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Month: November 2020

Panel Discussions Schedule Released for Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition

Posted on by David Priestman

At the Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition next year visitors and exhibitors will have a chance to engage in a series of live panel discussions.

The new virtual exhibition for the logistics and materials handling industry will be February 22nd – 25th.

This new digital show provides a platform for interaction between logistics, IT, transport and supply chain services, warehousing and materials handling manufacturing industries. The exhibition virtual marketplace enables visitors to source products online, request specific quotations, meet exhibitors on video calls & chats, networking, downloading documents and more.

There will be 6 virtual halls: Forklift & AGV Technology, Handling Automation Systems, Packaging & Pallets, Software & Computing, Transport Services & Equipment, Warehousing Equipment. Visitors will be able to browse halls and search for specific requirements from a long list of sub-categories.

If you are interested in participating in any of the panel discussions you can email show@logisticsbusiness.com

To register as a visitor click here

For more information about the show click here

Monday 22nd:

  • Distribution Centre Project Management
  • Supply Chain Software-as-a-service Thought Leadership
  • Loading Bay & Warehouse Safety

 

Tuesday 23rd:

  • Automated & Robot Warehouse Vehicles
  • Packaging for eCommerce
  • Contract Logistics & Freight Management

 

Wednesday 24th:

  • Forklift Technology Innovations
  • Sortation & Conveying Suppliers’ Forum
  • Storage System Projects

 

Thursday 25th:

  • Transport Management IT Platform Decisions
  • Wearable Devices and Data Capture in Logistics
  • Pallets & Palletizing for Green Supply Chains

 

Improve ladder safety with Laddertag from Scafftag

Posted on by Keith McKinley

In order to improve ladder safety, Laddertag is the original and industry leading status tagging system for ladders. Laddertag is a robust and highly visible system, instantly showing the ladder is in date for it’s thorough examination, the ladder’s inspection period and a guide to the pre-use and in-use visual inspections to be carried out by the operative.  This clear system has been adopted by thousands of leading ISO 9000 companies. A complete range of ladder inspection systems are available to control your ladder safety, inspections, maintenance and identification. Shop for Laddertag now

Scafftag helps companies stay compliant and up to date with latest Standards. The Ladder Inspection Guide Poster notes the do’s don’ts and best practice, while the Yellow Book offers the ‘ladder management’ element. Guidance, Risk Assessment, Ladder Register and Inspection Report – total compliance in it’s simplest form.

Ladder Inspection Guide Poster

This is a A2 wall sheet designed to help with ladder safety, which has been updated to align with BS EN 131. Ladder Inspection Guide Poster details key components, user’s do’s and don’ts and legislation requirements.

The Yellow Book Ladder Inspection Records

The Yellow Book from Scafftag is the must have ladder accessory!  Make maintaining safety of your ladders simple and compliant. Combining all the elements required to manage your ladders (steps, fixed, pole and hop-ups) in one protective binder.

It contains legislative and risk assessment guidance, ladder register, inspection reports and fault notifications.

Scafftag’s Yellow Book helps you to comply with legislative requirements and good practices of:

Conducting a risk assessment

Inspecting and maintaining equipment at suitable periods as deemed appropriate by a risk assessment

Maintaining a record of all timed, written inspections

Maintaining the important Ladder Register

Ensuring the life-cycle of the ladder is documented

Refills of ladder inspection reports, notification of fault reports and ladder registers are also available for. Several numerical combinations of holders and inserts are now available to accommodate all requirements – from just 1 ladder upwards (for management of multiple ladders, consider Safetrak – the electronic management system.  Streamlining reporting and minimizing paperwork)!

Are you looking for simplicity and compliance?  Choose one of Scafftag’s Ladder Inspection Kits. Ladder management kits from Scafftag offer a convenient solution for ladder inspection including Laddertags, a handy pocket guide and the step by step ladder management system.

You can find all useful tools for your Ladder Safety compliance at one place. Directly from the world class producer and made in UK!

 

Check them out or buy them right away >>

 

Improve ladder safety with Laddertag from Scafftag

Posted on by David Priestman

In order to improve ladder safety, Laddertag is the original and industry leading status tagging system for ladders. Laddertag is a robust and highly visible system, instantly showing the ladder is in date for it’s thorough examination, the ladder’s inspection period and a guide to the pre-use and in-use visual inspections to be carried out by the operative.  This clear system has been adopted by thousands of leading ISO 9000 companies. A complete range of ladder inspection systems are available to control your ladder safety, inspections, maintenance and identification. Shop for Laddertag now

Scafftag helps companies stay compliant and up to date with latest Standards. The Ladder Inspection Guide Poster notes the do’s don’ts and best practice, while the Yellow Book offers the ‘ladder management’ element. Guidance, Risk Assessment, Ladder Register and Inspection Report – total compliance in it’s simplest form.

Ladder Inspection Guide Poster

This is a A2 wall sheet designed to help with ladder safety, which has been updated to align with BS EN 131. Ladder Inspection Guide Poster details key components, user’s do’s and don’ts and legislation requirements.

The Yellow Book Ladder Inspection Records

The Yellow Book from Scafftag is the must have ladder accessory!  Make maintaining safety of your ladders simple and compliant. Combining all the elements required to manage your ladders (steps, fixed, pole and hop-ups) in one protective binder.

It contains legislative and risk assessment guidance, ladder register, inspection reports and fault notifications.

Scafftag’s Yellow Book helps you to comply with legislative requirements and good practices of:

Conducting a risk assessment

Inspecting and maintaining equipment at suitable periods as deemed appropriate by a risk assessment

Maintaining a record of all timed, written inspections

Maintaining the important Ladder Register

Ensuring the life-cycle of the ladder is documented

Refills of ladder inspection reports, notification of fault reports and ladder registers are also available for. Several numerical combinations of holders and inserts are now available to accommodate all requirements – from just 1 ladder upwards (for management of multiple ladders, consider Safetrak – the electronic management system.  Streamlining reporting and minimizing paperwork)!

Are you looking for simplicity and compliance?  Choose one of Scafftag’s Ladder Inspection Kits. Ladder management kits from Scafftag offer a convenient solution for ladder inspection including Laddertags, a handy pocket guide and the step by step ladder management system.

You can find all useful tools for your Ladder Safety compliance at one place. Directly from the world class producer and made in UK!

 

Check them out or buy them right away >>

 

WMS Investment due to Demand during Covid-19

Posted on by David Priestman

An order fulfilment start up has grown its customer base from zero to 25,000 orders per month, in under 10 weeks and during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Resurge specialises in firms and start-ups positioned for significant growth and during the pandemic has helped rescue small to medium sized providers affected by labour shortages and health issues, plus those left homeless by Amazon’s move to shipping essential items only.

The secret behind Resurge’s success has been its ability to seamlessly and remotely onboard an innovative, cloud-based WMS solution, SnapFulfil. Resurge’s co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Kirst, says: “The demand for our more progressive 3PL services has exceeded our expectations during these challenging times. However, we were able to respond really quickly by bringing forward our investment in a technologically advanced WMS that has the flexibility and scalability to adapt and grow with us as a business and our customers’ strategic expansions.

“We have worked with SnapFulfil previously and we completely trusted them to get our remote implementation right the first time and in just a matter of weeks, which they did without any issue. Plus, they bring a level of support which, in my experience, goes way above and beyond the industry standard.”

The New Jersey based company’s investment and progress (they have now added a new West Coast D2C centre in Nevada, also via remote implementation) means it is now well placed to rapidly scale up from 80,000 orders per month in September to 125,000+ for December holiday season time.

“We attribute our success to having the right WMS in place and SnapFulfil has bespoke functionality totally relevant to our business as a progressive type of 3PL. What’s more, it gives us confidence and credibility to pursue prospects that might not otherwise select such a new style third-party logistics and D2C fulfilment associate,” Kirst added.

Even with most of the US under a stay at home advisory when Resurge was due to go live, SnapFulfil was able to offer remote support including regular online training meetings to ensure the team could access and test the solution.

SnapFulfil CEO, Tony Dobson, adds: “The worldwide travel restrictions mean that we now have a tried and tested remote training and go-live support package. Our DNA is ‘in the cloud,’ and so our geographically dispersed project teams have really mastered remote implementation.”

Resurge is also an early advocate of SnapFulfil’s new and fully integrated digital adoption platform SnapBuddy, which as an AI-style training tool offers proactive, step-by-step guidance on how to perform key processes within the SnapFulfil WMS. Kirst concludes: “It’s a game changer and being able to self configure and implement certain improvements and amendments ourselves brings even greater responsiveness, control and savings.”

WMS Investment due to Demand during Covid-19

Posted on by David Priestman

An order fulfilment start up has grown its customer base from zero to 25,000 orders per month, in under 10 weeks and during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Resurge specialises in firms and start-ups positioned for significant growth and during the pandemic has helped rescue small to medium sized providers affected by labour shortages and health issues, plus those left homeless by Amazon’s move to shipping essential items only.

The secret behind Resurge’s success has been its ability to seamlessly and remotely onboard an innovative, cloud-based WMS solution, SnapFulfil. Resurge’s co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Kirst, says: “The demand for our more progressive 3PL services has exceeded our expectations during these challenging times. However, we were able to respond really quickly by bringing forward our investment in a technologically advanced WMS that has the flexibility and scalability to adapt and grow with us as a business and our customers’ strategic expansions.

“We have worked with SnapFulfil previously and we completely trusted them to get our remote implementation right the first time and in just a matter of weeks, which they did without any issue. Plus, they bring a level of support which, in my experience, goes way above and beyond the industry standard.”

The New Jersey based company’s investment and progress (they have now added a new West Coast D2C centre in Nevada, also via remote implementation) means it is now well placed to rapidly scale up from 80,000 orders per month in September to 125,000+ for December holiday season time.

“We attribute our success to having the right WMS in place and SnapFulfil has bespoke functionality totally relevant to our business as a progressive type of 3PL. What’s more, it gives us confidence and credibility to pursue prospects that might not otherwise select such a new style third-party logistics and D2C fulfilment associate,” Kirst added.

Even with most of the US under a stay at home advisory when Resurge was due to go live, SnapFulfil was able to offer remote support including regular online training meetings to ensure the team could access and test the solution.

SnapFulfil CEO, Tony Dobson, adds: “The worldwide travel restrictions mean that we now have a tried and tested remote training and go-live support package. Our DNA is ‘in the cloud,’ and so our geographically dispersed project teams have really mastered remote implementation.”

Resurge is also an early advocate of SnapFulfil’s new and fully integrated digital adoption platform SnapBuddy, which as an AI-style training tool offers proactive, step-by-step guidance on how to perform key processes within the SnapFulfil WMS. Kirst concludes: “It’s a game changer and being able to self configure and implement certain improvements and amendments ourselves brings even greater responsiveness, control and savings.”

Document Allows further Wood Packaging Repair Options

Posted on by David Priestman

Heat-treated wooden components will be temporarily allowed for the repair of wooden pallets and packaging, increasing options for businesses who want to grow their capacity of ISPM15-compliant wooden packaging material (WPM) before the final Brexit deadline on December 31, 2020.

The new measure was proposed by the UK Government and also approved by the devolved governments on a temporary basis to help raise stocks of compliant WPM in the weeks remaining before the cut-off date, and in the first half of next year. This is because, as the UK Government has stated, from January 1, 2021 ‘it will be a legal requirement for all wood packaging material moving in both directions between UK and the EU to be compliant with a treatment and mark as specified in the International Standard for Phytosanitary measures No 15 (ISPM15).’

Accordingly, the ‘temporary easement’ addendum to the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP), which governs ISPM15 in the country, now permits the additional option of ISPM15 repairs to avoid ‘the total retreatment of pallets after repair’, as required by the original regulations. The easement is open only to existing members of the UKWPMMP and their approved sites and will be subject to them fulfilling the terms and conditions of the addendum. It will be valid until July 31, 2021.

John Dye, President of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation, said: “We support this temporary addendum to the UKWPMMP. It is a further step forward in our industry’s preparations for Brexit, which will give companies the ability to repair pallets to ISPM15 standards more rapidly and moves our business further towards its compliance targets.

“Using heat-treated wood for repairs is also more energy efficient as it saves a significant amount of kilning capacity when compared to treating the whole of every repaired pallet. We also expect this measure will encourage an increase in repairs, which in turn will help towards Government targets for reuse.”

Companies wishing to take advantage of the easement change need to declare their intention by emailing the UKWPMMP Secretary, who will update the Forestry Commission inspectors and the relevant auditors; this will ensure the right traceability and plant health obligations continue to be met. There are no additional fees for members of the scheme.

Document Allows further Wood Packaging Repair Options

Posted on by David Priestman

Heat-treated wooden components will be temporarily allowed for the repair of wooden pallets and packaging, increasing options for businesses who want to grow their capacity of ISPM15-compliant wooden packaging material (WPM) before the final Brexit deadline on December 31, 2020.

The new measure was proposed by the UK Government and also approved by the devolved governments on a temporary basis to help raise stocks of compliant WPM in the weeks remaining before the cut-off date, and in the first half of next year. This is because, as the UK Government has stated, from January 1, 2021 ‘it will be a legal requirement for all wood packaging material moving in both directions between UK and the EU to be compliant with a treatment and mark as specified in the International Standard for Phytosanitary measures No 15 (ISPM15).’

Accordingly, the ‘temporary easement’ addendum to the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP), which governs ISPM15 in the country, now permits the additional option of ISPM15 repairs to avoid ‘the total retreatment of pallets after repair’, as required by the original regulations. The easement is open only to existing members of the UKWPMMP and their approved sites and will be subject to them fulfilling the terms and conditions of the addendum. It will be valid until July 31, 2021.

John Dye, President of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation, said: “We support this temporary addendum to the UKWPMMP. It is a further step forward in our industry’s preparations for Brexit, which will give companies the ability to repair pallets to ISPM15 standards more rapidly and moves our business further towards its compliance targets.

“Using heat-treated wood for repairs is also more energy efficient as it saves a significant amount of kilning capacity when compared to treating the whole of every repaired pallet. We also expect this measure will encourage an increase in repairs, which in turn will help towards Government targets for reuse.”

Companies wishing to take advantage of the easement change need to declare their intention by emailing the UKWPMMP Secretary, who will update the Forestry Commission inspectors and the relevant auditors; this will ensure the right traceability and plant health obligations continue to be met. There are no additional fees for members of the scheme.

Vertical Edge Protection for Bundled Products

Posted on by David Priestman

The Mosca EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H by Mosca is high-end strapping machine. It is now available with a vertical edge protection applicator – which makes it ideal for users who need to secure sensitive products, plastic crates, or other stacked goods. The edge protection system automatically attaches four cardboard edge protectors to the product to be secured. This not only protects the edges during transport, it also joins products stacked in layers to form a bundle – offering an eco-friendly alternative to stretch wrapping. Different edge protector sizes and large buffers offer companies maximum flexibility for different products and high throughput.

Introduced in 2017, the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H was the first horizontal strapping machine to feature Mosca’s ultrasonic technology. This high-speed unit uses mechanical vibrations instead of heat to weld strap ends and ensure a secure seal – especially on bulky furniture or kitchen appliances. The edge protection feeder applies edge protectors made of recyclable cardboard and thus extends the scope of EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H applications to other industries. Mosca GmbH CEO Timo Mosca explains: “Companies in the food and beverage industry are looking for eco-friendly alternatives when it comes to securing goods for transport. An edge protection applicator offers significant potential for users who, for instance, need to secure plastic crates stacked on top of each other. In the past, this was done with stretch wrapping machines.” Cardboard edge protectors offer a material-saving alternative to stretch wrapping, which requires a relatively large amount of plastic film to create a bundle. They are also suitable for sensitive products, such as fruit and vegetables packed in crates that cannot be wrapped in plastic. The new machine feature is also available to customers who already use an EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H in their production line. “We can easily upgrade existing machines with the edge protection applicator,” says Timo Mosca.

Fully automated strapping

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H is specially designed for use in fully automated production lines. That’s why the edge protection system is also fully automatic. Four photoelectric sensors detect the edges of a product placed on the machine. The edge protection applicator then guides cardboard angles to all four edges in parallel and gently places them on the product. To optimally secure the bundle, the machine uses its movable strap guide frame to strap the product and the edge protectors horizontally at multiple positions. Using Mosca or OEM conveyor technology, the product is then forwarded for vertical strapping or direct transport. The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H can double strap up to 150 bundles per hour.

Large edge protection magazine for maximum flexibility

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H has been reliably strapping products in different sizes since its introduction in 2017. Reliability was also a key focus in the development of the edge protection system. Its magazine can be filled with cardboard angles in three different formats to accommodate edge protectors ranging from 600 to 2400 mm in length with a side length of 40×40 to 60×60 mm and a material thickness of 2-6 mm. This enables users to flexibly choose the edge protectors that best match their products and requirements while avoiding unnecessary material expenditure. Each of the twelve edge protector buffers holds up to 55 edge protectors with a thickness of three millimetres. This ensures maximum machine availability even at high throughput rates.

Additional applications for pallet strapping machines

In addition to the application for the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H, Mosca will soon offer the newly developed edge protection system for other horizontal strapping machines, including the KOV-315 and its variants: KOB-315 and KOH-315. These fully automatic pallet strapping machines are commonly used in the construction industry as well as for bulky items. The edge protectors can be used to bundle bricks and other stacked products. Thanks to the machine’s extremely high strap tension, heavy goods can be reliably secured for safe transport. For sensitive products, such as freshly produced aerated concrete (Ytong) bricks, the cardboard angles protect the delicate product edges from transport damage.

Vertical Edge Protection for Bundled Products

Posted on by David Priestman

The Mosca EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H by Mosca is high-end strapping machine. It is now available with a vertical edge protection applicator – which makes it ideal for users who need to secure sensitive products, plastic crates, or other stacked goods. The edge protection system automatically attaches four cardboard edge protectors to the product to be secured. This not only protects the edges during transport, it also joins products stacked in layers to form a bundle – offering an eco-friendly alternative to stretch wrapping. Different edge protector sizes and large buffers offer companies maximum flexibility for different products and high throughput.

Introduced in 2017, the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H was the first horizontal strapping machine to feature Mosca’s ultrasonic technology. This high-speed unit uses mechanical vibrations instead of heat to weld strap ends and ensure a secure seal – especially on bulky furniture or kitchen appliances. The edge protection feeder applies edge protectors made of recyclable cardboard and thus extends the scope of EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H applications to other industries. Mosca GmbH CEO Timo Mosca explains: “Companies in the food and beverage industry are looking for eco-friendly alternatives when it comes to securing goods for transport. An edge protection applicator offers significant potential for users who, for instance, need to secure plastic crates stacked on top of each other. In the past, this was done with stretch wrapping machines.” Cardboard edge protectors offer a material-saving alternative to stretch wrapping, which requires a relatively large amount of plastic film to create a bundle. They are also suitable for sensitive products, such as fruit and vegetables packed in crates that cannot be wrapped in plastic. The new machine feature is also available to customers who already use an EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H in their production line. “We can easily upgrade existing machines with the edge protection applicator,” says Timo Mosca.

Fully automated strapping

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H is specially designed for use in fully automated production lines. That’s why the edge protection system is also fully automatic. Four photoelectric sensors detect the edges of a product placed on the machine. The edge protection applicator then guides cardboard angles to all four edges in parallel and gently places them on the product. To optimally secure the bundle, the machine uses its movable strap guide frame to strap the product and the edge protectors horizontally at multiple positions. Using Mosca or OEM conveyor technology, the product is then forwarded for vertical strapping or direct transport. The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H can double strap up to 150 bundles per hour.

Large edge protection magazine for maximum flexibility

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H has been reliably strapping products in different sizes since its introduction in 2017. Reliability was also a key focus in the development of the edge protection system. Its magazine can be filled with cardboard angles in three different formats to accommodate edge protectors ranging from 600 to 2400 mm in length with a side length of 40×40 to 60×60 mm and a material thickness of 2-6 mm. This enables users to flexibly choose the edge protectors that best match their products and requirements while avoiding unnecessary material expenditure. Each of the twelve edge protector buffers holds up to 55 edge protectors with a thickness of three millimetres. This ensures maximum machine availability even at high throughput rates.

Additional applications for pallet strapping machines

In addition to the application for the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H, Mosca will soon offer the newly developed edge protection system for other horizontal strapping machines, including the KOV-315 and its variants: KOB-315 and KOH-315. These fully automatic pallet strapping machines are commonly used in the construction industry as well as for bulky items. The edge protectors can be used to bundle bricks and other stacked products. Thanks to the machine’s extremely high strap tension, heavy goods can be reliably secured for safe transport. For sensitive products, such as freshly produced aerated concrete (Ytong) bricks, the cardboard angles protect the delicate product edges from transport damage.

IDS Launches New Camera Family for Industrial Applications

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The new uEye XLE camera family from IDS (pictured) has been developed for high-volume and price-sensitive projects, ideal for industrial applications.

Affordable, compact and powerful

Thanks to their space-saving design, practical USB3 interface and support of the USB3 Vision
Standard, the industrial cameras can be easily integrated into any machine vision system. Customers can
choose between single-board cameras with or without C-/CS-mount or S-mount as well as variants with
coated plastic housing. The first models will be equipped with the light-sensitive 5 MP sensor ON Semiconductor AR0521.

There are almost no limits to the possible applications of the new camera family. “It will prove its worth in small appliance construction, measurement technology, transport and even agricultural applications,” explains Jürgen Hejna, Product Manager at IDS. The cameras also show their strengths in classic industrial applications such as surface inspection. Thanks to their compact dimensions, the models fit into the smallest of spaces, for example as embedded vision solutions. The price-optimised design makes the cameras particularly interesting for applications where costs are the main concern. Therefore, the company also offers a large number of inexpensive lenses for the cameras.

All uEye XLE camera models feature a USB3 interface (SuperSpeed USB, 5 Gpbs) and are 100 percent GenICamcompliant. The cameras can be used with any software that supports the USB3 Vision Standard. For an optimal user experience, the company recommends the use of IDS peak. The free SDK includes all necessary components from source code samples to transport layer, so that customers can start developing their own applications right away.

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