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PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING

March 2013

Dock to dockLittle things that make

a big difference 16

THE BIG PICTURE

SPECIAL REPORT

Industry Outlook/Equipment Survey 24

EQUIPMENT REPORT

Carts and casters: Business in motion 32

ProMat 2013:A look back at the show36

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UP FRONT B R E A K I N G N E W S Y O U S H O U L D K N O W

Automate 2013 reaches a record number of attendeesAUTOMATE 2013, held Jan. 21-24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, was attended by a record 10,975 attendees from across the United States and 55 countries.

“Automate 2013 exceeded all of our expecta-tions,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing

Automation, the primary sponsor of the show. “All of our numbers were up sharply, including total exhibitors (+17%), show attendees (+62%) and confer-ence participants (+10%). Our

post-show survey indicates that Automate is becoming the primary

trade show in the field for many people, as about 50% of attendees do not attend any other automation

RPA launches connected community initiative; seeks industry input

The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) is seek-ing input from supply chain professionals to help mold its new virtual reusable packaging forum, called Connected Community. When launched, the community will provide a forum for sharing new ideas and practical real world solutions for

implementing and maximizing reusable transport packag-ing systems into the supply chain. The goal of the commu-nity is to virtually and effortlessly connect people looking to either source or sell a reusable packaging product or service, and propel the adoption of reusable packaging solutions as a preferred solution for transporting products in a B-to-B supply chain. The Connected Community will available on the RPA Web site (reusables.org).

“The findings from the survey will shape the founda-tion of the online community so we are seeking input from a broad base of supply chain professionals,” said Jerry Welcome, RPA president. “Industry input and direction will be critical to building a successful and useful online com-munity for the reusable industry.”

DEMATIC, A SUPPLIER of systems for the factory, warehouse and dis-tribution center, has announced the expansion and strengthening of its relationship with Vocollect, a leader in voice solutions for mobile work-ers and a business unit of Intermec, through a new global partnership.

Vocollect solutions integrate with Dematic’s software platform for seamless, consistent applica-tion throughout the entire warehouse operations. Collaborating in this way at the global level, said company officials, helps ensure reliable support and repeatable results regardless of location while greatly improving the ability to make real-time decisions, leading to increased distribution and fulfillment capa-bility while lowering costs.

“Leveraging knowledge captured from the ware-house or DC is important to the supply chain,” said Robert Nilsson, Dematic vice president and general manager of software and supply chain intelligence.

Dematic and Vocollect expand relationship to global level

Virginia governor announces Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems

Governor Bob McDonnell announced the formation of Virginia’s newest collaboration between industry and Virginia universities: the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems (CCALS). Modeled after the successful Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM), CCALS offers businesses and government agencies with significant logistics operations a new, unique and collaborative R&D method that promises to cut

related trade shows.”It’s clear that the message that

automation is the best way to become a stronger global competitor is resonating with companies in virtu-ally every industry, said Burnstein. Robot sales set a record in 2012, the Automate 2013 show was a success, and Bernstein expects these trends to continue as the manufacturing resurgence in the United States gains an even stronger foothold. “We believe this will lead to an expanded Automate event when it is next held in 2015,” he added.

costs, accelerate new discoveries and deliver transfor-mative results to the technology, transportation, human and other systems that enable logistics.

“Virginia’s universities represent a powerful economic development engine for the Commonwealth, especially when they come together in collaborative support of industry objectives,” said Governor McDonnell. “CCALS capitalizes on an emerging logistics hub in central Virginia that includes Fort Lee and a transportation infrastructure that connects to the world. Breakthrough research at CCALS will raise the region’s profile further, bringing new businesses, new jobs and new opportunities.”

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PROOOBBLLEEMM SSSSOOLVEEDDDD..

We pushed our heavy duty pallet jacks to the limit—1000+ hours in an extreme cold storage application test, emptying 1,300 trailers, moving 50,000 pallets and transporting 105,000,000 lbs. of freight—without lubrication or service. Just the dependability that you’d expect from a world-class manufacturer like Yale. Of course, we don’t recommend you treat your trucks this way. Always follow recommended maintenance intervals.Find out more at Yale.com.

Yale is a Registered Trademark. is a registered copyright. ©Yale Materials Handling Corporation 2012. All Rights Reserved. 12

YLE5

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PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING

VOL. 68, NO. 3

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 3/ Upfront 7/ This month in Modern12/ Lift Truck Tips: Ergonomics14/ Packaging Corner: Palletizing62/ Focus On: Casters, Carts, Tuggers66/ 60 seconds with...

NEWS 9/ Women could be key to filling the

manufacturing talent gap10/ STEP Award winners announced11/ Neeley School of Business announces

MS in SCM degree

COVER STORYBIG PICTURE

16 Little things make a big differenceAutomation is transforming distribution centers. But don’t overlook the little things that can have a big impact on your performance.

FEATURESEQUIPMENT REPORT

32 Carts & Casters: Business in motionAs lean sensibilities migrate from the production floor to the warehouse, carts, and casters prove a pivotal tool for enhancing the mobility of product, people, and processes.

READER SURVEY

24 Industry Outlook: Moving more, spending lessOur annual outlook survey finds the industry steadying for a new, slower pace of growth following the release of pent-up demand after the downturn. Yet, even as planned spending drops off, facility activity is the highest since 2007— signaling that “doing more with less” has stuck.

SHOW REVIEW

26 ProMat 2013: A look at the showA look back at some of the products and services our editors saw at ProMat 2013.

PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTION

50 Retailer adds modules to WMS to monitor and enable growthCompany that took orders by fax 15 years ago now commands 30% market share.

51 WMS helps bring distribution in-house amid strong growthAfter cutting ties with a 3PL, retailer easily handles 50% spikes in daily order volume.

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. ©2013 Peerless Media, LLC.

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Cover illustration by Dan Vasconcellos

60 seconds with... Bob Babel, Forte

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THIS MONTH IN MODERN

While many of us are still buzzing from one of the busiest ProMat events in recent memory, this

month in Modern we pull our focus in a bit and concentrate on the little things that are making a big difference inside materials handling operations—especially in light of the increasing adoption of high-speed order fulfillment systems.

For example, in executive editor Bob Tre-bilcocks’s Big Picture—the latest in a series of articles that explores the vital role materi-als handling plays in business—he explains that as sophisticated automation is taking operations to new heights of efficiency and productivity, it’s more important than ever to cure the common bottlenecks often found inside operations.

Starting on page 16, Trebilcock focuses the microscope on the growing importance of powered mobile workstations in receiv-ing and quality control; capturing cube and weight early in the process; centralizing packing and labeling; automating the pack-ing process; procuring proper dock equip-ment; and streamlining loading and unload-ing processes.

“Over the past few months we’ve con-centrated on some impressive high-speed order fulfillment engines that are driving the business strategy of some of today’s savviest retailers,” says Trebilcock. “But that engine simply won’t hit its numbers if inventory doesn’t get off the receiving dock or orders can’t get through manual packing stations to hit shipping cut-off times.”

On the theme of often overlooked yet

vital pieces of the productivity equation, associate editor Josh Bond gives readers a comprehensive snapshot of the state of carts and casters (page 32) and explains where the perception of carts as a “neces-sary evil” to keep product moving inside a facility is changing. The heavy, noisy and unwieldy cart, says Bond, has evolved into a “cart system” designed from the casters up to optimize material flow through with as much comfort to the user as possible.

“The concept of putting everything on wheels is an apt metaphor for the flexibility demanded by today’s operations,” says Bond. “By empowering the workers and managers on the front lines to adjust work cells and react to changing conditions on the fly, carts and casters have become es-sential to the mobility of product, people and processes.”

Rounding out this month’s theme, con-tributing editor Maida Napolitano revisits eight fundamental guidelines to help man-agers improve inventory management. To do this, she’s gathered six inventory man-agement experts with a combined 80 years of experience inside the four walls.

“I picked this panel because I knew they would get back to basics and review the critical strategies some operations may have neglected as they raced to adopt more sophisticated order fulfillment equip-ment,” says Napolitano. “These steps force managers to step back and see how they can better integrate their data with their systems and make real-time visibility more of a reality.”

Little things that make a big difference

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BY JOSH BOND, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MANUFACTURING REPORT

Women could be key to filling the manufacturing talent gapSURVEY RESULTS HIGHLIGHT PERCEPTIONS OF MANUFACTURING CAREERS, WHERE WOMEN MAKE UP JUST 24.8% OF THE WORKFORCE.

EVEN AS MANUFACTURING enjoys a resurgence in the United States, companies are facing a critical talent shortfall. According to a recent sur-vey, one of the best ways to address the talent gap is to improve percep-tions of the industry as a female-friendly workplace. Nearly 80% of survey respondents believe manu-facturers can improve their efforts to recruit women, and 51% believe the main driver on women’s under-representation is the perception of a male-favored culture. While women make up 46% of the total U.S. labor force, they account for just 24.8% of the durable goods manufacturing workforce.

These are among the fi nd-ings of a study conducted by global research fi rm Deloitte on behalf of the Manufac-turing Institute, the educa-tion and research affi liate of the National Association of Manufacturers. The survey reached more than 620 women in manufacturing, across all functional roles and levels, and included one-

on-one interviews with more than a dozen women. According to Jacey Wilkins, director of communications for the Manufacturing Institute, the study is part of a three-part initiative to assess and improve the role of women in manufacturing. The three parts include research, recognition and leadership, where recognized women become ambassadors in their communities advocating for the next generation of female industry employees.

“The survey results didn’t neces-sarily surprise me,” said Wilkins. “We have research on the general percep-tion of manufacturing among the American public and we know the stereotypes are out there. We know that people love manufacturing and think it’s great, but they aren’t going into it, and they’re not going to en-courage their kids to go into it.”

That said, some of the recent survey’s research presented interest-ing contrasts to past research. The surveyed women in manufacturing were more likely to recommend the industry to their sons than their daughters, but according to general public research, more mothers than fathers are likely to recommend

manufacturing jobs to children of either sex.

Women in manufac-turing reported compen-sation and opportunities for challenging assign-ments as the top two at-tributes that make manu-facturing an attractive career path. These align nicely with the desires of many young workers, but a disconnect persists. “There is a perception that these are routinized, mindless assembly line jobs, but that is begin-ning to change,” Wilkins

10 M A R C H 2 0 1 3 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com

said. “We, as an industry, need to address this head-on.”

As many as 600,000 manufactur-ing jobs remain unfi lled and 70% of manufacturing companies report experiencing a moderate to severe talent shortage. “The United States is in

a global war for jobs, and if manufactur-ers don’t attract the best and brightest, we will not be able to build a diverse workforce,” Wilkins said. “No big prob-lems were ever solved by a room full of people with the same background, experience and perspectives.”

IN ADVANCE OF March’s Women’s History Month, the Manufacturing Institute and its STEP Ahead initiative partners recognized 122 recipients of the STEP Awards at a reception in Washington, D.C., on February 5. The institute partnered with Deloitte, Uni-versity of Phoenix, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers on the STEP Ahead initiative (women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Produc-tion), which was launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recog-nition, research, and education/leader-ship. It also highlights best practices for attracting, advancing and retaining strong female talent. The STEP awards recognize women at all levels of a manufacturing organization from the factory fl oor to the C-suite.

“These 122 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, president of the The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made signifi cant achieve-ments in manufacturing through posi-tive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”

“The STEP Ahead initiative was founded to change perceptions of the manufacturing industry and create new opportunities for women in the sector,” said Latondra Newton, group vice president at Toyota Motor North America, and chairwoman of the STEP

WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING

STEP Award winners announced

STEP Award honorees received standing ovation.


Chain Management Certifi cate, to optimize on-the-job experience.

“The ability to respond to the complex, worldwide supply and demand of business is vital to give a company a competitive edge,” Swink said. “These two new advanced

programs at TCU provide supply chain professionals with the vision and skills to directly impact the com-pany’s bottom line.”

For application, curriculum and tuition information, visit www.neeley.tcu.edu/MSinSCM. �

Ahead initiative. “This initiative is the call for action to transform the face of today’s manufacturing talent and ensure that women can contribute to the future of this industry.”

EDUCATION

Neeley School of Business announces MS in SCM degree

THE NEELEY SCHOOL OF BUSI-NESS at TCU (Texas Christian University) has announced a new ad-vanced academic degree for work-ing professionals in the supply chain fi eld to take their career to the next level. Neeley’s Master of Science in Supply Chain Management is a 30-hour, evening-only, college-credit program beginning in fall 2013. Applications are currently being ac-cepted through May 30.

The degree includes a two-week international experience to visit busi-nesses and governments to better understand global opportunities and challenges. A fi eld project teams each student with a faculty member to participate in vital research that immediately impacts the student’s company.

“Companies have told us that they want advanced education options in supply chain, especially since a degree in supply chain management didn’t ex-ist 10 years ago,” said Morgan Swink, executive director of TCU’s Supply and Value Chain Center and professor of supply chain. “Supply chain manage-ment has evolved out of an affi liation between purchasing, logistics and manufacturing into an integrated, mul-ticultural, cross-functional discipline. The Master of Science in Supply Chain Management gives professionals and their companies a decided advantage in today’s complex, global business environment.”

The Neeley School recently an-nounced a non-credit option for sup-ply chain professionals, the Supply


LIFT TRUCK TIPS

By Josh Bond, Associate Editor

Standard and optional lift truck features can help the operator move as little as possible, a sure way to increase comfort and productivity.

Keep lift truck operators in one place

Operating a lift truck all day can be physically demanding. With an eye toward improving oper-ator comfort, many lift truck manufacturers have

been developing standard and optional ergonomic fea-tures to reduce an operator’s stress and strain. Fingertip controls can replace hydraulic levers to minimize upper body exertion. Seat suspension can alleviate lower back pain. But to really boost comfort and productivity, the end-user should work not only to ensure the operator is comfortable in his seat, but that he stays there as often as possible.

According to Nebojsa “Beck” Trajkovic, electric product planning specialist with Toyota Material Handling U.S.A., ergonomics have such an impact on productiv-ity that customers can even build a justification for new equipment based on ergonomics alone.

“Customers understand more than ever how ergonom-ics play an important role in not only reducing fatigue, but keeping the operator productive,” Trajkovic says. “If you’re trying to keep the operator as comfortable as pos-sible, their amount of movement is directly related.”

With each new generation of lift truck, more ergo-nomic features become standard, such as fully sus-pended seats, smaller steering wheels to reduce strain to shoulders, and a lower front cowl, which improves visibility. Improvements in visibility lead to a reduction in movement, since viewing the forks, the load and any obstructions requires less craning, leaning and stretch-ing. Minimizing leaning is not just a good practice, says Trajkovic, it’s an activity monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Leaning out of a truck is a citable offense, says Trajkovic, and thus a clear indicator of a problem.

But some of the most ergonomically friendly aftermar-ket options for lift trucks, such as integrated scales and fork positioners, are not presented expressly as ergo-

nomic solutions. Scales reduce the need for an operator to exit and enter the lift truck to weigh a load, while the ability to bypass a stationary scale creates more direct routes for load movement. Fork positioners reduce the likelihood of hand injury, speed up productivity, and, again, keep the operator firmly planted in the seat.

For operators in some applications, repeated entry and exit is unavoidable. In this case, there are features that lessen the difficulty of frequent dismounts. In addition to more spacious floor space and a lower step height, lift trucks can be fitted with a swivel-seat option to reduce twisting motions. These seats can also lock at an angle to minimize lower back strain for rear-facing operators.

The justification starts with listening to operators, or providing a channel for feedback. Best of all, says Trajkovic, is that “happy operators will always lead to increased productivity.”

Josh Bond is Modern’s associate editor and can be reached at [email protected]

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PACKAGING CORNER

By Sara Pearson Specter, Editor at Large

Smaller packages. Club store packs with shelf-ready packaging. Sustainability. Packaging waste reduction.

All of these trends have pushed manufac-turers and distributors to invest in automated palletizing systems, particularly hybrid models that feature a robotic arm to arrange cases that are then fed—layer by layer—to a con-ventional palletizer to secure them to a pallet.

“Companies are trying to do more with less,” says Ted Yeigh, sales director for Co-lumbia Machine. “That’s prompting them to implement more automated solutions. With hybrid palletizers, companies get the flexibil-ity of a robot that can quickly adapt to chang-ing packaging requirements and handle very delicate products, including tall and tippy cases, labels-out layer forming and other challenging package types. They also benefit from the simplicity of a conventional palletizer to finish the load-building process.”

In the vein of doing more with less, notes Yeigh, there’s been a strong uptick in in-line, floor-level palletizer sales. “With the full machine on the floor, it’s easier to walk by and visually verify proper operation. Floor-level palletizers are also easier to access for regular maintenance.”

Of course, with all automated machinery, regular service is required to keep it functioning at peak per-formance.

To protect operators and service technicians, Colum-bia started including Category 3 electrical circuits as a standard feature on all of their palletizers (including hy-brid models) more than three years ago. The redundant, fail-safe circuitry ensures that all integrated safety equip-ment—including interlocked door switches and light cur-

tains in the discharge area—operate properly to protect personnel, even in the event of a circuit failure.

“We were seeing an increasing demand from multi-national corporations to mirror the safety standards set in place in Europe,” continues Yeigh. “It just made sense to make these safety enhancements a standard feature, rather than a custom-engineered solution.”

Companies turn to automated palletizing equipment to accommodate changing packaging requirements.

Automated palletizers emphasize flexibility, safety

Sara Pearson Specter is an editor at large with Modern and can be reached at [email protected].

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By Bob Trebilcock, executive editor

Little things that make a

Automation, technology and software promise new levels of efficiency and productivity along with the capability to execute complex order fulfillment strategies.That’s the good news. The bad news: just as a supply chain is only as efficient as its weakest link, a sophisticated materials handling system is only as efficient as the bottlenecks in a distribution center. A high-speed order fulfillment engine won’t hit its numbers if inventory doesn’t get off the receiving dock or orders can’t get through manual packing stations to meet shipping cut-off times.

As a result, these new systems are highlighting the big difference that little things can have on operations. Here are seven examples to consider for your facility.

1. Receiving, inspection and quality control with powered mobile workstations.

Receiving, storing and shipping full pallets is a relatively simple process. On the other hand, breaking down those pallets into smaller units of measure that must

be inspected and labeled for shipment is labor intensive and prone to error.

That’s where powered mobile workstations can play a role. Mobility allows the associate to take the technol-ogy to wherever the work needs to be performed. Unlike traditional carts, however, a powered mobile worksta-tion includes a mobile power source to run a laptop, thin client or industrial tablet; a bar code scanner; a thermal printer; an electronic scale or cubing device; or some other piece of equipment that might be used for quality control or inspection. “The No. 1 reason people invest in a powered mobile workstation is to cut down on or eliminate walking from the dock or picking area to get labels, purchase orders or other information they need to put on product coming in or going out the door,” says John O’Kelly, president of Newcastle Systems.

One e-tailer, for example, uses a powered mobile workstation to pick oversized products that ship in their storage packaging, such as 42-inch flat screen televi-

THE BIG PICTUREWhere Business Meets Materials Handling


Automation is transforming distribution centers. But don’t overlook the little things that can have a big impact on your performance.

sions. Order selectors use the bar code scanner on the cart to scan a location label on the rack to confirm that they are picking a Sony television rather than a Sanyo

television. Associates then print and apply the shipping label from the cart before delivering the TVs to the ship-ping area. “Labeling at the point of picking streamlines the process and cuts down on errors,” says O’Kelly.

2. Capture cube and weight information now for packaging later.

Cubing and weighing equipment has long been used to capture the weight and dimensional information of incoming pallets and cartons to make the best use of storage locations.

With the increase in e-commerce, cubing and weigh-ing systems are now being used to provide precise dimen-sions and weights of individual items that are unpack-aged and may also be an unusual shape. That information allows a distributor to pick, cartonize and ship an order in the most economical way possible. “The information col-lected upfront is exported to a WMS or some other sys-tem that can be used to tell the order fulfillment person

Cubing and weighing information helps e-tailers optimize packaging requirements and minimize shipping costs.

difference in your

operation


which carton to use to minimize ship-ping costs,” says Clark Skeen, president of CubiScan.” The information can also be used by the warehouse management system (WMS) to group picks together in a way that optimizes packing. Finally, it provides information for the new gen-eration of on-demand packaging systems highlighted later in this article. Weight information, meanwhile, is used to check weigh orders for quality control purposes.

Skeen says that most new customers begin by installing cubing and weighing equipment on a powered mobile worksta-tion so they can weigh and cube items already in storage. Once that process is complete, the equipment is moved to the receiving area to dimension new items or confirm that existing items haven’t changed in weight, shape or packaging.

3. Integrate workstations with the materials handling system.

Despite the amount of time, money and planning invested in software, data collection technologies and auto-mation, manual workstations in the packaging and value-added services areas are often an afterthought, says Jeff Dehnert, president of Dehnco. “Typically, system designers spend their time on software and equipment to pick with 100% accuracy and move an order at very fast speeds,” says Dehnert. “All of a sudden, all that automation has to integrate with a manual process involving an hourly wage employee who isn’t equipped with the right supplies or tools to keep up with the through-put of the system. The manual process becomes the bottleneck.”

It’s a little like a downhill skier hitting an unexpected patch of dirt: Everything comes to a sudden halt.

Dehnert argues that considering the requirements of the workstation in the

early stages of a project can deliver a design that integrates with the flow of product through the building and reduces the number of touches and movements at the pack-ing station.

“If we understand the step-by-step process at the outset, we can design in small, incre-mental savings in the packing process,” Dehnert says, add-ing that a well-designed workstation can deliver productivity improvements of 20% to 25% for that process. “Those improvements may not seem like much at one station, but when you multiply them by the 15 or 20 workstations that a typical big box retailer operates most of the year, it adds up.”

4. Lean out the labeling process.

As the volume of parcel shipping rises, so does the interest in systems to auto-matically insert a returns label, print and insert packing slips, and print and apply shipping labels.

The place to start, says Dan Hanrahan, president of Numina Group, isn’t with the print-and-apply system, but further upstream with the picking process. He

urges customers to think of the pick, pack, validation and flow of an order as one continuous process that begins with picking and ends with a product going into a truck. “The first step used to be to buy a print-and-apply system,” says Hanrahan. “Now, we’re defining the whole pick-and-pack process. That allows us to take touches out and build repeatability into the process before it gets to the print-and-apply station.”

According to Hanrahan, there are several areas to be considered in that approach:

Centralize packing and labeling: If processes can be centralized, then the area can be laid out in an ergonomic way that minimizes walking and maxi-mizes the workflows to the packer even without automation.

Rationalize carton sizes: Instead of

THE BIG PICTURE Where Business Meets Materials Handling

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Too often overlooked in the design of a system, the shipping and receiving docks are the last frontiers for efficiency.

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MODERN system report

13 or 14 different carton sizes, see if you can fill most of your orders with just six different sizes.

Assess your void: Make sure void fill and packing documentation is located within easy reach. “If you’re packing more than 500 cartons a day, you may be a candidate for an automated system for inserting packing slips,” Hanrahan says.

Create an assembly line in packing: Instead of one packer performing all the steps in the process, consider put-ting cartons on gravity flow conveyor and perform a different step at each station.

By leaning out the processes before the print-and-apply station, product will flow more efficiently.

5. Optimize and automate the packaging process.

The conventional way to package indi-vidual and less-than-carton quantities of items is to keep an inventory of different sized boxes and void fill to accommodate the many different sized orders that may be shipped. The result is that customers are often shipping too much packaging for an order and paying for more of the cube of a trailer or shipping container than they really need.

“People squeeze every second of the cycle time from the processes inside their buildings,” says Hanko Kiessner, CEO of Packsize International. “But when the product leaves the building, they lose more in excess shipping costs than they saved inside the building.”

Instead, a new generation of machin-ery has come to market that makes the right size shipping container for each order—and does it on-demand. These systems combine information about the items being picked from the WMS with the dimensional and weight informa-tion collected by weighing and cubing systems to determine the best size box that fits each order. The machines then make the box at the time the order is being picked.

In the most efficient operations, the order is picked directly to the on demand box rather than into a tote to be packaged later. “You’re using about

30% less cardboard on average in each box,” says Tom Coyne CEO of System Logistics.

The new on-demand box making systems are designed for high-volume environ-ments. System Logistics machines are capable of making 3,000 boxes per line in an eight-hour shift; a system from Sealed Air is capable of making 5,500 boxes on a single line per shift. Both System Logistics and Sealed Air provide fully automated solutions that integrate with a materials handling system.

Along with a new approach to pack-aging, these systems are also sold in a variety of ways.

Packsize, for instance, does not charge upfront for its machinery. Rather, it provides the corrugated that works with its machinery.

Similarly, Sealed Air does not charge upfront for its equipment either, other than an installation fee. Nor does it charge for the mate-rials used in the machine. Instead, it charges a transac-tion fee for each box made by the machine.

System Logistics, on the other hand, offers a conven-tional sales model, where the customer buys the machine and works with any corru-gated supplier.

“The growth of e-com-merce is driving the need for these solutions,” says Don

Liebel, business engineer for Sealed Air. “People have automated how they pick and sort their products. The pack station has always been a neglected area.”

6. Don’t overlook the dock.Walt Swietlik, director of field

support for Rite-Hite Products, tells a story about a customer that outfitted all of its lift trucks with attachments that could load two 48-inch pallets side by side into a trailer at one time. The idea was to drastically speed up the load-ing process. The only problem: No one realized that two side-by-side pallets wouldn’t fit through the dock doors. “The loading dock is the last frontier for efficiency,“ says Swietlik. “A lot of con-

Loading and unloading cartons is more efficient and ergonomic with a powered platform. Or the process can be automated with robotics.

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sultants have looked at the efficiencies they can gain inside the box. But the main artery in and out of a facility is the dock doors and they are an afterthought to the design of most facilities.”

Too often, he adds, docks are too high for today’s trailers. Dock doors aren’t wide enough for today’s loads. And, dock plates are often the wrong size and capacity for what the client wants to run over them. “In those instances, the dock becomes like a clogged artery,” Swietlik says. “When a truck comes in, it has to be loaded or unloaded by hand and produc-tivity goes down the tube.”

The solution, he adds, is relatively simple. Before leasing a building or implementing new processes, have a dis-cussion with someone who specializes in dock equipment to make sure the right equipment is in place to work with the distribution and shipping procedures. “The dock is part of an overall system,” Swietlik says. “If you’re maximizing the cube on a pallet and you want to maxi-mize the cube in a trailer, that cube bet-ter roll through the doors efficiently.”

7. Automation doesn’t stop at the dock door.

Loading or unloading floor-loaded con-tainers and trailers is typically done in one of two ways. Cartons are manu-ally loaded onto a pallet that is then removed by a pallet jack or lift truck. Or the cartons are loaded onto an

extendable conveyor that reaches into the trailer. In the second example, an associate often has to reach over his head or stand on a step stool to get to the cartons at the top of the stack. Both approaches are hard work and neither is very ergonomic.

Semi-automated and automated solutions for loading and unloading car-tons can now extend the reach of auto-mated materials handling systems right into the trailer.

The first approach involves attaching a powered platform to a flexible roller con-veyor or extendable belt conveyor. The platform’s controls allow an associate to position it at an ergonomic height and

slide a carton from the con-veyor into position in the stack. “One liquor distribu-tor in Ontario was loading 575 cases an hour with two people in the trailer using just a flexible roller con-veyor,” says Richard Kat, vice president of sales and marketing for Engineered Lifting Systems. “By add-ing the powered platform to the conveyor, one opera-tor can now load 650 cases per hour and the operators aren’t as tired at the end of

the shift.” The reason is that the associ-ate can slide the cases into position rather than lift them.

At the same time, robots are now being deployed to automatically load and unload cartons from trailers and shipping containers. The technology is already being used by a leading CPG manufac-turer, according to Joe O’Connor, direc-tor of marketing for Wynright. “One robot can work two containers,” O’Connor says. And while the solution still requires an associate on the dock to oversee the robots, typically one associate can moni-tor three robots. �

THE BIG PICTURE Where Business Meets Materials Handling

Companies mentioned in this articleCUBISCAN: www.cubiscan.comDEHNCO: www.dehnco.comENGINEERED LIFTING SYSTEMS: www.destuffit.comNEWCASTLE SYSTEMS: www.newcastlesys.comNUMINA GROUP: www.numinagroup.comPACKSIZE INTERNATIONAL: www.pack-size.comRITE-HITE PRODUCTS: www.ritehite.comSEALED AIR: www.sealedairautoma-tion.comSYSTEM LOGISTICS: www.systemlogis-tics.comWYNRIGHT: www.wynright.com

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Our annual outlook survey finds the industry steadying for a new, slower pace of growth following the release of pent-up demand after the downturn. Yet, even as planned spending drops off, facility activity is the highest since 2007—signaling that “doing more with less” has stuck.

Just as an effective materials handling system cannot be shaped around one data point, interpreting the results of an industry survey is about more than just the bottom line.

For instance, take a look at the average materials handling budget as reported by Peerless Research Group (PRG) in the 2013 State of Warehouse/DC Equipment and Technology Survey. At nearly 26% less than last year, the average anticipated spending among the survey’s 597 respondents is just $334,510. In fact, about half of those respondents plan to spend less than $50,000.

But if we look at activity levels, facil-ity capacity numbers have jumped up by as much at 10% in one year—fol-lowing six consecutive years of decline. According to John Hill, director at St. Onge, capacity figures between 60% and 70%, although a big improvement, are still below a certain threshold. When they rise above 70%, he says, it’s often necessary to spend on materials handling equipment just to keep up.

In the meantime, most businesses will tend to sit tight.

“In the past couple of years, we saw the effect of delayed spending,” says Hill. “Now, many have caught up; and unless growth is phenomenally good, there won’t be as much pressure to spend. We’re looking at modest growth that perhaps many feel they are able to handle.”

In fact, respondents expressed a great deal of optimism that they could handle it. When asked about their anticipated activity levels over the next two years, almost 95% said that they expected activity to increase or stay the same. To be fair, more than 50% of respondents suggested their warehous-ing activity would stay the same.

According to George Prest, CEO of Material Handling Industry (MHI), growth is projected to improve into 2014. Following industry growth rates of 14% in 2011 and 10% in 2012, 2013 could hover around 6% before breaking double digits again in 2014.

“We’re on the declining side of the

MODERN special report

Respondent demographicsIn January, Peerless Research Group e-mailed survey ques-tionnaires to readers of Modern Materials Handling and Logistics Management, yielding 597 qualified respondents from manufacturing (39%), warehousing (21%), corpo-rate (25%) and aligned logistics professionals (15%). Revenues of responding companies range from large (26% have annual revenues of $500 million or more) to small (47% are below $50 million). Qualified respondents are those managers and personnel involved in the pur-chase decision process of materials handling solutions.

2013 Warehouse/DC Equipment and Technology Survey:

Moving more, spending less


Daniel Guidera


growth curve,” says Prest, “but we can expect to see things trending upward from here. Specific industry segments will pick back up at different times, but the overall outlook is good.”

Demographics and reduced spendingThis year’s respondent base of 597 is about twice last year’s base of 314 sur-vey responses. However, according to Judd Aschenbrand, director of research for PRG, the demographic breakdown of the group remains statistically simi-lar to last year.

One notable change is in the level of participation in the southern and southeastern part of the country, where 20% of respondents are located—as compared to just 10% in last year’s

results. Aschenbrand also pointed to the political and economic climate at the time of the survey, which was fielded in January as President Obama was poised to begin his second term.

A level of uncertainty was reflected in the 50% of respondents who said that they will take a “wait-and-see” approach in 2013, up from 46% last year. Those with pre-approved capital expenditure budgets for materials han-dling solutions dropped from 60% in 2011 and 48% in 2012 to 38% this year, averaging just $390,000. Both figures are the lowest in seven years.

The uncertainty also made an impact on optimism as compared with January 2012, when 40% of respondents to last year’s survey said they expected their materials handling spending to increase

in 2012. This year, only about 30% said that had been the case, and just 26% expect spending to increase in 2013. In 2012, 45% said they expected spending to stay the same in the coming year, but now almost 60% expect their spending to remain unchanged in 2013.

According to Jim Moran, chairman of the Industrial Truck Association and member of the board of directors at Crown Equipment, the industry might want to get used to a slow and steady approach.

“Everyone is being very conservative, but that’s predictable given the news you hear today and the level of uncer-tainty,” says Moran. “The tendency is to feel negative, and it’s hard to shake that. The reality is that it’s not that bad, but it’s so much different than any-thing we’ve seen in the past. I think the industry is moving gradually forward in a positive way, but it’s a pace we have to get used to, because I think it’s going to be around for a while.”

The return of laborThe 14% of respondents who reported that they would hold off on investments in the coming year will avoid primarily big-ticket items like automation, stor-age, and technology and software. The 19% who plan to proceed with invest-ments are looking at the same technolo-gies, including conveyors and sortation, information technology like warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, as well as automatic guided vehicles and robotics.

Hill says that the outlook for robot-ics suppliers is good as solutions for picking and packing gain momentum. But he was quick to point out that manpower remains an effective solu-tion, particularly for retailers facing the e-commerce boom. He pointed to the 43% of respondents who plan to spend on labor and staffing in 2013, up from 40% in 2012 and 37% in 2011.

However, MHI’s Prest suggests that hiring practices have evolved in recent years. As companies expand their labor


Source: Peerless Research Group (PRG)

Level of spending In total, over the next 12 months, approximately how much do you expectto spend on materials handling equipment and information systems solutions?

2011

Median anticipated spending 2011 2012 2013

$77,000 $85,500 $58,620

$451,700$451,000

2012

$2.5 million or more

$1 million-$2.49 million

$500,000-$999,999

$250,000-$499,999

$100,000-$249,999

$50,000-$99,999

$25,000-$49,999

Less than $25,000

$334,510

2013

Spending level

will dropsignificantlyfrom last year.

4%8%

6%7%

7%6%

8%9%

14%16%

14%15%

19%16%

29%23%

� 2013

� 2012

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Budget levels Do you have a pre-approved annual capitalexpenditures budget for materials handlingsolutions? (2009 information not available)

2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013

Mean:2007—$600,120 2011—$694,5002008—$655,000 2012—$470,2502010—$515,000 2013—$390,000

Less than$25,000

$25,000-$99,000

$100,000-$249,000

$250,000-$999,999

$1,000,000+

11%10%

27%

19%

21%20%

21%

22%

20%

29%

� 2013

� 2012

57%

46%

60%

48%

38%42%

If yes, what is the amount?

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forces, they will tend to recruit and train with an eye toward long-term retention. No longer content to “throw

bodies at the problem,” businesses will use employees to leverage investments in technology, maximizing the produc-

tivity of each. “It’s a different kind of hir-ing,” he says. “People are being more cau-tious about the types of employees they bring into their companies.”

As respondents work to grow their work-force and productivity, it is not surprising that safety tops the survey’s list of most important issues, placing above company growth, throughput, and last year’s top issue: cost containment. Moran suggests the reason pro-ductivity metrics have

fallen in importance is due to the spend-ing on technology in recent years, which has helped many companies to be more


The economy and materials handling operations trendsHow does your company’s spending on materials handling solutions in 2012compare with 2011? And by what percentage?

49% Stayedabout the same

21% Decreased

30% Increased

60% Will stayabout the same

14% Decreasing

27% Increasing

How do you expect your company’s spending on materials handling solutions in 2013 to compare with 2012? And by what percentage?



Facility activity as a percentage of capacity* *2009 data not available

2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013

Manufacturing (%) Warehousing supporting Manufacturing (%)

Standalone warehousing (%)

72%66% 65% 64% 63%

68% 66%60% 59% 56% 57%

67% 70% 68% 67%60% 62% 65%

efficient and reduce cost.“It’s one of the reasons we saw

employment numbers hold steady while productivity increased,” says Moran. “People are employing every ounce of technology they can as warehousing becomes more and more sophisticated.”

But, there is perhaps a limit to how

much productivity can increase while headcount stays the same. Hill suggests that, following the recession’s layoffs and large investments in technology, we might expect to see staffing levels and productivity return to synchronous growth.

This corresponds to the survey’s

anticipated increase in the importance of training, which 57% of respondents said is very important today—but which

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Being caught unprepared is a risk many can’t afford. But there are also risks few can anticipate.

Last year, 79% of respondents indicated they had a plan for iden-tifying, analyzing and reducing exposures to risk in their materials handling, transportation and logistics operations. This year, 44% responded affirmatively. John Hill, director at St. Onge, suggests the havoc wrought by the storm Sandy on supply chains across the eastern seaboard served as a wake-up call.

“They previously thought they had really good plans to deal with many if not all eventualities,” says Hill. “And then they were hit with a natural sledgehammer that showed them any risk mitigation they had done was futile because it just over-whelmed their plan.”

Hill suggests the 56% of respon-dents who reported they do not have a risk plan might be in the process of re-evaluating what it means to be prepared for contingencies, whether natural or man-made.

Among the 44% with a plan in place, areas of focus include legal liabilities (59%), in-house produc-tion or operations (55%), supplier risks (52%), logistics risks (52%), data breaches (45%), natural disasters (41%), intellectual property theft (40%), and terrorism (27%).

Risk management and “The Sandy Effect”




Which systems and equipment are you likely to evaluate or consider during the next 12 months?

Materials handling equipment for 2013Lift trucks and accessories 49%Racks and shelving 47%Totes, bins and containers 32%Packaging, including palletizers, pallets and dunnage 31%Bar coding 31%Dock equipment 30%Mobile and wireless 27%Order picking and fulfillment 22%Conveyors, including sortation equipment 22%Systems solutions 20%RFID solutions/products 20%Hoists, cranes and monorails 16%Power transmission, including motors and belts 16%

Future evaluation

Controls 15%3PL services 10%Mezzanines 10%Automated storage 9%AGVs 5%

Information management systems for 2013ERP (enterprise resource planning) 34%WMS (warehouse management systems) 32%WCS (warehouse control systems) 28%Voice recognition 15%TMS (transportation management systems) 11%Other supply chain-related software 4%

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63% said would be more so in the next two years. As technology spreads to every facet of operations, says Moran, workers will need to become conver-sant in increasingly complex informa-tion systems.

Information technology and supply chain softwareNew entrants into the workforce will be surrounded by technology designed to make them more productive than ever. The change is already underway with lift trucks, where operators need both the mechanical skills to operate the machine and the abstract skills to interface with tablets and voice-based data systems.

Fully half of respondents report that they plan to invest in information tech-nology hardware and software in the coming year, and Hill says that the trend is toward a convergence of software such as WMS, warehouse control systems (WCS), and ERP—the enterprise appli-cations in which 25% of respondents are planning to invest. In 2011, just 12% had plans for enterprise applications.

“For more than 20 years, we’ve been talking about trading partner collabo-ration and the importance of sharing information across trading partners to reduce order cycle times and improve visibility,” says Hill. “People are embracing collaboration not just philo-sophically, but actually. If that’s true, it

suggests we need to make investments in technology and systems that enable real-time information.”

Companies are beginning to recog-nize that unless they’re able to share information with their trading partners,

they’re going to fall behind the curve, says Hill, and they are looking to sup-pliers to provide everything—WMS, WCS, ERP, customer relationship management, and sales and operations planning—on a single platform. �



As lean sensibilities migrate from the production floor to the warehouse, carts and casters prove a pivotal tool for enhancing the mobility of product, people and processes.

Business in motion

MODERN Equipment report

Carts and casters:

Not unlike forklifts and labor, carts were once thrown at peaks and valleys of demand. In-house staff might have cob-bled together a few carts as needed, and if a caster made the cart roll, well, that was the right caster. The perception of carts as a necessary evil to keep product moving is changing. As with lift trucks, carts have evolved into specialized tools used in engineered processes to move materials as efficiently as possible.

Yesterday’s simple cart is now a cart system, designed from the casters up to optimize material flow through pro-cesses, reconfigure those processes, and ensure as much comfort as possible for the user. The heavy, noisy and unwieldy carts of yesteryear are giving way to cus-tomized carts that account for dozens of ergonomic factors. “Ten years ago we thought we were setting the world

on fire just by rolling something to the line on a cart,” says Ed Brown, chief engineer at Topper Industrial. “Now, a cart can elevate, rotate, tip and present materials to the operator at the ideal height and distance. The right casters make it even easier to push the cart to the line.”

Reduced strain on the worker is just one way in which carts are being used to increase throughput and improve safety. They are increasingly deployed to reduce the need for lift trucks to work alongside humans on the produc-tion floor. In manufacturing, a fork-lift’s loads can be replaced by smaller, more frequent cart loads that facilitate lean production. In warehousing and distribution, the small and frequent loads that are common to piece picking operations are driving makers of carts,


Carts that are bolted together and not welded can be reconfigured on the fly.

voice-picking and pick-to-light systems into innovative collaborations. Modernspoke with some industry experts to get a sense of how end-users are using carts and casters to move their companies forward.

Build from the caster upAccording to Mike Twitty, sales engi-neer with RWM Casters, any engi-neered cart system will only be as good as the casters on which it is based. Casters are available in an array of sizes and component materials, but the objectives of the application should make caster selection simple; its impact on rolling resistance, noise or cost will be informed by the overall goals of the engineered cart system.

The wrong tread, bearing, diameter or finish can have a dramatic impact on ergonomics, cart performance and maintenance costs. Too often, casters are one of the last things that are con-sidered, says Twitty. “If you’re carrying an item worth thousands of dollars, it’s usually better to get a caster product

that performs exactly as you’d expect,” he says. If customers buy the wrong caster for an application with high heat, corrosive materials or outdoor use, problems will develop quickly.

“It’s not about putting casters on four corners of a frame. A caster is nothing but a tool engineered into a solution,” says Larry Tyler, vice president of sales and marketing for K-Tec, who says there is a vast amount of variation and detail that has to be attacked. “Shopping for casters alone is like telling a conveyor supplier you need conveyor in your whole facility, but you’re going to buy rollers first. You have to consider where casters are placed on the frame, the ratio between pivot points, their static and dynamic ratings. Most people aren’t interested enough to dig into the excru-ciating details, but that’s what creates a successful program.”

Steve Lippert, executive vice presi-dent of Hamilton Caster, says an aware-ness of these concerns is gradually growing among his customers focused on lean methodologies and reducing

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the risk of injuries. “You want to make the environment easier to work in, not harder,” says Lippert. “A maintenance associate that has to repeatedly replace cheap casters does not help ergonomics or efficiency.”

Carts are just one of the places where customers look to casters for operational improvements. Keith Soderlund, vice president of sales for Creform, refer-enced the 5S methodology of workplace organization (sort, straighten, sweep/shine, standardize, sustain/improve the practice). As it turns out, one of the best ways to cover all five bases is to just put everything on wheels, including equip-ment, workstations, flow racks, display boards, and anything else you might need to sweep beneath.

“Part of it is housekeeping, but it’s also about repositioning,” says Soderlund. “This month, the cell looks like this. But next month, volume has changed or we’re introducing another model. I can unlock the wheels, move things around and reconfigure my work space. Supporting that flexibility is very popular right now.” Many customers say they don’t want anything on feet, he says, and prefer the ability to move things without a forklift or maintenance crew. They want to empower operators and plant supervisors to make adjust-ments on the fly.

Carts from factory to DCIn warehousing and distribution, Soderlund is seeing a new willingness on the part of customers to develop

custom solutions. “In the past, those customers tended to want off-the-shelf solutions,” he says. “They would then adapt their processes to match the cart. Now we’re building the cart around the best process. The continuous improve-ment philosophy that started in the production area is starting to move into warehousing and distribution.”

In manufacturing, waste reduction initiatives have spurred a transition from batch manufacturing to produc-tion cells that bring a product from raw materials to finished product in a much smaller footprint. The old ways resulted in more waiting, more forklifts and much less efficient product move-

ment, Lippert says. Carts designed for the flexibility of mixed production and smaller lots now ferry only what is needed from one process to the next.

According to Brown, carts can also help move product between facilities. When customers come to him, he asks if they’d like to go upstream. “They ask what that means, and I ask: ‘Why not put the carts right on the semi trailer?’” Then, instead of offloading to a cart with a forklift one load at a time, an entire train of carts can be pulled off the trailer all at once. “We’re seeing a lot of this approach. In fact, in some systems we often see raw materials arrive on a cart, the cart follows them

Cart trains can increase efficiency, but might require adjustments to a facility’s layout for best results.

MODERN Equipment report

Collaboration between suppliers and end-users is evolving as technology puts more tools in the hands of front-line cart and caster salespeople and the workers who will be using the carts. The value of end-user input is critical to the success of a cart system and the philosophy of continuous improvement, says Keith Soderlund, vice president of sales for Creform. “The closer the design and assembly is to the point of use, the better,” he

says. “After participating in the pro-cess, they are fully invested in the cart by the time it hits the floor.”

From the first meeting of supplier and customer, simple PowerPoint presentations allow for quick pre-visualization at little or no cost. Cart suppliers no longer burden the costly computer-assisted design (CAD) department at the introductory phase, instead relying on sales engineers to create models and concept drawings

fast. “These technologies are not new, but in the last three years, they have become an incredibly powerful tool,” says Larry Tyler, vice president of sales and marketing for K-Tec. “There used to be an extensive back and forth with CAD folks, which wasted our time and the customer’s time. Now we can draw from a library of hundreds of past solutions, including application shots, and these services can be pro-vided the same day.”

Getting started quickly


through the process, the same cart is used to deliver finished products to a distri-bution center, and products don’t leave the cart until they are shipped.”

At the DC, Soderlund also notes an increased use of carts in picking applications, which he believes is due in part to the e-com-merce boom. “We’re seeing a lot of customers picking high-volume orders and smaller orders,” he says. “To sup-port that, there are a rising number of creative cart-based picking systems integrated with lights and voice.” The customer’s desire for balanced pack-ages has pushed suppliers of carts and picking technologies into closer collab-orations than ever before, since if the worker likes the voice but can’t stand the cart, the system will be a failure.

Ergonomics and safetyIn warehouse environments, custom-ers want carts to be light, customizable and ergonomically friendly. “The big-gest change I’ve seen in the warehouse is the safety and ergonomics side,” says Lippert, who offered the example of carts that mate with forklifts to facili-tate picking or putaway in elevated environments. “They used to climb out into the racks to pick a carton, but now they wear restraints and the carts must be fastened positively to the lift. The days of the cowboy in the warehouse are gone.”

In addition to height, reach, pinch points and angled protrusions, cart ergonomics include factors such as noise levels, which can also be impacted through tread and caster selection. “There’s a lot of thought that goes into the human interface,” says Soderlund, who explains that another big safety concern is seen in the grow-

ing number of customers who prefer lift trucks stay off the production floor. “As a worker in those areas, I might have the right of way, but they’re bigger, heavier and faster than I am.”

Customers phasing out lift trucks in a process will have to contend with facility constraints, and might want to plan to bevel the corners of aisles or move equipment toward the aisle, instead of having roller lanes 8 or 10 feet from the aisle where a cart can’t pull up alongside. Otherwise, move-ment will be slowed and cart users will exert more effort. Tyler advises cus-tomers to be prepared to make facility changes early, and budget accordingly.

“For some, the last phase of a proj-ect is to replace forklifts with carts in a certain application. Carts often become an add-on, and that’s where the constraints become difficult,” he says. “The perception that they’re a commodity puts them at the end of the trail, and in past years, that was probably true. But they’re no longer just carts, they’re cart systems.” �

Mother/daughter carts offer efficient solutions for kitting and sequencing applications.

Companies mentioned in this article

TOPPER INDUSTRIAL, topperindustrial.comCREFORM, creform.comHAMILTON CASTER, hamiltoncaster.comK-TEC, ktecinc.comRWM CASTERS, rwmcasters.com

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A look at the show

As an indicator of the continued economic recovery of the materials handling, supply chain and logistics industry, U.S. and international attendees registered in record numbers for ProMat 2013—the premier North American manufacturing and supply chain trade expo.

The show was held in Chicago’s McCormick Place from January 21-24 and was sponsored by the Material Handling Industry (MHI). ProMat was co-located with Automate 2013, and that show saw a 62% boost in attendance, reflecting a rising global interest in automation.

Hosting exhibitors and visitors from 125 countries, ProMat 2013 covered 300,000 net square feet of exhibit space with 785 exhibiting companies. Total registration for the event was 34,085. Visitors included key decision makers in virtually all manufacturing, logistics, distribution and supply chain industries including a majority of the Fortune 1000 and Top 100 Retailers.

Attendees were high in quality, with 85% of attendees having buying authority and 34% planning on spending $1 million or more over the next 18 months on equipment and systems.

Here’s a look at what our editors saw during the show.

Emerson Industrial Automation displays modular plastic belts New heavy duty and extra heavy duty modular plastic belts from Emerson Industrial Automation provide a non-skid, energy-effi cient conveyor surface for mov-ing walkways, automotive assembly lines and general material handling of heavy loads, such as barrels, drums, kegs and pallets. The System Plast heavy duty and extra heavy duty belts handle loads up to 5,400 lb/ft and 7,800 lb/ft and are among the highest in the industry for 2- and 2.5-inch (50.8 mm and 63.5 mm) pitch belts.

“These new belts allow for more load on the conveyor, a longer belt or more and heavier items on

the belt,” said Matt Stoneburner, direc-tor of marketing, material handling. “The smooth, fl at top allows for an easy transfer of product with no rust, dirt or grime that will damage the product.”

Both belts are ideal for mov-ing assembly line fl oors where the corrosion resistant belt’s solid surface prevents tools, fasteners and small parts from being trapped, Stone-burner added.

The new belts are available in fi ve

different material types and provide a quiet, energy-saving alternative to chain and live-roller conveyor for general handling of heavy loads.

The belts’ unique design allows pusher bars to be attached, removed or replaced by the user at any time without disassembly of the belt, using drilling loca-tors molded in on 1.96 inch (50 mm) centers. Both belts utilize a patent-pending retention clip for the hinge pin.

Emerson Industrial Automation’s heavy duty modular plastic belts can be easily retrofi tted into existing conveyor frames, said Matt Stoneburner, director of marketing, material handling.


SPECIAL REPORT

Dematic introduced the next genera-tion of its Multishuttle, a high-speed automated storage, retrieval and picking solution for cases, totes and trays. The system is part of Dematic’s overall solu-tion set designed to optimize the use of inventory, labor and space in multi-channel distribution environments for retailers and wholesalers.

“Multi-channel distribution is driv-ing important changes in our industry today,” said Mike Khodl, vice president of solution development. “Retailers want to fill orders for large and small store formats and e-commerce from one single inventory cube. To do that, they need to transition from batch-based

to dynamic, on-demand workflows because they no longer know what their work load will look like ahead of time.”

The suite of order fulfillment solutions relies on high-speed picking, high-speed conveyor and high-speed outbound sorta-tion technologies to distribute products to provide appropriate pick and ship methods for each channel, increase order processing speed to ensure promised de-livery, and guarantee order quality check-ing and reverse logistics. Warehouse control software brings these technolo-gies together. “The Dematic solution set for multi-channel distribution operations is centered around flexible modules that scale to changing operational needs

and growth,” Khodl said. “Most designs incorporate a storage buffer strategy that shares inventory across multiple distribu-tion channels, but Dematic solutions have peak capacity flexibility built in to accommodate seasonal, promotional and weekly order surges.”

For companies that deploy dedicated DCs for each channel to market, De-matic also offers channel-specific designs that support large and small retail stores, e-commerce and route or home delivery.

Mike Khodl, Dematic’s vice president of solution development, discussed multi-channel distribution.

Raymond Corporation announced a new class of fleet management and labor management systems. Its iWare-house product has been divided into two new products. iWarehouse Essen-tials is focused on the fleet optimization needs of operational staff, collecting data points such as impact, compliance and utilization in real time. iWarehouse Enterprise turns collected asset and labor information into actionable data for executives with an eye toward ware-house optimization.

Raymond has already successfully deployed the solution with what it says is the first-ever integration of a labor management system (LMS) and fleet management system (FMS). Partner-ing with LMS provider Easy Metrics, the solution has led to a one-year ROI in a 410,000-square-foot facility man-aged by 3PL provider Genco.

Intelligrated unveils new control system functions

Chris Cole, Intelligrated founder and CEO, shared the com-pany’s current corporate outlook—announcing that bookings in 2012 had exceeded $600 million with 20% growth in the company.

“This shows we have some real momentum with our cus-tomers and supports that we hired more than 275 new asso-ciates throughout the U.S. in 2012—the vast majority being technical hires in engineering, services support and software engineering,” said Cole. He also noted the company’s recent square footage expansion at their Mason, Ohio, headquarters and plans to add another 150 personnel in 2013. “Our joint venture with SDI is now up and running in Brazil, which supports our growth in sales outside of the U.S., which now represents 18% of our sales,” added Cole.

Intelligrated’s newest senior VP by way of the com-pany’s recent acquisition of Knighted, Dan Napoli, the company’s founder and former CEO, described his

company’s integrated WCS and WMS solution that combines slotting, yard man-agement, voice and labor management. Browser-based with drag-and-drop set-up functionality, the software is driven by customer-defined parameters, which made it a good fit for the Intelligrated selection of offerings, said Jerry Koch, director of corporate marketing.

Koch further highlighted Intelligrated’s new ZoneFlex zone-logic controller for the IntelliQ and Accuglide systems to provide adjustable, high-density accumulation for gentle carton handling. Also introduced was the company’s I-Watch software that al-lows the controls to acquire sensor information, aggregate it and send it to Intelligrat-ed’s customer service team for remote, real-time monitoring, diagnostics and support.

Intelligrated’s booth highlighted a new zone-logic controller and software solution.


Raymond announces new fleet management products

Dematic enhances multi-channel distribution solution


Technologies improve picking accuracy in vertical carousels, VLMs

100 quinvigintillion. That’s how many different ways there are to confi gure an automated distribution center given all of the different technologies and order fulfi llment requirements in the market today. In case you’re wondering, that’s 100 followed by about 80 zeros.

TGW Systems introduced Logistics Genome Mapping as a new technique to sort through all those possibilities and determine the best solution to meet a company’s needs today and in the future.

“With so many different ways to confi gure a solution, we wanted a data-driven approach to reduce our custom-er’s risk and design the best solution,” said Keven Thuet, director of systems development.

Similar to the Human Genome Proj-ect, TGW is applying genetic analysis

techniques to the design of order fulfi llment systems. The approach uses a series of eight different deci-sion algorithms and four mathematical programming techniques to analyze automated materials handling sys-tems, considering present and future needs. “We know mathematically what solution has the highest probability of success for specifi c materials and distribution requirements,” said Thuet. “We combine that with our experience to come up with the best solution.” TGW demonstrated Logistics Genome Mapping at its booth.

TGW is mapping the logistics genome

Convert corrugated on-demand to right-size packagingEngineered specifi cally to eliminate the void created by using standard corrugat-ed boxes to pack products destined for individual consumers, Packsize Interna-tional’s compact iQ FUSION corrugated converting machine produces custom-sized boxes on demand.

The system’s 48-square-foot footprint allows it to be placed at the end of any pack line. It uses the company’s z-Fold material that can be creased, cut and scored into an infi nite number of box sizes and styles.

“On average, e-retailers ship 40% air in every package they send to a customer,” said CEO Hanko Kiessner. “Cutting each shipping container to the right size has a fundamental impact on the environment, on cost and on the customer experience.”

Offi ce product retailer Staples is

using the system throughout its supply chain to reduce air pillow use by 60% and the average cardboard box size by 20%, Kiessner said. “Staples calcu-lated that they’ve reduced their annual carbon footprint by 30,200 tons—or 120,000 trees—annually,” he noted. “Further, they justifi ed their investment in the system based solely on customer satisfaction levels as a result of eliminat-ing unnecessary packaging.”

Additionally, the system helps reduce pollution and emissions from air and vehicle freight. “Major shipping com-panies have told us that with current packaging practices they fi ll their planes and trucks with box volume, not by weight capacity,” Kiessner concluded. “By eliminating the unnecessary air, companies can reduce their fuel costs as well.”

SPECIAL REPORT

Kevin Thuet, director of systems development at TGW Systems

In a press conference, Kardex Remstar’s Chelsea Tarr, market-ing communications coordinator, introduced two new technologies to improve order picking in the company’s Megamat RS vertical carousel and Shuttle vertical lift module (VLM).

For use with both VLMs and ver-tical carousels, the Logicontrol ma-chine control combines hardware, software and an operator terminal into a simple-to-use touchscreen interface. The system controls the machine as well as enables inventory management with no PC workstation required. Targeted to smaller warehouses and stand-alone applications, Tarr noted that a single Logicontrol can operate up to three storage systems, and man-age up to 1,000 different articles, 8,000 storage locations and seven bin sizes.

Adding a QuickPick LED- or laser-light pointer to the Shuttle VLM helps an operator quickly identify the exact part to be picked or location to be replenished, yield-ing a signifi cant boost in accuracy, said Tarr. The light is located inside the machine above the operator access window. Mounted to a slider that travels horizontally on a guid-ing system, the light swivels in the depth direction to directly illumi-nate to the required SKU at any position in the VLM’s tray.

Both systems are offered as optional, add-on features to new equipment, or as retrofi ts to exist-ing installations, Tarr added.

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Energy-effi cient, low-maintenance sortation equipmentAt its booth, Beumer showcased a cross-belt sorter, double-density tilt-tray sorter, scaled-down cross-belt sorter and a Crisplant LS-4000E shipping sorter. The company also highlighted real-time sorter performance management dash-boards on large-screen monitors.

“Our focus is on improving overall productivity with accu-rate, productive equipment that’s easy to maintain and can be confi gured to suit any building’s fl oor space,” said Tony Barr, Beumer’s chief marketing offi cer and VP of corporate development.

The centerpiece of the exhibit—the BS 7 high-capacity cross-belt sorter—is used by Chico’s, DSW, Land’s End in e-fullfi llment, retail/wholesale replenishment and parcel operations, said Barr. Booth visitors were invited to induct their own product and test system performance with three sample discharges: direct to bag, direct to tote, and accu-mulation chute. The sorter features a contactless energy/data supply and linear induction motor drives to sort a variety of items safely and gently to the right destination, regardless of size, shape or surface characteristics, he said.

On the other end of the spectrum, the low-cost Crisplant LS-4000E loop tilt-tray shipping sorter enables goods to be discharged on either side in a guided, two-dimensional process without any catapult effect. “It is built to handle large boxes and small polybags on the same system,” said Barr. “The LS-4000E can be confi gured with pre-engineered manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic induction lines.”

Hyster’s new electric truck is ready for grueling applicationsIn a continuing effort to develop products based on direct customer input, Hyster showcased its J70XN, an electric pneumatic lift truck ruggedized for hard outdoor use.

With an integrated fast-charge system, the electric model is designed to compete with even the most intensive three-shift applications typically suited to internal combus-tion lift trucks. The truck features wet brake axles, which last more than twice as long as their dry counterparts, and fully protected undercar-riage and electronics. When compared to IC alternatives, the forklift is capable of saving an end-user $14,000 over the lease term.

Hyster’s new tur-ret truck is capable of putaways to the left and right of the direc-tion of travel. Capable of operating in 6-foot aisles, the lift truck is also equipped to handle duties at the dock, in manufacturing, and elsewhere in the facility. This can eliminate the need for dedicated lift trucks for specifi c tasks.

Jonathan Dawley, president of Hyster distribution

System Logistics creates the perfect sized box System Logistics unveiled a new auto-matic packaging solution that creates a shipping box of any size on demand.

The FreeBox system is designed to integrate with a split case picking system, including highly automated, goods-to-person systems or more con-ventional pick-to-light or put-to-light systems.

“The systems evaluate the cubic dimensions of all the pieces to pre-cube an order and then manufacture the perfect sized box for that shipment,” said

Tom Coyne, CEO. “The shipping box requires almost no void fi ll and utilizes 100% of the corrugated to eliminate waste.”

Coyne added that the system is tar-geted at retailers and distributors fi lling e-commerce orders or less-than-case replenishment orders. The machine produces 360 boxes an hour.

In addition to savings on corrugated and dunnage, FreeBox eliminates handling in split case picking opera-tions. Instead of picking to a tote that

is delivered to a packing station, orders are picked directly into the shipping container. The system comes standard with a low-res printer to print license plate bar code labels and branding in-formation on the side of the box. It can also be upgraded to a high-res printer to print shipping labels on the box. The printer can also print packing slips or a customized marketing message on the inside of the box.

Designed to integrate with automated picking processes, System Logistics plans to market the product to its cus-tomers and also work with other systems integrators and consultants.

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The modular DUOSYS mini-load automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) runs more than four times faster than similar systems because it employs two cranes that function simultaneously in the same aisle to maximize throughput, said Robert Schmit, executive VP of Daifuku Webb. The DUOSYS made its fi rst appearance at ProMat.

“The system has two cranes that function simultaneously and indepen-dently without interfering with each other’s travel,” Schmit explained. “This allows it to operate as a highly effi cient sortation system by buffering and se-

quencing items in less fl oor space with fewer personnel.”

The DUOSYS cranes are managed by a single off-board controller that—dur-ing maintenance on individual cranes—allows others to continue to operate. Multiple systems can be stacked on top of each other for scalability. The sys-tem’s fi rst domestic installation is with a major snack food company, said Sarah Carlson, marketing director.

Also in the booth was the company’s model 100ST SmartCart automatic guided cart, a low-cost automatic guid-ed vehicle (AGV) that navigates along easily-changed magnetic tape paths.

Sarah Carlson, marketing director, said multiple DUOSYS systems can be stacked for scalability.

Jungheinrich shows man-up turret truck Jungheinrich offered visitors an op-portunity to operate its EKX man-up turret truck equipped with Ware-

house Navigation. The new system is capable of improving productivity by 25%.

Once the operator applies the ac-celerator, the lift truck automatically determines the perfect speeds for lat-eral movement and turret extension, advancing to the next pick location along the most effi cient route. For pallet retrieval, the forks will come to rest precisely in front of the pallet. For case picking, lights on the lift truck will indicate the right pick face.

Capable of navigating 72-inch-wide aisles by wire or side guide rollers, the lift also reads RFID tags embedded in the fl oor to decelerate or stop at the end of an aisle, or to prevent colli-sions with elevated obstructions. The system is compatible with a WMS, or can accept user inputs in paper-based warehouses.

Glen Lystiuk, warehouse product consultant for Jungheinrich, teaches an attendee how to use a man-up turret truck.

Swisslog brings goods-to-personSwisslog announced the second gen-eration of two unique products. The Click&Pick fulfi llment system repre-sents the addition of ergonomic pick stations to the company’s shuttle-based AutoStore system. Ideal for storing small items, the system uses a series of independent robots to retrieve items from stacked bins. The high-speed goods-to-person approach is suited to e-commerce and delivers sustained rates of 1,000 picks per hour per selec-tor. Highly scalable, the system utilizes space in three dimensions for optimal storage density.

Swisslog also announced the AGVPick, a semi-automated pallet jack capable of advancing to pick faces based on standard voice-picking com-mands. Available in single, double or triple-pallet fork lengths, the units will automatically depart for shipping when full. At the same time, an empty unit will arrive at the picker’s location to keep the picker more productive.

Daifuku Webb’s DUOSYS dual-crane mini-load AS/RS makes North American debut

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Lenze highlights energy effi ciency in motor drive technologiesLenze Americas has expanded its support of materials handling systems with a fully integrated, energy-efficient package of soft-ware, plus drive- and controller-based systems for automation. The company showcased multiple frequency (MF) gear motors

Robert Gradischnig, strategic marketing manager for Lenze

Help for retailers with omni-channel strategiesTo help merging brick-and-mortar and online retail channels with two key issues—visibility into incoming online demand and aligning this demand with in-store labor—Manhattan Associates announced a new partnership with Kronos. To-gether, the companies will help retailers profi tably integrate their stores into their digital selling strategy with a new solu-tion that helps retailers effi ciently execute store fulfi llment processes while better staffi ng their stores accordingly.

These two solutions, when paired together, will account for labor demands from all selling channels and from all non service-based activities now required to support the omni-channel initiatives. This will allow retailers to increase customer satisfaction and drive sales by freeing up trapped inventory in the store, while managing labor costs, said David Landau, vice president of product management for Manhat-tan Associates.

“As omni-channel initiatives increasingly turn to stores and store inventory to help meet customer demand, the need for process integration between store fulfi llment and workforce management will be an imperative for maintain-ing profi t margins,” Landau explained.

with a GKR bevel gearbox and the 8400 Motec inverter drive. “Virtually every aspect of automated material transport and the plant infrastructure rely on electric drives. Our intelligent sys-tems cut energy use by as much as 30%,” explained Deb Kling, director of commercial marketing for the company.

To ensure suppliers get the motor drive and control components they need, Lenze offers its Drive Solution Designer software to dimension each system for optimal energy use, Kling added. Further, L-force MF three-phase AC geared motors are ideal for tasks with variable setting ranges, delivering constant torque in speed ranges of 24:1 (in comparison to 12:1 adjustment range for conventional motors). Finally, the cabinet-free 8400 Motec inverter drive offers an energy saving function in no-load and partial load operations in combination with MF geared motors, forming a compact, complete mechatronic unit.

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Gorbel has increased the options for its Tether Track fall arrest systems for pro-tecting workers who need to perform tasks at heights.

Tether Track secures workers with

harnesses to a rigid rail system that has less falling distance than a wire rope-based fall arrest system because the rail doesn’t have the “give” that a wire does, said Jeff McNeil, marketing manager for

Gorbel. The shorter, safer fall distance is a benefi t of all Tether Track systems, he said, but the initial design was based on a track attached to fi xed posts, which potentially can be in the way of some

Yale showcases new products and servicesAmong its new products offered on display this year, Yale Materials Han-dling showcased three new products and services.

Remote Pick Assist is a new feature that turns a pallet jack into a semi-autonomous vehicle. As a voice-enabled picker issues standard pick confi rma-

tions, the pallet jack receives direction from the WMS and follows the picker from pick face to pick face.

The Yale Vision Wire-less Asset Management System provides a tiered offering of wireless monitoring, access and verifi cations. Highly cus-tomizable, the system can automatically notify maintenance, super-visors or service providers as needed.

Yale’s new Certifi ed Remanufactured program is being rolled out to the dealer network. After pass-ing a 200-point inspection, receiving a new paint job, and having certain parts mandatorily replaced, the certifi ed lift trucks are

available to customers at a signifi cant discount.

Bill Pfl eger, president of Yale distribution

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Gorbel increases options for safer work at heights


To keep their line of NB mobile powered workstations up and running 24/7, Newcastle Systems introduced the new power swap system. Consisting of a battery mounted on swivel cast-ers that can be swapped in and out of the work-station base in less than 30 seconds, the system boosts productivity with minimal interruption to workflow, said Christine Wheeler, marketing director.

“The power swap system includes a 16 x 16 x 12 inch ventilated cabinet, cabinet handle,

power cord reel holder and a digital remote meter with LED dis-play that shares battery status,” Wheeler noted. “To recharge the battery, it simply plugs into a stan-dard power outlet.”

With the battery system, a single worksta-tion can power printers, computers, scales and other hardware for up to 24 hours a day—replac-ing up to three worksta-tions, she added. The company also highlighted its PowerPack series of portable AC power systems. Housed in a sealed, ventilated steel

cabinet that measures 20 x 21 x14 inches, the system includes a battery, inverter, smart charger and fusing system.

Chris Paquin, sales development coordinator

Newcastle Systems puts power on the move

operations when the system is not in use.To address this need, said McNeil,

Gorbel has developed a Tether Track swing arm design and one with a folding arm design. These designs allow the track to be swung or folded out of the way when not in use. “There is strong interest in having work done safely in heights in many settings—in manufacturing of large pieces of equipment, in vehicle mainte-nance, or in aviation, to name a few,” Mc-Neil said. “We’ve expanded the designs so they ideally meet the space and safety needs of different situations.”

Jeff McNeil, marketing manager for Gorbel, with a Tether Track design that allows the fall-arrest track to be folded out the way.


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New ProMat exhibitor Bell and Howell un-veiled a gantry-style, top-apply labeling machine that uses a single head to achieve top speeds up to 80 packages per minute—nearly three times the output of traditional systems. The Par-celMgr deploys linerless, print-cut-apply label-ing technology to accommodate in-line package height variances from 1 inch to 36 inches.

“The system is ideal for distribution centers because the print and apply unit uses servo based movement to automatically adjust to the height of each package, then applies the label with a pneumatic stroke,” said Tim Palmer, Bell and How-ell’s sales manager for logistics systems. “It adjusts the distance between parcels automatically for closer gapping, as well as prints while raising and lowering to boost processing speeds.”

Additionally, Palmer noted that the linerless substrate can be cut to variable lengths on-demand without manual machine adjustments. To increase uptime, the linerless labels allow up to 220% more labels per roll—and eliminates paper waste.

Top-apply labeling system achieves rates up to 80 ppm

Bell & Howell’s ParcelMgr deploys linerless, print-cut-apply labeling technology.

High-speed mini-load and AGV from MuratecMuratec introduced new automated storage and AGV products at ProMat. The FX Quad is a high-speed mini-load automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS) crane capable of handling one, two and four cases at a time.

Designed to provide high-density storage for high-throughput distribu-tion applications, the crane features travel speeds of 300 meters per minute and hoisting speeds of 180 meters per minute. It handles load capacities of approximately 650 pounds and can handle up to four cases at a time using twin fork and double-deep storage capabilities.

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OPEX unveils goods-to-person piece picking technologyShowcasing the Perfect Pick goods-to-person piece picking solution, OPEX Material Han-dling (Booth 619), director of marketing Beth Ann Haven Ferner noted that the system has been engineered to eliminate the complexity associated with other shuttle technologies—and attendees at the show noticed.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in the system’s iBOT intelligent wireless vehicles, which provide full access to the inventory in a single aisle without elevators, lifts or conveyors. They simultaneously stock items and deliver totes or trays directly to a picker at rates up to 1,000 dual cycles per hour,” she said.

Picking stations can be located at one or

both ends of an aisle. Designed as a redundant system, Perfect Pick has no single point of fail-ure making it a reliable picking solution ideal for manufacturing and order fulfi llment, said David Stevens, CEO.

“The autonomous iBOTs can be quickly and easily extracted or introduced back into the sys-tem without any disruption to ongoing opera-tions,” he said. “To expand, a single aisle system can accommodate more iBOTS at any time.”

The company has almost completed an installation in Hebron, Ky., for a 10-aisle sys-tem with 20,000 SKU locations at a height of 32 feet, and 100 foot-long aisles, Ferner added. �

CEO David Stevens showed the Perfect Pick goods-to-person piece picking solution.

and fl exible travel in small spaces through a combination of a travel speed of 90 meters per minute and multiple driving capabilities. The unit

is powered by a three-wheel drive system for a minimal turning radius. It also features a unique vision-guidance and mapping navigation system that

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MODERN productivity solution


Company that took orders by fax 15 years ago now commands 30% market share.

Retailer adds modules to WMS to monitor and enable growth

David's Bridal, a national supplier of bridal gowns and accessories, offers a vast selection

of designer wedding gowns in a variety of sizes in stock at each of its 300 stores. As recently as the late 1990s, the company supported 40 stores with a paper-based special order system and a manual distribution process. But, by installing a new ware-house management system (WMS) and slowly add-ing functionality over time, the bridal chain has been able to support growth and a near 100% on-time delivery rate of its gowns.

With the old paper-based system, stores would fax orders to the fulfillment office, and the distri-bution team would process them in the order they were received, says Caryn Furtaw, CIO. “As busi-ness grew, it was not uncommon to walk into the fulfillment office and see the bank of faxes running with reams of paper spilling over to the floor,” says Furtaw. “We had reached our tipping point.”

David’s Bridal opted to automate these processes,

expanding its growth and improving order accuracy. The company soon opened several new retail loca-tions and a new warehouse to split its inventory. As the company took on more retail locations and broadened its inventory selection, balancing customer demand with supply became more challenging. The company had to deliver orders on time to satisfy customers, but needed to avoid excess inventory in its warehouses.

The WMS (Manhattan Associates, manh.com) was upgraded to create a centralized order system for enterprise-wide fulfillment. It also helps David’s Bridal procure items across its supplier network, minimize delivery times and generate performance reports to measures its supply chain process.

Today, the company leads its market, owning more than 30% of the bridal gown industry. “Inventory accuracy increased, our pick rate and throughput improved tremendously, and with the aid of the sys-tem we have full confidence in our commitment to deliver our customer orders on time,” says Furtaw.


Batteries Plus is a national fran-chise that specializes in help-

ing consumers and businesses with their battery and light bulb needs. A flexible warehouse management system (WMS) helped the company bring distribution in-house to a new 100,000-square-foot facility, where it now ships 11,000 order lines a day to more than 530 stores.

Originally an all-battery retail store, the company expanded its offerings to light bulbs in 2009 to meet the growing demand for more energy-efficient products. With its strong growth, the expansion to light bulbs, and an increased need for space, the cost and complications of using a third-party logistics provider (3PL) became too great. In addition, the lack of communication between systems—such as the inability of the Batteries Plus enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to access the 3PL database—was hampering visibility across the network and creat-ing doubts about the data’s accuracy.

The company’s new national DC outside Milwaukee, Wisc., carries 4,300 distinct items, 80% of which are picked as eaches. To accommodate this volume and diversity, the company needed a flexible WMS (Highjump, highjump.com) that would integrate smoothly with its current systems and give a reliable, accurate view of operations.

“We believe in self-help and doing things for our-selves,” says Michael Lehman, CIO, who says that Batteries Plus has unique processes and merchandise

that is often subject to government regulations. “The ability to configure the WMS ourselves was a signifi-cant reason for choosing this solution.”

The company has increased its product line and has seen no dip in picking accuracy. Even when order vol-ume jumps 50% in a day, the WMS provides the vis-ibility to ship accurately and on time. In addition, the company can now pull data from the WMS and ERP and display the information on the same screen, provid-ing a more complete picture of the network.

The WMS also features a collection of applica-tions that allows them to adapt without interruptions to workflow. “I can choose an app on a Friday, pull it down over a weekend, test it and have it implemented by Tuesday, all without doing any development work,” explained Victor Lecato, WMS system analyst. “The ease and cost effectiveness of simply downloading the solution has definitely made a big, positive impact on our business.” �

After cutting ties with a 3PL, retailer easily handles 50% spikes in daily order volume.

WMS helps bring distribution in-house amid strong growth

Let’s keep it simple: Inventory is the life-blood of the supply chain. It’s what fl ows from node to node. And at each node it’s critical to fi gure out that perfect balance of supply and demand, or else suffer dire

consequences. If you have too little inventory you risk lost sales and customers from “out of stocks.” If you have too much inventory, you’ll need more of everything—more space, more transportation, more handling, more labor and more money.

Even after fi guring out the correct amount to keep in stock, you’ll still need to execute the proper fl ow. But it’s not only about the timely

movement of the physical goods from your suppliers in, say, Asia to your stores all over the United States. It’s also about managing the vast amount of information associated with those goods to keep it moving to the next node—even before it gets there.

Over the next few pages, our inventory experts—who bring a combined 80 years of ex-perience to the table—present eight guidelines for managing inventory in the supply chain. Our panel approaches this exercise from both plan-ning and execution perspectives and investigates the latest in leading-edge technologies that can

Our panel—representing a combined 80 years of inventory experience—gets back to the basics, reviewing critical strategies that some organizations have been neglecting over the past several years.

Top 8guidelines to improve inventory management

BY MAIDA NAPOLITANO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

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be used to put these guidelines into action. And, the panel gets back to the basics, reviewing critical strategies that some companies have been neglecting in the past several years.

1 Consider inventory optimization toolsInventory optimization tools have been gaining ground as companies seek to evaluate their entire network

and determine the best inventory policies for each product at each node in their supply chain. These are typically stand-alone software tools that use data from WMS and ERP systems.

“These optimization tools take into account demand variability, supply variability, and replenishment parameters to determine how much inventory to hold in order to guard against that variability,” says Dave Wheeler, principal of supply chain services for consulting firm St. Onge.

Aman Sapra, senior project manager of inventory and supply chain strategy at St. Onge, attributes the increasing popularity of these tools to the realization by more compa-nies that the transactional systems running their DCs do not provide enough cutting-edge optimization capabilities.

However, Sapra cautions against optimization tools that are simply “great analysis, smart math monsters.”

“You want something that when the results come out, and with minimal human intervention, it can execute on those results. It may seek approval for a few items, but will work seamlessly with business systems on most recom-mendations.”

2 Employ business solutions that use real-time analytics under one platformAccording to Michael Wohlwend, vice president of

SAP Americas and this year’s vice president of the Ware-housing Education and Research Council, “the days of managing inventory using Excel spreadsheets are passé.”

Powerful sales and operations planning solutions are now using real-time analytics that take a unified data model of demand, supply chain, and financial data, analyze them at any level of granularity, and instantly provide re-sponses. “You can even perform rapid, interactive scenario planning and simulation with this data to support inven-tory and other planning decisions,” says Wohlwend.

Operating on one platform where data is shared is key, says Jennifer Sherman, senior director for fulfillment appli-cations strategy for Oracle. “You have one picture of inven-tory, one picture of costs, and one platform to plan against. This allows you to have real-time inventory within that one model and even track who owns that inventory—even if I’ve got a product that has been consigned to me from my supplier, it’s still in the same inventory model.”

With all of these systems providing users so much real-

“Model your inventory and fully understand where it comes from, what attributes are criti-cal, where your safety stock will come from, and what levels you must have to keep costs down. Don’t let yourself be surprised by stock outs. Think down the road so that you can be flexible and do better than your competitors.”

— Curt Sardeson, Managing Principal, The Open Sky Group

“Perform continuous and appropriate periodic review of inventory. It shouldn’t be a one-time activity. Promotions don’t happen only once. The nature of the supply chain is that things can happen all the time.”

— Aman Sapra, Sr. Project Manager, Inventory & Supply Chain Strategy and Analytics, St. Onge Company

“Maintain open communication with your sales and operations planning team so you know what’s coming down the pike in terms of addi-tional volume. Is there a big promotion that in-ventory planners need to know about and plan for? Is there a new contract with a customer that will drive demand to increase two-fold?”

— Dave Wheeler, Principal, Supply Chain Services, St. Onge Company

“Ask your vendors if they have a solution that can be mobile-enabled and at your level of sophistication. Do they have something that will allow you to crawl, then walk, and then run? Do they have an inventory solution that will meet all of your future business growth, not just ware-housing, but perhaps reverse logistics and repair or manufacturing? Do they have a solution that will give you the granularity of information that you require to make better planning decisions?”

— Jennifer Sherman, Senior Director for Fulfillment, Applications Strategy, Oracle

“Ensure speed to value. The quicker you have the information the more valuable and perti-nent your decisions are going to be—and the more agile and flexible your company will be.”

— Michael Wohlwend, Vice President of SAP Americas, Vice President of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC)

“Standardize the data so that everybody can see the same information and standardize the process so they know what to do with that information.”

— Chris Jones, External Vice President, Marketing and Services, Descartes

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time information at their fingertips, managers can capitalize on unique opportunities for moving inventory, such as completely bypassing the DC. Chris Jones, external vice president marketing and services for Descartes, explains that companies can now treat ocean carriers as mobile warehouses, allocating inventory before it even gets to the port.

From the port, it typically goes to a deconsolidator who then sends it to the DC, who then decides to send it from there to a retail store. “The latest software cuts out one big step from the process,” says Jones. “So, because you know what’s coming and you have it labeled with accurate electronic information, when it gets to the de-consolidator you can process it to go directly to the retail store.”

3 Don’t treat all SKUs the sameThere is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. “Each and

every product does not have the same supply and demand variability pattern,” says Sapra. “Focus on those 20% that statistically make up 80% of the volume and manage that inventory really well, so you maximize sales and profits.”

“Some companies will not only plan for items differently, but they might also have different targeted fill rates for each item category,” explains Wheeler. “My fast-moving A items should be filled at a rate of 99%, B items at 98%, and C items at 95%. It’s called service-level differentiation.” The goal, he adds, is to maximize resources on the more profitable A products, while

minimizing the resources used on the less profitable C items. Each segment will then have different forecasting and stocking policies.

4 Keep an eye on your suppliersThere are suppliers that don’t necessarily stick to their schedule

or deliver on their commitments. “It’s not only in terms of timing, but also fill rate,” says Wheeler. “If you ordered 1,000 cases of pencils and the order shows up at the door with only 900, then that’s a problem.”

Our experts suggest closely monitor-ing supplier activity. Most systems track the inbound receipt of an item: There is a promise date, an actual receipt date, quantity ordered, quantity received, and the condition in which it was received. These are metrics that can be tracked and analyzed to determine a supplier’s reliability. “All of that data is typically available in a WMS,” says Sapra, “but has anybody really looked at it to deter-mine unreliable suppliers?”

After identifying unreliable sup-pliers, you can deal with them and resolve any issues and work toward improving a supplier’s performance—or hold more of their inventory to guard against their variability.

5 Track essential attributesOver the past few years, tracking product genealogy and traceabil-

ity are at the top of inventory manag-ers’ must-have lists.

“It’s not enough to just track your lot number,” says Carl Sardeson, managing principal of the Open Sky

Group, a consulting firm specializing in supply chain management solu-tions. “If you used subcomponents and subassemblies that you mix into your product, you also need to know those lot numbers in case your prod-uct has a recall.”

The key is how to efficiently capture these attributes without increasing labor or handling costs. Sardeson recom-mends electronically capturing data such as country of origin (COO), serial numbers, and vendor lot number then automatically sending that informa-tion via EDI/ASN to the next node on the supply chain. “Without it, manual intervention, space utilization, and labor can get out of control quickly.” The increased tracking also affords trading partners with increased visibility and the ability to make more timely decisions.

6 Leverage mobile devices Mobile technologies and mobile user interfaces are now ubiqui-

tous for capturing data on inventory. “It’s time for even businesses that don’t see themselves as complex to de-mand mobility solutions for accuracy,” says Oracle’s Sherman.

SAP’s Wohlwend points out how most sales associates on the store floor now have mobile devices with real-time inventory of the store. “Not only are they able to improve customer service, but when inventory is low, they’re able to generate a replenish-ment from the DC down to the store.”

Mobile devices allow quick access to accurate information and data so that managers can act quickly on their inven-tory decisions, especially in the DC. It also eliminates the errors and delays associated with a paper-based operation, improving accuracy, efficiency, and the general speed of your business.

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can’t ignore your slower-moving mer-chandise. Every day that these items are not used or sold, they occupy space, utilize labor and resources, run the risk of obsolescence, and in many cases actually get in the way of your more popular items.

“It begs the question: Do I even need these slow movers in all of my warehouses?” says Sapra.

“The more DCs that you store an item in, the more inventory you’re go-ing to have,” says Wheeler. “If you pull that inventory back into a single DC, you’re able to aggregate your demand variability, which allows you to reduce your required safety stock.”

It doesn’t matter where you put slow movers; many DCs will need to deal with them. “Control your SLOB—slow moving and obso-lete items,” adds Sapra. “These are products that everyone conveniently forgets about. Well-managed opera-tions are going to put it on sale or send it to thrift channels and off-price retailers.”

8 Lastly, don’t neglect slottingProper slotting not only delivers much needed space, but ap-

propriately locates the fastest-moving items closer to docks and more acces-

sible locations, minimizing travel dis-tance and maximizing overall through-put and productivity. Unfortunately many companies tend to neglect their slotting.

“In the best companies, slotting is a daily activity not a quarterly or annual activity,” says Open Sky’s Sardeson. “As a daily activity, you can stay on top of it because it’s only a little bit of work and completely manageable. If you slot annually it becomes a major undertaking.”

St. Onge’s Wheeler also suggests investigating if two items have a high probability of being ordered on the same order. “If so, you want them close to each other in the picking area so that your travel distance is mini-mized, reducing your labor costs.”

Maida Napolitano is a Contributing Editor to Modern Materials Handling.

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Emerson’s new System Plast™ branded heavy-duty modular belts feature acetal clips that are designed for easy installa-tion, 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.

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stepLogic is a software development tool that replaces development tasks with configura-tion steps. The product provides decision tree analyses to allow users to configure their cur-rent WMS to meet their specific needs. User created dialogues can automatically update the appropriate tables and parameters and provide the user with recommendations— all without changing any code.

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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.

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EnKon Systems, Herkules Equipment Corporation’s brand name of lift systems, displayed the latest technological advancement in scissor lift table sys-tems at the ProMat 2013 Show. EnKon’s Electric Belt Drive Scissor Lift provides tremendous control for manufacturing, assembly and automation, with its ability to remain in a static position indefinitely to +/- .01 inches, and provide precision control to +/- .06 inches. The lift’s triple belt design offers a high level safety factor, and requires very little maintenance. Contact EnKon for more information on how an Electric Belt Drive Lift can improve your application.

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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.

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Vocollect703 Rodi RoadPittsburgh, PA 15235412-825-8145Fax: 412-824-9465www.vocollect.com

Vidir Box 700, PR326Arborg, MB, Canada, R0C 0A0204-364-2442www.storevertical.com

“Vidir’s newest offering boasts improved overall performance as well as improved carrier stability. By utilizing vertical technology the Pan Carousel not only saves space but increases productivity by changing the operator to product mentality to product to operator. Newly added standard features include a stainless steel workbench, paneled siding, automation, and a slimmer design. Additionally Vidir has released a variety of new options to accompany the Pan Carousel including a Bi-Parting Security Gate, Pic-to-lite, Bar code scanning, inter-changeable shelf dividers, intermediary shelves, durable storage bins, and inventory software.”

Goods-to-Person WorkstationSchaefer Systems’ patented Goods-to-Person workstation enables you to get a 70% higher picking efficiency over traditional picking methods and achieve over 1,000 picks per hour. The ergonomics workstation has been designed with your employees’ safety as a top priority. 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 guaranteeing delicate product handling.

Schaefer Systems International, Inc.877-724-2327news.ssi-schaefer.us

Kenwood’s NEXEDGE® NX-220/320 5 Watt portable two-way radios are ultra –compact, full featured. They feature high performance RF specifications combined with MILSTD 810 & IP54/55 ruggedness. The 20 Series portables come in three user interface configurations, including a non-display model for users needing a limited number of channels or trunked talk groups. True to the NEXEDGE multi-system migration-ready tradition, analog, NXDN® conventional and NXDN trunking are included in all models. NX-220/320 NEXEDGE models also include programming and groundbreaking NEXEDGE® enhanced audio refinements.

Kenwood USA Corp., Communications Sector3970 Johns Creek Court, Suite 100Suwanee, GA 30024800-950-5005Sales Email: [email protected]://nexedge.kenwood.com/

Vocollect Vidir

SSI Schaefer

Kenwood

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

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 pallets. Made from 100% recyclable, FDA-approved materials, the company’s products are ideal for pharmaceutical, general industry, food, beverage and warehousing applications. For more information, visit www.prostackpallets.com.

Polymer Solutions


FOCUS ON Tuggers/Casters/Carts

P.O. Box 89, 405 Commerce StreetWaukesha, WI USA 53186262-549-4000, 800-325-6939FAX 262-549-3466 [email protected]

Wildeck unveiled its new 4XLift™ four-post VRC design at ProMat. The VRC includes, as standard, the company’s full-featured AutoSenz D-Series Overload Detection System (U.S. Patent No. 7,408,317). According to Hue Schlegel, Director of Marketing at Wildeck, “The 4XLift sets a new standard for heavy material lifting and has more available safety features than any other 4-post VRC on the market today.”

In addition to the standard AutoSenz safety control system that continuously monitors motor current and immediately stops the lift should a jam occur, the 4XLift is designed and manufactured to meet ANSI/ASME B20.1 “Safety Standard for Conveyors” and is guaranteed to meet all codes and regula-tions that pertain to VRCs. Additional products featured included three mezzanine platforms, multiple stair structures, Wildeck’s popular Pivot Safety Gate for mez-zanine access, EdgeGard Folding-Rail Dock Gates, and Wilgard Guard Rail; which can withstand a 13,000 lb. load impact traveling at 4 mph.

Wildeck, Inc.

Zinc-plated casters feature double ball swivel raceways

With a durable zinc-plated finish, Encore dolly casters feature double ball swivel raceways for durability and improved performance. They are equipped with a non-marking, gray thermoplastic rubber wheel that resists cutting or tearing, and a maintenance-free, single insert-molded wheel bearing for smooth rolling. A total lock brake

stops the wheel and the swivel simultaneously to secure moving dollies, medium-duty materials handling carts or stock carts. The casters come in a variety of swivel and rigid models with capaci-ties up to 260 pounds, and in wheel sizes from 3 inches to 5 inches. Colson Caster, 800-643-5515, www.colsoncaster.com.

Spring-loaded upper frame helps auto rotate cart loadsTo reduce operator timing requirements, the Auto-Rotate cart’s spin function is faster than comparable carts. Featuring a four-wheel cart base bottom frame, the top portion has a manual hand-operated rotate frame equipped with a spring mecha-nism. To operate, a worker pulls the frame by hand with a twist

back motion to spring load the cart when it hits the detent. The frame stays in place until the operator engages the foot pedal, allowing it to return to its original position. Topper Industrial, 800-529-0909, www.topperindustrial.com.

Tow up to 8,000-pound loads The Pack Mule BCG-6200 electric tow vehicle’s heavy duty, steel uni-body frame construction 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.

Bag compartment cart protects low-volume, high-value composite partsTo protect composite parts during in-plant han-dling and delivery, a custom-compartmentalized bag cart provides an efficient, economical way

to handle uniquely shaped, lightweight items. The bag compart-ments keep the parts from nesting or tangling, while facilitating easy identification and unloading at multiple assembly points. Built from plastic-coated steel pipe and metal joints, the cart has a 350-pound load capacity and measures 70 x 37 x 75 inches. Loads glide on six 6-inch diameter casters (four with brakes and two fixed). The bags are constructed of industrial grade nylon, and can be sized to accommodate specific parts and compo-

Yale Ryan [email protected]

Yale

Introduced at ProMat 2013, the new Yale® MO25 center rider lift truck eases second level order picking through fully adjustable electronic power steering, automatic speed reduction in cornering and an elevating platform with an operator sensing floor mat. The electric steering eliminates high steer effort. The MO25 truck features numerous operator compartment and plat-form advantages for efficiency and ergonomic benefits. The control handle reduces the arm movement needed to change directions, helping to reduce fatigue, increase productivity and allowing the operator to remain inside the truck footprint for protection.

www.wildeck.com


Long lasting, easy rolling wheelsUltralast wheels are built to last under heavy loads and with continuous, higher speed use. Made from high-performance, liquid-cast polyurethane, the wheels roll smoothly and easily with loads up to 7,200 pounds. They are ideal for power-towed and higher-speed applications on smooth surfaces because their construction mini-mizes heat buildup. Offered in two stan-

dard configurations, the wheels come with either a 0.375-inch thick tread chemically bonded to a heavy-duty, cast iron center or with a 1-inch tread

molded to a super heavy-duty forged steel center. Applications include heavy manu-facturing or industrial use in automotive, aerospace, food and beverage manufac-turing. Hamilton Caster & Mfg., 513-863-3300, www.hamiltoncaster.com.

Hybrid caster for manufacturing

The HybridKP 45 series caster combines a drop-forged raceway with a cold-forged top plate and kingpin. Rated at up to 2,000 pounds, the caster’s heavy-duty yoke is ideal for manufacturing and tow-line appli-cations in automotive, food processing and waste equipment industries. Features include an induction hardened and sealed single-ball raceway for tighter tolerance and limited play in swivel motion. The caster’s cold-forged ASTM 1045 top plate is 0.25-inches thick and attached with a heat-treated, 0.75-inch diameter kingpin to prevent failure. Options include side-lock, tread-lock brakes, four-position swivel lock and 304 stainless steel construction. Everest Casters and Wheels, 866-532-1698, www.everestcaster.com.

Two models of low-profile, manual tilt trucks offeredA line of manual tilt trucks includes two new low-profile models manufactured from 13-gauge steel with reinforced corners. The 0.38- and 0.75-cubic-yard trucks stand 30 inches tall at the top of the push handle, while the bucket measures 24 inches from the floor to the top edge. Ideal for manual handling of materials up to 1,000 pounds, the trucks roll on 6 x 2-inch mold-on rubber casters. Jesco Industries, 888-463-1242, www.jescoonline.com.

Precision casters for carts, dollies and shop trucksConfigured for ease of movement, the 18 series caster offers capacities up to 1,250 pounds per caster. It can be paired with a round tread polyurethane wheel or a glass-reinforced nylon wheel. The polyurethane wheel protects floors with non-marking tread and provides quiet operation in both manual and towing use; the nylon wheel is engineered for strength and resilience to provide long lasting service in heavy-duty applica-tions. The casters are ideal for mobilizing shop carts, dollies, floor trucks, waste disposal trucks and shop trucks. Albion Industries, 800-835-8911, www.albion-casters.com.

nents. They hang on sewn-in web loops from the top layer of pipe on the carts, and have one enclosed side. Adding a hitch allows the carts to be towed by an AGV or manned vehicle. Creform, 800-839-8823, www.creform.com.


Concealed drum brake prevents runaway castersFeaturing a concealed drum brake inside the wheel, the rigid dead-man brake caster remains locked when stopped. It will not rotate until the brake is released by activating a cable connected to an integrated lever. Carts and equip-ment that ride atop the caster will not move until an operator manipulates them. Ideal for equipment that may be left to roll or move freely on uneven surfaces, the caster reliably pre-vents injury and damage to products and equipment. Blickle Wheels and Casters, 888-558-7878, www.blickle.us.com.

Float 2,500-pound loads across the floor with movement assist deviceUsing on-board compressed air, the LoadRunner helps one operator easily move loads up to 2,500 pounds by floating them across the floor. By greatly reducing friction, a fraction of normal operator effort is needed to move the load. The unit is offered as a replacement for hand trucks, pallet jacks and forklifts. Completely self-contained, it features a low pro-file deck, 2-inch insertion height and intuitive, throttle-style fingertip controls. Quiet and emission-free, the device is ideal for manufacturing, clean-rooms, assembly, and ware-house applications requiring redundant and recurring load movement. AeroGo, 800-426-4757, www.aerogo.com.

Casters absorb shocks, reduce vibration and noiseEngineered to reduce vibration and noise, the FootMaster GDS series of shock-absorbing casters are made with a firmly bonded polyurethane tread. Offered in lemon yellow color with an aluminum center, the casters are attached to a pressed steel plate with an aluminum die-casting bracket containing bi-level balls upon ball seats in the swivel head. Features include a rubber cushion to absorb shock, a nylon brake system, and dynamically pressed kingpin and bolted wheel axle. Options include a black bracket and an anti-static

wheel. The casters operate in temper-atures from 14 degrees Fahrenheit to 114 degrees Fahrenheit and each handles a load up to 220 pounds. DoRodo, 866-3620-3226, www.dorodoint.com.

FOCUS ON Tuggers/Casters/Carts


Mobile carts in shelf, drawer configurations, offer portable tool storage for techniciansFlexible and maneuverable, the Technician series of mobile carts provide heavy-duty, lightweight tool storage and transport for service person-nel. Carts come with either shelves or shelves and draw-ers. The shelf-only version has 2-inch deep pan shelves, covered with a ribbed rubber mat, at the top and bottom. Drawer units include a core lock and two keys, and a mesh drawer liner. Offered in two widths—17.5 or 31.75 inches—and multiple configurations, the carts hold up to 400 pounds and travel on two fixed and two swivel-with-wheel-lock casters. Lista International, 800-722-3020, www.listabox.com.

Lockable, portable facility maintenance cartIdeal for storage and transport of items that require security, the mobile facility maintenance cart measures 36 x 18 x 38.375 inches and includes three-point locking doors and a lockable handle. The cart is equipped with six drawers in two heights, each capable of holding up to 100 pounds, and nine 4 x 5 x 3-inch hook-on bins for organized storage of smaller parts and items. Featuring sturdy, all-welded construction of 16-gauge steel, the cart travels on 5 x 1.25-inch polyurethane casters (two swivel, two rigid). Additional stor-age compartments can hold lad-ders and florescent bulbs, while the cart’s work surface is covered with a black rubber mat for dura-bility. Durham Manufacturing, 800-243-3774, www.durhammfg.com.

[email protected]

SPACS95-8/12

PRESPALL

Export and Domestic Pallet Solutions

LITCO International PalletsExport and Domestic Pallet Solutions855-296-2891 www.litco.com

Which PalletWill You Choose?

Minimize Waste Cut Packaging CoFree of Bugs, MoldTCP and TCA CheReduce Fork Truck

Reduce Shipping CostsIncrease Product ProtectionReduce Shipping Damages

Efficient. Productive. Safe.Increase your order picking productivity and minimize workplace injuries with Pallet Dispensers from Cherry’s.

800-350-0011600 Morse Ave. Elk Grove Village, IL

MODERN 60 Seconds with...


Bob Babel

ForteTITLE: Vice president, executive consultant

LOCATION: Mason, Ohio

EXPERIENCE: 43 years in the materials handling industry

PRIMARY FOCUS: Materials handling system consulting and engineering, from design through customer acceptance

Babel: E-commerce is definitely playing a role. The volumes are growing and that’s driving people to look at areas such as automating the manifest process. There are some amazing technologies that automatically print and fold a packing slip, insert it into an envelope, and apply it to the outside of a shipping carton. That may only save a few seconds per order, but when you get to a certain level of volume of orders, those seconds are starting to add up. We’re all working to quantify what the volume of orders is to get a payback.

Modern: With all the handling associated with e-commerce, is the packing station one of those areas that’s getting a second look?

Babel: It is. We did some engineered time studies of the packing station as part of our last few projects.

For an apparel accessories client with a rapidly growing e-commerce business, we ended up re-engineering their processes from the workstations back. We designed one workstation for their single-line orders and a different workstation for their multi-line orders. That was a result of creating some mocked-up workstations and getting out there with a stop watch as we packed different types of orders. You wouldn’t think that there are three or four different ways to design a workstation, but we learned that there are more efficient ways to pass an item from one person in the process to the other. In the case of this client, the designs we came up with allow them to handle their cyber-week business without adding additional workstations. It was a little thing that made a big difference. �

Modern: At ProMat, we saw a number of solutions to bring automation and technology to processes that aren’t usually part of an automated process. Some of the examples are technologies to make boxes on demand or to automatically unload trailers. Are we beginning to integrate processes at the docks and the packing stations into the overall system?

Babel: We are seeing that and as a systems integrator, we are looking at that. One of the challenges to these solutions is that they can be hard to justify. They may not provide a return on investment in the time frame that someone is looking for. Or, they get chopped in the capital allocation process. The client needs to trim the budget, so the automatic truck unloader gets cut in favor of picking technologies.

Modern: What is driving this change?

Babel: One is that ergonomics is becoming more important than ever. Clients are beginning to quantify the medical costs related to back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. And, there are labor savings.

Modern: Is e-commerce playing a role?

Grow your business byleveraging market intelligence.

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Transportation Management Systems

Meeting the Challenges and Obtaining Results

Transportation Management Systems

Meeting the Challenges and Obtaining Results

January 2011

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Conducted by:

On behalf of:

The Adoption and Usage

of Picking Solutions

in Materials Handling

Operations

Does Voice Technology

Live Up to Its Promise?

Peerless Research Group offers a wide range of custom and proprietary research solutions to businesses, consultants and advertising agencies specializing in supply chain, logistics and materials handling products and services.

We offer a complete set of quantitative and qualitative services and techniques covering Internet and telephone methodologies as well as focus groups, one-to-one interviewing.

Custom or proprietary studies include brand awareness, product and services usage and buying intentions, brand equity, corporate image and perception, advertising concept testing, product feasibility studies, market surveys, customer satisfaction research as well as corporate management studies.

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