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Day: 28 June 2022

Getting best value from fleet investment

Posted on by David Priestman

With costs rising across the board, getting the most from your investment in fork lift trucks is more important than ever. As Stewart Gosling of RDD, the UK importer of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, explains, there are so many factors that can lead to savings over the lifetime of equipment.

“While the price of the truck itself and the fuel costs are the headline items when weighing up your options, there’s much more to it than that when looking at the wider picture. Safety, maintenance, downtime, and support are all factors that’ll affect your bottom line.

“Every Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks product that leaves the factory is built with the same vision behind it. It’s not just about being the best in terms of performance, it also has to be the safest, most reliable, and most fuel-efficient it can be. They’re designed for a long life of high performance and minimal downtime.”

Exceptional fuel economy has been a hallmark of the GRENDiA range of diesel and LPG counterbalance trucks since their inception. It’s a key part of the ‘green diamond’ concept. Low fuel use and low emissions paired with robust construction make for an economical and long-lasting truck that can serve as the backbone of your fleet.

When looking at long-term costs, over a typical 5-year span electric trucks can offer savings in the thousands compared to IC engine equivalents. The EDiA electric counterbalance range – including the award-winning 5.5-tonne EDiA XL – not only matches IC engine trucks in terms of performance but adds a host of cutting-edge advanced features.

Class-leading visibility is a staple of any Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks model. The better the operator can see the surrounding environment and the load, the less likely they’ll have an accident.

Combine this with smart, adaptive technology for speed, stability, and traction such as the Sensitive Drive System or patented DriveSteady system and there’s a greatly lowered risk of a scrape or collision, dropping something, damaging racking, or other incidents that lead to downtime which can eat into your profit margins.

Stewart adds: “Beyond the capabilities of the actual trucks, where you acquire them is also of huge importance. With Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks–authorised local dealers the benefits are twofold. Not only do you have a local point of contact who will understand your business and your specific requirements, but they also have the support of the UK Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks network.

“It means local, personal service backed with manufacturer resources. For example, this means any parts they don’t currently have in stock can be with you quickly from the central parts hub.

“Our dealers will also be able to provide a free site survey to ensure you not only have the correct equipment, but that you’re using it in the best possible space.

“Make sure you look at the whole picture when making your next investment in equipment as the initial outlay never tells the whole story.”

 

Getting best value from fleet investment

Posted on by David Priestman

With costs rising across the board, getting the most from your investment in fork lift trucks is more important than ever. As Stewart Gosling of RDD, the UK importer of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, explains, there are so many factors that can lead to savings over the lifetime of equipment.

“While the price of the truck itself and the fuel costs are the headline items when weighing up your options, there’s much more to it than that when looking at the wider picture. Safety, maintenance, downtime, and support are all factors that’ll affect your bottom line.

“Every Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks product that leaves the factory is built with the same vision behind it. It’s not just about being the best in terms of performance, it also has to be the safest, most reliable, and most fuel-efficient it can be. They’re designed for a long life of high performance and minimal downtime.”

Exceptional fuel economy has been a hallmark of the GRENDiA range of diesel and LPG counterbalance trucks since their inception. It’s a key part of the ‘green diamond’ concept. Low fuel use and low emissions paired with robust construction make for an economical and long-lasting truck that can serve as the backbone of your fleet.

When looking at long-term costs, over a typical 5-year span electric trucks can offer savings in the thousands compared to IC engine equivalents. The EDiA electric counterbalance range – including the award-winning 5.5-tonne EDiA XL – not only matches IC engine trucks in terms of performance but adds a host of cutting-edge advanced features.

Class-leading visibility is a staple of any Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks model. The better the operator can see the surrounding environment and the load, the less likely they’ll have an accident.

Combine this with smart, adaptive technology for speed, stability, and traction such as the Sensitive Drive System or patented DriveSteady system and there’s a greatly lowered risk of a scrape or collision, dropping something, damaging racking, or other incidents that lead to downtime which can eat into your profit margins.

Stewart adds: “Beyond the capabilities of the actual trucks, where you acquire them is also of huge importance. With Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks–authorised local dealers the benefits are twofold. Not only do you have a local point of contact who will understand your business and your specific requirements, but they also have the support of the UK Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks network.

“It means local, personal service backed with manufacturer resources. For example, this means any parts they don’t currently have in stock can be with you quickly from the central parts hub.

“Our dealers will also be able to provide a free site survey to ensure you not only have the correct equipment, but that you’re using it in the best possible space.

“Make sure you look at the whole picture when making your next investment in equipment as the initial outlay never tells the whole story.”

 

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles by Magment

Posted on by David Priestman

As we enter the final few days before the IFOY Award winners are named on 30th June at BMW World in Munich, we look at the penultimate finalist – Magment’s Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles.

IFOY category: Start-up of the Year

Description

Patented magnetizable concrete in combination with proprietary winding and casting technologies enables production of robust wireless charging pads which integration of wireless charging infrastructure in industrial floors makes possible. Industrial floor electrification for dynamic wireless charging reduces or fully eliminates charging breaks of forklifts, AVGs and AMRs. Intralogistics EV fleets and battery sizes can be reduced generating overall savings in vehicle CAPEX costs while increasing productivity with up-times close to 100% (24/7), and decreasing OPEX by fully automating a dynamic EV charging process. MagPad is the name for wireless charging pad and multiple MagPads are creating dynamic wireless charging track called MagTrack.

Only DHL Supply Chain now deploys autonomous forklifts and pallet movers in more than 1,500 warehouses worldwide. With 24/7 operation, a fleet of just dozen these autonomous forklifts can handle more than a million pallets per year in just one facility. Magment is working tightly with autonomous forklift and pallet mover producers, industrial floor manufacturers and facility owners to implement dynamic wireless charging infrastructure and charge these vehicles while they are operating adding huge value on existing benefits of autonomous fleets operation.

Summary

Magment is working on cutting-edge wireless inductive charging infrastructure, reinventing the way EVs are charged with bold innovations in design, pioneering technologies, and strong global partnerships. Magment believes in emission free, electrified transportation and vehicles that can charge where they go and do not have to go to charge. Seamless, convenient and sustainable.

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

IFOY TEST REPORT

The Oberhaching-based start-up Magment is reinventing the charging of electric buses, electric forklifts and the like with the help of innovative technology. The company motto is: “Charge where you go and not go where you can charge!” The technical highlight: magnetic concrete is used to charge the electric vehicles.

The first two partners with whom Magment wants to implement dynamic charging of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are Jungheinrich and DHL at its Hamburg site. The innovation is based on the following rational consideration: the more inductive charging is achieved when driving over concrete, the fewer batteries and vehicles are needed. Currently, each vehicle has to be charged for at least two to three hours over the course of 24 hours. Electrification of industrial floors with dynamic wireless charging reduces or completely eliminates these charging pauses. Electric fleets in the intralogistics sector and also battery capacities can be reduced, which would significantly reduce capital expenditure on longer-term capital assets (CAPEX) such as these vehicles.

But what exactly is concrete charging all about? The patented magnetisable concrete, combined with proprietary winding and casting technologies, enables the production of robust inductive charging plates that allow wireless infrastructure to be integrated into industrial floors. Each of these one-metre-long charging plates (pads) incorporates 42 metres of copper cable. When inspecting the test set-up, Magment explains that the system can basically charge all vehicle battery voltages – with a maximum of 170 amps. According to the measurement display, the efficiency is more than 90 per cent. In the test set-up, two pads are laid under chipboards, over which a current collector drives to simulate the AGV.

The highlight of the set-up and the pads in general: at no point of the two MagPads, which form the dynamic wireless charging track MagTrack including the electronics as well as a coil and the corresponding electronics on the receiver side, does the charging curve of the oscilloscope show a drop in charging power. To realise this convincing concept, Magment is working closely with manufacturers of autonomous forklift trucks and pallet trucks, manufacturers of industrial floors and owners of warehouses. With the aim of implementing a dynamic and wireless charging infrastructure to charge vehicles during operation. The goal of the goal, so to speak: to bring productivity in the warehouse to almost 100 percent through operating times of the warehouse technology equipment.

And what contribution does the concrete make? The patented magnetisable concrete eliminates losses due to stray fields during wireless power transmission. At the same time, it enables a uniform transmission curve even in areas between two pads – which makes this technology unique. According to Magment, all competitors offer a stationary wireless charging system, but use ferrite-based inductive charging pads that are not robust and cannot be integrated into industrial floors. Magment says it is currently the only company in the world to offer dynamic wireless charging infrastructure for intralogistics vehicles. One advantage on the customer side is, of course, that there is no longer any need to reserve space for a charging area for the industrial trucks, another is the fact that continuous charging reduces peak power demand.

IFOY Test Verdict

Magment is about to revolutionise the market with its invisible technology that can be fully integrated into industrial floors for continuous, high-performance energy transfer to electrically driven industrial trucks. The system is suitable for dynamic and static charging. Due to the 24/7 availability of the devices, fewer AGVs are needed, so the TCO in the warehouse is reduced accordingly.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The presented system by Magment shows a savings potential in terms of fleet reduction of different electric vehicles and battery size, both of which can be achieved by the dynamic charging system. For a common implementation, other aspects are also seen due to the significant changes in the overall system, which gives the market relevance an average rating. The charging track must be positioned in such a way that the vehicles pass over it frequently enough, otherwise the necessary floor coverage increases. Depending on the application, fluctuating demand for articles/goods can lead to a change in the heavily frequented areas, which can then result in necessary additional trips. Therefore, implementation may not be advantageous for all applications.

Customer benefit: The dynamic charging system has clear advantages for a harmonised overall system. Charging times in which the vehicles are not available are avoided, which means that the number of vehicles can be reduced. In addition, batteries can be designed smaller, which reduces overall costs and contributes to sustainability. Designated areas for stationary charging systems are eliminated and productivity can be increased as charging takes place during the work task.

Novelty: The system presented is impressively innovative and makes excellent use of physical principles. The magnetisable concrete with ferromagnetic components ensures an almost constant charging current along the charging plate. This is undoubtedly a new technology and, together with the robust integration in industrial floors, a useful innovation.

Functionality / type of implementation: The concept of the new technology was presented very well by a demonstration set-up and showed the behaviour of the charging current when passing over the charging plates in an excellent way. With the associated components, some of which were still prototypes, the planned overall construction became clear, which promises a high level of robustness due to the integration in the industrial floor.

Verdict: Innovation is a top priority at Magment. In the right field of application, this is a promising technology that fits in perfectly at the IFOY AWARD.

market relevance Ø
customer benefit +
novelty ++
functionality / type of implementation +
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about Magment’s Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles.

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles by Magment

Posted on by David Priestman

As we enter the final few days before the IFOY Award winners are named on 30th June at BMW World in Munich, we look at the penultimate finalist – Magment’s Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles.

IFOY category: Start-up of the Year

Description

Patented magnetizable concrete in combination with proprietary winding and casting technologies enables production of robust wireless charging pads which integration of wireless charging infrastructure in industrial floors makes possible. Industrial floor electrification for dynamic wireless charging reduces or fully eliminates charging breaks of forklifts, AVGs and AMRs. Intralogistics EV fleets and battery sizes can be reduced generating overall savings in vehicle CAPEX costs while increasing productivity with up-times close to 100% (24/7), and decreasing OPEX by fully automating a dynamic EV charging process. MagPad is the name for wireless charging pad and multiple MagPads are creating dynamic wireless charging track called MagTrack.

Only DHL Supply Chain now deploys autonomous forklifts and pallet movers in more than 1,500 warehouses worldwide. With 24/7 operation, a fleet of just dozen these autonomous forklifts can handle more than a million pallets per year in just one facility. Magment is working tightly with autonomous forklift and pallet mover producers, industrial floor manufacturers and facility owners to implement dynamic wireless charging infrastructure and charge these vehicles while they are operating adding huge value on existing benefits of autonomous fleets operation.

Summary

Magment is working on cutting-edge wireless inductive charging infrastructure, reinventing the way EVs are charged with bold innovations in design, pioneering technologies, and strong global partnerships. Magment believes in emission free, electrified transportation and vehicles that can charge where they go and do not have to go to charge. Seamless, convenient and sustainable.

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

IFOY TEST REPORT

The Oberhaching-based start-up Magment is reinventing the charging of electric buses, electric forklifts and the like with the help of innovative technology. The company motto is: “Charge where you go and not go where you can charge!” The technical highlight: magnetic concrete is used to charge the electric vehicles.

The first two partners with whom Magment wants to implement dynamic charging of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are Jungheinrich and DHL at its Hamburg site. The innovation is based on the following rational consideration: the more inductive charging is achieved when driving over concrete, the fewer batteries and vehicles are needed. Currently, each vehicle has to be charged for at least two to three hours over the course of 24 hours. Electrification of industrial floors with dynamic wireless charging reduces or completely eliminates these charging pauses. Electric fleets in the intralogistics sector and also battery capacities can be reduced, which would significantly reduce capital expenditure on longer-term capital assets (CAPEX) such as these vehicles.

But what exactly is concrete charging all about? The patented magnetisable concrete, combined with proprietary winding and casting technologies, enables the production of robust inductive charging plates that allow wireless infrastructure to be integrated into industrial floors. Each of these one-metre-long charging plates (pads) incorporates 42 metres of copper cable. When inspecting the test set-up, Magment explains that the system can basically charge all vehicle battery voltages – with a maximum of 170 amps. According to the measurement display, the efficiency is more than 90 per cent. In the test set-up, two pads are laid under chipboards, over which a current collector drives to simulate the AGV.

The highlight of the set-up and the pads in general: at no point of the two MagPads, which form the dynamic wireless charging track MagTrack including the electronics as well as a coil and the corresponding electronics on the receiver side, does the charging curve of the oscilloscope show a drop in charging power. To realise this convincing concept, Magment is working closely with manufacturers of autonomous forklift trucks and pallet trucks, manufacturers of industrial floors and owners of warehouses. With the aim of implementing a dynamic and wireless charging infrastructure to charge vehicles during operation. The goal of the goal, so to speak: to bring productivity in the warehouse to almost 100 percent through operating times of the warehouse technology equipment.

And what contribution does the concrete make? The patented magnetisable concrete eliminates losses due to stray fields during wireless power transmission. At the same time, it enables a uniform transmission curve even in areas between two pads – which makes this technology unique. According to Magment, all competitors offer a stationary wireless charging system, but use ferrite-based inductive charging pads that are not robust and cannot be integrated into industrial floors. Magment says it is currently the only company in the world to offer dynamic wireless charging infrastructure for intralogistics vehicles. One advantage on the customer side is, of course, that there is no longer any need to reserve space for a charging area for the industrial trucks, another is the fact that continuous charging reduces peak power demand.

IFOY Test Verdict

Magment is about to revolutionise the market with its invisible technology that can be fully integrated into industrial floors for continuous, high-performance energy transfer to electrically driven industrial trucks. The system is suitable for dynamic and static charging. Due to the 24/7 availability of the devices, fewer AGVs are needed, so the TCO in the warehouse is reduced accordingly.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The presented system by Magment shows a savings potential in terms of fleet reduction of different electric vehicles and battery size, both of which can be achieved by the dynamic charging system. For a common implementation, other aspects are also seen due to the significant changes in the overall system, which gives the market relevance an average rating. The charging track must be positioned in such a way that the vehicles pass over it frequently enough, otherwise the necessary floor coverage increases. Depending on the application, fluctuating demand for articles/goods can lead to a change in the heavily frequented areas, which can then result in necessary additional trips. Therefore, implementation may not be advantageous for all applications.

Customer benefit: The dynamic charging system has clear advantages for a harmonised overall system. Charging times in which the vehicles are not available are avoided, which means that the number of vehicles can be reduced. In addition, batteries can be designed smaller, which reduces overall costs and contributes to sustainability. Designated areas for stationary charging systems are eliminated and productivity can be increased as charging takes place during the work task.

Novelty: The system presented is impressively innovative and makes excellent use of physical principles. The magnetisable concrete with ferromagnetic components ensures an almost constant charging current along the charging plate. This is undoubtedly a new technology and, together with the robust integration in industrial floors, a useful innovation.

Functionality / type of implementation: The concept of the new technology was presented very well by a demonstration set-up and showed the behaviour of the charging current when passing over the charging plates in an excellent way. With the associated components, some of which were still prototypes, the planned overall construction became clear, which promises a high level of robustness due to the integration in the industrial floor.

Verdict: Innovation is a top priority at Magment. In the right field of application, this is a promising technology that fits in perfectly at the IFOY AWARD.

market relevance Ø
customer benefit +
novelty ++
functionality / type of implementation +
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about Magment’s Dynamic Wireless Charging for Intralogistics Vehicles.

Qimarox automates unloading of containers

Posted on by David Priestman

Qimarox, a leading manufacturer of components for material handling systems, has launched a new palletiser machine dedicated for the logistics market. As a manufacturer of, among other things, palletisers, product lifts, pallet lifts, packaging machines and shielding systems, Qimarox says it distinguishes itself by its contemporary vision and approach, in which innovation, quality and added value are of paramount importance.

Thanks to the pandemic, the ever-rising e-commerce business has seen a massive growth. It is one of the most rapidly growing markets in the world economy. The transportation trends in 2021 shows this as well, the biggest trend is the necessity to deliver more products in less time. The most of these products are shipped in containers, which brings challenges for companies.

Unloading a container is a process that requires maximum expertise to make the entire process a success. Usually, ships are packed to full capacity to ensure that there is maximum utilisation of the available space. Unpacking such containers not only poses a risk to the workforce involved but also damages to the contents. Once the container arrives and is received, container handlers carefully unload it using cranes, forklifts, or through manual handling.

These tasks requires manual labour and can become quite expensive. Also finding the right people to do the manual unloading is getting harder. Qimarox claims to have found a better solution.

Automation can be a solution

Qimarox noticed this trend and wants to provide a solution. One of the solutions can be to automate the unloading process. The Qimarox Highrunner HR9 palletiser is designed exactly for this purpose. It is designed for logistic operations where many different products needs to be handled in short batches. Of course it is able to do longer batches of the same product as well. The automation of this process has a lot of benefits for companies.

The unique and patented layer-formation system of the Highrunner HR9 palletiser can generate a large variety of layer patterns that can be selected automatically or generated with the state-of-the-art pattern generator. The specially designed pattern generator can generate a large variety of layer patterns that can be selected automatically from the interface. The generator even recommends the best to use pattern, this way anyone can operate the machine. If the installation is equipped with a full 3D product scanner it is even possible to have the system working fully autonomously.

The highrunner HR9 palletizer enables companies to automate their unloading processes. Which brings a number of benefits:

  • No more costly and time-consuming manual handling
  • No more risks of repetitive strain injuries of the workforce
  • No more risks of being hit by falling objects
  • No more risks of falls from heights
  • No more risks of slips, trips and/or falls

The Qimarox Highrunner HR9 is already successfully integrated and in use at OMS International, a Dutch logistics company that unloads approximately one hundred containers with non-food items every day for one of Europe’s largest supermarket chains. With the palletiser including pattern generator, OMS is able to process 10,000 boxes per day, saving multiple FTEs results.

CLICK HERE to view an animation of the palletiser.

 

 

Qimarox automates unloading of containers

Posted on by David Priestman

Qimarox, a leading manufacturer of components for material handling systems, has launched a new palletiser machine dedicated for the logistics market. As a manufacturer of, among other things, palletisers, product lifts, pallet lifts, packaging machines and shielding systems, Qimarox says it distinguishes itself by its contemporary vision and approach, in which innovation, quality and added value are of paramount importance.

Thanks to the pandemic, the ever-rising e-commerce business has seen a massive growth. It is one of the most rapidly growing markets in the world economy. The transportation trends in 2021 shows this as well, the biggest trend is the necessity to deliver more products in less time. The most of these products are shipped in containers, which brings challenges for companies.

Unloading a container is a process that requires maximum expertise to make the entire process a success. Usually, ships are packed to full capacity to ensure that there is maximum utilisation of the available space. Unpacking such containers not only poses a risk to the workforce involved but also damages to the contents. Once the container arrives and is received, container handlers carefully unload it using cranes, forklifts, or through manual handling.

These tasks requires manual labour and can become quite expensive. Also finding the right people to do the manual unloading is getting harder. Qimarox claims to have found a better solution.

Automation can be a solution

Qimarox noticed this trend and wants to provide a solution. One of the solutions can be to automate the unloading process. The Qimarox Highrunner HR9 palletiser is designed exactly for this purpose. It is designed for logistic operations where many different products needs to be handled in short batches. Of course it is able to do longer batches of the same product as well. The automation of this process has a lot of benefits for companies.

The unique and patented layer-formation system of the Highrunner HR9 palletiser can generate a large variety of layer patterns that can be selected automatically or generated with the state-of-the-art pattern generator. The specially designed pattern generator can generate a large variety of layer patterns that can be selected automatically from the interface. The generator even recommends the best to use pattern, this way anyone can operate the machine. If the installation is equipped with a full 3D product scanner it is even possible to have the system working fully autonomously.

The highrunner HR9 palletizer enables companies to automate their unloading processes. Which brings a number of benefits:

  • No more costly and time-consuming manual handling
  • No more risks of repetitive strain injuries of the workforce
  • No more risks of being hit by falling objects
  • No more risks of falls from heights
  • No more risks of slips, trips and/or falls

The Qimarox Highrunner HR9 is already successfully integrated and in use at OMS International, a Dutch logistics company that unloads approximately one hundred containers with non-food items every day for one of Europe’s largest supermarket chains. With the palletiser including pattern generator, OMS is able to process 10,000 boxes per day, saving multiple FTEs results.

CLICK HERE to view an animation of the palletiser.

 

 

Konica Minolta helps customers ‘see the potential’

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Konica Minolta has launched a new global campaign to help businesses understand the changing needs of customers to create more added value and help them rethink opportunities in a fast-changing world. “See the Potential” is the technology leader’s slogan for realising digital transformation within the evolving commercial print, industrial and packaging markets.

Working closely with customers on their digital transformation, Konica Minolta believes that in a digital era there are good business reasons for communicating through multiple cross-media channels, and not just via paper-based media. The campaign will focus on the new business opportunities, which Konica Minolta recognises are everywhere. It just takes a spark to bring more possibilities to life by embracing new techniques and creating unique customer experiences.

Drawing on local expertise backed by a global organisation with over 40 years of experience in digital printing, Konica Minolta’s portfolio of hardware, software and services has been designed to ignite possibilities for customers – whatever and wherever they may be.

As Covid-19 has been accelerating the trends from commodity to quality and from one size fits all to customisation and personalisation, high value digital printing continues to accelerate. Take packaging with specialty printing and enhancements as one example, which have more than 46% higher quality perception.

Jon Hiscock, Head of Production & Industrial Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, said: “At Konica Minolta we are passionate about Professional Print and the industry we serve. The global campaign, its tools and resources will help us demonstrate how our customers can realise their potential and create ever more imaginative and creative experiences for their customer base and add value to the products they manufacture. We are really looking forward to engaging with our commercial print, label & packaging and in-plant customers and using our local expertise, products, and services to help them drive their digital transformation.”

He added: “At Konica Minolta we are constantly rethinking print – and are proud to be recognised as one of the global 100 most sustainable companies. We are in a new era for the industry – where stories and experiences are brought to life by communicating through multiple cross-media channels, and not just paper-based media. Our aim is to build the future together with our customers to help them create new business opportunities. ‘See the Potential’ is our slogan for realising digital transformation. As a trusted partner, we can help print businesses service new market segments, build stand-out creative pieces with customers sharing a similar passion, and optimise workflow.”

Konica Minolta’s campaign video – for which the video set was made entirely of print output – can be watched HERE.

Konica Minolta helps customers ‘see the potential’

Posted on by David Priestman

Konica Minolta has launched a new global campaign to help businesses understand the changing needs of customers to create more added value and help them rethink opportunities in a fast-changing world. “See the Potential” is the technology leader’s slogan for realising digital transformation within the evolving commercial print, industrial and packaging markets.

Working closely with customers on their digital transformation, Konica Minolta believes that in a digital era there are good business reasons for communicating through multiple cross-media channels, and not just via paper-based media. The campaign will focus on the new business opportunities, which Konica Minolta recognises are everywhere. It just takes a spark to bring more possibilities to life by embracing new techniques and creating unique customer experiences.

Drawing on local expertise backed by a global organisation with over 40 years of experience in digital printing, Konica Minolta’s portfolio of hardware, software and services has been designed to ignite possibilities for customers – whatever and wherever they may be.

As Covid-19 has been accelerating the trends from commodity to quality and from one size fits all to customisation and personalisation, high value digital printing continues to accelerate. Take packaging with specialty printing and enhancements as one example, which have more than 46% higher quality perception.

Jon Hiscock, Head of Production & Industrial Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, said: “At Konica Minolta we are passionate about Professional Print and the industry we serve. The global campaign, its tools and resources will help us demonstrate how our customers can realise their potential and create ever more imaginative and creative experiences for their customer base and add value to the products they manufacture. We are really looking forward to engaging with our commercial print, label & packaging and in-plant customers and using our local expertise, products, and services to help them drive their digital transformation.”

He added: “At Konica Minolta we are constantly rethinking print – and are proud to be recognised as one of the global 100 most sustainable companies. We are in a new era for the industry – where stories and experiences are brought to life by communicating through multiple cross-media channels, and not just paper-based media. Our aim is to build the future together with our customers to help them create new business opportunities. ‘See the Potential’ is our slogan for realising digital transformation. As a trusted partner, we can help print businesses service new market segments, build stand-out creative pieces with customers sharing a similar passion, and optimise workflow.”

Konica Minolta’s campaign video – for which the video set was made entirely of print output – can be watched HERE.

DB Schenker orders first fuel-cell powered trucks

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DB Schenker has revealed its ambitions to gradually build up a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) fleet powered by hydrogen in cooperation with hylane, a rental start-up that is part of DEVK and which specialises in providing comprehensive hydrogen solutions in the logistics sector.

In June, DB Schenker paid a visit to view its first fuel cell truck in Groningen, Netherlands on the premises of Hyzon, a manufacturer of hydrogen-powered trucks. The vehicle will be handed over by hylane to DB Schenker by the end of 2022.

“I´m grateful to see the progress we are now making towards testing a hydrogen powered vehicle for linehaul transportation, which will be an important step on our journey towards carbon-neutral road transportation,” says Helmut Schweighofer, CEO of DB Schenker Europe.

“We are proud to support DB Schenker’s pioneering work with our trucks,” says Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of hylane. “The partnership with DB Schenker demonstrates that hylane meets the high standards leading companies require for sustainable transport. Together, we will continue to work on advancing the use of hydrogen trucks in Europe.”

DEVK/hylane and DB Schenker started their collaboration almost two years ago. Both companies understand the importance of hydrogen for the transformation of the transport sector and therefore combined their strengths in order to move forward in this regard.

“In addition to a 360° rental concept, the aim of the collaboration is to develop a swap-body truck-trailer combination to carry our standard swap-body type with a length of 7,820mm,” says Wolfgang Janda, Executive Vice President, Head of Network & Linehaul Management at DB Schenker. “This is new in the market and will allow us to decarbonise without any loss of efficiency in our land transport network.”

Fuel-cell powered trucks offer several advantages in long-distance transport as compared to battery-electric vehicles: The maximum payload is higher, the range is greater, and the refuelling process comparable to diesel.

DB Schenker plans to start field tests on a few lanes with selected customers in the beginning of 2023. It also intends to upscale and commercialise operations beginning in Q3 2023, whereby the progress made here will depend on factors such as hydrogen infrastructure and market acceptance. DB Schenker, together with its carriers, aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040. The use of green hydrogen (hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources) is an essential element of the company’s decarbonisation strategy.

Cleveland Containers secures investment from LDC

Posted on by David Priestman

Cleveland Containers, a leading UK supplier of shipping containers, has secured a minority investment from leading mid-market private equity firm LDC to support the next stage of its growth journey.

Headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland Containers is led by husband-and-wife Johnathan and Jane Bulmer. It specialises in the sale and hire of shipping containers and site accommodation units. The company supplies over 4,500 customers including national housebuilders, construction firms, high street retailers and individuals.

Ranging from 6ft to 45ft in size, Cleveland Containers’ new and used shipping containers are supplied for multiple applications, including everything from storage units to office space and street food vendors to site canteens. This includes delivering bespoke container conversions for projects such as the popular food and drink venue STACK Seaburn in Sunderland, as well as containers for theme park resorts Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham and the Peak District’s Gulliver’s Kingdom. The business has a network of 15 depots and currently delivers more than 400 containers a week to its customers across the UK.

Cleveland Containers is a market leader in its sector and has grown quickly, with revenues more than trebling in the last four years from £18m in 2019 to £60m in the current year. The business currently employs more than 65 people.

LDC is backing the existing management team to support their growth plan and further enhance Cleveland Containers’ sales and rental offering, while also creating career opportunities for new and existing employees.

To support the next stage of its journey, Andrew Thompson, former Managing Director of portable site accommodation and storage container rental provider Mobile Mini, has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer. Jon Hurford, former Finance Director at O’Brien Waste Recycling Solutions, has also joined the business as Chief Financial Officer and Richard Tredwin, former CEO of SRL Traffic Systems, has been appointed as Non-Executive Chair.

The investment was led by Gareth Marshall, Partner and Head of LDC in the North East, and Investment Manager Naomi McDiarmid, both of whom will also join the board.

Johnathan Bulmer, Managing Director of Cleveland Containers, said: “I’m really proud of everyone at Cleveland Containers. The team has worked tirelessly to cement our market leading position and with LDC’s support we are now in a position to strengthen our business further and welcome more people into our fun and fast-growing business.

“As soon as we met Gareth and Naomi at LDC, we knew that LDC was the right partner to support our growth plans. They have helped to bring in new experience and perspectives to our business, and it’s a real benefit that their Newcastle office is only a short distance away. We feel well supported to continue our growth from our base here in the North East.”

Gareth Marshall, Partner and Head of LDC in the North East, added: “Johnathan, Jane and the team at Cleveland Containers’ commitment to customer service has been key to their growth. As a result of their efforts and creativity, we’re seeing an increasingly innovative use of containers across the UK. We’re looking forward to helping the business to bring the right container, site accommodation and modular turnkey solutions to even more customers.”

LDC has a strong heritage of supporting the growth of businesses within the logistics and warehousing sector. The private equity firm has successfully backed the nationwide growth plans of independent home delivery company Panther Logistics, including creating 300 new jobs and tripling profits, and supported pallet distribution services provider The Pallet Network (TPN) for ten years – helping the business to treble revenue, open new sites and make complementary acquisitions in the process.

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