Month: June 2020

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.

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 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.”

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.”

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.”