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Month: October 2019

Swissport Opens Pharma Centre at Brussels Airport

Posted on by David Priestman

Swissport International has opened its state-of-the-art Pharma Centre for temperature-sensitive cargo shipments at Brussels Airport. The new facility offers 3,620 sqm of temperature-controlled warehouse space, providing clients with an end-to-end cool chain. Once completed the cargo complex will boast some 25,000 sqm of warehouse space.

“We can now provide a seamless, high-quality service from the trucks to the aircraft cargo hold,” says Luzius Wirth, Executive Vice President Europe, Middle East & Africa of Swissport International. “We are excited to contribute to a thriving Belgian Pharma Valley.”

It features two areas for the handling of pharmaceutical products. 2,620 sqm are available for shipments which require a temperature range of +15°C to +25°C. This is three times the surface formerly available in this range. Another 1,000 sqm of space are available in the +2° to +8°C range. The facility is equipped with eight dedicated truck docks, allowing for a fully temperature-controlled transfer of containers and pallets to the warehouse, regardless of the outside temperature. The facility’s new, automated material handling system with its 432 rack and ground positions, caster decks and associated forklifts and pallet movers, which are exclusively operated in the high-sensitive pharma area, ensure an efficient and safe handling. Swissport can now offer clients an end-to-end cool chain from the delivery to the warehouse until cargo is loaded into the aircraft.

Belgian Deputy PM Alexander De Croo said: “Belgium is the second largest pharma exporter in Europe and no airport in the world has a better quality track record in temperature-sensitive transport of pharmaceutical products than Brussels Airport. I am convinced that the new Swissport Pharma Center will further boost these important Belgian assets.”

Swissport has signed a 20-year lease contract for the new facilities and is investing roughly 11 million Euros in interior fittings, namely an automated material handling system and special cooling installations. Complete with new forklifts, cargo scales, cleaning equipment and break rooms, the Brussels facility will be state-of-the-art in all aspects.

 

Industry View: The Tech That’s Changing Warehousing

Posted on by David Priestman

Graham McCarthy from GSM Barcoding, a provider of barcode systems, solutions and inventory system services, gives an overview of the technology changing the warehouse industry.

Every day, technology becomes more and more crucial in every aspect of how we do business. But perhaps one of the places where emerging technologies are the most prominent is in warehousing and logistics.
Technologies such as robotics, drones, IoT and cloud software are being implemented into warehouses to allow companies to more effectively stay competitive in an ever-changing market. Everything from mobile working to automated systems can help evolve warehouse processes to be more efficient in every way. Companies can reap the benefits of these technologies as they allow them access to crucial real-time data, enhanced communication across all employees, increased sales and customer satisfaction and much more.
Here’s a look at the technologies that are transforming warehouses, making multiple processes speedier, more efficient and virtually error-free.

Tracking Software
Tracking technology is paramount for warehouse operations so they can access and process greater volumes of data at much higher levels, whether it’s distribution information or data regarding stock levels. Tracking software can allow not only the organisations themselves to access crucial data and information, but their customers can also utilise this information when making purchase decisions.
Paper-based record keeping no longer cuts it in the high turnover demands of the modern warehouse where optimised efficiency is necessary for profitable operations.

Mobile Technology
When warehouse workers are tethered to a particular location by wires, they are always going to struggle to make that process as efficient as it could be. Mobile technology and the introduction of wireless devices has improved various roles within the supply chain, freeing up employees and allowing them to perform their tasks from anywhere on the factory floor.

Workers can also access their inventory tracking software from anywhere on the go, allowing them to print labels, scan barcodes and update stock levels all while on the move. With a device now in their hand or strapped to their person and no longer confined to a designated area, they can access real-time information, while also automatically sharing data across devices, so everyone on the warehouse floor has all the latest information, improving communications across the board.

IoT and RFID
Today, it feels like everything is connected to the internet. Who would have imagined that you could control your home’s heating, the lights or even the ceiling fan directly from your smartphone? IoT, Internet of Things, makes these kinds of marvels possible. It opens up many opportunities to streamline processes in the supply chain by connecting devices through the internet to do things such as exchange data and provide real-time tracking.
Combined with RFID, radio frequency identification, which can be tagged to each item in an inventory to provide real-time tracking, you can create a streamlined system for stock location with all the information condensed into an easily accessible database.

Drones
It wasn’t that long ago that drones seemed like a futuristic technology that we wouldn’t see in our lifetime. But now they’re here and are even being used in test trials at Amazon in their own drone programme, Prime Air, as delivery vehicles so consumers can expect their packages in 30 minutes or less.

While these trials continue, drones are still being used in other aspects of business, such as in the warehouses of the supply chain. According to supply chain specialists, a drone can do the work of 100 humans over the same time period. Aerial drones can use optimal sensors to help locate items in a warehouse or gauge inventory levels and transmit that data to the warehouse management system. All of this can facilitate fast detection and prevent inventory mistakes.

At the moment, drone adoption is low, with big players like Amazon leading the way, this is due to drone’s current limitations such as payload capacity restrictions, airspace regulations and concern for public safety. But they are likely to see a considerable surge in usage as the technology adapts and becomes easier to integrate into warehouse processes.

AI and Robotics
We might not quite be at the point where automated workers exist alongside human workers, but robots and AI technology is already making strides in warehouse environments. They are mostly used for specific, repetitive tasks for which they are precisely programmed, to free up human workers to do the more complex jobs that AI is not yet capable of performing. The reason we’re unlikely to see robots performing dynamic tasks for many years yet, is that even the most straightforward process requires complicated, sophisticated software and hardware that simply does not exist yet in a commercial sense.

Like the drone, Amazon is leading the way with robotics in their warehouses. They currently have more than 100,000 small, mobile robots as part of their workforce. These wheeled, Roomba-like bots are called “drives”; at just a foot tall and with flat tops, they carry entire shelving units of merchandise around the factory floor to human workers so that they can fulfil orders. The technology is limited, and they follow set paths around the warehouse, which is a far cry from the fully automated warehouses that Amazon sees in their future.

Robotics and AI are likely to pay a much more pivotal role in the future of logistics and the supply chain as the technology becomes more sophisticated and more widely adopted.

 

Industry View: The Tech That’s Changing Warehousing

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Graham McCarthy from GSM Barcoding, a provider of barcode systems, solutions and inventory system services, gives an overview of the technology changing the warehouse industry.

Every day, technology becomes more and more crucial in every aspect of how we do business. But perhaps one of the places where emerging technologies are the most prominent is in warehousing and logistics.
Technologies such as robotics, drones, IoT and cloud software are being implemented into warehouses to allow companies to more effectively stay competitive in an ever-changing market. Everything from mobile working to automated systems can help evolve warehouse processes to be more efficient in every way. Companies can reap the benefits of these technologies as they allow them access to crucial real-time data, enhanced communication across all employees, increased sales and customer satisfaction and much more.
Here’s a look at the technologies that are transforming warehouses, making multiple processes speedier, more efficient and virtually error-free.

Tracking Software
Tracking technology is paramount for warehouse operations so they can access and process greater volumes of data at much higher levels, whether it’s distribution information or data regarding stock levels. Tracking software can allow not only the organisations themselves to access crucial data and information, but their customers can also utilise this information when making purchase decisions.
Paper-based record keeping no longer cuts it in the high turnover demands of the modern warehouse where optimised efficiency is necessary for profitable operations.

Mobile Technology
When warehouse workers are tethered to a particular location by wires, they are always going to struggle to make that process as efficient as it could be. Mobile technology and the introduction of wireless devices has improved various roles within the supply chain, freeing up employees and allowing them to perform their tasks from anywhere on the factory floor.

Workers can also access their inventory tracking software from anywhere on the go, allowing them to print labels, scan barcodes and update stock levels all while on the move. With a device now in their hand or strapped to their person and no longer confined to a designated area, they can access real-time information, while also automatically sharing data across devices, so everyone on the warehouse floor has all the latest information, improving communications across the board.

IoT and RFID
Today, it feels like everything is connected to the internet. Who would have imagined that you could control your home’s heating, the lights or even the ceiling fan directly from your smartphone? IoT, Internet of Things, makes these kinds of marvels possible. It opens up many opportunities to streamline processes in the supply chain by connecting devices through the internet to do things such as exchange data and provide real-time tracking.
Combined with RFID, radio frequency identification, which can be tagged to each item in an inventory to provide real-time tracking, you can create a streamlined system for stock location with all the information condensed into an easily accessible database.

Drones
It wasn’t that long ago that drones seemed like a futuristic technology that we wouldn’t see in our lifetime. But now they’re here and are even being used in test trials at Amazon in their own drone programme, Prime Air, as delivery vehicles so consumers can expect their packages in 30 minutes or less.

While these trials continue, drones are still being used in other aspects of business, such as in the warehouses of the supply chain. According to supply chain specialists, a drone can do the work of 100 humans over the same time period. Aerial drones can use optimal sensors to help locate items in a warehouse or gauge inventory levels and transmit that data to the warehouse management system. All of this can facilitate fast detection and prevent inventory mistakes.

At the moment, drone adoption is low, with big players like Amazon leading the way, this is due to drone’s current limitations such as payload capacity restrictions, airspace regulations and concern for public safety. But they are likely to see a considerable surge in usage as the technology adapts and becomes easier to integrate into warehouse processes.

AI and Robotics
We might not quite be at the point where automated workers exist alongside human workers, but robots and AI technology is already making strides in warehouse environments. They are mostly used for specific, repetitive tasks for which they are precisely programmed, to free up human workers to do the more complex jobs that AI is not yet capable of performing. The reason we’re unlikely to see robots performing dynamic tasks for many years yet, is that even the most straightforward process requires complicated, sophisticated software and hardware that simply does not exist yet in a commercial sense.

Like the drone, Amazon is leading the way with robotics in their warehouses. They currently have more than 100,000 small, mobile robots as part of their workforce. These wheeled, Roomba-like bots are called “drives”; at just a foot tall and with flat tops, they carry entire shelving units of merchandise around the factory floor to human workers so that they can fulfil orders. The technology is limited, and they follow set paths around the warehouse, which is a far cry from the fully automated warehouses that Amazon sees in their future.

Robotics and AI are likely to pay a much more pivotal role in the future of logistics and the supply chain as the technology becomes more sophisticated and more widely adopted.

 

Industry View: Packaging Innovations Expo

Posted on by David Priestman

Packaging Innovations returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 26 & 27 February 2020. Ahead of its return, Paul MacDonald, Global Brand Director of Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, discusses what can be expected at the show.

Q. Why should the event be marked in all packaging professionals’ diaries?

Our two-day NEC event is the only show in the UK that caters to the whole of the packaging supply chain under one roof. Packaging Innovations, which includes our co-located events Ecopack, Contract Pack & Fulfilment, Label&Print and Empack, enables our visitors to meet with over 300 of the industry’s leading suppliers. The event is a place where they can discover solutions for every aspect of the packaging process, from concept through to fulfilment.

In addition, we have a series of free-to-attend seminars set across four stages, which will enable visitors to hear from industry leaders, innovators and policy influencers as they put some of the sector’s most pressing issues under the microscope. There will also be numerous networking opportunities across both days, allowing the packaging community to come together and do business.

Q. Plastics in packaging and sustainability are hot topics in the industry right now. How will the issue of eco-friendly packaging be tackled at the show?

The topic of sustainable packaging is something everyone is talking about, and not just within our industry. With leading decision-makers in the room, the show offers the perfect opportunity for the packaging community to convene and talk about how we can be more eco-conscious at every point on the supply chain.

We are dedicated to providing insightful, cutting-edge information to our visitors, so we work with leading experts to ensure our content tackles the industry’s biggest challenges and current trends. As part of this, we host an annual Ecopack Advisory Board which offers us the opportunity to discuss the hottest issues in sustainability with the industry’s brightest minds. Our most recent meeting gathered the likes of WRAP, WWF, OPRL, ThePackHub and the Recycling Association to talk about the wider issues in creating sustainable packaging. This was invaluable in offering a unique insight into the challenges currently facing brands, with waste management, consumer education and readjusting the ‘plastic phobia’ mentality all flagged as key issues that need to be addressed by the wider community.

These discussions have helped inform our eco focus at the show, which has been devised to offer a balanced view of the sustainability debate. Our Big Plastics Debate offering has evolved for 2020 in order to move the conversation forward, and will return as The Big Debate. These sessions will take a holistic view of the sustainability discussion, as speakers explore the wider impact of plastic and its alternatives, as well as tackling the complex issue of creating a solution that is truly eco-friendly at every point in the supply chain. Discussion points will include zero-carbon targets, future-proofing packaging and convenience vs sustainability.

Q. What can visitors expect to see at the show this year?

With five co-located events under one roof, the show floor will feature over 300 suppliers, many of which will launch their latest innovations live at the event. As well as a wealth of leading exhibitors, we will host our CPD accredited seminar programme which will discuss topics from concept and design through to print and logistics. Our series of dedicated industry forums will take place across both days and have been designed to offer tailored advice for the food, drink, beauty, pharmaceutical, and e-commerce sectors.

The Education Hub will also make its NEC debut. We hosted the feature in collaboration with Earth Island at our London show in September with great success. It has been designed to connect students and apprentices with industry experts to inspire the next generation of packaging professionals and is an area we are particularly proud to be supporting.

Alongside all of this, we will host a number of networking opportunities, including our networking drinks at the end of day one – which we invite all visitors and exhibitors to attend.

Q. What news is there on suppliers?

After a record-breaking 2019 event, we are excited to be welcoming back over 75 percent of last years’ exhibitors. We will also be hosting a number of new suppliers which together will provide a wide variety of expertise for visitors. Some of those joining us at NEC include: RPC M&H Plastics, AEGG, Nulogy, Charpak, Ampacet, Sirane Group, Innovate UK, Schur®Star Systems, AstroNova, Foxpak Flexibles, Simply Cartons, Staeger Clear Packaging, Macpac, Dantex, Epsom, IST, Codeology, Denny Bros, Lemonpath, Automated Packaging Systems, KTEC Group and Yorkshire Packaging Systems. With many more names still to be announced, it is certainly an event not to be missed.

Industry View: Packaging Innovations Expo

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Packaging Innovations returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 26 & 27 February 2020. Ahead of its return, Paul MacDonald, Global Brand Director of Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, discusses what can be expected at the show.

Q. Why should the event be marked in all packaging professionals’ diaries?

Our two-day NEC event is the only show in the UK that caters to the whole of the packaging supply chain under one roof. Packaging Innovations, which includes our co-located events Ecopack, Contract Pack & Fulfilment, Label&Print and Empack, enables our visitors to meet with over 300 of the industry’s leading suppliers. The event is a place where they can discover solutions for every aspect of the packaging process, from concept through to fulfilment.

In addition, we have a series of free-to-attend seminars set across four stages, which will enable visitors to hear from industry leaders, innovators and policy influencers as they put some of the sector’s most pressing issues under the microscope. There will also be numerous networking opportunities across both days, allowing the packaging community to come together and do business.

Q. Plastics in packaging and sustainability are hot topics in the industry right now. How will the issue of eco-friendly packaging be tackled at the show?

The topic of sustainable packaging is something everyone is talking about, and not just within our industry. With leading decision-makers in the room, the show offers the perfect opportunity for the packaging community to convene and talk about how we can be more eco-conscious at every point on the supply chain.

We are dedicated to providing insightful, cutting-edge information to our visitors, so we work with leading experts to ensure our content tackles the industry’s biggest challenges and current trends. As part of this, we host an annual Ecopack Advisory Board which offers us the opportunity to discuss the hottest issues in sustainability with the industry’s brightest minds. Our most recent meeting gathered the likes of WRAP, WWF, OPRL, ThePackHub and the Recycling Association to talk about the wider issues in creating sustainable packaging. This was invaluable in offering a unique insight into the challenges currently facing brands, with waste management, consumer education and readjusting the ‘plastic phobia’ mentality all flagged as key issues that need to be addressed by the wider community.

These discussions have helped inform our eco focus at the show, which has been devised to offer a balanced view of the sustainability debate. Our Big Plastics Debate offering has evolved for 2020 in order to move the conversation forward, and will return as The Big Debate. These sessions will take a holistic view of the sustainability discussion, as speakers explore the wider impact of plastic and its alternatives, as well as tackling the complex issue of creating a solution that is truly eco-friendly at every point in the supply chain. Discussion points will include zero-carbon targets, future-proofing packaging and convenience vs sustainability.

Q. What can visitors expect to see at the show this year?

With five co-located events under one roof, the show floor will feature over 300 suppliers, many of which will launch their latest innovations live at the event. As well as a wealth of leading exhibitors, we will host our CPD accredited seminar programme which will discuss topics from concept and design through to print and logistics. Our series of dedicated industry forums will take place across both days and have been designed to offer tailored advice for the food, drink, beauty, pharmaceutical, and e-commerce sectors.

The Education Hub will also make its NEC debut. We hosted the feature in collaboration with Earth Island at our London show in September with great success. It has been designed to connect students and apprentices with industry experts to inspire the next generation of packaging professionals and is an area we are particularly proud to be supporting.

Alongside all of this, we will host a number of networking opportunities, including our networking drinks at the end of day one – which we invite all visitors and exhibitors to attend.

Q. What news is there on suppliers?

After a record-breaking 2019 event, we are excited to be welcoming back over 75 percent of last years’ exhibitors. We will also be hosting a number of new suppliers which together will provide a wide variety of expertise for visitors. Some of those joining us at NEC include: RPC M&H Plastics, AEGG, Nulogy, Charpak, Ampacet, Sirane Group, Innovate UK, Schur®Star Systems, AstroNova, Foxpak Flexibles, Simply Cartons, Staeger Clear Packaging, Macpac, Dantex, Epsom, IST, Codeology, Denny Bros, Lemonpath, Automated Packaging Systems, KTEC Group and Yorkshire Packaging Systems. With many more names still to be announced, it is certainly an event not to be missed.

BlueBotics Celebrates 10 Years of ANT Vehicle Ops

Posted on by David Priestman

AGV and AMR specialist BlueBotics, is celebrating ten years since the first vehicle driven by its Autonomous Navigation Technology (ANT®) went into commercial operation. The company has also announced its ANT® lite+ and ANT® localisation+ products’ new support for omnidirectional vehicle movements.

The first ANT® driven vehicle to go into commercial operation was an Esatroll general-purpose Paquito AGV. This was installed at Dal Colle (Barilla Group) in Italy in 2009. Since then, as of October 2019, over 1,750 ANT® driven industrial vehicles have been commissioned at sites around the world. These installations span five continents and numerous commercial applications, ranging from shop floors and warehouses to cleanrooms, hospitals and data centers.

“A primary reason for our success is the robustness of our ANT® navigation solution. As customers often tell us when choosing to partner with BlueBotics, the platform just works,” said the CEO of BlueBotics, Nicola Tomatis. “AGV makers also appreciate the close, professional integration support we offer. This is crucial to the success of a project, whether a customer is developing a brand new AGV, upgrading an existing AGV’s navigation or automating a manual vehicle.”

Also driving the company’s continuing growth, Tomatis adds, is the fact that BlueBotics’ guidance technology suits virtually every type of AGV, environment and application: “We have modules such as ANT® lite+ integrated in 100 kilogram AMRs for cleanroom applications, while other customers are using ANT® to guide huge vehicles that regularly move loads of 25 tons or more.”

Omnidirectional movement
BlueBotics also announces today its ANT® platform’s newly-expanded support for omnidirectional vehicle movements. Previously available within the company’s ANT® localization solution, omnidirectional movement is now supported by BlueBotics’ entire range of navigation products, including ANT® lite+ and ANT® localization+.
“In most cases our customers develop vehicles based on tricycle or differential drive kinematics. For these models, ANT® lite+ is typically the optimal solution,” Tomatis explains. “However, there are exceptions—sites where omnidirectional movement makes all the difference—such as ultra-complex environments or older sites that cannot easily be optimized for AGV use. That’s why, as always, we’ve listened closely to our customers and expanded our platform’s omnidirectional support. With the latest version of our ANT software, manufacturers can reap all of the space-saving benefits that omnidirectional AGVs can bring, programming these movements simply and efficiently at the click of a button.”

BlueBotics Celebrates 10 Years of ANT Vehicle Ops

Posted on by David Priestman

AGV and AMR specialist BlueBotics, is celebrating ten years since the first vehicle driven by its Autonomous Navigation Technology (ANT®) went into commercial operation. The company has also announced its ANT® lite+ and ANT® localisation+ products’ new support for omnidirectional vehicle movements.

The first ANT® driven vehicle to go into commercial operation was an Esatroll general-purpose Paquito AGV. This was installed at Dal Colle (Barilla Group) in Italy in 2009. Since then, as of October 2019, over 1,750 ANT® driven industrial vehicles have been commissioned at sites around the world. These installations span five continents and numerous commercial applications, ranging from shop floors and warehouses to cleanrooms, hospitals and data centers.

“A primary reason for our success is the robustness of our ANT® navigation solution. As customers often tell us when choosing to partner with BlueBotics, the platform just works,” said the CEO of BlueBotics, Nicola Tomatis. “AGV makers also appreciate the close, professional integration support we offer. This is crucial to the success of a project, whether a customer is developing a brand new AGV, upgrading an existing AGV’s navigation or automating a manual vehicle.”

Also driving the company’s continuing growth, Tomatis adds, is the fact that BlueBotics’ guidance technology suits virtually every type of AGV, environment and application: “We have modules such as ANT® lite+ integrated in 100 kilogram AMRs for cleanroom applications, while other customers are using ANT® to guide huge vehicles that regularly move loads of 25 tons or more.”

Omnidirectional movement
BlueBotics also announces today its ANT® platform’s newly-expanded support for omnidirectional vehicle movements. Previously available within the company’s ANT® localization solution, omnidirectional movement is now supported by BlueBotics’ entire range of navigation products, including ANT® lite+ and ANT® localization+.
“In most cases our customers develop vehicles based on tricycle or differential drive kinematics. For these models, ANT® lite+ is typically the optimal solution,” Tomatis explains. “However, there are exceptions—sites where omnidirectional movement makes all the difference—such as ultra-complex environments or older sites that cannot easily be optimized for AGV use. That’s why, as always, we’ve listened closely to our customers and expanded our platform’s omnidirectional support. With the latest version of our ANT software, manufacturers can reap all of the space-saving benefits that omnidirectional AGVs can bring, programming these movements simply and efficiently at the click of a button.”

Ground Support Equipment Specialist Selects Camso Tyre

Posted on by David Priestman

Camso’s Solideal AIR 561 ground support equipment tyre is to equip TLD’s new driverless baggage tractor TractEasy – which has been developed in collaboration with EasyMile, as well as its Jet-16 baggage tractor, their flagship vehicle. Since June 2019, both ground support equipment pieces come standard-fitted with Solideal AIR 561 full assemblies (tyres and wheels).

“We’re impressed with the dedication of Camso’s development team in designing not just a long-life solution, but one that tackles the specific challenges of ground support applications,” explains Yves Crespel, Communication Director at TLD. “With the Solideal AIR 561, we’re confident customers will be equipped with a performing solution that will lower their overall operating costs.”

Camso’s ability to provide a long-lasting tyre specifically designed for this GSE application was a determining factor in this partnership. The Solideal AIR 561 is the ideal solution to meet the baggage tractors’ unique set of requirements for versatility and manoeuvrability. These vehicles were previously equipped with block tread pattern tyres, which are poorly suited for the high-speed, long distances, and short-turning radius of these machines, causing uneven wear of the tyres, which leads to recurring vibration issues. In the case of the Jet-16, this affects driver comfort and results in lower tyre life – all of which triggered TLD to investigate a more suitable and performing solution.

The Solideal AIR 561’s distinctive ribbed tread pattern minimizes vibration due to uneven wear and reduces snaking, two important challenges when operating on airport grounds. It provides greater stability, ensuring increased operator comfort and tyre life. Its energy-efficient rubber compound also helps reduce wear and rolling resistance, while its unique “lug with sipes” design increases traction in low-grip conditions.

 

Ground Support Equipment Specialist Selects Camso Tyre

Posted on by David Priestman

Camso’s Solideal AIR 561 ground support equipment tyre is to equip TLD’s new driverless baggage tractor TractEasy – which has been developed in collaboration with EasyMile, as well as its Jet-16 baggage tractor, their flagship vehicle. Since June 2019, both ground support equipment pieces come standard-fitted with Solideal AIR 561 full assemblies (tyres and wheels).

“We’re impressed with the dedication of Camso’s development team in designing not just a long-life solution, but one that tackles the specific challenges of ground support applications,” explains Yves Crespel, Communication Director at TLD. “With the Solideal AIR 561, we’re confident customers will be equipped with a performing solution that will lower their overall operating costs.”

Camso’s ability to provide a long-lasting tyre specifically designed for this GSE application was a determining factor in this partnership. The Solideal AIR 561 is the ideal solution to meet the baggage tractors’ unique set of requirements for versatility and manoeuvrability. These vehicles were previously equipped with block tread pattern tyres, which are poorly suited for the high-speed, long distances, and short-turning radius of these machines, causing uneven wear of the tyres, which leads to recurring vibration issues. In the case of the Jet-16, this affects driver comfort and results in lower tyre life – all of which triggered TLD to investigate a more suitable and performing solution.

The Solideal AIR 561’s distinctive ribbed tread pattern minimizes vibration due to uneven wear and reduces snaking, two important challenges when operating on airport grounds. It provides greater stability, ensuring increased operator comfort and tyre life. Its energy-efficient rubber compound also helps reduce wear and rolling resistance, while its unique “lug with sipes” design increases traction in low-grip conditions.

 

Case Study: EnerSys and Unicarriers Make Dutch Fleet More Sustainable

Posted on by David Priestman

Netherlands-based Desch Plantpak has modernised its internal transport fleet by selecting UniCarriers to supply ten electric forklift trucks from its new TX series. The electric forklift trucks are equipped with NexSys Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries from EnerSys, which make unimpeded interim recharging possible.

Desch Plantpak devises and produces all kinds of innovative solutions for the professional horticultural sector. Pellets are supplied for the production of rolls of film, which are transported to an intermediate storage facility. The rolls are transported from the intermediate storage facility on a call-off basis to the various production units, which transform the film into flowerpots, plant trays and plant packs. Once the finished products have been palletised and wrapped in film, the goods are shuttled to the warehouse, just a stone’s throw away. From here the goods are transported to customers across the globe.

“Good internal transport is essential for us,” says Cecile van Daalen, responsible for Desch Plantpak’s logistics, among other things. The trucks are responsible for supplying the machines on the factory floor. “And we can’t do without forklift trucks for loading and unloading raw materials and loading the shuttles for our warehouse,” adds Bas Langenberg, planner in the Technical Services department. The trucks unload the shuttles in the warehouse once they have supplied the finished products from the production facility. They are also responsible for product entry and exit and order collection.

The lease contracts of the trucks in the production department and the warehouse were coming to an end, prompting Desch to investigate suitable providers of renewed internal transport solutions. This was found in UniCarriers, which supplied a total of twelve new trucks: three TX3 electrically powered trucks, with load capacities of 1.6 tonnes and two DX combustion engines (1.8 tonnes and 3.2 tonnes) supplied for the production department, and seven electric TX4 1.6 tonne trucks for the warehouse.

The specific wishes and requirements of deployment differ considerably for the two departments. Availability is essential on the factory floor. To guarantee short delivery times for its clients, Desch always strives to deliver from stock. The bar is certainly high during high season and much is demanded of the forklift trucks. “It’s full steam ahead from January through to May, and we even work on Sundays during that time. There are sometimes as many as 25 full trucks in the yard at once during that peak period,” Bas Langenberg continues.

The average operating time of a forklift truck in Desch’s production department is some 2,000 hours/year. It was precisely the high level of availability that led the company to rely entirely on LPG trucks until recently. The combustion engines have been available almost continuously. After all, if an LPG tank is empty, it is exchanged for a full one in no time at all and the truck can continue operating again.

However, Desch was eager to switch to quiet, zero-emission electric trucks for its new fleet of vehicles. “Not just because of the emissions,” Bas Langenberg explains. “The operating costs of electric vehicles are lower than those of combustion engines. Moreover, the trucks are less prone to failure.” What is more, the 1.6 tonne electric powered three-wheelers are more compact and agile than the 1.8 tonne vehicles in use until then. “That makes the trucks lighter and more energy efficient,” Bas Langenberg says.

Of course, availability remained crucial. And there is simply no room in the production facility for a special, expensive charging station. For this reason, as well as from a safety perspective, the use of exchangeable batteries was not an option. “We also looked at lithium-ion batteries, but that technology is still rather young for us. There are not enough references right now, so we weren’t confident enough in choosing that solution,” Mr Langenberg relates.

On the recommendation of UniCarriers and in collaboration with battery supplier EnerSys, Desch ultimately opted for NexSys batteries. Like lithium-ion batteries, the 48 V/625 Ah batteries allow for interim recharging, but the NexSys technology has been available for some time and has more than proven its worth. “Our drivers can now connect their trucks to the charging station during their coffee break, for example, so that we can continue operating throughout the hours needed,” Mr Langenberg says. To make (interim) recharging of the batteries as quick and simple as possible, UniCarriers moved the battery connector to the entry and exit side of the trucks.

Anouk Mantoua – Sales and Service manager Motive Power Netherlands at EnerSys summarised that it was a great experience to work with UniCarriers in the project, which has seen Desch Plantpak gain from choosing UniCarriers trucks powered by NexSys TPPL batteries.

Both Ms Van Daalen and Mr Langenberg are very satisfied with the collaboration with UniCarriers and EnerSys. “This is the first time we have worked with them. We were particularly impressed with how they thought along with us during the tender process and how quickly they responded,” Ms Van Daalen adds. “The future will tell whether the promises made regarding service are actually upheld. We have no experience with this. But I am convinced that it will be fine too.” All the trucks have been leased for a 72-month period, including a maintenance contract.

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