor.
Another area of potential energy loss on
Wegmans’ dock was the door seals. In a 20-degree temperature-controlled dock, the single seal on the previous doors did not keep out exterior tempera-tures. The new doors are equipped with dual-side compression seals, which fill gaps along the door and are mounted directly to the door panel rather than the door jamb. Raising the door removes the seals from the impact zone to avoid damage and provide a consistent, continuous seal. The door also has a durable double-loop compression seal at the bottom for a tight seal on the warehouse floor, with-out running the risk of the door freezing to the dock.
The door also offers a full-height polymer ther-mal break track, which is enclosed in an energy-reflective foil fabric. Unlike traditional metal tracks, the track design not only helps prevent energy loss, it prevents the accumulation of moisture on the dock that can cause mold buildup and make the dock floors dangerously slippery.
From reduced maintenance costs and decreased energy loss, the new doors Wegmans installed have made all-around operations more efficient. Enhanced safety from the reduced likelihood of slip-pery floors also helps Wegmans to keep its place on Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work.” M
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
Facility cut costs and risk with condensation-resistant doors, tracks and seals.
Taking control of a controlled-temperature dock
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T
By Josh Bond, Associate Editor
Future of robotics unveiled
RoboBusiness Leadership Summit:
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suppliers, end-users and researchers have identified warehousing, distribution and manufacturing as the most promising growth areas for robotic applications.
he 8th annual RoboBusiness Leadership Summit (RBLS) drew 400 attendees and 35 exhibiting sponsors to Pittsburgh, Pa., in October to unveil new technologies, exchange best practices and explore oppor-tunities to bring robotics from the laboratory to industry.
Produced by Robotics Trends, a division of EH Publishing, the event showcased some of the top minds in robotics and offered bold predictions for the future. The event also illustrated robotic solutions at work in warehousing and distribution, from technologies that can be deployed within a day, to grocery warehouses where humans never touch product.
But for all the recent achievements on display at the event, the prevailing tone was more of a “wake-up call” to industry. Having identified industrial spaces and warehousing as key opportunities for growth, presenters and attendees were keen to address the clear obstacles to adoption in those notoriously tech-wary customer bases. Combating the perception of robots as inflexible, costly job-
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killers was at the top of the agenda. Over the next pages, Modern has
assembled some of the warehousing and distribution highlights from the event. More than a few of the pre-senters mentioned Amazon’s acquisi-tion of Kiva Systems, a move that had clearly stirred up the robotics industry. As a model for the future expansion of robotics in warehousing, Kiva’s solution proved two things: Robots and humans have complementary strengths (moving goods and dexterous grabbing, respec-tively), and sometimes the simplest approach is best.
Session: Industrial robot solutions for warehousing and distribution operationsIn December 2010, a fully automated warehouse owned by C&S Wholesale Grocers went into operation in Newburgh, N.Y. (See case study, page 90) The previously conventional facil-ity, which serves 146 supermarkets, had been retrofit with robotic depalletizers, a case-based automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) and robotic palletizers. After a worker scans the pal-let at receiving and removes the shrink wrap, no human touches product until it arrives at the stores.
During his presentation at RBLS,
Larry Sweet, chief technology offi-cer at Symbotic, which is a member of the Material Handling Industry of Americas (MHIA) AS/RS industry group, was joined by project collabo-rators from automation designer and manufacturer Hartness International and FANUC Robotics. Sweet explained why the Newburgh facility represents “disruptive” technology—or that which reimagines a solution instead of iterat-
ing on previous versions.“This is not your grandfather’s AS/
RS,” said Sweet. “This is disruptive technology that’s going to cause an explosion in the marketplace, both for mobile robots and conventional robots.”
The key to this disruption, Sweet said, is the central storage and order ful-fillment engine, which uses high-speed autonomous mobile robots (AMR) to store and retrieve cases in a 3D storage
modern special report
Modern: Why haven’t more end-users been using robots to build pal-lets in the past?sweet: First, it’s only recently that a handful of companies have been able to solve the three-dimensional puzzle and address the complexity of that problem. You also need the case selec-tion technology to feed that robot in the correct order. For the last 10 years, the industry has tried to find software to help humans work faster. There have been attempts to develop what I call “hard automation” solutions for han-dling pallets, cases and eaches. These solutions exist, but they are very costly and rather inflexible once installed.
Modern: Who are the ideal candi-
dates for this type of system?sweet: There are a lot of factors. Is the labor union or non-union? Is the existing warehouse location ideal? If I can build a warehouse with high stor-age density that’s close to the market and doesn’t require a lot of labor, that means I can rethink my supply chain and unlock a lot of value in terms of total supply chain cost. This isn’t about trading a robot for a person, it’s much more transformational.
Modern: For this type of system to work, do customers necessarily need to have advanced operations and software with high degrees of visibility?sweet: Customers don’t need to be
at the cutting edge in terms of ware-house management systems (WMS) and granular data to be an ideal can-didate for this sort of transformational solution. We’re not going to go in and tell the customer they have to change. Whatever WMS they have, we’ll try to work with the interface without chang-ing their system. The store still sends the same order they would have sent to the guy riding a pallet jack. We’re just intercepting the order. We will connect with the supply chain as it exists. Every channel is seeing a pro-liferation of SKUs, so the challenge is how to handle all of it without building a new warehouse. With this approach, we can solve the storage problem and automate at the same time.
Talking robots with Symbotic’s Larry Sweet
at C&s Wholesale grocers, the previously conventional facility, which serves 146 supermarkets, had been retrofit with robotic depalletizers, a case-based automated storage and retrieval system (as/rs) and robotic palletizers.
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space. Without fixed storage locations, each case takes up only as much space as is needed for the robots to access it.
After pallets are received, robotic depalletizers place cases onto a con-veyor system designed for singulation. This technique ensures that there is space between each case for robots to differentiate them and for grippers to operate. At this point, the AMR “rovers” place each case into randomized stor-age locations that can be optimized on the fly.
“Now you’re talking about plan-ning in three dimensions,” said Sweet. “Traditionally, AS/RS are columns, whether pallet columns or case col-umns. This system behaves more like a computer’s hard drive, optimizing all available space.”
Like a computer, the system relies on complex software to coordinate the fulfillment of orders. Before the first case of an order is picked, software
calculates the makeup of each pal-let, producing stable, store-ready pal-lets as much as 8 feet high. A human selector picks 150 cases per hour and is solving the three-dimensional stack-ing puzzle as he selects, said Sweet. “This facility ships 20 million cases per week, so when you do the math you can understand the business reason behind this,” he said. “This is a market that is screaming out for a solution.”
About 95% of the facility’s 6,000 SKUs are compatible with the system. Any SKUs that are oddly shaped, such as broom sticks and bags of dog food, or for some reason will not be accepted by the robotic palletizer, are automatically routed to a manual station. A single palletizing robot has a 6-second cycle time, for total of 600 cases per hour, as opposed to the human’s 150. The sys-tem also eliminates the need for 3% of pallets to be manually audited.
The most difficult and most criti-
cal hurdle is sequencing, said Sweet. “Anyone in this industry who has tried to implement traditional fixed automation will find they face a choice between sequencing and through-put.” This system achieves both, sequencing each case for store aisles, and each pallet for loading onto trucks. “Past solutions have had some success with low-SKU pallets, but struggle achieving the complexity common to many grocery orders.”
Traditional automation can cost as much as $100 million since they tend to require a new building, Sweet said. Operating costs are also high, with highly trained technicians neces-sary to service as many as 10,000 motors or more.
“But once you’ve built all that physical hard-
ware, you’re pretty much stuck with it. If you incorporate mobile robots into that equation, basically everything I just said that was a negative turns into a positive.” C&S enjoyed a low cost to build, short installation time, low operating costs, and easy adaptation to business fluctuations. Labor savings, workers compensation costs, product damage, and transportation costs have all improved.
Session: Machines and man working side by sideRodney Brooks, founder of iRobot and co-founder, chairman and CTO of Rethink Robotics, emphasized a near future where employers will not con-sider robots and humans as alternatives to one another, but as coworkers.
“Look at any task. There are things a human contributes that a robot will not be able to do for a long time,” said Brooks during his session at RBLS. “For
modern special report
in giant eagle’s 400,000-square-foot dC in Pittsburgh, Pa., one operator is responsible for directing a fleet of five semi-autonomous pallet jacks.
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instance, Kiva recognized that robots move goods very well, and humans do dexterous grab-bing very well. The result is a very valuable pairing.”
Brooks said he is now focused on developing indus-trial robots to work intimately with their human counterparts, with safety measures, inter-faces and learning capabili-ties designed for easy use and integration. With the planned January release of the human-oid robot Baxter, Brooks’ aim is to make the machine produc-tive in its first day on the line.
“Think more iPhone, less mainframe. The robot is the interface,” said Brooks. Baxter requires no system integra-tion and no program writing. The unit is “teachable,” said Brooks, who then demon-strated how it could be taught to blind pick from one area and place in another in less than 30 seconds. Because it is teachable and does not rely on sequential programming, the robot can adapt to tasks as they are presented. For instance, the machine might know how to perform steps one through 10 of a process. If a human should suddenly perform steps one through five, the robot will evaluate the item it is handed and skip to step six.
A customer could even design cus-tomized end-or-arm tooling that the robot would “learn” how to use without requiring it to be programmed with the tooling dimensions. It requires no net-work to operate, and any learned behav-ior from one robot can be transferred by thumb drive to any other robot.
“Ease of integration is essential to smaller operations and those unfamiliar with integrating robotics systems,” said Brooks. More importantly, Brooks sees this movement as essential to creating and sustaining a robust manufacturing
workforce in the United States. “The robot is a hammer, and many
have built their line around making a nail for the hammer to hit,” he said. “To a large extent, that’s still the way it’s done.” With this approach, a robot can jump into a larger variety of appli-cations with minimal disruption. There are 300,000 small manufacturing com-panies (fewer than 500 employees) in the United States, and almost none of them use robots, said Brooks. That will change, he said, as robotics manu-facturers work to create solutions that adapt to the application, instead of the other way around.
“Don’t create new standalone tech-
nology,” Brooks advised his peers. “Listen to the custom-ers’ needs and then build to meet that need and solve a problem.”
Session: Mobile service robots in manufacturingAutonomous mobile robots (AMR) allow end-users to solve problems that could not be solved in the past, said John Dulchinos, president and CEO of Adept Technologies. Adept’s AMRs compete pri-marily against conveyors and movement by hand, but those using conveyors to automate material flow are less likely to rip out the conveyors in favor of AMR. Applications with product movement by hand for which there have not his-torically been any viable alter-natives will now be appealing candidates, he said.
Dulchinos predicted the end of the centuries-old pursuit for low-cost labor. “Demographics and technol-ogy will conspire to end the hunt for low-cost labor while spurring robotics growth,” Dulchinos said. He presented data indicating that by 2018,
70 million baby boomers will retire and 40 million new workers will enter the workforce, creating a gap of 30 million workers.
“In 2,700 years, one of the big-gest—and one of the only—major leaps in materials handling is the transition from moving items to tracking them while they move,” he said, emphasiz-ing that AMRs inherently provide real-time traceability. “In materials handling, there are two segments. One is people, with pushcarts, forklifts, or just carrying things, who are very flexible but not very consistent. The other segment is convey-ors, AGVs, and other devices which are inflexible, but very consistent. We need
modern special report
a growing line of automated lift trucks is aimed at reducing the amount of labor needed to perform non-value-added tasks, such as ferrying loaded or empty pallet jacks from place to place.
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to bring the two together. Robots will not be replacing people, but functions.”
Dulchinos said there are two main challenges to bringing these two halves together. The first centers around mapping and autonomous navigation, those technologies that allow robots
to move confidently and safely around people in a crowded environment. The second half is the coordination of a fleet of robots with real-time business imperatives. Dulchinos said e-com-merce and home delivery applications will be good candidates for AMR, as
well as traditional warehouses in need of more flexibility.
Session: Robots in the workplaceRBLS featured a strong emphasis on mobile autonomous robots. This tech-nology has already made its presence known in warehousing and distribution, where solutions from folks like Kiva have had a big impact.
However, robots need not require a warehouse to redesign processes and product movement from scratch. They also don’t need to be fully autonomous. A growing line of automated lift trucks is aimed at reducing the amount of labor needed to perform non-value-added tasks, such as ferrying loaded or empty pallet jacks from place to place. As opposed to the humanoid “coworkers” on display at RBLS, these robots behave more like smart tools. They deploy fast, require minimal operator training, and accept direction only from operator input.
In Giant Eagle’s 400,000-square-foot DC in Pittsburgh, Pa., one opera-tor is responsible for directing a fleet of five semi-autonomous pallet jacks. An operator can teach the unit a number of routes, which it remembers instantly through 360-degree vision and odome-try. Using no lasers, magnets, or external guidance of any kind, the units photo-graph their environments thousands of times in their travels. This allows them to keep their bearings to within one cen-timeter, even as product faces and other warehouse elements move and change.
Robert Kuchta is the distribution systems manager at Giant Eagle, which has served as a test bed for Seegrid automated lift trucks for the past five years. In that time, the units have evolved from experiments to trusted and valued partners in the facility.
“There was some concern in the beginning, but it didn’t take very long at all before everyone saw the value of the robotic trucks,” said Kuchta. “Now, we can’t imagine working without them.”
In addition to automated lift trucks purpose-built by Seegrid, the facility is
modern special report
Retrofit boosts storage 30%, builds dense store-ready pallets 8 feet high.
C&S Wholesale Grocers is a New Hampshire-based com-
pany whose Newburgh, N.Y., facil-ity distributes to 146 Stop & Shop supermarkets across New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 2010, it faced many challenges to lower materials handling costs and optimize logistics. The facility wanted to maintain high throughput and accuracy amid increasing SKU vari-ability and space constraints. This resulted in increased labor costs, transportation costs and fulfillment time. After a series of robots and automated solutions transformed the conventional facility into a fully auto-mated one, storage increased 30%.
The company worked closely with a supplier (Symbotic, formerly CasePick Systems, symbotic.com) specializing in the use of mobile autonomous robots (or rovers) to quickly sequence prod-uct from manufacturer to store shelf. Together they developed the concepts of applying robotics technology lever-aging “massive parallel processing” of data to optimize storage and retrieval. The result was a successful operational system in a C&S warehouse processing millions of cases a year.
The facility now features a fully automated system for case storage, selection, de-palletizing, and pallet-izing of mixed-SKU orders. The sys-tem is configured to receive inbound vendor pallets comprised of single SKUs, or rainbow pallets with SKUs in layers. It also coordinates selection of cases to fulfill customer orders, which are robotically assembled into mixed SKU pallets, wrapped and labeled for truck delivery.
The facility uses a three-dimensional
storage structure to use the full avail-able cubic space of the warehouse. Cases are stored directly on shelves without trays or totes that increase cost and reduce storage density. The very high-capacity storage system uses no fixed storage locations. Instead, case storage operates like a computer disc drive by using every available space suited to each case size.
High-speed mobile robots capable of autonomous navigation throughout the storage structure use onboard sensors and mechanisms for direct handling of cases, unlike con-ventional tugs.
Proprietary system software auto-matically determines the storage and picking locations that optimize throughput rate and storage density. A key feature is the ability to main-tain high throughput with cases in a desired sequence, without the need for a separate mechanical system for sorting. Exact sequencing is needed for mixed-case palletizing by robots and the loading of carts or trucks for store delivery.
Palletizing software breaks down each customer order into pallets for robotic assembly. The system pre-pares store-ready pallets, accounts for fragility and pallet stability, and automatically maximizes pallet den-sity to reduce transportation costs.Unlike many traditional large-scale automation solutions, the new sys-tem is a modular and flexible stor-age structure that can be retrofit into any existing building. More than 200,000 cases are now stored, a more than 30% increase in the same space. The system handles up to 6,000 SKUs and up to 6,000 cases per hour between inbound and outbound. Once installed, the no-touch operation requires mini-mal support.
Automated warehouse requires no human touch after receiving
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testing Raymond trucks equipped with Seegrid vision-sensing units. With a flawless safety record, these units help the 8,000-SKU facility move more than 700,000 cases per week. The Raymond/Seegrid product will likely launch in 2013, according to Michael Hasco, chief growth officer at Seegrid.
In his presentation, Hasco was joined by Larry Baldauf, retired senior vice president of supply chain and logis-tics for Giant Eagle. Baldauf described the more than decade-long relationship he had formed with experts at neigh-boring Carnegie Mellon who went on to found Seegrid in 2003.
“In the mid-90s, we had engineered labor standards at Giant Eagle,” said Baldauf. “We knew where the product was, we knew where the people were, and we were able to squeeze costs down as far as they would go while still being fair to our people.” Having picked most of the low-hanging fruit, Baldauf began thinking creatively about reducing non-value-added movement.
“I went to CMU and said, ‘You guys can put robots on Mars. You can’t tell me you don’t have something that can
move product from point A to point B in a warehouse.’”
After eight months, the collabora-tion had produced a pallet jack that could move around by looking at the “fingerprint” of the warehouse floor. Having served as a beta site for the Seegrid technology since its inception, the facility has shaped the current ver-sion into a rugged, warehouse-proven unit. “My job as a beta site is to figure out how to break it, how to push it to its limits,” said Baldauf. “In all those years, no Seegrid unit has hit a person or a part of the building, ever.”
Offering a 9-month ROI, the unit can start working and start saving money within two hours of its deliv-ery to the site, Baldauf said. The truck costs $3 per hour to operate as opposed to $25 to $30 per hour for a manned unit. “About 73% of your operating costs are labor. You’ve got to attack that labor number,” said Baldauf, who said the technology has not resulted in any lost jobs. “In fact, we’re now getting more done with the same people.” M
modern special report
tim derosett, director of market-ing for Yaskawa Motoman robotics division“The supply chain is a growth area. Manipulation and mobility, percep-tion and grasping technologies are hitting critical mass. At the same time, it’s getting hard to find work-ers, especially with the demographics changes. It’s a necessity to do certain work with people today, but not for long. Robotics allow for the flow of material and the flow of information at the same time. Traceability in the warehouse is critical to any solution. It also allows a dynamic response.”
Christian Wurll, logistics technical director for KUKa systems“Robotics suppliers today have a chicken and the egg problem because we’re proposing things that have not been done before. Materials handling is getting more complicated with the transition to lower lines per order and increased each picking. Now we’re
looking into automating case picking and pallet building. The movement to eaches will be especially big in grocery applications. In the future, you will shop for groceries online. In fact, I pre-dict that in a few years pallet convey-ors will go away entirely. I recognize that is a bold statement, but mobile robotics is coming.”
erik nieves, technology director at Yaskawa Motoman robotics“Follow the labor. Mechanization of labor is imminent. If you didn’t have to do it with labor, how would you? Re-imagine the process. The only reason human-like performance is an objective for some of these applica-tions is because the bins you’re pick-ing from and the slots you’re putting to are built around the human scale. There are so many opportunities, but what’s lacking is focus. If we’ve learned anything from Kiva, it’s that a solution to a narrow problem can cre-ate a very good business.”
One-on-one with industry leaders
at C&s, after pallets are received, robotic depalletizers place cases onto a conveyor system designed for singulation. this technique ensures that there is space between each case for robots to differentiate them and for grippers to operate.
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FOCUS ON Pallets
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Aigner has the solution for most every labeling need: Famed Hol•Dex® onshelves, bins, drawers. Wire•Rac™ on wire shelving. Magnetic Cardholders for instant adhesion on metal. Super•Scan™ forscanable display on pallet racks. Slip•Strip™ for easy label insertion on industrial shelving. Write-On Magnetic Tags foruse with wet erase markers. And the New Tri•Dex™ for plastic bins with label slots.These quality products assure you easy-read identity with long-life durability. All paper inserts are now laser/ink-jet compatible. Call or go to www.aignerlabelholder.com for our catalog and nearest dealer.
Hygienic plastic pallets A line of plastic pallets are lighter than wood, mak-ing them easier to handle and less expensive to ship. Completely recyclable at the end of their usable life, the hygienic pallets are immune to insect contami-nation, as pests cannot penetrate the plastic. They do not absorb pathogens
or bacteria, and do not require fumigation or heat treatment. For traceability and security, the pallets feature embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for immediate identification contaminated shipments and to facilitate product safety recalls. The pallets have been certified as usable in food processing by NSF International. intelligent global Pooling systems (igPs), 800-884-0225, www.igps.net.
Pallet is detectible in quality control x-ray inspectionsManufactured with a special compound that is opaque to x-ray and fluoroscopic imaging, Radiopaque ProStack pallets are ideal for use in food, beverage and pharmaceutical process-ing applications. Because the pallet is clearly visible in imaging inspections common in cleanroom and processing areas, it’s easier to detect product contaminates as part of quality control. The pallet is rated for a 30,000-pound static load or a 5,000-pound dynamic load. Edge rackable to 2,200 pounds, they offer four-way fork entry and are made from 100% recyclable, FDA-approved high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Polymer solutions, 877-444-7225, www.prostackpallets.com.
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Shipping Small Size Pallet Loads?Using Full Size Pallets for Partial Loads?
Experiencing Package and Product Damage?TRY OUR24″ x 40″
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Cubic Designs knows how to effectively maximize your space with a mezzanine system. We’re your experts when it comes to professionally-engineered designs, strong manufacturing, and a long-lasting finish.
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Presswood automotive pallet offered as alternative to plasticThe Inca presswood pallet is now offered for use in the auto-motive industry as an alternative to plastic returnable pallets. The pallet features a 48 x 45-inch footprint and a nestable form to meet the needs of Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers. Manufactured from a combination of wood fiber and resin subjected to high heat and pressure, the structural density is greater than air-dried red oak. This stiffness enhances the integrity of a unit load, resulting in less package and product damage during transit. The finished pallets provide a 4:1 space savings ratio over conventional pallets, and because they are considered processed wood, they are not regulated by IPPC-ISPM 15 for global shipping. Litco International, 330-539-5433, www.litco.com.
Apply treatments to wood pallets with electrostatic spray systemThe S-Fusion electrostatic pallet sprayer aids in the application of anti-mold, disinfectant or anti-fungal treatments. The sprayer applies the correct amount of substrate without soaking the pallet to reduce drying time. Only the outer surface of the pallet is dampened, leaving the core of the kiln-dried wood untouched. Features include up to eight spray noz-zles, variable speed stainless steel conveyor rollers, three-zone chemical flow control, a filtered overspray reclaim system and touch-screen interface. The sys-tem can be used in a stand-alone configuration, or in-line with existing manufacturing processes. Smetco, 800-253-5400, www.smetco.com.
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Protect grocery products with anti-skid surfaceThe reusable, plastic 40 x 48-inch grocery distribution pallet increases the use of space per truckload to deliver greater shipping efficiency and reduced costs. When empty, the pallets nest together for optimal space utilization in standard 53-foot trailers during return trips. To hold cases and boxes in place during transit, it features an anti-skid surface. Contoured corners and smooth surfaces allow for easy handling and durability. It is easy to clean, with a smooth, non-porous surface that does not absorb moisture or odors. orBis, 888-307-2185, www.orbiscorporation.com.
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4250,000 CyCLe Lift WArrAnty: Our standard warranty exceeds the cycle warranty that many of our competitors’ offeron their high cycle lifts.
41.750” Wide mAin AxLe beArings:Bearing life increases exponentially with increases in width. Our “E” lifts and 90% of ourcompetitors’, lifts only have .75” wide main axlebearings. The “P” series is 233% wider.
4PAtented PLAtform Centering deviCe:Our tests have shown this exclusive feature candouble or triple the life of a lift by eliminatingsteel friction between platforms and legs.
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P SERIES 1/4 PAGE 2012_MMH - Advance Lifts 1/30/12 3:43 PM Page 1
FOCUS ON Pallets
ship, store automotive parts and more on stackable plastic palletThe medium-duty 45 x 48-inch stackable pallet is ideal for use in automotive or other handling applications, including shipping, storage, work-in-process or just-in-time systems. Made from high-density polyethylene and weighing 44 pounds, the pallet handles dynamic capacities up to 2,800 pounds and static capacities to 10,000 pounds. Fully recy-clable and maintenance free, the injec-tion-molded pallet features four-way fork entry. Flexcon Container, 908-871-7000, wwww.flexcontainer.com.
track location, condition of pallets with asset management softwareProviding the end-to-end visibility of a pallet pool, PalletView asset management software tracks pallets through a Web-based portal. Users can track how many pallets are under management, the quanti-ty and sizes of pallets at each location and whether those pallets are being sorted, repaired or are available for delivery. The system can also track where the pallets have been delivered and in what quanti-ties. In addition to pallets, the system can be used to track the location and condition of any mobile asset that moves through the supply chain. With precise inventory control and asset management, the soft-ware ensures accurate billing and account-ing while reducing the number of new pal-lets that need to be purchased. Millwood, 800-860-4744, www.millwoodinc.com.
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Sale now open for bids at: http://realestatesales.gov
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MMH201212_GSA_qtr.indd 1 11/5/2012 11:46:34 AM
grocery pallets supported by regrind programMeasuring 40 x 48 x 6 inches, the Super D line of grocery pallets are manufactured of flame retardant high-density polyethylene. The solid deck pallets nest for convenient storage. The pallets work in freezer and steam clean operations at a temperature range of -40°F to 200°F, and come in 13 different colors for inventory organization. Hygienic and easy to clean, the pallets are supported by a regrind program that accepts their return at the end of their useful life. The program converts the reground materials back into pallets that can be returned to service in a closed-loop system. PdQ Plastics, 800-447-7141, www.pdqplastics.com.
Wood pallet coating adds resistance to mold, mildewFormulated for mold and mildew resistance, E-Fusion wood coating can be applied to the surface of wooden pallets, pallet cut-stock, containers and other forms of lumber. The substrate contains no phenols or other ingredients with volatility issues. Registered by the NSF International nonfood compounds pro-gram, the coating meets USDA regulatory requirements including FDA 21 CFR for appropriate use, ingredient and labeling in and around food processing areas. X-Mold, 404-261-3349, www.xmold.net.
Handle 2,200 pounds on a 12.5-pound pallet
Weighing just 12.5 pounds, a full-size plastic pallet handles dynamic load capacities of up to 2,200 pounds. Its light weight makes it easy to handle and reduces the risk of workplace injury due to repetitive stress and strain. The pal-let’s nesting height of 1.2 inches saves freight costs and storing capacities—a 53-foot trailer can hold 2,340 pallets. For use in racks and/or double-stacking the pallet may be outfitted with three optional snap-on bottom skids. Cabka north america, 877-462-2252, www.cabka.com.
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Cabinet for lean manufacturingFor better workspace organization and management, the 5S cabinet offers clear acrylic doors for instant visibility and at-a-glance accounting of tools and parts at point of use to support lean manufacturing philosophies. The durable cabinet case fea-tures metal pegboard inserts. Alternately, solid hinged doors with additional peg-board storage may be specified. Stanley Vidmar, 800-523-9462, www.stanleyvidmar.com, Booth 2532.
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Abuse Resistant Belts work where others fail.Super Strong Joints are virtually unbreakable.High Tension Belts move heavier loads.Super Red Belts double conveyor capacity.
Dura-Belt 800-770-2358 614-777-0295Fax: 614-777-9448 www.durabelt.com
Better thanLifetime Warranty
Longer Lasting Belts
New Split Line-shaft SpoolsHigh precision. Reasonable price.Easy to install. Zero downtime. Can be locked to shaft. Eliminatesneed for keyed spools and shafts.
MAKE ROOM MAKE ROOM
Maximize storage space with ProHANGER™ … the perfect solution for storing and organizing long parts and supplies.
U.S. Patent Pending
Software directs, analyzes paperless picking activityExecutives, managers and supervisors can easily view pick rate productivity, accuracy and throughput with the version 6.0 release of LP dash-board. The software displays real-time, updated key performance indicators with drill-down granularity for facility, area, zone and employee-level views. Featuring a rich graphi-cal interface with drag-and-drop widgets for custom template views of performance data, the system offers an automatic slide-show style display of multiple, user-configured templates. Lightning Pick Technologies, 262-250-2143, www.lightningpick.com, Booth 1543.
NA 2010 Cleveland
Vertical storage systemFeaturing a stabilized shelf system with high storage density at an afford-able price, the motorized vertical pan carousel offers storage and retrieval of inventory with push-button control. The system delivers inventory to the opera-tor, yielding retrieval time savings up to 90%. Included standard are lifetime sealed bearings, shielded motors, secu-rity keypad, one-touch forward/reverse, wire mesh guarding and obstruction detectors. Vidir Machine, 800-210-0141, www.vidir.com, Booth 3018.
Treatment prevents mold growth on palletsE-fusion mold and mildew resistant coating and treat-ment system for wood pallets inhibits the growth of mold, preventing product recalls and refused ship-ments. The treatment bonds with wood during an elec-trostatic application process, making it ideal for pallets used in food and beverage handling, consumer prod-ucts, pharmaceuticals and paper products. X-Mold, 866-581-6653, www.xmold.net, Booth 625.
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Produce up to 500,000 plastic pallets per year in-house with machineryMold and produce plastic pallets internally with the Lumina PM-5 dual clamp system. Each clamp contains a mold for a one-piece double deck heavy-duty rackable and stackable structural plas-tic pallet. A common two-stage injection system sequentially fills both molds. During operation, a traversing top-entry robot removes the pallets automatically and places them onto a conveyor. The system includes molds, mold chiller, robot, plastic raw material blending/loading and all acces-sories needed to produce up to 500,000 pallets per year. Wilmington Machinery, 910-452-5090, www.wilmingtonmachinery.com.
Product showcase
Hybrid palletizer offers new featuresAlvey 950 hybrid palletizers have been enhanced with new features, including an on-board stretch bander that adds stability to otherwise unstable loads and an integrated control system that allows the con-ventional palletizer and its robotic arms to operate from a single PLC. The hoist-mounted stretch bander is ideal for industries with small and lightweight packaging because it reduces or eliminates the need for tie sheets and stretch wrapping. By using fewer consumables than traditional stretch wrapping, the bander reduces time and material requirements. intelligrated, 877-315-3400, www.intelligrated.com.
rugged mobile computers support HtMl5 capable browser A new HTML5-capable browser enables the development of OS agnostic Web applications that can run on iOS, Android and select rugged mobile computers from the supplier. This improves workflow efficiency and flexibility to mobile work-forces. The browser supports applications running online (connected to a Web server), offline (no connection to a Web server) or in combination. Built on the Webkit engine, the browser is preloaded and free of licensing fees or license activation requirements on multiple supplier mobile computer models. For improved workflow efficiency, data can be stored locally on the device until synchronization with the back-end server, eliminating time lost due to poor cellular coverage. intermec, 800-347-2636, www.intermec.com.
Mobile headset computer increases worker safety on job sitesThe HC1 hands-free enterprise mobile com-puter leverages advanced voice recognition, head gestures and video streaming to navi-gate applications that access and view busi-ness-critical documents and schematics. The headset computer can be used for mainte-
nance, repair, operations/overhaul, and training and simulation applications to improve inspection time and accuracy, reduce labor rates and increase safety. It is ideal for harsh environments and remote locations where access to complex graphical data or text is needed but using a laptop or handheld device is impracti-cal. In addition to local document access, the device connects to local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to one of the supplier’s smartphones or mobile hotspots, allowing push and pull of data between the headset computer and remote networks. Motorola solutions, 866-416-8545, www.motorola.com.
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Buckhorn [email protected]
Buckhorn® introduces collapsible 60-gallon drumInnovative container offers 25% better cube utilizationBuckhorn Inc. will be exhibiting its new collapsible 60-gal-lon plastic drum at ProMat. The drum’s unique rectangular design allows four assembled drums to interlock and cube a 48” x 40” pallet, stacking up to five pallet loads high in storage. It has a 24” x 20” x 40” footprint, and the side-walls are hinged in the center for a one-way inward fold, allowing the drum to fold flat in seconds. Because of its smaller footprint and greater capacity, Buckhorn’s 60-gal-lon drum offers 25% better cube utilization than the standard 55-gallon alternatives currently on the market. Additionally, 480 collapsed drums fit in a 53’ truck for a superior 3:1 nesting ratio.
Buckhorn Booth 2027
Aigner Label Holder Corp. Booth 324
Aigner Label Holder Corp.218 MacArthur AvenueNew Windsor, NY 12553800-242-3919info@aignerlabelholder.comwww.aignerlabelholder.com
Learn how Aigner Label Holders pay you in time saved—ROI in less than twelve months, by helping to make the most effective management of time and space. We are pleased to introduce our newest innovation, “Angle-Vu™”, an adjustable label holder for high or low wire shelving. No more climbing or bending to read or scan labels! This flexible PVC label holder has been engineered to snap onto major brands of wire shelving at three (3) different angles: 90° (flat), 60° and 30°. The clear plastic window protects the insertable label or barcode. Aigner carries additional styles and sizes available for most any storage application.
AmbaFlex Inc. Booth 2323
AmbaFlex is the partner for customised material handling systems based on spiral technology! Our unique SpiralVeyor® is widely used for vertical transportation of single goods and packed products. Our experience and supplied quality is appreciated by users all over the world. To maintain our position as a market leader and trendsetter, we continu-ously invest in product innovation and in the relationship with customers. AmbaFlex employees are knowledgeable and experienced and always able to build with you the best solu-tion! AmbaFlex SpiralVeyor® innovations include multi-lane spirals (SVM, SVX-DL, SVX-EB), multi-levels spirals (SV-ML) for induction and discharge at different elevations.
AmbaFlex Inc.2301 E. Lamar, Suite 100 Brookhollow One BuildingArlington, TX 76006-7437972-602-3200 / 877-800-1634 www.ambaflex.com
Battery Watering Technologies6645 Holder RoadClemmons, NC 27012336-714-0448www.batterywatering.com
Battery Watering Technologies manufactures watering systems and related accessories for industrial and golf cart batteries. Our innovative products reduce labor costs by decreasing the amount of time spent watering batteries. Water delivery systems are customizable to provide options to the user. Excellence in engineering and a passion for quality support our brand.
Battery Watering Technologies Booth 431
Big Ass Fans877-BIG [email protected]
Big Ass Fans’ line of overhead and mobile fans bring air movement to spaces of any size. Use large diameter, low speed fans in the summer to cool employ-ees and increase productivity in an energy efficient way. When run at a lower speed in the winter, Big Ass Fans® effectively push warm air trapped at the ceiling down to ground level and can reduce heating costs in your facility by as much as 30%.
Big Ass Fans Booth 452
Cannon Equipment15100 Business Parkway Rosemount, MN 55068800-825-8501 / 651-322-6300www.cannonequipment.com
CannonCarts® are Always Ready to Roll.Cannon Equipment is an engineered solutions provider specializing in cart automation system inte-gration. Our carts serve a wide range of industries and are cost effective tools for organizing, storing and transporting products. CannonCarts® are ergo-nomically designed for safety and are constructed to deliver time savings, reduce labor costs and improve supply chain efficiencies. Contact us to see how we can put our carts and automated loading systems to work for you!
Cannon Equipment Booth 3661
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Cubic Designs, Inc. Booth 2368
Emerson Industrial Automation 7120 New Buffington RoadFlorence, KY 41042866-743-4392 / 859-342-7900Contact: Jackie Catalano, Manager Global Marketing Communications Power Transmission Solutionswww.emersonindustrial.com
Emerson’s new System Plast™ branded heavy-duty modular belts feature acetal clips that are designed for easy installation, easy removal and are inset deeper into the belt, allowing longer belt life when side load pressure is present. The belts also have an anti-skid surface. With the highest load rating on the market for their pitch size, these belts generate less noise due to a unique System Plast material. When used in combination with the Nolu-S wear strip material, the coefficients of friction are reduced, leading to greater sustainable energy savings.
Emerson Booth 1559
Cubic Designs, Inc.5487 S. Westridge DriveNew Berlin, WI 53151262-789-1966www.cubicdesigns.com
Cubic Designs make it easy to integrate a platform into your valuable project. We are AISC certified, allowing us to offer high-quality, custom steel mezzanines at a com-petitive price and timely turn-around. We offer professional engineering, manufacturing and installation to support your project at every level.
CLARK Material Handling Company700 Enterprise Dr.Lexington, KY 40510859-422-6400www.Clarkmhc.com
CLARK GEX 40/5080Volt 8,000 – 10,000lb Capacity Sit-down Electric Forklift• Dual 100% AC Drive & Pump
Motors. • Anti-Roll Back feature keeps the
operator more confident when on ramps.
• Speed can be programmed to meet the customer’s application.
• 80 Volt system CLARK engineered and designed.
• Color LCD Dash Display is easy to
use and has excellent image quality. • Service technicians can use the
dash display for maintenance and service.
• Standard Wet Disk Brakes• Drawbar pull while offering grade
ability that rivals IC trucks.• Full suspension seat that is adjust-
able to keep all operators more productive.
• Solid pneumatic tires and hood mounted hydraulic controls.
Clark Booth 2019
Creform [email protected]
Continuous Improvement and Lean. Still the watchword at Creform.Visit Creform to see products that support lean and con-tinuous improvement. One BST NSI AGV can mobilize cart fleets for up to 50 courses, 128 commands each, programmable by onboard HMI touch screen or PC…well suited for sequencing carts and kitted parts to assembly lines. It can be part of a managed AGV system with traffic control.
Meet strength requirements using less supports on heavy-duty workstations, flowracks, carts and AGVs with 42mm pipe and joints. Creform Placon® Wide Roller Conveyors smoothly handle totes and boxes with soft bottoms or unpackaged parts. See other concepts and designs for material handling structures and systems.
Creform Booth 1881
Cushman Booth 956
Cushman 1451 Marvin Griffin RoadAugusta, Georgia 30906706-798-4311 [email protected]
Cushman Titan vehicle familyCushman expanded Titan line of burden carriers include five vehicles across three models. Whether selecting the economical Titan LD, the midrange Titan HD, or the heavy-duty Titan XD, the Titan family of vehicles offers a full range of payload and towing capacities to meet any facil-ity’s demands. Passenger and power options vary from model to model, too.
For more information about the new Titan family of burden carriers, visit www.cushman.com.
Enersys 800-EnerSyswww.enersys.com
As the world leader in industrial battery and charger systems, EnerSys offers a wide range of products including the latest technologies and they back them with a global service and support network. From their value priced General Battery™ brand to their exclusive high performance Ironclad® Battery brand, EnerSys has the right battery solu-tion for you. When it comes to charging systems, you can choose from their EnForcer™ Charger line featuring the latest in efficient, high frequency chargers or their Express® Fast Charge line of bat-teries and chargers. With all the choices from EnerSys, you can be sure you’ll get the best solution for your application.
Enersys Booth 603
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Intelligrated 866-936-7300 www.intelligrated.com
High throughput conveyor and sortation solutionsIdeal for high-capacity operations that demand gentle product handling, Intelligrated’s broad range of conveyor and sortation solutions are designed to maximize throughput at minimal speeds. Intelligrated sortation solutions include tilt-tray, cross-belt and high-speed sliding shoe sorters. Intelligrated conveyors provide quiet, positive transportation and zero-pressure accumulation for rapid, virtually damage-free handling of products. Intelligrated sliding shoe sortation solutions feature patented “soft touch” diverting technology for unparalleled product handling and are designed to exceed today’s demanding sortation requirements. Intelligrated tailors all sortation and accumulation conveyor solutions to suit your specific requirements.
Intelligrated Booth 2903
ID SystemsGreg [email protected] Tice Blvd., Ste 101 Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677201-678-7755www.id-systems.com/promat-2013
I.D. Systems offers a range of patented wire-less Vehicle Management systems for forklifts, tow tractors, and other industrial vehicles. Our PowerBox™ and PowerFleet® solutions have become a best-practice for improving fleet safety, reducing material handling costs, and increasing supply chain productivity. For as little as $1.50 a day per truck, you can create a culture of accountability, reduce maintenance costs, reduce damage, automate safety checklists and improve productivity and fleet utilization.
ID Systems Booth 4181
ID Label, Inc. 425 Park Avenue Lake Villa, IL 60046 847-265-1200 x100 www.idlabelinc.com
Introducing our new line of BullsEye™ bullet-proof, durable label products for warehouse applications. BullsEye™ label products offer superior adhesion and extreme durability for floor marking, horizontal or vertical upright racking, shelving, sig-nage, pallet and tote identification solutions. ID Label can custom engineer solutions for the most demanding environments. We lead through innovation not imitation.
ID Label Booth 3571
FORTE 6037 Commerce CourtMason, OH 45040513-398-2800sales@forte-industries.comwww.forte-industries.com
FORTE is focused on driving high-performance distribution operations through: • Supply Chain Consulting — Consultants with extensive operations management experience who utilize advanced business intelligence and analytics tools• MHE Systems Integration — 30+ year track record of success in facility automation design and implementation as well as in the com-plex requirements of supply chain execution software integration• Software Technology — FORTE’s Smart Warehouse Suite™ is a lean, agile warehouse control system software platform that is quickly and cost-effectively configurable to each client’s needs, designed to extend the functionality of legacy systems or augment WMS functionality while providing actionable intelligence to support operational and strategic planning
Forte
Gorbel [email protected] Fishers RunFishers, NY 14453www.gorbel.com
The concept of a Fold-Away Fall Arrest System is simple: Deploy it when needed it, and fold it back when you’re done, maintaining productivity without compromising safety. Gorbel’s Tether Track™ Fold Away Fall Arrest System is the perfect solution for work cells requiring access to overhead cranes, when valuable floor space is limited, or when infrequent fall protection is necessary. The foundation of the Tether Track™ Fall Arrest Systems is our enclosed track, exclusively engineered for easy movement. Gorbel Tether Track™ Fall Arrest Systems are available in a variety of configurations, making fall protection easily customizable and cost-effective.
Gorbel Inc. Booth 2919
HAWKERPO Box 808 9404 Ooltewah Industrial DriveOoltewah, TN 37363423-238-5700 www.hawkerpowersource.com
HAWKER® is the leading provider for advanced, customized motive power solutions. With more than 85 years of motive power experience and innovation, and more than 25 years of high-frequency charging experience and clear leadership in the area of smart charging and optimizing fleet utilization, HAWKER® offers a complete line of battery and charger motive power solutions. HAWKER® power solutions are designed to reduce environmental impact, lower operational costs, increase productivity, and improve customer operations.
Hawker Booth 2327
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Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.500 Corporate Woods ParkwayVernon Hills, IL 60061847-478-2100www.meau.com
The Mitsubishi Electric MES Interface IT—Enterprise Connectivity Interface Part of Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory concept, the MES Interface IT bridges the traditional gap between the factory and office by enabling bi-directional data communication from the production floor to enterprise IT systems. Eliminating all middle-ware and gateway PCs, the Mitsubishi Electric Automation MES Interface IT controller-level direct database access provides users with the leanest solution possible, reducing overhead costs as well as points of failure. Easy and reliable data access across all networked control systems creates limitless application possibilities, from quality control to logistics management.
Mitsubishi Booth 447
Landoll Booth 2319
The Drexel model R60i4 has been redesigned with the following new features:
• Powerful and Efficient Hydrostatic Drive System
• Tier IV Approved 4.3L, GM Vortec Engine• Redesigned Front Pivot/Shift Assembly for
Increased Reliability• Easy Access for Maintenance of Major
Components Increased SignificantlyPerformance: Handles 6,000 lb (2727 kg) Long Loads as a Sideloader; Handles Pallets as a VNA Forklift. Solid Pneumatic Tires for Working Indoors or out on Paved or Unpaved Surfaces. Excellent for Handling Lumber, Pipe, and other Long Loads. Climbs over 15% Grade with Full Load.
Landoll 800-428-5655 [email protected]
Lenze Americas630 Douglas St., Uxbridge, MA 01569508-278-9100 / 800-217-9100www.lenzeamericas.com
Lenze Americas, based in Uxbridge, MA, is a sub-sidiary of Lenze SE in Germany, a global leader in industrial automation systems. As a manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technology, Lenze’s solutions are found in many material handling applications: roller and belt conveyors, rotary and scissor lift tables, lifting stations, palletizing systems, storage and retrieval units, monorail overhead conveyors and AGV systems. Our drive and automation solutions guarantee a smooth connection to any upstream or downstream system—steady or dynamic, lifting or lowering, moving or positioning—increasing the productivity of your logistic systems.
Lenze Americas Booth 1763
Knapp Logistics Automation, Inc. Booth 3203
KiSoft Vision from KNAPP Logistics Automation is a revolutionary optical picking solution using a special software technology for image recogni-tion and image processing, commonly referred to as augmented reality. The real environment is enriched with virtual information and pictures that smoothly blend into each other. KiSoft Vision offers many advantages such as: error-free picking; minimal training time for operators due to visual instructions; easy navigation within the warehouse; fully automatic tracking of lots and serial numbers; applicable in every warehouse without structural changes; and short amortization time. The system can also easily connect to existing warehouse management systems.
KNAPP Logistics Automation, Inc. [email protected]
Kardex Remstar Booth 3623
Kardex Remstar provides accessible, secure and ergonomic automated storage and retrieval solutions for small parts, tools, items and media. Within distribution, manufacturing and ware-house facilities as well as government buildings, offices, institutions Kardex Remstar systems recover up to 85% of valuable floor space, increase worker productivity by 2/3, improve accuracy up to 99.9% and improve worker ergonomics over manual cabinets, shelving and racks. Local sales, service and installation provide free space and productivity analysis.
Kardex RemstarContact: Christina [email protected]
Matthews Marking & Fulfillment Systems6515 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206412-339-2060 / 888-233-1060 / [email protected]://matthewsbrandsolutions.com/#divisions-marking
Matthews Marking and Fulfillment Systems Booth 3903
From manufacturing to packaging to distribution, Matthews Marking and Fulfillment Systems is leading provider of marking and coding equipment for the industrial marketplace, offering an array of solutions that include: product identification and branding, traceability coding, and compli-ance marking. Best-in-class material handling and order fulfillment automation maximizes productivity, quality, and efficiency. Manufacturers and suppliers worldwide use our solutions to identify, track, pick and convey their products and packaging.
Lightning Pick Technologies is one of the 4 companies included in the Matthews Marking & Fulfillment Systems division. Attached is an image of our Pick to Light system which will be on display at ProMat 2013.
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Polymer Solutions International 15 Newtown Woods RoadNewtown Square, PA 19073651-270-1606www.prostack.com
Founded in 1997, Polymer Solutions International is a global manufacturer of a wide variety of Radiopaque, FDA-approved, or FM-approved fire retardant reusable plastic pallets and racks, including export pallets (one-way), nestable, stackable pallets, rackable pallets, and custom pal-lets. Made from 100% recyclable, FDA-approved materials, the company’s prod-ucts are ideal for pharmaceutical, general industry, food, beverage and warehousing applications. For more information, visit www.prostackpallets.com.
Polymer Solutions Booth 4427
Peak-Ryzex provides end-to-end enterprise mobility, managed services, printing and mobile data capture solutions that optimize supply chain and field-based business processes. Peak-Ryzex’s in-depth industry-specific experience, state-of-the-art solutions, and exemplary customer support provide transformational business solutions that deliver greater ROI and outstanding value.
Peak-Ryzex10330 Old Columbia Road
Columbia MD 210461-888-ASK-PEAK (888-275-7325)
www.peak-ryzex.com
On-the-floor or in-the-field, Peak-Ryzex helps you seize the opportunities present-ed by the mobile revolution with a comprehensive range of business-optimized mobility, managed service, enterprise printing and data capture solutions.
From the selection, deployment and integration of mobile devices, to SAP integra-tion, data collection, asset management and depot services, Peak-Ryzex leverages technology to optimize your most business-critical supply chain and field-based initiatives. Our solution sets include:
• MobilitySolutionsfortheService-drivenWorkforce
• StrategicMobileManagedServices
• SeamlessSAPSCMandSAPLESLogistics
• Best-fitMobileDataCollectionandVoice-enabledLogistics
• EnterprisePrintingandLabeling
With 30-years’ experience and coverage throughout North America and Europe, Peak-Ryzex delivers the financial strength, international presence, and exemplary customer service to support even the most extensive enterprise.
Harness the power of your mobile, data collection, voice logistics and printing assets and realize sustainable return on all your technology investments.
We Know Mobility... Inside and Out.
Findouthow.VisitPeak-RyzexatPROMAT2013,Booth3663.www.peak-ryzex.com 888-275-7325
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Peak Ryzex Booth 3663
Packsize International, [email protected]. packsize.com
Packsize has operations in 21 countries in North America and Europe. Ten years ago, Packsize introduced Right-Sized Packaging on Demand®, giving customers the abil-ity to make their own boxes without investing capital into equipment, maintenance, and programming. Five years later, Packsize introduced the business model in Europe.
Packsize resolves inventory and shipping complexi-ties through the ability to create a custom-sized box for every order. This efficient and cost-effective, just-in-time packaging system increases total savings by an average of 35% and results in less waste, lower ship-ping costs, decreased damage rates, and increased customer satisfac-tion. The Packsize business model is emerging as a new industry: On Demand Packaging®.
Packsize Booth 2344
Perfect Pick™ is a unique, goods-to-person, picking solution that dramatically improves the rate and effi-ciency that goods move through a warehouse or distri-bution center yet is highly scalable and able to grow with your business. Perfect Pick’s revolutionary “one-touch” design is based on a single component, the iBOT™. iBOTs are intelligent, wireless vehicles that have 100% access to the inventory in a single aisle - no elevators, lifts or conveyors. iBOTs deliver totes or trays with precise sequencing directly to picking stations located at one or both ends of the aisle at industry-leading throughput rates. iBOTscan introduced or removed from the system in minutes maximizing efficiency to meet fluctuating order demands.
Opex Corp.856-727-1100www.opex.com
OPEX Corp. Booth 619
Nashville Wire Products 800-448-2125 www.nashvillewire.com
Nashville Wire Products introduces a new product line Nashville Wire Products is now stocking a complete line of heavy-duty, steel wire roll carts adding to our already extensive product offering of wire decking and wire containers. We can now supply everything you need for your material handing requirements! All our carts are manufactured with heavy-duty square and round tubing, plated to prevent rust and corrosion, and are equipped with caster pads welded inside the base for damage prevention and ease of movement. Our carts are built to last and we offer the highest quality cart on the market today!
Nashville Wire Products Booth 1537
World-class high-speed Mini-Load Crane• Travelling speed: 300m/min• Hoisting speed: 180m/min
High-density storage and High-throughput operations• Load capacities up to 300kg• Multiple up to 4 cases utilizing Twin Fork
& Double-deep capabilities
Flexible, Multiple case handling• Flexible handling of 1, 2, and 4 cases• Free rack location and Double-deep storage
achieves Excellent storage efficiency
Muratec2120 Queen City DriveCharlotte, NC 28208704-972-4474 [email protected]
Murata Machinery Booth 3208
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Steel King Industries Inc2700 Chamber StStevens Point, WI [email protected]
Steel King Booth 1231
AS/RS Racking Solutions will be featured prominently in Steel King’s Booth #1231 at ProMat. Steel King’s AS/RS racking is fully integrated into the overall AS/RS system as we partner with the crane manufacturer to provide the highest quality product and service.
Steel King provides racking for both Unit Load and Mini Load AS/RS systems and each will be on display. In addition, we offer complete turn-key systems including Sorter Platforms.
Steel King also designs rack supported buildings, where the AS/RS Racking serves as the framing for the building. We can design the buildings to support over 120ft high AS/RS rack systems.
Schaefer Systems International, Inc.877-724-2327news.ssi-schaefer.us
Goods-to-Person WorkstationVisit Schaefer Systems’ patented Goods-to-Person workstation to find out how you can get 70% higher picking efficiency over tra-ditional picking methods and achieve over 1,000 picks per hour. The Goods-to-Person workstation has been designed with your employees’ safety as a top priority. Test our workstation at the show and see the ergo-nomics@work®. In return, your employees will have less down time due to work related injuries and a significant increase in productivity, ultimately increasing your bottom line. Our Goods-to –Person workstation allows for efficient, ergonomic and error free picking while guaran-teeing delicate product handling.
Schaefer Systems International, Inc. Booth 2003
Ryson International, Inc. Booth 2336
The Ryson High Capacity Spirals handle double the capacity of our regular spirals. The load capacity is 75 lbs. per linear foot of conveyor for speeds up to 200 FPM. The total weight capacity in the spiral at any one time is 3600 lbs.
Ryson Spirals need less floor space than con-ventional conveyors and are faster and more reliable than any elevator or lift. Our modular design allows us to customize with ease and modify to accommodate emerging needs.
Ryson International, Inc. 300 Newsome DriveYorktown, VA, 23692757-898-1530www.ryson.com
Sapient Automation 877-451-4044 [email protected]
Sapient Automation is a leading provider of intel-ligent automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS). A full range of automated storage solutions includ-ing Viper™ VLMs (Vertical Lift Modules), Avenger™ Vertical Carousels, pick to light systems and full range of XPress Pix Inventory Management Software. Sapient Automation is dedicated to providing organizations with “unfair” competitive advantages by providing benchmark setting intel-ligent automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) integrated solutions. Call or email today for a free space and productivity analysis and let us show you the Sapient difference!
Sapient Automation Booth 3282
Ridg-U-Rakwww.ridgurak.com
Ridg-U-Rak’s patented Base Isolation Seismic Systems dissipate up to 85% of the seismic energy that can be exerted on a pallet rack storage system during an earthquake.
Advantages:• Reduce the risk of personal injury• Limit product loss• Can be installed on new or
existing storage systems• Increases the rack structure’s
resistance to forklift impacts
Ridg-U-Rak Booth 612
Rehrig Pacific Company 4010 East 26th StreetLos Angeles, CA [email protected]
Rehrig Pacific Company is proud to introduce its new series of GMA Pallets. Rehrig’s GMA rackable plastic pallets are the ideal sustainable solution for closed loop and WIP applications. The standard GMA-228 Pallet is rackable to 2,800 lbs. and is the strong, light-weight answer for improving efficiency. The GMA series also reduces operational and packaging costs and maximizes ROI. Rehrig’s GMA plastic pallet solution provides a significant competitive advantage over wood pallets, and they meet new FSMA traceability requirements, have a minimum 5-year life cycle, reduce food contaminates, and are 100% recyclable.
Rehrig Pacific Company Booth 3641
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Wildeck is recognized as an industry leader of industrial steel work platforms (mezzanines), vertical material lifts (VRCs), and safety guarding products (guard rail, rack protectors, loading dock and mezzanine safety gates, machine guards, and related products). Innovations include the patented AutoSenz® VRC Overload Detection control (U.S. Patent No. 7,408,317); MezzCrane™ Material Handling System; EdgeGard™ Safety Gates; V-Lift™ value-priced hydraulic material lift; and both standard and high-tolerance structural steel work platforms/mezzanines that can be custom-designed to support conveyor systems, dynamic loads, machinery, in-plant offices, and a wide range of storage and rack systems for maximum capacity, efficiency and profitability.
Wildeck, Inc.405 Commerce StreetWaukesha, WI [email protected]
Wildeck Booth 1252
Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.800-226-0009toyotaforklift.com
Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) offers a Compact 27-inch Battery Compartment option avail-able on its 8-Series 4-wheel AC electric lift trucks, in 4,000 and 5,000 pound load capacities. Ideally suited for a range of indoor material handling needs, the slim design of the lift truck accommodates either a 36-volt or 48-volt battery housed in a 27-inch compartment unit, and enables the lift truck to maneuver comfort-ably in narrow 12-foot aisles.
The compact option offers the performance ben-efits of an AC-powered system, including extended battery shift life, reduced downtime between charges and a virtually maintenance-free system for greater operator efficiency.
Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.
United Sortation Solutions55 New Plant Ct.Owings Mills, MD 21117410-363-6345www.unitedsortation.com
United Sortation Solutions is innovating sorting technology again with its Sort-Express. At its core, the Sort-Express is a right angle diverter and buffer lane module but none like you have seen before. The Sort-Express facilitates high density, accurate, and gentle sorting and buffering of totes. The design allows for quick installation and has the modularity to expand as your needs grow. The Sort-Express is gentle enough to sort and buffer your fragile product without damage or jams.
United Sortation Booth 1219
[email protected] www.tgw-group.com
TGW is a leading global manufacturer of logistics solutions and automated material handling equipment.
We plan, design, install, and service integrated logistics solutions to help a company’s supply chain, including:
• Carton, tote and unit load conveyor & sortation systems
• Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) for case, tote, carton and pallet loads
• Warehouse Control (WCS) and Warehouse Management (WMS) Systems
The company employs more than 1,500 people worldwide and has annual sales revenues of over $300 million.
TGW Booth 4237
System Logistics [email protected]
System Logistics, a leading provider of supply chain solutions and technologies, introduces the newest addition to the MODULA line of VLMs, the Sintes1. Developed as a flexible and cost effective way to enhance your picking and storage operation, the new Sintes1 allows you to save up to 90% of your floor space increasing your productivity and picking accura-cy. Sintes1 is positioned for applications where a user may not have a requirement or budget for the larger storage capacity of the MODULA Lift. The Sintes1 provides identical benefits as MODULA Lift, but is packaged with fewer features in a smaller, low-cost, easy to integrate package.
System Logistics Corp. Booth 4544
classified
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modern 60 Seconds with...
Howard Bernstein
Atlas Companies title: Founder and former chairman, Atlas Companies (including Atlas International Lift Trucks, Atlas Material Handling, Atlas Bobcat)
location: Schiller Park, Ill.
experience: More than 75 years in the materials handling industry
priMary Focus: Promoting materials handling education through the Howard Bernstein Material Handling Distribution Scholarship; www.mhia.org/about/mhefi/ howardbernsteinfund.aspx
Modern: after a long career, you’ve sold your companies and are focusing on educating the next generation of materials handlers and distributors. tell us about that.
Bernstein: It’s payback for the wonderful opportunities I’ve had in this great country of ours and in this industry. I want to do my best to encourage other young people in the field of materials handling. I was president of MHEDA 45 years ago. Back then, there were about five universities in the country that had courses in distribution. When I visited Texas A&M, I discovered that students in industrial distribution didn’t know anything about the materials handling field or where we fit. We wanted to change that. Today, there are about 27 universities with industrial distribution and engineering courses. They recognize the materials handling opportunities.
Modern: you’ve contributed $150,000 to launch a scholarship program. We understand that it has led to a number of other contributions.
Bernstein: Yes, and I can tell you that I had no thoughts whatsoever of receiving any other contributions in this fund. My target was to provide $30,000 a year for five years. The program will cover five $5,000 scholarships a year. The other $5,000 is for promotion and advertising. The fund received some very nice publicity and other people began sending in money. So far, something in the neighborhood of $25,000 has come in, and I’m confident we will receive more. That means instead of having five scholarships, we’ll have a minimum of seven scholarships
and have seed money going into next year. We’ve exceeded my original plan already.
Modern: What level of student are you focused on?
Bernstein: The program is earmarked for college-level students. There are other groups supporting vocational and technical school programs, and over the years we did that at my company. The gentleman who is now president of the Atlas Companies came to work for us at the age of 17. He started as a trainee mechanic and has been president of the company for 12 years. So, I recognize the value of those programs. But this scholarship fund is geared toward starting-level professionals.
Modern: Why is materials handling education so important?
Bernstein: I think it’s important that we educate and have a way to measure the impact of our programs. When I took that first visit to Texas A&M years ago, there were just 35 students enrolled in the program. Today, they have more than 500 students. Materials handling is necessary for this country and its leadership. For instance, we need advanced materials handling and technology systems to bring more manufacturing to this country. Its what allows us to compete with low labor costs. Remember, materials handling touches everything. M
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New state-of-the-art Horizontal Carousel
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