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Month: June 2020

Trailer Refrigeration Taken to Next Level with Advancer, Claims Thermo King

Posted on by Keith McKinley

With fully variable airflow, unrivalled fuel efficiency, and a significantly lowered cost of ownership, the Advancer represents the future of trailer refrigeration. That’s the claim made today by Thermo King at the launch of what it calls “a disruptive new re-imagining of the trailer refrigeration unit”.

The Advancer A-Series is available in three different versions, the A-360, A-400, and A-500, and offers an all-new design architecture that creates a bold new standard for performance, temperature control, and fleet connectivity.

“At Thermo King, we understand that with being a leader comes the responsibility to advance the technology and capability for refrigerated transport. Since we started the industry over 80 years ago, we have been innovating to meet and exceed customer needs, improve efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of our products,” said Francesco Incalza, president of Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Today, Advancer adds another milestone to our history. By introducing this completely redesigned trailer platform, we are challenging what is possible in our industry. This is our vision for the future of trailer refrigeration, and this future is now here for our customers.”

The ambition behind Advancer is to move beyond incremental enhancements and to create a trailer refrigeration unit that features innovations never before seen on the market. Equally, the performance delivered by the A-Series is unrivalled, featuring groundbreaking temperature control, superior load protection, and unmatched fuel efficiency. Combined, these capabilities deliver greater operational flexibility, while helping customers achieve significant improvements in fleet uptime and total cost of ownership.

“With Advancer we went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves what does the future look like?” said David O’Gorman, senior product manager, Thermo King. “We asked customers to tell us what they needed to work better, to win more business, and to cut their cost of operation. The result is a game changing solution we believe our customers are waiting for.”

The field trial testing the units in real life conditions and comparison tests against the predecessor and other flagship refrigeration units have shown that Advancer is up to 40 percent quicker to pull down and up to 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the market average.

“Our field trial units travelled over 1 million kilometres across different climate zones and counted tens of thousands of running hours in diesel and electric modes,” added O’Gorman. “They have crossed deserts, operated at high altitudes, travelled on ferries to cross the seas and on trains for intermodal operations. Throughout the tests, the Advancer units proved to be trouble free.”

The new architecture incorporates the expectations of customers that were gathered in detail and factored into the design from the outset, along with decades of Thermo King’s knowledge and experience. As a result, Advancer includes unique features that comprehensively address a wide range of operational and financial challenges, including:

• Fully variable airflow that can be regulated for each journey and cargo, and is independent from unit engine speed
• Unrivalled electrical and fuel efficiency contributing to lower CO2 footprint and engines with 50 percent less emissions than the maximum allowed by latest NRMM Stage V emission standards
• Electronic engine speed control on the A-400 and A-500 units, which makes them the first units on the market to give complete transparency of fuel levels and fuel consumption. The fuel consumption data will be recorded, displayed, and made available remotely via telematics
• Lower maintenance costs and enhanced serviceability compared to the predecessor, thanks to sensors offering more insight into the engine, fuel, battery and the performance of other key components.
• Future-ready power agnostic capabilities that can utilize diesel, axle generator, or shore power sources with ease
• Fleet intelligence as standard, with Advancer being the first-ever unit to offer 2 years of full telematics connectivity in the purchase price.

The Advancer units are manufactured in the Thermo King’s zero waste to landfill plant in Galway, Ireland. The newly designed, state-of-the-art production line uses 60 percent less energy than the production process of previous Thermo King trailer products.

Advancer aligns with Trane Technologies’ 2030 sustainability aspirations, and the commitment to reduce customers’ carbon emissions by one gigaton – equivalent to the annual emissions of Italy, France and the United Kingdom combined.

Efficiency “At a New Level” with Nord IE5+ Motors and LogiDrive

Posted on by David Priestman

The new IE5+ motor generation from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers a constant high efficiency over the entire adjustment range in a hygienic design that raises the LogiDrive concept for intralogistics to a new level with regard to energy efficiency and reduction of variants. The total cost of ownership (TCO) can be considerably reduced.

The energy-efficient latest generation permanent magnet synchronous motor has considerably lower losses than the current IE4 series. The unventilated smooth motor achieves its high efficiency that, at times, is significantly above efficiency class IE5 via a wide torque range – and is optimally suitable for the operation in the partial load range. The compact IE5+ motor offers a high power density with less installation space and will be initially launched in a size for power ranges from 0.35 to 1.1 kW with a continuous torque from 1.6 to 4.8 Nm and speeds from 0 to 2,100 min-1. Direct motor attachment as well as NEMA and IEC motor attachments are available. The motor concept will be gradually extended with more sizes and powers. It is ideal for use in hygiene-sensitive and harsh environments because it is easy to clean, corrosion-resistant and wash-down capable. nsd tupH surface treatment and IP69K protection class are optionally available, as well as an integrated mechanical brake. An integrated encoder is part of the standard equipment. With the new generation of IE5+ motors, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS takes the first step towards a new product system landscape with focus on ultimate energy efficiency paired with compact design.

LogiDrive with high efficiency up to IE5+
The new IE5+ synchronous motor can be combined with all NORD gear units and drive electronics as a modular system and supplements the successful LogiDrive concept. The standardised geared motor variants – consisting of an energy-saving synchronous motor, a 2-stage helical bevel gear unit and a NORDAC LINK frequency inverter – have been specially developed for use in intralogistics, parcel logistics and airport technology, and represent an optimal compromise between energy efficiency and a reduction of variants. The new IE5+ motor can further increase these benefits. Utilising the high overload capacity of the motors and the system’s wide adjustment range, the solution is individually tailored to each customer and specifically designed for the system’s individual load range.

The decentralised LogiDrive systems are highly efficient and extremely easy to service thanks to plug & play technology. The entire system has a modular design, so that all components of the drive technology can be individually serviced. This minimises maintenance and repair costs. The compact design saves space and is light in weight thanks to the aluminium housing. Thanks to the special design of the IE5+ motor and its operation with the frequency inverter, the same motor variant can be universally used worldwide. This means that the same motor type can be used independent of the respective mains voltage or local energy efficiency regulations.

The IE5+ synchronous motor and the respective LogiDrive systems are available from the second quarter of 2020.

Logistyx Technologies appoints UK and Ireland Sales Manager

Posted on by David Priestman

Parcel shipping TMS specialist Logistyx Technologies has named Paul Homer (above) as its UK and Ireland Sales Manager.

“The international demand for solutions that can most effectively optimise supply chain delivery networks – and parcel shipping in particular – is growing exponentially and this is only being intensified as companies have switched to ecommerce during the pandemic. Having spent more than a decade working closely with retailers and 3PLs, I have a keen understanding of their supply chain and delivery pain points and work in a consultative manner to help them use technology to address them,” commented Homer.

Prior to joining Logistyx, he held sales and development roles at companies including Metapack and Yodel. Most recently he was National Sales Manager at Sorted Group.

“Paul’s experience developing long term, commercially advantageous business relationships will help Logistyx continue to serve our customers through best-in-class parcel shipping management software,” said Logistyx CEO Geoffrey Finlay. “As our customers continue to navigate the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a compressed peak season, now is the time to continue our company growth through genuine trusted partnerships.”

Agility Spain Moves into New Warehouse and Offices

Posted on by David Priestman

Agility Spain has moved into a state-of-the-art, 11,000-square-metre warehouse and office facility at ZAL Port (Prat) in the Port of Barcelona.

The facility was built by CILSA, the company that manages Port of Barcelona’s Logistics Zone, and is part of more than 270,000 square metres of projects under development by CILSA.

The new Agility Spain warehouse is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for logistics. Construction followed the strictest criteria for energy efficiency and sustainability with a goal of receiving LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The office block has been adapted to allow full access for the disabled.

Features of the warehouse include free height of 11 meters in the storage area and a deck roof built on site. The plot is equipped with 56 private parking spaces distributed in two areas and 25 loading gates with automatic sectional doors and external shelters.

This new building addresses the current needs and planned growth of Agility Spain, which offers a complete range of logistics, multimodal transport and distribution services for industrial, service and retail companies operating in the country. The company operates 25,000 square meters of space in Spain for storage and distribution with flexible designs that improve the level of service and reduce costs for customers.

“Agility Spain offers extensive experience with three customs warehouses, temperature-controlled management, and the GDP certification required by pharmaceutical companies,” says Carlos Martinez, Sales Director, Agility Spain. “We focus on the renewable and engineering sectors, project logistics, transportation management, and turnkey projects for large-scale and complex initiatives.”

Senior Hire for Logistics Property Specialist Gazeley

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Logistics property specialist Gazeley has named Robin Johns as Director of Business Technology.

Johns’s primary responsibility will be to provide strategic technology leadership for Gazeley, GLP’s European Platform. He will report to Shane Kelly, CFO, Gazeley, and will form an integral part of the European management team. He will be involved in strategy definition, operational leadership as well as close project and programme delivery.

He joins Gazeley from BP, where he spent a year as Interim Delivery Director and led the delivery of a global transformation project. Johns previously spent six years as CIO at Tideway, a private equity backed regulated utility business, where he led the digital transformation.

Shane Kelly, CFO, Gazeley, said: “Robin brings a depth of experience in consulting and technology transformation which will be particularly helpful to us as we further enhance business systems to support our growth objectives and explore the logistics property eco-system which is increasingly data and technology led.”

6000 New Jobs and Major Spend on Depots and Vehicles for DPD

Posted on by David Priestman

Leading parcel delivery firm DPD has announced 6,000 new UK jobs and a major infrastructure investment in response to the unprecedented boom in online shopping caused by Covid-19.

The firm, which delivers for many of the UK’s leading retailers, will invest £200m this year to expand its next-day parcel capacity, including £100m on vehicles, £60m on 15 new regional depots (10 more than originally planned in 2020) and the remainder on technology.

The new jobs will include delivery and HGV drivers, warehouse staff, management positions and support staff, including mechanics.

Even before lockdown restrictions were announced in March, demand for DPD’s seven day a week, nationwide next-day delivery service had risen significantly as people started increasing their reliance on online shopping. The trend has continued, with existing retail customers experiencing an online sales boom and new customers developing online propositions to maintain sales during lockdown.

DPD is forecasting the growth to continue this year, despite shops reopening, as households continue to rely on online deliveries for a greater proportion of their shopping, including food and drink.

The new infrastructure investments and recruitment will be in place before Black Friday as the firm prepares for what it predicts will be the busiest Cyber Weekend and Christmas period, in its history.

Dwain McDonald, DPD’s CEO commented, “We are experiencing the biggest boom in online retailing in the UK’s history and we are making this unprecedented investment in our infrastructure and people to ensure we can continue to meet the high levels of demand for our services.

“DPD has been one of the fastest growing major companies in the UK in the last 10 years, due to the growth in e-commerce. But what we have seen in recent months is potentially a much more significant shift in behaviour, and we believe elements of it will be permanent. As a company, we’ve been dealing with rapid growth and ongoing investment cycles for a long time, but this is a very significant moment.

“I do think the High Street will bounce back from where things are now, but we have to base our modelling on our conversations with retailers and their projections. It looks like there will remain a much greater reliance on e-commerce in the future – that’s going to be our ‘new normal’. This investment and expansion mean that we will continue to be right there for our retail customers, alongside them, with the capacity to cope with the demand they are seeing online.

“Since this began, we have been handling parcel volumes more akin to the festive seasonal peak than this time of year. For example, volumes over Easter were double last year. The business has performed incredibly well, with service standards at record high levels, as more people have been at home to receive parcels and the roads have been quieter. All this while the operation has had to start scaling-up and adapt to social distancing and contactless deliveries.
I’m incredibly proud of what our team has delivered during this crisis, including our work with the NHS and food retailers, and I have no doubt that they will continue to provide our customers with a market leading service.”

Grenzebach Teams Up With Geodis for Nashville Goods-to-Person Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics solutions provider Grenzebach has teamed up with Geodis to install a Grenzebach Goods-to-Person solution for a large consumer electronics customer. The Goods-to-Person solution has been installed at Geodis’ Nashville, TN (USA) campus. It features Grenzebach L600 Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), mobile storage units (MSUs) and picking stations as well as software. The project has been run as a pilot program, designed to make the jobs of Geodis teammates easier, safer and more productive. Following the success of the pilot program, Geodis is now introducing Grenzebach AGV solutions to additional clients.

“The goal for working with Grenzebach is to make our teammates jobs easier and safer by minimizing travel while also increasing picking efficiency and accu-racy—and we’re seeing tremendous results already,” said Eric Douglas, Geodis Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “We’re estimating pick functions will nearly double and that training time for new employees will be reduced by more than 50 percent. This is critical for our clients who need to meet the rapid pace of today’s consumer demands.”

The Goods-to-Person solution optimizes warehouse operations by both speeding up processing and saving space. The L600 AGVs lift, move and present mobile storage units at picking stations where teammates remain stationary as opposed to walking the warehouse and pulling a pick cart. Thus, travel paths for team-mates are minimized and a safer work environment is provided. The picking stations can be used for both order picking and replenishment. They provide teams with a number of tools to support an efficient, reliable and accurate picking process. For example, pick-by-light technology indicates to the employee which item to select for the orders currently being picked and points out the respective “on-shelf” storage position. Put-to-light technology indicates in which box picked items need to be placed. This not only speeds up picking but also helps reduce errors. Currently, the solution helps with order picking for the customer’s retail stores. In the future, it is expected to be implemented for orders from their online shop that are directly shipped to consumers.

A Warehouse Execution System (WES), also part of the Grenzebach solution, makes the warehouse “think for itself”. The software knows which goods are being stored and where, allocates the work intelligently and translates it into trav-el assignments for the L600 AGVs. This smooth process is constantly being re-fined through integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Hiab Adds Hooklifts for Two and Four Axle Trucks

Posted on by David Priestman

Hiab, part of Cargotec, launches MULTILIFT Optima 15S and MULTILIFT Optima 25S hooklifts for two and four axle trucks to complete the MULTILIFT Optima product range.

The Optima range has an updated easy-to-use controller with one additional function. There are now three levers and one button available to control up to four options. The hooklift can be customised with optional features, such as automatic sequence control, hydraulic locks and fast speed functions for greater ease-of-use, safety and productivity.
Optima hooklifts have a light, yet robust construction to provide better fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. All Optima hooklifts offer great value and deliver quality, safety, and reliability.

The MULTILIFT Optima 20s for three axle trucks was launched in 2016 and offers a 20 tonne capacity, while the 15S and 25S offer 15 and 25 tonne capacity for two and four axle trucks respectively.

“The MULTILIFT Optima hooklift range gives our customers the ability to work faster and carry more payload while reducing their CO2 emissions. This is the cost-efficient choice for customers who need the right functions for safe, reliable and fast performance for repetitive, everyday loading tasks,” says Henri Janhonen Director, Sales and Product Business Management, Hiab.

Customers within Hiab’s service network area have the option of signing a Hiab ProCare service contract for their equipment. Hiab ProCare offers scheduled and preventive maintenance using original spare parts to retain the high quality of the equipment and reduce the risk of costly breakdowns and unexpected downtime.

Cimcorp Automates Fresh Produce Logistics for Netto Marken-Discount

Posted on by David Priestman

German food retailer Netto Marken-Discount, boasting the largest range of groceries in the discount segment, is automating its logistics for fresh produce with Cimcorp, making Netto the very first German retailer to use this system.

In automating its distribution facility at Thiendorf, near Dresden, Netto Marken-Discount is relying on co-operation with Cimcorp, a producer of turnkey, automated logistics systems. Netto plans to implement other similar facilities but Thiendorf is the first project jointly realised with Cimcorp.

Netto continually invests in modernising its nationwide logistics network in Germany. Articles for the 4,270 Netto branches are stored, picked and delivered from the current total of 20 logistics centres established throughout Germany, focusing primarily on fresh produce.

“Getting fresh fruit and vegetables from producers to the branches is an absolute race against the clock. In many cases, only a few hours pass between receipt at our logistics centres and delivery to our stores. In Cimcorp, we have found a service provider to supply us with a solution for fully automated order picking of ergonomically packed fruit and vegetable pallets, a solution that meets the requirements of our branches – fast, reliably and cost-effectively,“ says Christina Stylianou, Head of Corporate Communications at Netto Marken-Discount.

If successfully commissioned, the retail organisation plans to implement additional automated logistics systems at its other storage locations. Cimcorp has already successfully deployed automated facilities in the fruit and vegetable sector in other European countries.

Kai Tuomisaari, Vice President of Sales at Cimcorp, said: “Germany has been a significant market area for us for over 30 years but this is our first project in grocery retail. We’re proud to enter this fiercely competitive market to automate the fresh produce logistics of one of Netto’s distribution facilities. We want to exceed all expectations and justify the immense trust and confidence placed in us.”

Dematic to Automate Small Parts Storage at National Library of Israel

Posted on by David Priestman

Warehouse automator Dematic is to install an automated small parts storage facility in the National Library of Israel. This system will be called the “Source of Knowledge,” and it will provide library users with the books they request. The National Library of Israel collection has approximately 5.5 million volumes, including the world’s largest collections of Hebrew books and textual Judaica. The library also has some 1,000 archival collections from the estates of important figures, such as Martin Buber, Else Lasker-Schüler and Franz Kafka. There will be four million volumes stored in 50,000 bins.

Visitors will be able to view the facility through a panoramic window while it is in operation. The system will be integrated into the new building designed by the renowned Swiss architecture firm, Herzog & de Meuron, whose previous projects include the Tate Modern in London, the Beijing Olympic Stadium and the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall.

“The new building with the integrated automated small parts storage will be a great example of how a traditional library can benefit from state-of-the-art technology,” says Jessica Heinz, Head of Marketing and Business Development, Dematic Central Europe. “Books ordered there will no longer have to be retrieved by hand. Instead, the system will bring the container with the book automatically to the pick-up station. A laser beam will show exactly which book to pick. Then a conveyor will automatically transport the container back to its storage location. In this way, these valuable books are exposed to fewer points of contact, which helps protect them.”

The bins are subdivided into up to eight parts, and each compartment has space for several books. The Dematic solution was chosen because of its expertise in automating libraries. The intralogistics specialist has installed automated small parts storage systems in numerous libraries worldwide.

“Strengthening a source of knowledge with our solution makes this an out-standing project for us,” emphasizes Heinz. The “Source of Knowledge” image is also reflected in the architecture: The central starting point for this is the ceiling oculus through which light floods into the building from above. The circular opening will run through all floors and connect them with each other. Every curve is lined with books to emphasize the theme.

The new National Library of Israel building will be completed in October and have six above-ground levels and five underground. The building design provides large glass showcases that give the passers-by an insight into the inner workings of the library from outside. In this way, they can also watch the automated small parts storage during ongoing operation.

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