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Month: June 2020

Full Pallet Inventory Solution Improves Accuracy

Posted on by David Priestman

‘- ID Logistics, a European leader in contract logistics, goes one step further in the digitization of its warehouses incorporating Full Pallet Inventory, a technology developed by Zetes. The system, part of the ZetesMedea logistics execution solution, uses vision technology to rapidly count palletised inventory. A specially designed ImageID mobile reader mounted on a forklift travelling at speeds up to 10 km/h undertakes a Full Pallet Inventory. The system continuously adapts to the speed of the forklift itself and enables the time spent inventory counting in the warehouse to be reduced by 50%.

The Full Pallet Inventory operation requires pre-mapping the rack heights to minimize barcode scanning. The various heights and pallet locations in warehouse are consolidated into grouped locations to simplify counting routes. The system reads the data matrix code and decodes the pallet and location tag, translating it into the language of the Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Mercedes Espárrago, ID Logistics’ Re-engineering Project Manager, emphasised that “the ability to carry out inventory counting on the move, minimizing scans per warehouse aisle, translates into an optimization of time and resources and an improvement in warehouse productivity. Using ImageID gives us much higher data quality and reliability. Until now, inventory counts were carried out manually with the help of radio frequency systems or even paper. The system designed by Zetes gives us the ability to use imaging technology integrated with the WMS, a clear boost from ID Logistics in the logistics automation career. Full Pallet Inventory’s implementation has required close collaboration between ID Logistics’ various departments (IT, Operations and Re-engineering) and the Zetes team.”

On behalf of Zetes, Simón Ben Hamú, Country Manager of Zetes Spain stated: “The key differentiator of Full Pallet Inventory, in addition to image capture on the move and in real-time, is the ability to translate data into the WMS language. This process automation reduces the margin of error that may occur during data transfer, which allows a much more comprehensive and rapid analysis. We strongly believe that this innovative system will allow retailers to save significant time in their inventory process operations and that it will also help gain greater visibility.”

New Facilities Down Under

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

Gebrüder Weiss, the globally active transport and logistics company, will be represented in the Southern hemisphere for the first time with the opening of national subsidiaries in Australia and New Zealand. The future Air & Sea locations are situated in the Australian major cities of Sydney and Melbourne, as well as in Auckland, New Zealand. This move is part of the company’s global strategy to develop new markets, extending its existing network of locations in the Gebrüder Weiss region of East Asia/Oceania.

“As we enter the markets in Australia and New Zealand, we will focus primarily on import business from Asian, American, and European markets,” says Michael Zankel, Regional Manager East Asia/Oceania at Gebrüder Weiss. To offer customers in its newest market one-stop logistics solutions, the global transport leader has a presence in each of the region’s top trading partner countries, which includes China, the USA, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. Business commodities such as vehicles and automotive parts, machines and electronic products, and goods from the food and chemical industries, are imported from the USA, Europe, and Southeast Asia to the region Down Under.

“The important thing here is to establish compelling delivery chains in the future, based on our long-standing experience in the logistics market. In this context, we also make sure to tie in with fast-growing transport activities within Asia, and create synergies when it comes to the efficient use of transport capacities,” says Michael Zankel.

Earlier this month, Gebrüder Weiss opened another new office location in Seoul, South Korea. The new sites in Australia and New Zealand are an essential addition for the company within the region of East Asia/Oceania, which currently contains 35 locations.

New Facilities Down Under

Posted on by David Priestman

Gebrüder Weiss, the globally active transport and logistics company, will be represented in the Southern hemisphere for the first time with the opening of national subsidiaries in Australia and New Zealand. The future Air & Sea locations are situated in the Australian major cities of Sydney and Melbourne, as well as in Auckland, New Zealand. This move is part of the company’s global strategy to develop new markets, extending its existing network of locations in the Gebrüder Weiss region of East Asia/Oceania.

“As we enter the markets in Australia and New Zealand, we will focus primarily on import business from Asian, American, and European markets,” says Michael Zankel, Regional Manager East Asia/Oceania at Gebrüder Weiss. To offer customers in its newest market one-stop logistics solutions, the global transport leader has a presence in each of the region’s top trading partner countries, which includes China, the USA, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. Business commodities such as vehicles and automotive parts, machines and electronic products, and goods from the food and chemical industries, are imported from the USA, Europe, and Southeast Asia to the region Down Under.

“The important thing here is to establish compelling delivery chains in the future, based on our long-standing experience in the logistics market. In this context, we also make sure to tie in with fast-growing transport activities within Asia, and create synergies when it comes to the efficient use of transport capacities,” says Michael Zankel.

Earlier this month, Gebrüder Weiss opened another new office location in Seoul, South Korea. The new sites in Australia and New Zealand are an essential addition for the company within the region of East Asia/Oceania, which currently contains 35 locations.

Plastic Pallet Market Collaboration

Posted on by David Priestman

Cabka, specialists in products made from recycled plastic, and Goplasticpallets.com, a British independent supplier of plastic pallets, have joined forces in pursuit of a growing plastic pallets market in the UK. This is a result of a partnership, mutual trust and a passion for recycling. According to Tim Litjens, CEO at Cabka (pictured), it all started from one small truck of pallets, but has increased to huge orders of more than 20,000 pallets.

Litjens sees the partnership as much more than just doing business. He said, “for us it’s a matter of mutual trust and respect, it’s about true collaboration, a synergistic relationship. Both companies put their customer at the core and through continuous alignment they constantly aim to reach the highest possible standards – making it always a win-win situation.”

The two companies also bring a passion for recycling. Litjens added, “contributing to the environment is in Cabka’s DNA. When plastic products become waste, we give them a second life.
We design new products from the hardest to recycle waste, created with advanced analytics and techniques from our innovation center in Valencia, Spain.”

Another key success factor for this true partnership is unique skills and experience. Cabka, with 30 years in the industry, brings extensive expertise and innovative solutions in recycled pallets production, a broad product portfolio and a strong presence throughout Europe; while Goplasticpallets brings its wide distribution network, broad customer base, and reputation for reliability and service in the UK.

Plastic Pallet Market Collaboration

Posted on by David Priestman

Cabka, specialists in products made from recycled plastic, and Goplasticpallets.com, a British independent supplier of plastic pallets, have joined forces in pursuit of a growing plastic pallets market in the UK. This is a result of a partnership, mutual trust and a passion for recycling. According to Tim Litjens, CEO at Cabka (pictured), it all started from one small truck of pallets, but has increased to huge orders of more than 20,000 pallets.

Litjens sees the partnership as much more than just doing business. He said, “for us it’s a matter of mutual trust and respect, it’s about true collaboration, a synergistic relationship. Both companies put their customer at the core and through continuous alignment they constantly aim to reach the highest possible standards – making it always a win-win situation.”

The two companies also bring a passion for recycling. Litjens added, “contributing to the environment is in Cabka’s DNA. When plastic products become waste, we give them a second life.
We design new products from the hardest to recycle waste, created with advanced analytics and techniques from our innovation center in Valencia, Spain.”

Another key success factor for this true partnership is unique skills and experience. Cabka, with 30 years in the industry, brings extensive expertise and innovative solutions in recycled pallets production, a broad product portfolio and a strong presence throughout Europe; while Goplasticpallets brings its wide distribution network, broad customer base, and reputation for reliability and service in the UK.

Packaging for e-commerce

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The Coronavirus epidemic has significantly accelerated the expansion of the e-commerce sector. According to data published by Forbes at the end of April, the North American market alone enjoys an annual growth rate of almost 130%, with acceleration in the early months of 2020 related to the pandemic. The sector’s expansion does not only involve the field of logistics and transport; the connected world of packaging is also experiencing growth and change, with forms and features that are increasingly defined according to e-commerce. This imposes new challenges on logistics hubs and on the entire supply chain, primarily that of having systems capable of packaging, sorting and managing an ever-increasing number of packages of different shapes and sizes, guaranteeing their traceability.

Sitma boasts long-term experience in both the packaging and logistics sectors: the combination of this know-how has led it to develop a portfolio of applications specifically dedicated to e-commerce. The company’s solutions are highlighted above all for flexibility, being able to work at different speeds and accommodate packages of different sizes and thicknesses. The company’s offering is vast and includes both stand-alone and complete automatic feeding solutions for perfect in-line integration. Machines such as the Quick Pack, Fast Pack, Thick Pack and the aforementioned e-Wrap have received unanimous praise in e-commerce supply chains, satisfying the needs of logistics operators, e-fulfillment centers and e-tailers, and being embraced by sectors such as such as clothing, consumer electronics, books and personal care products.

There are many advantages to trusting in a Sitma solution. First, the company’s machines are particularly appreciated for their incredible reliability developed during more than 50 years of experience in the field. In addition, the machines are built in the name of sustainability, allowing use of innovative and low-impact materials, such as paper or biofilm, instead of traditional packaging films. Another advantage is that Sitma machines create tailor-made and compact packages in order to limit not only material waste for packaging but also reduce package “emptiness,” facilitating transport during the downstream supply chain phases with a significant reduction of the carbon footprint. Thanks to the process offered by Sitma, it is in fact possible to manage the variable geometry of the packages and measure the dimensions of the product/s that make up an order, to create an ad hoc package.

A further added value is the possibility to implement complex data management systems on the line, thanks to the adoption of advanced track-and-trace technologies. The digital transformation that is changing all over the world has also borne fruit in Sitma. In the specific case of packaging, Sitma has implemented a system that allows users to trace information relating to the management of an e-commerce order along the entire distribution chain, ensuring its uniqueness and interconnection. During the preliminary phases, data relating to the product are collected, then later analyzed, associated and further enriched. The product, defined as contents plus packaging, is associated with a unique ID that is then traced throughout the process. The technologies implemented by Sitma are engineered to integrate perfectly with the WCS and customer database, enriching the information already present and with the option to carry out a further data check. All of this allows high levels of efficiency and minimizes the possibility of errors, rejections and rework. This offer complies perfectly with Industry 4.0, which does not stop at the packaging phase. The proposal for the end of the line is in fact also rich and characterized by a high level of automation, which includes integration with weighing and labeling systems.

Packaging for e-commerce

Posted on by David Priestman

The Coronavirus epidemic has significantly accelerated the expansion of the e-commerce sector. According to data published by Forbes at the end of April, the North American market alone enjoys an annual growth rate of almost 130%, with acceleration in the early months of 2020 related to the pandemic. The sector’s expansion does not only involve the field of logistics and transport; the connected world of packaging is also experiencing growth and change, with forms and features that are increasingly defined according to e-commerce. This imposes new challenges on logistics hubs and on the entire supply chain, primarily that of having systems capable of packaging, sorting and managing an ever-increasing number of packages of different shapes and sizes, guaranteeing their traceability.

Sitma boasts long-term experience in both the packaging and logistics sectors: the combination of this know-how has led it to develop a portfolio of applications specifically dedicated to e-commerce. The company’s solutions are highlighted above all for flexibility, being able to work at different speeds and accommodate packages of different sizes and thicknesses. The company’s offering is vast and includes both stand-alone and complete automatic feeding solutions for perfect in-line integration. Machines such as the Quick Pack, Fast Pack, Thick Pack and the aforementioned e-Wrap have received unanimous praise in e-commerce supply chains, satisfying the needs of logistics operators, e-fulfillment centers and e-tailers, and being embraced by sectors such as such as clothing, consumer electronics, books and personal care products.

There are many advantages to trusting in a Sitma solution. First, the company’s machines are particularly appreciated for their incredible reliability developed during more than 50 years of experience in the field. In addition, the machines are built in the name of sustainability, allowing use of innovative and low-impact materials, such as paper or biofilm, instead of traditional packaging films. Another advantage is that Sitma machines create tailor-made and compact packages in order to limit not only material waste for packaging but also reduce package “emptiness,” facilitating transport during the downstream supply chain phases with a significant reduction of the carbon footprint. Thanks to the process offered by Sitma, it is in fact possible to manage the variable geometry of the packages and measure the dimensions of the product/s that make up an order, to create an ad hoc package.

A further added value is the possibility to implement complex data management systems on the line, thanks to the adoption of advanced track-and-trace technologies. The digital transformation that is changing all over the world has also borne fruit in Sitma. In the specific case of packaging, Sitma has implemented a system that allows users to trace information relating to the management of an e-commerce order along the entire distribution chain, ensuring its uniqueness and interconnection. During the preliminary phases, data relating to the product are collected, then later analyzed, associated and further enriched. The product, defined as contents plus packaging, is associated with a unique ID that is then traced throughout the process. The technologies implemented by Sitma are engineered to integrate perfectly with the WCS and customer database, enriching the information already present and with the option to carry out a further data check. All of this allows high levels of efficiency and minimizes the possibility of errors, rejections and rework. This offer complies perfectly with Industry 4.0, which does not stop at the packaging phase. The proposal for the end of the line is in fact also rich and characterized by a high level of automation, which includes integration with weighing and labeling systems.

High-speed Auto-bagger for Fulfilment

Posted on by David Priestman

CMC S.p.A., a leading manufacturer of automated packaging and bagging solutions for e-commerce fulfilment, announced today the official release of the new CMC Paper-PRO. Launched at the recent CID20, CMC’s Annual Innovation Day, on May 28 the new auto-bagging system is the latest addition to CMC portfolio of solutions aimed at optimising materials and labour cost while improving fulfilment productivity.

CMC Paper-PRO represents the bridge between CMC’s 40 years wrapping tradition and the newest logistics technology. Designed to automate the fulfilment of single or multi products in cut-to-size, ready-to-ship paper bags, the system can process both Paper-PRO Kraft cardboard and CMC Paper-PRO bubble paper that offers the same robustness and protection as standard polybags or padded mailers.

Orders are scanned for size so that each final bag is custom sized to the length and height of each consignment, thus reducing wrapping materials and volumes shipped. Once wrapped, bags are sealed with low impact hot melt glue to guarantee the highest sustainable results. Optionally the system can integrate a despatch note/invoice printing and inserting system, check weighers and different sortation options. The system is designed to easily integrate seamlessly into any customer WMS/WCS.

“As consumers continue to champion sustainability, we have committed to innovate with unprecedent technical solutions and new materials with the objective to reduce the carbon footprint of our clients’,” said CMC’s CEO Francesco Ponti. “Retailers have often overlooked the importance of secondary packaging. Today it has become a key marketing tool to improve brand awareness and engage with consumers. First impression counts and sustainable, right-sized packaging that safely protects the order can become a prompt to get consumers order again in the future.”

With outputs of 2.500 bags/hour, CMC Paper-PRO is the optimal solutions for retailers and logistic companies to streamline the e-commerce bagging process and provides high performances in 24/7 fulfilment environments. It has already been tested in the market and will be soon installed for a major 3PL in the Netherlands.

High-speed Auto-bagger for Fulfilment

Posted on by Keith McKinley

CMC S.p.A., a leading manufacturer of automated packaging and bagging solutions for e-commerce fulfilment, announced today the official release of the new CMC Paper-PRO. Launched at the recent CID20, CMC’s Annual Innovation Day, on May 28 the new auto-bagging system is the latest addition to CMC portfolio of solutions aimed at optimising materials and labour cost while improving fulfilment productivity.

CMC Paper-PRO represents the bridge between CMC’s 40 years wrapping tradition and the newest logistics technology. Designed to automate the fulfilment of single or multi products in cut-to-size, ready-to-ship paper bags, the system can process both Paper-PRO Kraft cardboard and CMC Paper-PRO bubble paper that offers the same robustness and protection as standard polybags or padded mailers.

Orders are scanned for size so that each final bag is custom sized to the length and height of each consignment, thus reducing wrapping materials and volumes shipped. Once wrapped, bags are sealed with low impact hot melt glue to guarantee the highest sustainable results. Optionally the system can integrate a despatch note/invoice printing and inserting system, check weighers and different sortation options. The system is designed to easily integrate seamlessly into any customer WMS/WCS.

“As consumers continue to champion sustainability, we have committed to innovate with unprecedent technical solutions and new materials with the objective to reduce the carbon footprint of our clients’,” said CMC’s CEO Francesco Ponti. “Retailers have often overlooked the importance of secondary packaging. Today it has become a key marketing tool to improve brand awareness and engage with consumers. First impression counts and sustainable, right-sized packaging that safely protects the order can become a prompt to get consumers order again in the future.”

With outputs of 2.500 bags/hour, CMC Paper-PRO is the optimal solutions for retailers and logistic companies to streamline the e-commerce bagging process and provides high performances in 24/7 fulfilment environments. It has already been tested in the market and will be soon installed for a major 3PL in the Netherlands.

Swiss Consolidation

Posted on by David Priestman

One of Switzerland’s largest logistics centres is currently being built in Neuendorf, a few minutes south of Basel. The Migros-Verteilbetrieb Neuendorf AG is investing in the future of the location. Together with Witron, the Swiss company is expanding and modernizing a frozen goods warehouse, automating a manual logistics center in the non-food area, and ordering an Omni-Channel warehouse concept for the interaction of store business and e-commerce. Altogether, there are three construction sites in an ongoing operation.

The figures are impressive: 100,000 different items, some 500,000 cases per day, 250,000 pallet storage locations, 136,000 tray storage locations, and 240,000 tote storage locations – an enormous project that will be realized by 2021.

If the weather permits, Thomas Kissling from Migros-Verteilbetrieb AG in Neuendorf can see the Swiss Alps from his window. He is responsible for the non-food area of the Swiss company. Many envy him for the panoramic view. However, nowadays, Kissling has little time to view the mountains. Combining daily business and the new construction site keep him even busier than usual.

Parallel to the still operating manual warehouse processes, Witron technicians install the new systems in the huge non-food warehouse, which extends over several floors. Kissling summarizes the overall project at the location: “We are replacing an existing Schäfer system in the frozen goods area with Witron’s OPM technology while we are also expanding the operation to include the assortment of the Denner discount store chain. In the non-food area, we are expanding the logistics processes with the AIO system, an OPM system, and a CPS system. Moreover, in order to meet the increasing e-commerce demand, we are further automating the online processes”, explains Kissling. The non-food area in Neuendorf can handle the shipment of store orders, store pick-ups (click + collect) as well as online orders.

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