23 June, 2022

Digitization Improved Profits and Resilience for Logistics Businesses

Posted on 23 June, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The UK’s transportation, manufacturing and logistics industries are accelerating digital technology adoption in the face of ongoing supply chain disruption, labour shortages and unsustainable increases in fuel costs. That’s according to new research carried out by Samsara with 1,500 operational leaders, including 200 in the UK, which reveals companies are focused on strengthening their operational resilience.

As fuel prices reach record highs, the new Samsara State of Connected Operations Report, reveals 27% of operations leaders in the UK have implemented technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) cameras, asset tracking, telematics and automation. This is expected to double to 58% by the end of this year and reach 90% by the end of 2023. The research reveals clear benefits to this technology investment too, with 95% of UK operations leaders who have digitally transformed their physical operations confirming this is improving their ability to weather disruptions, and 96% reporting increased net profits.

“When it comes to the physical operations that power our global economy, we are at a tipping point,” said Philip van der Wilt, VP & General Manager, Samsara, EMEA. “By accelerating digitisation, UK firms working in transport and logistics can connect their operations and access the real-time data they need to manage their business more effectively and efficiently.”

The Samsara report also reveals the key areas of prioritisation among UK operations leaders:
• 58% are increasing the monitoring of their powered assets such as lorries and vans to tackle issues such as engine idle time, fuel efficiency, and maintenance

• 50% are looking to accelerate their transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in the wake of rising fuel costs and the increasing availability of EVs and associated infrastructure

• 82% want to break down their organisational data to gain centralised visibility of all their operational data

“In the face of supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, and rising costs, operational agility is more important than ever. From planning routes more efficiently, improving fuel economy and introducing pre-emptive maintenance schedules, digitally transforming fleet-based operations can make a tangible difference to the bottom line,” van der Wilt added.

Asendia Accelerates Parcel Processing at Heathrow DC

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Asendia has successfully installed automated sorting and six new robots for over-labelling at its parcel processing centre at Heathrow, fully operational from the end of May 2022. The newly automated system will drive a significant parcel throughput increase on behalf of retailers, e-commerce brands and other clients, achieving a rate of up to 7,200 parcels per hour, with the site open seven days a week, and able to operate 24 hours per day. Asendia UK has invested £2.5m of CAPEX in these improvements.

Parcels arrive onsite and an automated cross-belt sorter, with scanners, printers, digital photography and six robots together take care of the relabelling, routing, sorting, weighing and dimension-checking of parcels. The system has maximum flexibility for despatch, able to sort into bags, pallet boxes, or onward into air containers. The automation project aims to improve capacity / throughput for Asendia e-commerce retailers. Employees who were previously engaged in manual labelling and sorting at the site are largely being redeployed to other essential supply chain operations within Asendia UK. The Heathrow hub moved to a 24-hour operation last.

Asendia selected technology partners who are well versed in automation, with Indian firm Falcon Autotech supplying the sortation solution, and UK based WSS providing engineering and technical design oversite as well as installing the system. Asendia then worked with Dorchester-based Loop Technologies, which specialises in customised robotics. Loop’s experience ranges from robotic arms for labelling fruit for supermarkets to equipping robotics for aerospace projects. The use of robotics for parcel labelling is believed to be an industry first.

All parcels are delivered to the centre and loaded onto one of the infeed belts. An automated overhead scanner then captures barcode details and an image of the label. The weight is then added from the inline scales and the data is shared via an API with the Asendia system, to enable carrier selection and label generation, mainly through the proprietary carrier label library which Asendia has developed. O&I Consulting provided project management expertise

The Asendia system processes the label details while the parcel travels up to the robotic over-labelling cell. The robotic cell scans every parcel and creates a 3D image which includes the exact location of every barcode on the parcel. It then checks with the Asendia system to see whether a final mile label is required. This can be done for parcels and packets of different shapes, sizes and materials. The label is generated and printed in either 6×4 or A5 format and the robot applies it directly over the original, ensuring the label is placed within the boundaries of the parcel and taking into consideration the parcel shape. Customs paperwork can also be printed as well if needed. The parcel then enters the cross-belt sorter which is designed to handle all retailer parcel types.

The ‘DIMS tower’ captures essential dimensions, takes a photo, and scans the final mile label – required to complete routing and determine which outfeed to sort the parcel to. Parcels are allocated to the correct chute and drop into either a bag or pallet box. Each chute position is designed to facilitate sortation to bags, magnums, cages or pallet boxes to provide flexibility and future proof the design. Once full, the chute auto-closes and the pallet or bag is prepared for outbound shipment. The barcodes for every package are linked to a unique container ID, enabling increased visibility and automated data processing. Asendia’s investment in automation and robotic over-labelling will increase the Heathrow site’s facility capacity, and speed up parcel processing allowing for earlier flights and road haulage departures.

Luis Barros, COO at Asendia UK said: “Retailers, many of whom have fast-growing e-commerce audiences around the world, will benefit directly from seeing their parcels pass through our facility faster than ever. It’s not surprising several big brand names have already signed up to use the facility.” He added: “Having volumetrics for all parcels will help with revenue protection and better control of sizing, which is a key driver within distribution networks. Equally, having photos of all parcels is a very good security benefit.”

Commenting on the investment, Simon Batt Asendia UK CEO said: “The successful launch of our new automated parcels hub is the culmination of a very complex project. The team worked incredibly hard to get this up and running and I’m incredibly proud of all involved. We have future-proofed our core Heathrow facility for some years to come, to further grow with our e-commerce retailers and build on the successes of the past few years.”

Delta Helps Plastic Packaging Manufacturer Achieve Control

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by David Priestman

A manufacturer of plastic bags for food packaging that operates a factory in Poland has been using Delta automation technology on its production lines for years. The company has recently expanded their facility and installed additional machines. As a result of the expansion, the manufacturer decided they had too many machines to continue monitoring and controlling them individually. The company needed to deploy a centralized control and management.

The vacuum and high-barrier plastic bags produced at the plant are used in the food and beverage industry. Several heat sealing machines and conveyer systems were in operation at the factory before the expansion. Until now, there was no way to collect and analyze production data from the machines from a single location. A new, customized solution would need to have the ability to collect and aggregate data from all machines, including the new ones, and generate the corresponding reports and graphs.

Since the manufacturer was already using Delta automation hardware, Delta’s DIAView SCADA solution was an obvious choice to implement centralized control and visualization. Delta’s trusted partner in Poland, Induprogress, was able to deploy a powerful combination of DIAView SCADA and SQLServer to collect production logs and statistics and aggregate that data inside a central database. Induprogress has been the official and exclusive distributor of Delta Electronics industrial automation solutions in Poland since 2010.

The system implemented for the packaging factory allows users to choose individual machines and generate reports that span the selected time period without requiring an operator go to the physical machine and use the HMI. The reports can be generated from the factory’s control room or anywhere else within the plant. The functionality of each machine’s HMI is now also available from within DIAView, allowing remote control and operation. The DIAView system accesses the production information hosted in the SQL database to generate charts and reports.

In addition, ASDA-A2 servo drives have been installed to enable the bag making and filling processes. VFD-E series Delta motor drives come into play for sealing tasks.
The manufacturer now uses the new DIAView SCADA system to control individual machines and monitor the production line. Trend graphs are available and operators can check for anomalies and generate reports. Some of the metrics available include total machine running hours, average production speed, and machine efficiency. Users can receive different levels of permissions and an operator log stores the history of each user’s actions, making it possible to monitor operator performance. The software interface has also been localized into Polish to make operation even easier for local workers.

The project involved close coordination between the customer, Delta, and Induprogress. Delta offered the same high level of technical support during implementation that Induprogress has come to rely on already over the last decade of collaboration. Of course, implementing DIAView was very straightforward since the Delta automation equipment already in operation at the facility was completely compatible. The benefits were so obvious for this project, no other solutions were even considered. Should the customer install more machines in the future, they plan to acquire additional DIAView licenses and incorporate them into the existing system.

“This is a perfect example of how Delta’s broad portfolio of industrial automation solutions can really benefit new and existing customers,” said Ufuk Ozer, Product Manager at Delta Electronics. “The breadth of our portfolio allows a factory choose Delta products almost exclusively, like the customer did in this case. That makes things a lot easier when it’s time to implement a monitoring and control solution like DIAView. Everything is compatible right out of the box.”

Delta Helps Plastic Packaging Manufacturer Achieve Control

Posted on 23 June, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Seed Financing Secured for AMR Warehouse Platform

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by David Priestman

BotsAndUs, a cutting-edge intelligence and robotics company has secured $13m in seed funding to expand its logistics-disrupting solution globally. Lakestar leads the round, with participation from Maersk Growth, Kindred Capital, and Capnamic.

Efficient warehousing is a crucial part of global supply chains. The rapid increase in demand for near-instantaneous storage, dispatch, and delivery of goods is placing enormous time and cost pressures on companies, who now need to rethink and enhance their logistics and storage operations. 69% of companies are currently looking to improve their inventory control and lower costs.
BotsAndUs collects real-time insights using fully autonomous, mobile robots to quickly process pallets at every stage in their journey throughout a warehouse. Triggered by the arrival of goods, their robots capture the volume and condition as they enter and leave the warehouse. The same robots scan goods on shelves and record their location and quantity. Robots operate without human intervention and do not require additional investments in infrastructure. These robots will save time by eliminating manual dimensioning and stock checking; ultimately allowing managers to have full and real-time visibility of their operations from the comfort of their desks.

“BotsAndUs is already paving the way for artificial intelligence and robotics to completely transform logistics. Our integrated AI and robotics platform is helping companies boost their performance and unlock their full potential. We’re confident we can make our vision a reality: transforming logistics on a global scale with real time data to eliminate errors and enhance performance across all steps” says Co-founder and CEO, Andrei Danescu.

BotsAndUs already won key customers across various industries. In addition to Maersk and Huboo, BotsAndUs works with Menzies Aviation, the air cargo company that services more than 200 airport locations, – including at Europe’s largest airport, London Heathrow. The company recently entered into a partnership with Maersk – the global integrator of container logistics, to collaborate with Maersk’s warehousing and contract logistics division, initially in one of their warehouses, exploring automating inventory management and acceptance processes, and with time to improve customers’ visibility and access to inventory across facilities. With the fresh capital, BotsAndUs is targeting markets including Germany, France, Nordics, USA, and Canada and driving product development.

“More than 80% of warehouses have no automation at all. With warehouses expected to grow by 50% by 2025 and labour shortages of over 30%, automation clearly holds the key to ensuring logistics operations are as optimised as possible. Logistics is an industry that always faced margin pressures and little means to invest into a digital infrastructure. BotsAndUs real-time data capture abilities create this infrastructure and the basis for long term automation of warehousing operations. We’re delighted to join the stellar team on their journey to transform logistics and enable companies to perform at their best,” says Lakestar Partner Christoph Schuh.

“Maersk Growth’s investment in BotsAndUs is a great reflection of how we in Maersk are working towards improving end-to-end customer visibility and access to inventory across our warehouses, ultimately offering our customers fulfilment tailored in real time and in response to changing demands,” says Ingrid Ebner, Global Head of Contract Logistics, Maersk. “We are delighted to back such a talented and inspiring team. BotsAndUs are tackling big opportunities in global logistics. Most warehouses have limited or no automation, and could benefit significantly from exploring this space. Many firms currently stretch the capacity of people and process in response to business challenges. BotsAndUs provides an easy on-ramp for warehouses to explore automation, enrich data and enable intelligent optimisation to utilise untapped capabilities from existing assets and teams,” says Oliver Finch, Investment Partner, Maersk Growth.

Seed Financing Secured for AMR Warehouse Platform

Posted on 23 June, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Ergonomic Forklift Driving Without Steering Wheel

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by David Priestman

How can steering a forklift truck become even more ergonomic? Linde Material Handling provided the answer at its World of Material Handling (WoMH) customer event by presenting the Linde Steer Control system. Behind the name is a new type of electro-hydraulic steering system that does not require a classic steering wheel. Instead, the driver’s arm lies on an armrest. The truck is controlled with the left hand, either via an integrated mini-wheel or a joystick. The advantage of these additional options is that working in the forklift is more relaxed, and the driver remains focused and productive for a longer period of time. Looking to the future, another important requirement for the automated counterbalanced truck has thereby been met.

As the interface between operator and machine, the forklift truck, i.e., the driver’s workplace, is of particular importance. Employees must be able to operate the truck easily, simply and quickly for its performance potential to be fully realized. “With the Linde Steer Control system, we have consistently developed the sophisticated operating concept of the Linde truck with dual pedal control and Linde Load Control. The driver’s arms now both lie on an armrest. The right hand directs the mast and forks, while the left hand steers the truck around corners. In this way, we manage to further reduce body movements and take the strain off the driver,” emphasizes Frank Bergmann, Product Manager Counterbalanced Trucks, adding, “What has already been established in excavators, cranes, rail vehicles and aircraft could thus also be found more and more frequently in industrial trucks in the future and become the industry standard.”

The Linde Steer Control system is based on steer-by-wire technology. Control commands from the driver are converted into electrical signals and forwarded to hydraulic actuators. A sophisticated safety concept guarantees the fail-safe operation of the vehicle control system. Electric control of the wheels opens up new functional possibilities: For example, the forklift driver can steer the vehicle even more precisely using the Linde Steer Control system, as the steering reacts more or less sensitively depending on the vehicle speed. If the truck is traveling faster, the mini-wheel has to be turned more or the joystick tilted further to the side to bring about a certain steering deflection of the wheels. If the driver reduces the speed of the truck, the same hand movement results in a stronger steering deflection.

For typical everyday usage of a forklift truck – line transport, manoeuvring or storage and retrieval processes – manufacturer Linde MH recommends the mini-wheel. “Because of the analogy to the steering wheel, we observe a steeper learning curve,” Bergmann explains. The joystick also has a special feature that produces a positive effect in certain applications: When the operator releases the control, the steering wheels automatically straighten out. “This is extremely helpful especially in block storage facilities with long, narrow aisles, where things like beverage crates or rolls of paper pile up on the sides,” explains Frank Bergmann.

In order to evaluate the ergonomic benefits of the Linde Steer Control, Linde MH conducted a user study this spring in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University and fka GmbH. The focus was on the extent to which the new steering concepts reduce the driver’s body movements and lead to reduced arm and shoulder strain. At the time of the study, the test participants, aged between 19 and 67, had held their forklift driver’s licenses for at least three years and used the forklift on a daily basis as part of their profession. A special camera was used to record the range of motion of the shoulder, elbow and wrist and then analyzed. The conclusion: Use of both the mini-wheel and joystick result in less joint movement in the shoulder and elbow compared to the conventional steering wheel. “This means that the Linde Steer Control system demonstrably contributes to greater ergonomics and less strain on the driver,” summarizes Product Manager Bergmann.

Ergonomic Forklift Driving Without Steering Wheel

Posted on 23 June, 202225 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Improved Outlook for Sales, Lowered Expectations for Orders

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by David Priestman

Despite a promising start to the year and a positive development in sales, Interroll is lowering its outlook for operating profit in the first half of 2022.

With a good start to the 2022 financial year, Interroll had initially assumed a further recovery trend in the markets following the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly improved availability of materials. However, the supply chain situation again deteriorated in the second quarter of 2022, related in part to the strict COVID-19 lockdown in China. In this context and due to the war in Ukraine, Interroll also noted a number of project postponements by customers and end users. This is due to their impaired supply chains, postponements in installation or short-term adjustments in investment activity. It should be emphasized that, with a very high order backlog, project cancellations for Interroll have so far occurred only to a very limited extent.

The price increases implemented in 2021 will also have a delayed effect due to the continuing high order backlog. The operating result announced for the first half of 2022 on the occasion of the publication of the 2021 annual results on March 18, 2022 will therefore be lower than in the second half of 2021. Due to a time horizon that is difficult to assess with regard to normalization of the situation, Interroll is currently refraining from providing an outlook for the full 2022 financial year. In the medium term, however, the company sees all fundamental trends for global demand for material-handling solutions remaining intact and is appropriately prepared for future growth with a leading technology platform and capacities.

Improved Outlook for Sales, Lowered Expectations for Orders

Posted on 23 June, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Despite a promising start to the year and a positive development in sales, Interroll is lowering its outlook for operating profit in the first half of 2022.

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