Month: March 2020

Prologis has released its latest research report on the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the logistics real estate sector, this time focusing on the US and China.

It said:

“In China, activity is picking up across our business and amongst our customers, and signs are emerging of an economic recovery as many return to work. In the U.S., Prologis’ proprietary Industrial Business IndicatorTM (IBI), which tracks customer activity in the U.S., indicates a slowdown, albeit not as deep as during the Global Financial Crisis.

As China begins to emerge from the outbreak, our research identifies four key metrics that could apply to both the U.S. and Europe in the coming months:

1. Continued operations. Throughout the outbreak in China, logistics operations continued except where strict government lockdowns were mandated. For those that remained open, Prologis customers took a raft of measures to ensure safety within the facilities and undertook remedial efforts where needed. Delays in logistics real estate construction were more widespread and restarting projects has taken longer.
2. A reacceleration for e-commerce. Activity was most resilient among Chinese customers focused on end-consumption and city distribution, especially for e-commerce customers. Overall, deliveries continued without major disruption even in the face of labor shortages. By contrast, automotive has been less active. As in the U.S. and Europe, multiple online segments performed well, led by grocery and general retailers.
3. Leases signed. Despite lockdowns and travel restrictions that limited sales showings of facilities during the worst point of the outbreak, activity continued (albeit at a slower pace). In February and March, Prologis signed more than a half-dozen new and renewal leases in China amounting to roughly 600,000 square feet.
4. Economic recovery. A sharp correction occurred in January and February. While early, an economic recovery is beginning to emerge in China as factories reopen and city life normalizes (although with prudent precautionary measures for safety). At the same time, the market remains vigilant on a second COVID-19 wave, and economic volatility still could depress logistics real estate demand in the near term.”

Read the report here.

Prologis has released its latest research report on the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the logistics real estate sector, this time focusing on the US and China.

It said:

“In China, activity is picking up across our business and amongst our customers, and signs are emerging of an economic recovery as many return to work. In the U.S., Prologis’ proprietary Industrial Business IndicatorTM (IBI), which tracks customer activity in the U.S., indicates a slowdown, albeit not as deep as during the Global Financial Crisis.

As China begins to emerge from the outbreak, our research identifies four key metrics that could apply to both the U.S. and Europe in the coming months:

1. Continued operations. Throughout the outbreak in China, logistics operations continued except where strict government lockdowns were mandated. For those that remained open, Prologis customers took a raft of measures to ensure safety within the facilities and undertook remedial efforts where needed. Delays in logistics real estate construction were more widespread and restarting projects has taken longer.
2. A reacceleration for e-commerce. Activity was most resilient among Chinese customers focused on end-consumption and city distribution, especially for e-commerce customers. Overall, deliveries continued without major disruption even in the face of labor shortages. By contrast, automotive has been less active. As in the U.S. and Europe, multiple online segments performed well, led by grocery and general retailers.
3. Leases signed. Despite lockdowns and travel restrictions that limited sales showings of facilities during the worst point of the outbreak, activity continued (albeit at a slower pace). In February and March, Prologis signed more than a half-dozen new and renewal leases in China amounting to roughly 600,000 square feet.
4. Economic recovery. A sharp correction occurred in January and February. While early, an economic recovery is beginning to emerge in China as factories reopen and city life normalizes (although with prudent precautionary measures for safety). At the same time, the market remains vigilant on a second COVID-19 wave, and economic volatility still could depress logistics real estate demand in the near term.”

Read the report here.

Tesco, the largest retailer in the United Kingdom (UK) and one of the world’s leading international retailers, has expanded its UK delivery fleet adding 52 new vans with inverter driven, full electric E-200 refrigeration units from Thermo King.

Tesco wanted to increase the sustainability and flexibility of their dot-com vehicles operating diverse home delivery, rural and click-and-collect services. They required an all-in-one transport refrigeration solution to maintain an unbroken cold chain during multiple trips a day from their dark stores to the customers’ doorstep. Protecting the cargo at all times, even when the van’s ignition is switched off, was one of the main requisites met by the E-200.

The E-200, unlike typical direct drive solutions designed for diesel combustion engines, delivers constant capacity independently from the vehicles’ RPM. The E-200 units’ hold-over capacity is enabled by the van’s auxiliary battery, allowing also for active Start/Stop functionality to save fuel, lower noise and vehicle emissions.

The hold-over feature keeps the refrigeration unit operating without any emissions while the driver stops for delivery, has a break or needs to turn off the vehicle for longer. This gives the driver the flexibility to stop without the need to keep the vehicle running on idle to keep the transported goods cooled.

“The technology of the E-200 gives our customers a unique mix of control, convenience, utilization, and reliability that help them improve their transport operations,” said Steve Williams, area sales manager at Thermo King. “The E-200 represents the next generation of our fully electric refrigeration units and has been generating very positive feedback from our customers. They benefit from efficient temperature management, zero-emission, low noise and can move foods and goods with maximum convenience for the people in urban areas.”

Being inverter driven, unlike typical direct drive solutions designed for diesel combustion engines, the E-200 delivers constant capacity independently from the vehicles’ engine, and can work with both electric and engine-powered vehicles. The E-200 Plug-and-play solution requiring no drive kit nor road compressor and no vehicle modifications to function. It features patented power management, which contributes to lower energy consumption, increased vehicle autonomy and higher efficiency and reliability.

By varying the electricity flowing to the refrigeration unit, the inverter can provide more power when needed resulting in a faster temperature pull down during pre-cooling. By carefully controlling the power supply, the inverter provides accurate control of the motor speed and the exact cooling or heating capacity needed to control the temperature.
Being fully-electric, the E-200 allows the vehicles to comply with PIEK standards and Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs) for sound levels in urban environments, and enables them to enter low emission zones, and run quiet to complete night-time deliveries.

The E-200 product development is aligned with Trane Technologies 2030 sustainability aspirations, and the commitment to, through the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) and transport refrigeration products and services, reduce customer carbon footprint by one gigaton1 CO2e – equivalent to the annual emissions of Italy, France and the United Kingdom combined.

For obvious reasons, Hannover Messe has now been cancelled altogether for 2020.

“Given the dynamic development around Covid-19 and the extensive restrictions on public and economic life, HANNOVER MESSE cannot take place this year,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management, Deutsche Messe AG. “Our exhibitors, partners and our entire team did everything they could to make it happen, but today we have to accept that in 2020 it will not be possible to host the world’s most important industrial event.”

It is the first time in HANNOVER MESSE’s 73-year history that the event will not take place. However, the organizers will not let the show completely vanish. “The need for orientation and exchange is particularly important in times of crisis,” says Köckler. “That is why we are currently working intensely on a digital information and networking plattform for HANNOVER MESSE that we will open to our customers shortly.”

For obvious reasons, Hannover Messe has now been cancelled altogether for 2020.

“Given the dynamic development around Covid-19 and the extensive restrictions on public and economic life, HANNOVER MESSE cannot take place this year,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management, Deutsche Messe AG. “Our exhibitors, partners and our entire team did everything they could to make it happen, but today we have to accept that in 2020 it will not be possible to host the world’s most important industrial event.”

It is the first time in HANNOVER MESSE’s 73-year history that the event will not take place. However, the organizers will not let the show completely vanish. “The need for orientation and exchange is particularly important in times of crisis,” says Köckler. “That is why we are currently working intensely on a digital information and networking plattform for HANNOVER MESSE that we will open to our customers shortly.”

Conductix-Wampfler, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of energy and data management systems for mobile applications, has launched a new development for its ProfiDA data transmission system. While the established ProfiDAT has already been successfully used in the field of container handling, overhead cranes or intralogistic applications, the new ProfiDAT compact is a much smaller and more flexible version that meets the unique requirements of the automotive industry.

“ProfiDAT compact is a slotted waveguide system for continuous data transmission between a local network and mobile consumers moving along a rail,” explains Nico Knab, Product Manager at Conductix-Wampfler in Weil am Rhein. “Data is transmitted safely and reliably between a stationary and mobile antenna. The antenna on the mobile unit is guided via sliding contacts on the slotted waveguide profile and extends into the slotted waveguide without contact. The profile is installed along the guide rail, parallel to the power transmitting conductor rail system.” ProfiDAT compact combines three functions that previously needed to be covered by different devices: It handles secure data transmission, serves as a protective earth conductor and can be expanded with an optical positioning system. The combination of these three functions saves space, and reduces costs and installation time.

“The goal was to optimize our already successfully established ProfiDAT system in order to meet the requirements of further customer groups,” explains Knab. “The challenge in developing ProfiDAT compact was to design a compact system without accepting losses in data transmission.” In comparison to ProfiDAT, the dimensions of the new version have been significantly reduced. ProfiDAT compact is therefore more flexible and is also suitable for applications with curves, lifts and transitions. It is characterized by a low level of interference with other wireless systems. For example, ProfiDAT compact can be used for automated storage and retrieval units, shuttles, transfer cars, sorters or electrified monorail systems.