Day: 13 May 2020

Following a challenging and unprecedented few months, staff at logistics companies across the UK and Ireland have received a much-needed boost, having received a Platinum Club award from Palletways in recognition of their company’s operational excellence.

The businesses which are part and members of Palletways – Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised freight network, and also part of the Imperial Group – are part of an elite collective of just 23 firms that have received a Platinum award for operational excellence. Teams have been recognised after demonstrating their ability to deliver the highest level of service to the network and their customers throughout the previous year. Winners include:

A Salvatori & Sons Ltd in Aylesbury
AET Transport
Caledonian Logistics in Kintore, Aberdeenshire
Cammack Transport Ltd in Winsford, Cheshire
Cobley Transport in Leicester
Cross Country Carriers in Bury St Edmunds
Frederick R Miller Ltd in Surrey
Frenni Transport in Pembrokeshire
Glendale Transport UK Ltd in South Shields
Gwynedd Shipping Logistics Ltd in Holyhead
Ketra Logistics Ltd in London
MCL Logistics in Newport
Palletways Cardiff
Palletways Edinburgh
Palletways Glasgow
Palletways London
Pauline Edwards Transport in Leicester
Polarkold Distribution (Ferryspeed) in Portsmouth
SK Distribution in Buxton
Sovereign Transport Services Ltd in Knowsley
SMA Worldwide in Kings Langley
Transvalair (UK) Ltd in Bristol
Transland International in Dublin

Rob Gittins, managing director at Palletways UK, said: “Our Platinum award recognises the very best companies within Palletways’ UK network and is only presented to those members that excel in the service delivery field.

“As part of the global Imperial business, we place the highest importance on service excellence who have delivered consistently high levels over the past year. The strong performance of our network members throughout the UK, Ireland and our growing European system is a fundamental market differentiator and enables Palletways to support Imperial’s overall ambitions to become a major global logistics player with multifaceted services and competencies across many geographies.

“Following a tough few months, these awards will undoubtedly come as welcome news to these hard-working teams and I’m pleased they have received the recognition they so rightly deserve.”

A survey by international transport engineering and consulting group SYSTRA, into the Port of Cork’s export and import facilities has yielded very positive results. Those surveyed, predominately LoLo HGV drivers, noted the Port’s desirable location, timesaving vehicle booking system, and efficient gate operations.

The forthcoming transfer of container operations from Tivoli to Ringaskiddy generated improved sentiment with positivity increasing by 42% since the initial 2015 survey. The redevelopment of Ringaskiddy and arrival of the new €80m Cork Container Terminal (CCT), Western Europe’s newest container terminal, garnered positive opinion as a “brilliant idea” with its “better location” from respondents. CCT will allow the port to handle larger vessels and facilitates the move from a river port to a deepwater port in order to future proof the Port of Cork.

The Vehicle Booking System (VBS), implemented in 2018 and a key component of the Port’s mobility management plan, was commended by 96% of respondents. Hauliers frequently highlighted the shorter turnaround times, and a substantial percentage observed reductions in queuing time. To date, the Port of Cork has invested over €1 million on trialling and implementing the traffic management plan with Cork County Council in order to minimise the impact of port related traffic on local road networks.

The survey also highlighted what hauliers would like to see improved. Most notably, there was a strong desire to reduce traffic congestion and to see the upgrade of the N28 motorway become a reality. The Port of Cork fully recognises these concerns, and will continue to fully support the relevant agencies to do what’s needed to unlock Munster and Ireland’s latent economic growth.

Capt. Paul O’Regan, Harbour Master and Chief Operations Officer of Port of Cork, commented: “The 2015 survey offered some real insight into areas of growth for us. Although we are pleased that our hard work has paid off in many areas, we won’t be resting on our laurels. The insights we’ve gained from this report will further improve our resiliency, and we remain confident that we can continue to manage the disruption stemming from Covid-19 and keep Munster’s supply chain moving.”

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer of the Port of Cork added: “We’re pleased with the positive responses from hauliers who use the port regularly. The VBS results were a particular highlight. It has consistently reduced queuing, lowered emissions, and improved turnaround times. Technological innovations, such as VBS, are ensuring that we can safely and efficiently maintain the flow of essential goods to southern Ireland in these unprecedented times.”

It is a global market that produces around 411 million tonnes per year and has an annual turnover of £11 billion. From loose to packaged, recycled blocks and finished sheets, paper is used in a multitude of applications in daily life and in industry; hence the need to handle a variety of materials.

There are generally considered three main paper industry areas: pulp and recycling, paper rolls, and palletised finished products. Each of these areas requires a wide range of different materials handling solutions and specialist equipment.

Not only does Yale understand the solutions required to meet the needs of every facet of the paper industry, but it also has an appreciation of the evolving nature of the sector. “Paper applications are changing,” commented Josie Burrell, Industry Solutions Group Manager for Yale, “Recycling is growing, and the demand for quality and specialist paper is also on the increase. By understanding the industry trends we are able to better cater for the materials handling requirements of our customers. Around 20% of paper costs are attributed to handling and shipping – this is a huge proportion; therefore it is imperative that our clients can trust the solutions we provide.”

Recycled Paper Pain Points
7.5 million tonnes of recovered paper is collected per year, making it one of the largest growth sectors in the paper industry. In fact, around 80% of UK-made paper utilises recovered paper, which is by far the biggest source of recyclate from domestic waste streams. The process that transforms recycled paper is an area that possesses unique and specific challenges when it comes to forklift truck operation.

Although recycled paper bales come as a standard shape – dimensions and weight can all vary. Bales are frequently left outdoors, where rainwater can add to the moisture content and impact on weight and rigidity, causing handling and operator problems. Exposure to the elements can also take its toll on the materials handling fleet, meaning reduced reliability and risk to just-in-time fulfilment.

Dust and pulp from recovered paper presents a challenge to the fleet. If it permeates into the inner workings of a truck it can cause overheating due to clogged cooling filters and therefore the temporary loss of an indispensable asset. Moreover, the risk of fire is amplified, as paper is highly combustible.

Andreas Nussbaum, Facility Manager at Yale customer Kimberly-Clark, has an in-depth knowledge of the working conditions in the paper environment: “It’s hot, it’s humid, there’s dust everywhere and production is a 24-hours-a-day operation. Our work environment places very high demands on the vehicles in our factory. At the same time, it is necessary to move large quantities: the paper machines have an almost insatiable appetite for waste paper and pulp.”

Overcoming dust and debris
Using its years of experience and knowledge, Yale has developed a number of truck adaptations specifically for the paper industry. Included amongst the performance enhancing features of the Yale® Veracitor VX range is the automated flushing of debris from the engine compartment, which keeps the vehicle running for longer between clean-outs. Combi-cooler radiators cool both engine coolant and transmission oil, and a load weight display provides real-time feedback to the operator of the load weight being lifted.

Also featured is an underbody belly pan to prevent material entering the engine area and causing clogging and overheating, while drive-axel rubber guards minimise debris falling between the mast and the chassis. Protective elements include a radiator screen, powertrain protection, a sealed chassis, exhaust wraps, as well as tilt and steer cylinders being shielded by ballistic nylon covers.

For extreme operating applications Yale has developed the industry leading GDP50VX Counterbalance ‘Cool Truck’ package. Packed with features to overcome the difficult environments found in the paper supply chain, the Cool Truck features a hydraulic fan with a self-cleaning reversing function, a fully enclosed frame to minimise the volume of paper debris drawn into engine compartment, and high temperature hydraulic oil.

“When operating standard forklift trucks in the paper industry, the radiators can easily get clogged up causing unnecessary downtime,” said Josie. “This is not only frustrating; it costs businesses money in lost production and can lead to other problems. This is where our clever Combi Cooler radiator comes into its own, with the fan changing direction for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to blow out any unwanted dust and debris.”

Confidence in the Yale solution
The pulp and recycling area of the paper industry is a challenging working environment making constant demands on materials handling equipment. For this reason, customers require a forklift range that offers the ultimate in quality and reliability. Josie is confident in the ability of Yale to fulfil these needs: “Each stage of the paper and products cycle can require a wide range of different materials handling solutions and specialist equipment. The process that transforms recycled paper is particularly unique in the challenges that it poses. Through consultation with our customers and industry experts we’ve developed a range of trucks that provide a package of features to support productivity in dusty, dirty environments.”

UK automation specialist Conveyor Networks is to partner with Geek+ to become an official UK and Ireland distributor for robotics and AI logistics solutions.

Established in 2014, Geek+ has deployed over 200 intelligent warehouse and distribution projects across four continents, deploying more than 10,000 robots. Specialising in advanced robotic solutions for logistics businesses, Geek+ supports supply chains to pick, move, sort and retrieve products more efficiently.

Conveyor Networks provides turnkey automation systems to solve a variety of material handling challenges for its clients. Geek+ will utilise Conveyor Networks’ extensive expertise in the sector and customer reach to help drive sales and enhance local service support for new UK customers.

Simon Houghton, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager, Geek+: “We believe technology and industry partnerships are key to transforming the global supply chain. Speed, product diversification, same-day delivery and volume are challenges facing a wide range of industries. In the current climate, there is no doubt that Coronavirus has impacted operations. However, robotics offers an opportunity to increase productivity, flexibility and agility, whilst importantly supporting health and safety measures. We believe working with a highly respected integration specialist like Conveyor Networks, we can help more business supply chains in the UK and Ireland accelerate their adoption of robotics and answer these challenges.”

Marcus Uprichard, Head of Business Development at Conveyor Networks said: “This new partnership agreement with Geek+ propels our industry 4.0 service offering forward with next level intelligent robotic solutions. The shift to automation and robotics is a growing trend in the logistics sector and will also likely play an important part of the Coronavirus recovery phase. The pandemic is temporary, but many of our customers from retailers to manufacturers are now taking a hard look at how automation can maintain and boost their operations in the long-term, with resilient systems such as those we see from Geek+. We’re very excited to deliver Geek+ solutions to the industry and ensure our customer’s material flow operations continue to thrive now and in the future.”

Pictured: Conveyor Networks’ Marcus Uprichard and Chris Roberts celebrate the new partnership with Simon Houghton and Stephen Sho from Geek+