Month: September 2020

a. hartrodt and WiseTech Global have announced the rollout of integrated cloud-based logistics execution platform, CargoWise, across the a. hartrodt global network of over 100 locations and more than 2,000 logistics team members. Operating across 46 nations, a. hartrodt specialises in logistics solutions across various sectors, including automotive, food & beverage, health care, industrial goods and oil & gas. The CargoWise global solution will be implemented to support freight forwarding, customs, warehousing and order management operations.

Andreas Wenzel, Managing Director of a. hartrodt, said, “our focus is on providing our customers with perfect service in everything we do. Trading across 100 locations it became very clear to us that to continue to contribute to our customers’ success we needed a system that is globally scalable and will enable better communication between our teams and greater visibility across our entire operation. With its extensive functionality, CargoWise will provide a. hartrodt with a single, easy to use platform that can be accessed from anywhere at any time. At a. hartrodt we take over and manage all the transport and logistics needs of our customers, from transport and customs clearance through to warehousing, picking and packing, and distribution. The operational efficiencies we will gain from implementing an integrated system with real-time visibility will not only empower our people but enhance our ability to plan across the entire supply chain. With a commitment to future-proofing our operations, the implementation of CargoWise complements our new modern multi-redundant Hyper Converged Infrastructure data centres.”

The global rollout of CargoWise across a. hartrodt operations in Asia, South and North America, Oceania and Europe, will be a staged process with completion by March 2023. WiseTech Global Founder and CEO, Richard White, said, “we are pleased to support a. hartrodt’s commitment to improving supply chain efficiencies through digitalisation with the decision to rollout CargoWise across its global operations. CargoWise’s powerful functionalities will provide their business with unparalleled access to real-time data that will drive increased productivity and advance forward planning.”

With the ‘ONE’, Agilox’s ultralight, high-efficiency forklift product line, the company attempts to reshape the concept of AGVs. The fleets operate without a central control system, meaning the vehicles navigate the production facility or warehouse in a truly autonomous fashion. The exceptionally compact Agilox IGVs organize their routes according to the decentralized principles of swarm intelligence, making them much more flexible than traditional AGVs.

Additionally, programming or ‘teaching’ the vehicles becomes significantly easier, while central software programs including maintenance, updates, etc. are rendered obsolete—an innovation that lowers operating costs. Agilox is now expanding its range of IGVs to include the OCF—an abbreviation for ‘Omnidirectional Counterbalanced Forklift’. While the ONE is equipped with a scissor lift to function as a load handling device (and thus transports the load within the vehicle contour), the OCF is designed according to the principles of the counterbalanced forklift. Hence, it can pick up pallets, lattice boxes, and other load carriers with a maximum weight of 1500 kg (3300 lbs), transport them to the destination, and set them down at a height of up to 1600 mm (63 in).

Agilox’s intelligent and cost-saving IGV concept opens up new application areas. While the ONE vehicles are mainly used for material supply in production, the OCF enables classic intralogistics tasks in incoming and outgoing goods, order picking and storage, as well as in production – provided that the transport is pallet-bound. Just like the ONE, the OCF uses an omnidirectional drive concept. It can therefore also drive sideways through narrow aisles, turn on the spot, and maneuver in the tightest of spaces. The same lithium-ion (LiFePO4) battery technology ensures short charging and long operating times – just three minutes of charging allows for up to one hour of operating time.

The IGV fleets can be connected to customer software systems (LVR, ERP, WMS, MES, etc.) via an open API interface. An optional IO box enables the integration of external infrastructure, such as rolling gates and stationary conveyor systems, in the intelligent control system. An analytics module provides the user with all relevant operating data and KPIs. Dipl.-Ing. Franz Humer, Co-Founder and CEO of Agilox, notes, “the OCF is a logical addition to round out our product portfolio. With it, we open up opportunities in storage and order picking technology, and thus, a large market in which the IGVs can showcase their advantages over both AGVs and man-operated forklifts.”

The combined operation of the ONE and OCF in a ‘swarm’ also provides a great advantage. For instance, while the smaller vehicles carry out delivery services to assembly workstations or tend to e-Kanban shelves, the OCF can, using the same control system and WiFi infrastructure, take over pallet transport. The OCF pilot series has already been successfully tested in Vorchdorf, Austria. Series production will begin shortly, with the first OCFs set to be delivered to customers in the first quarter of 2021.

Providing a perfect platform for heavy and large loads, the self-propelled platform transporter from Hubtex transports machine parts, steel beams, coils, sheet metal, castings and injection moulding tools safely and reliably. The SFB series has now been equipped with a new steering mechanism in the load capacity range up to 25t. The single wheel steering is supported by a differential drive on the rear axle. Compared to the all-wheel steering available on the market, the new steering mechanism impresses with minimal turning radii and a more cost-effective compact design.

Platform transporters in the SFB series from Hubtex are compact, self-propelled vehicles for indoor and outdoor use that have a large loading area for the transport of bulky, heavy loads. The leading manufacturer of custom-made industrial trucks has now modified the SFB 25 and offers a platform transporter with a load capacity of up to 25 t with single-wheel steering on the front axle, supported by a differential drive on the rear axle. This steering principle was previously used in the RoxX electric heavy-duty compact forklift. It is now being gradually extended to platform transporters with different load-bearing capacity classes.

In contrast to the standard steering mechanism using an axle and cylinder with a maximum steering angle of 45°, the single-axle steering used on the front axle allows a steering angle of up to 70°. As a result of this increased steering angle, the overall turning radius can be significantly reduced. This means that the platform transporter can also be used in production or storage areas with limited space where manoeuvring is impractical. The SFB 25 offers a cost-effective alternative to trucks with all-wheel steering in the load capacity range up to 25t. The reduced complexity of the single-axle steering also leads to a significant cost saving. Another positive aspect of the new steering mechanism is the minimal amount of space required in the truck, meaning the designs can be more compact than those for hydraulic steering mechanisms.

The SFB 25 is 2,550 mm long, 1,750 mm wide and 900 mm high and can be ideally adapted to different customer requirements due to its modular design. With a powerful 80-volt drive, the SFB 25 features the unique division of the battery into two trays which contributes towards the compact design. The flexibility to operate on both even and uneven ground is key, which is why Hubtex offers the platform truck with soft elastic tyres. As a result, the SFB 25 is not limited to indoor applications on super flat floors. Instead, transport materials safely and efficiently both inside and outside on uneven surfaces. The self-propelled transport vehicle is operated via cable or radio remote control. This enables the platform transporters to be flawlessly integrated into automated processes, which is crucial as Industry 4.0 continues to transform future production processes.

Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, has launched ‘Prologis Essentials Marketplace’ for Europe, a handy procurement platform that helps customers quickly set up, integrate or upgrade their warehouse operations with sustainable and cost-saving technologies, products and services. This online resource offers a raft of key warehouse interior products and fully managed instalment processes including Prologis SolarSmart, a green energy generation system that helps customers reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. Other products available include warehouse racking and forklift solutions.

Prologis’ scale and expertise have enabled the company to forge partnerships with trusted suppliers, allowing them to offer customers easy access to the equipment they need at attractive rates. Across Europe, 108 customers have already signed up to their solar energy systems, amounting to 78 megawatt (MW) of solar energy production annually. This is enough to meet the energy consumption needs of 20,000 households and to avoid 32 kilotons of CO2 emissions a year. Prologis aims to add another 150MW of solar panels across Europe by 2025 which would generate sufficient energy for 38,000 households and reduce CO2 emissions by 61 kt annually.

Ben Bannatyne, President of Prologis Europe, said: “Our global scale really enables our customers to benefit from innovative, tested procurement services and products, at attractive market rates. The understanding we have of our customers’ space and business needs, together with our established network of suppliers, allows us to provide solutions which go far beyond the real estate. Via Prologis Essentials Marketplace, our customers can take advantage of products like ‘smart’ LED lighting (helping improve employee wellbeing, energy consumption and costs), solar energy systems, racking and forklifts, through managed processes to help with warehouse set-up or upgrading existing operations.”

In addition to Prologis’ Essentials Marketplace in Europe, the next phases of the platform will include Facility Management and Customer Resource services, to provide the highest care in all customer interactions.

Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, has launched ‘Prologis Essentials Marketplace’ for Europe, a handy procurement platform that helps customers quickly set up, integrate or upgrade their warehouse operations with sustainable and cost-saving technologies, products and services. This online resource offers a raft of key warehouse interior products and fully managed instalment processes including Prologis SolarSmart, a green energy generation system that helps customers reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. Other products available include warehouse racking and forklift solutions.

Prologis’ scale and expertise have enabled the company to forge partnerships with trusted suppliers, allowing them to offer customers easy access to the equipment they need at attractive rates. Across Europe, 108 customers have already signed up to their solar energy systems, amounting to 78 megawatt (MW) of solar energy production annually. This is enough to meet the energy consumption needs of 20,000 households and to avoid 32 kilotons of CO2 emissions a year. Prologis aims to add another 150MW of solar panels across Europe by 2025 which would generate sufficient energy for 38,000 households and reduce CO2 emissions by 61 kt annually.

Ben Bannatyne, President of Prologis Europe, said: “Our global scale really enables our customers to benefit from innovative, tested procurement services and products, at attractive market rates. The understanding we have of our customers’ space and business needs, together with our established network of suppliers, allows us to provide solutions which go far beyond the real estate. Via Prologis Essentials Marketplace, our customers can take advantage of products like ‘smart’ LED lighting (helping improve employee wellbeing, energy consumption and costs), solar energy systems, racking and forklifts, through managed processes to help with warehouse set-up or upgrading existing operations.”

In addition to Prologis’ Essentials Marketplace in Europe, the next phases of the platform will include Facility Management and Customer Resource services, to provide the highest care in all customer interactions.