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Month: June 2022

Start-ups selected to join Wincanton’s W² Labs programme

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Wincanton, a leading supply chain partner for UK business, has announced the five finalists from around the world to take part in its 2022 W² Labs programme. Those selected following the recent Pitch Day will receive mentorship from Wincanton’s Senior Management Team, with the chance to trial their solution in a live environment.

First launched in 2017, the W² Labs programme is open to early-stage businesses who are invited to pitch proposals which use digitalisation to drive change across supply chains. The programme is designed to accelerate innovation, discover emerging ideas and tackle some of the industry’s toughest challenges and is an example of Wincanton’s ambition to deliver truly innovative supply chain solutions.

This year’s programme invited 15 start-ups to pitch with a range of forward looking technologies and solutions in the following areas:

  • Digital Fulfilment: solutions to revolutionise modern-day fulfilment
  • Environment, social and governance (ESG): long-term sustainable supply chain solutions
  • Wildcard: technology and robotics to transform supply chains

As decided by the judging panel, the final 5 are:

Find & Order (digital fulfilment): Find & Order, based in France, uses its interactive mapping editor and algorithms to optimise picking operations in warehouses and stores, achieving increased product collection efficiency of up to 20%.

Nomagic (digital fulfilment): Nomagic, based in Poland, provides smart pick and place robots to eliminate labour intensive tasks in eCommerce and retail warehouses, while reducing cost per pick.

Automedi (ESG): Automedi, based in Manchester, UK, makes functional products and services out of waste plastics, cutting out up to 98% of the CO2 of conventional supply chains by radically reducing the energy needed to manufacture and transport goods long haul.

Navflex Inc (Wildcard – technology and robotics): Navflex, based in the US, has developed technology that autonomously loads and unloads any trailer, container or box truck with plug-and-play autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology that do not require infrastructure changes. The US-based business promises to increase safety and productivity while reducing product damage.

Pick8ship Technology AG (Wildcard – technology and robotics): Pick8ship Technology AG, based in Switzerland, has developed a robotics fulfilment solution for managing storage, picking, sorting and shipping, using a single, fast, modular system. The technology reduces operating costs by 40-60%. Read more:

Paul Durkin, Chief Customer and Innovation Officer at Wincanton, and member of the judging panel, commented: “This year’s event was one of Wincanton’s most compelling W² Pitch Days to date. We saw a broad range of ideas and innovations which made judging the competition an exciting challenging.

“This was the first time we’ve hosted the event at our new W² Innovation Centre in The WEB, Wincanton’s eFulfilment centre in Rockingham. We were thrilled to host participants, customers and colleagues both in-person and remotely, making this year’s event a truly hybrid and inclusive experience.

“We look forward to collaborating with the start-ups, supporting them as they develop innovative supply chain solutions for the future.”

This year’s W² Labs is delivered in partnership with global corporation innovation specialist, L Marks.

Transaid launches driver training project in Mozambique

Posted on by David Priestman

Transaid is preparing to support refresher training for at least 400 heavy goods vehicle drivers within small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in Mozambique, just a few months after securing a contract to extend its professional driver training work into yet another sub-Saharan country.

It follows a period of intense work by the Transaid team within the southern African nation, where it has been working to assess the supply and demand of local drivers and driver training. This has included developing a suite of demand-orientated road safety, defensive driving and soft skills courses to be offered by local driving schools and in-house trainers.

Transaid’s heavy involvement is part of an initiative led by GIZ Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D), which is funded by the German government with support from the Norwegian government, Appload, and EnergyWorks.

Neil Rettie, Road Safety Project Manager at Transaid, explains: “HGV driver training is currently limited in Mozambique, and it raises concerns that drivers are not sufficiently trained for the demanding roles they undertake. This in turn puts both them and other road users at serious risk.”

Transaid’s brief is to train a minimum of 10 driving instructors from four to five training schools, who will then deliver training to at least 400 existing HGV drivers.

Rettie adds: “We are confident our proven ‘train the trainer’ model will help to deliver a sustainable change to driver training standards in Mozambique, just as it’s already doing in countries including Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

“This is a really important project for Transaid, as it directly supports our belief that drivers should be able to leave for a day’s work without the fear they may not come home because of a lack of training, or dangerous vehicles and roads.”

There are currently no standardised training materials for driving schools and other training providers in Mozambique, and training is largely aimed at fast acquisition of driving permits – rather than imparting high quality skills. As a result, many professional drivers depend largely on peer-to-peer or self-learning methods, and do not undergo structured and comprehensive practical and theoretical training.

This initial project to deliver training to at least 400 drivers is scheduled to be completed by July 2023.

 

 

Transaid launches driver training project in Mozambique

Posted on by David Priestman

Transaid is preparing to support refresher training for at least 400 heavy goods vehicle drivers within small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in Mozambique, just a few months after securing a contract to extend its professional driver training work into yet another sub-Saharan country.

It follows a period of intense work by the Transaid team within the southern African nation, where it has been working to assess the supply and demand of local drivers and driver training. This has included developing a suite of demand-orientated road safety, defensive driving and soft skills courses to be offered by local driving schools and in-house trainers.

Transaid’s heavy involvement is part of an initiative led by GIZ Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D), which is funded by the German government with support from the Norwegian government, Appload, and EnergyWorks.

Neil Rettie, Road Safety Project Manager at Transaid, explains: “HGV driver training is currently limited in Mozambique, and it raises concerns that drivers are not sufficiently trained for the demanding roles they undertake. This in turn puts both them and other road users at serious risk.”

Transaid’s brief is to train a minimum of 10 driving instructors from four to five training schools, who will then deliver training to at least 400 existing HGV drivers.

Rettie adds: “We are confident our proven ‘train the trainer’ model will help to deliver a sustainable change to driver training standards in Mozambique, just as it’s already doing in countries including Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

“This is a really important project for Transaid, as it directly supports our belief that drivers should be able to leave for a day’s work without the fear they may not come home because of a lack of training, or dangerous vehicles and roads.”

There are currently no standardised training materials for driving schools and other training providers in Mozambique, and training is largely aimed at fast acquisition of driving permits – rather than imparting high quality skills. As a result, many professional drivers depend largely on peer-to-peer or self-learning methods, and do not undergo structured and comprehensive practical and theoretical training.

This initial project to deliver training to at least 400 drivers is scheduled to be completed by July 2023.

 

 

Logistics Experience in XXL Format

Posted on by David Priestman

On June 20, Linde Material Handling literally laid out the red carpet for its customers and other interested parties for nine event days. On an area of 17,000 square meters at the Mannheim Maimarkt site, the intralogistics specialist is presenting its extensive portfolio of products, solutions and services – for example, using the case of a bottle manufacturer to demonstrate the process from goods receipt to the last mile in the store. In addition, the vast expertise of the company’s product experts and consultants is available to visitors. Several thousand guests are expected at the World of Material Handling (WoMH), mainly from Europe.

“Over the past two years, the overall economic environment has changed noticeably, and with it the demands on in-house material flow,” said Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Brand Management Linde Material Handling, at the start of the event. “Increased energy costs, a shortage of skilled workers, higher demands on operational safety and the search for solutions that ensure greater sustainability – these are just some of the challenges facing our customers. At the same time, it’s important to tap the optimization potential offered by digitization and networking.” According to the chief brand manager, customer requirements can no longer be met with forklifts and warehouse technology equipment alone. “Over the last few years, Linde Material Handling has developed into a very broad-based solution provider that, in addition to its growing product range, offers an ever-increasing number of software solutions, assistance systems, consulting tools and service offerings such as battery leasing or predictive maintenance,” Prokosch explained. “In doing so, we are always close to our customers – in line with the WoMH 2022 motto: YOUR WAY IS OUR WAY.”

The WoMH is an event that is second to none in the material handling industry. The idea behind this customer event is that guests do not just come to the exhibitors’ stands for a brief flying visit, as is usual at trade shows. Instead, they can experience the products and solutions live and in motion for an entire day in realistic application scenarios. At the same time, they have the opportunity to discuss their individual challenges and wishes with product experts and consultants and find suitable solutions. The international event created by Linde MH for this purpose sets an example in this regard.

In the large exhibition hall on the Maimarkt site, a complete flow of goods for the production of glass bottles was recreated. From goods receipt to storage, picking, production and last mile delivery, the demonstration shows how the transport and handling of loads can be solved efficiently and safely in an ergonomic and sustainable manner. In the “control center”, visitors can explicitly see the benefits that can be achieved through the digitalization and networking of warehouse processes. Other themed areas show the extensive portfolio of safety solutions, the various available energy concepts, the fleet management solution “connect” and possibilities for automation. What’s more, guests are able to do more than just see and touch the over 100 vehicles on display: In a large outdoor area, a multitude of vehicles is waiting to completely convince operators of their worth during a test drive.

The products and solutions of the numerous partner companies are integrated in the exhibition at various appropriate locations. For example, the safety guard rails from A-Safe can be found in the “Goods Receipt” area, a heavy-duty rack from Bito and the automatic small parts warehouse “AutoStore” from Dematic are on display in the “Warehouse” section, a mobile weighing device from Ravas is located in the “Order Picking” area, and a lifting platform from Palfinger can be found in the “Last Mile” area. Additional partner booths are located in various other areas, grouped together according to product type. EnerSys, Fronius, Hoppecke and Plug Power are expanding the “Energy” area, while Dematic is found in the “Intralogistics” area, showing how automatic solutions can be combined with manual and automated industrial trucks.

Logistics Experience in XXL Format

Posted on by David Priestman

On June 20, Linde Material Handling literally laid out the red carpet for its customers and other interested parties for nine event days. On an area of 17,000 square meters at the Mannheim Maimarkt site, the intralogistics specialist is presenting its extensive portfolio of products, solutions and services – for example, using the case of a bottle manufacturer to demonstrate the process from goods receipt to the last mile in the store. In addition, the vast expertise of the company’s product experts and consultants is available to visitors. Several thousand guests are expected at the World of Material Handling (WoMH), mainly from Europe.

“Over the past two years, the overall economic environment has changed noticeably, and with it the demands on in-house material flow,” said Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Brand Management Linde Material Handling, at the start of the event. “Increased energy costs, a shortage of skilled workers, higher demands on operational safety and the search for solutions that ensure greater sustainability – these are just some of the challenges facing our customers. At the same time, it’s important to tap the optimization potential offered by digitization and networking.” According to the chief brand manager, customer requirements can no longer be met with forklifts and warehouse technology equipment alone. “Over the last few years, Linde Material Handling has developed into a very broad-based solution provider that, in addition to its growing product range, offers an ever-increasing number of software solutions, assistance systems, consulting tools and service offerings such as battery leasing or predictive maintenance,” Prokosch explained. “In doing so, we are always close to our customers – in line with the WoMH 2022 motto: YOUR WAY IS OUR WAY.”

The WoMH is an event that is second to none in the material handling industry. The idea behind this customer event is that guests do not just come to the exhibitors’ stands for a brief flying visit, as is usual at trade shows. Instead, they can experience the products and solutions live and in motion for an entire day in realistic application scenarios. At the same time, they have the opportunity to discuss their individual challenges and wishes with product experts and consultants and find suitable solutions. The international event created by Linde MH for this purpose sets an example in this regard.

In the large exhibition hall on the Maimarkt site, a complete flow of goods for the production of glass bottles was recreated. From goods receipt to storage, picking, production and last mile delivery, the demonstration shows how the transport and handling of loads can be solved efficiently and safely in an ergonomic and sustainable manner. In the “control center”, visitors can explicitly see the benefits that can be achieved through the digitalization and networking of warehouse processes. Other themed areas show the extensive portfolio of safety solutions, the various available energy concepts, the fleet management solution “connect” and possibilities for automation. What’s more, guests are able to do more than just see and touch the over 100 vehicles on display: In a large outdoor area, a multitude of vehicles is waiting to completely convince operators of their worth during a test drive.

The products and solutions of the numerous partner companies are integrated in the exhibition at various appropriate locations. For example, the safety guard rails from A-Safe can be found in the “Goods Receipt” area, a heavy-duty rack from Bito and the automatic small parts warehouse “AutoStore” from Dematic are on display in the “Warehouse” section, a mobile weighing device from Ravas is located in the “Order Picking” area, and a lifting platform from Palfinger can be found in the “Last Mile” area. Additional partner booths are located in various other areas, grouped together according to product type. EnerSys, Fronius, Hoppecke and Plug Power are expanding the “Energy” area, while Dematic is found in the “Intralogistics” area, showing how automatic solutions can be combined with manual and automated industrial trucks.

World Premiere of Hydrogen-powered Truck in Hamburg

Posted on by David Priestman

Clean Logistics has presented its first hydrogen-powered zero-emission truck to the public, in Hamburg. With ‘fyuriant’, Clean Logistics is heralding a new era in the field of environmentally friendly solutions for road freight transport and reaching another important milestone in its corporate history. Last summer, the company handed over the first converted bus with fuel cell hydrogen drive in public transportation in Europe. This is now also possible for heavy semi-trailer tractors of 40 tons.

The trucks boast ground-breaking technology. The first fyuriant is equipped, among other things, with two hydrogen fuel cells with 2×120 kW output and hydrogen tanks with a volume of 43 kg. This ensures a sufficiently high range of over 400 km and short refuelling times of less than 15 minutes. The rear axle, which is equipped with wheel hub motors, has a maximum torque of 17,000 Nm, which provides the truck with the appropriate power in any driving situation. The intelligent control system developed in- house by Clean Logistics enables an efficient control of the overall system in every driving situation. The energy recovered during braking, for instance, is temporarily stored in a battery and made available again for the next acceleration.

Dirk Graszt, CEO of Clean Logistics: “We are very excited to present our fyuriant today. The truck is an important milestone in the decarbonization of the transport sector in Germany and Europe. With our trucks and buses, we meet with a high response in the industry. This is because we are now already able to make zero-emission vehicles available to the market. Thanks to the conversion of classic diesel vehicles to zero- emission hydrogen vehicles, this is, moreover, being done in a resource-friendly manner. In this way, we will rapidly drive the transformation of mobility into a sustainable future.”

The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the implementation of the Federal Government’s Mobility and Fuel Strategy (MFS) with a total of around EUR 3.3 million. The funding measure is coordinated by NOW GmbH. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry for its support – without the funding, the prototype development, which represents the cornerstone for our further growth, would not have been possible,” emphasizes Dirk Graszt.

As part of the fyuriant world premiere, with its extraordinary visual design, Clean Logistics also unveiled its new corporate identity. This visual realignment is accompanied amongst other things by a new corporate design, a revised web presence and a new corporate logo. Clean Logistics thus underlines its positioning as a visionary and sustainable company with the ambition to lead heavy goods vehicle traffic into an emission-free future.

“By sharpening the purpose and the vision of Clean Logistics, the future viability of the company is underscored. This is the next logical step in the development of the entire Clean Logistics Group,” says Tom George, COO of Clean Logistics SE.

World Premiere of Hydrogen-powered Truck in Hamburg

Posted on by David Priestman

Clean Logistics has presented its first hydrogen-powered zero-emission truck to the public, in Hamburg. With ‘fyuriant’, Clean Logistics is heralding a new era in the field of environmentally friendly solutions for road freight transport and reaching another important milestone in its corporate history. Last summer, the company handed over the first converted bus with fuel cell hydrogen drive in public transportation in Europe. This is now also possible for heavy semi-trailer tractors of 40 tons.

The trucks boast ground-breaking technology. The first fyuriant is equipped, among other things, with two hydrogen fuel cells with 2×120 kW output and hydrogen tanks with a volume of 43 kg. This ensures a sufficiently high range of over 400 km and short refuelling times of less than 15 minutes. The rear axle, which is equipped with wheel hub motors, has a maximum torque of 17,000 Nm, which provides the truck with the appropriate power in any driving situation. The intelligent control system developed in- house by Clean Logistics enables an efficient control of the overall system in every driving situation. The energy recovered during braking, for instance, is temporarily stored in a battery and made available again for the next acceleration.

Dirk Graszt, CEO of Clean Logistics: “We are very excited to present our fyuriant today. The truck is an important milestone in the decarbonization of the transport sector in Germany and Europe. With our trucks and buses, we meet with a high response in the industry. This is because we are now already able to make zero-emission vehicles available to the market. Thanks to the conversion of classic diesel vehicles to zero- emission hydrogen vehicles, this is, moreover, being done in a resource-friendly manner. In this way, we will rapidly drive the transformation of mobility into a sustainable future.”

The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the implementation of the Federal Government’s Mobility and Fuel Strategy (MFS) with a total of around EUR 3.3 million. The funding measure is coordinated by NOW GmbH. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry for its support – without the funding, the prototype development, which represents the cornerstone for our further growth, would not have been possible,” emphasizes Dirk Graszt.

As part of the fyuriant world premiere, with its extraordinary visual design, Clean Logistics also unveiled its new corporate identity. This visual realignment is accompanied amongst other things by a new corporate design, a revised web presence and a new corporate logo. Clean Logistics thus underlines its positioning as a visionary and sustainable company with the ambition to lead heavy goods vehicle traffic into an emission-free future.

“By sharpening the purpose and the vision of Clean Logistics, the future viability of the company is underscored. This is the next logical step in the development of the entire Clean Logistics Group,” says Tom George, COO of Clean Logistics SE.

Leading Food Manufacturer Updates Line Marking

Posted on by David Priestman

High-quality floor marking installations and RFID and barcode labels specialist inotec recently completed another impressive line marking project for a leading British food manufacturer.

The large food manufacturer employs over 9,500 staff and selected inotec for the project due to the quality of previous projects inotec had successfully undertaken for the company. The two-week external line marking scheme involved laying 1900 metres of line marking at the company’s lorry yard and staff site car park to cater for its employees.

To mark the lines, inotec used the Spectrum ViaLine external line marking paint. This is a long-lasting, hard-wearing, highly visible solvent-based line marking paint ideal for use on roads, car parks, distribution centres and docks. It’s toluene-free, which means it is less harmful to the environment and safer for the user. Inotec delivered the project within the required timescale in June 2022 on budget.

Established in 1999, inotec UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of inotec GmbH. It is a provider of warehouse finishing solutions including durable barcode labels, in-mould labels, internal and external line marking, RFID solutions and warehouse signage. inotec specialises in providing bespoke solutions for a variety of environments from ambient to cold stores. The company offers a complete service, working with clients throughout the process from design to installation to achieve solutions that work the first time and every time.

Timber Firm Invests in Sustainable Electric Trucks

Posted on by David Priestman

Crendon Timber, specialists in the design and manufacture of engineered timber products, have taken delivery of electric Combilift-CBE Multi Directional Forklifts from Briggs Equipment.

The new machines signal the start of a sustainability drive for Crendon to help meet their own sustainability targets and reduce environmental impact through investment in green technology and processes. These machines are already having a positive impact on-site and have fitted seamlessly into Crendon’s operations.

Ed Kirk, Crendon Timber’s Operations, Innovation and Sustainability Director, commented: “As two leading firms in their respective fields, Crendon Timber and Briggs have worked in partnership for several years, Briggs manage our fleet of sideloaders, multi-directional and forklift trucks.

“As part of our cleaner environment sustainability programme to reduce emissions and lower running costs, Crendon Timber are introducing electric trucks. We have already taken delivery of electric multi directional forklifts in East Harling and Glastonbury, whist we are trialling electric sideloaders and multidirectional trucks on two of our sites. There is an ongoing programme to replace our existing fleet of trucks over the next few years and make the switch to an all-electric fleet.”

Chris Tustain, Briggs Equipment’s Key Account Manager, commented: “We have established a fantastic partnership with Crendon Timber and we are delighted to support their move towards electric equipment. Given the diversity of our fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly product range, we have been able to propose a phased implementation programme that fits their budget and requirements.

“We look forward to continuing the roll-out of this new electric equipment and ensuring Crendon can continue to get the most out of their machines.”

Timber Firm Invests in Sustainable Electric Trucks

Posted on by David Priestman

Crendon Timber, specialists in the design and manufacture of engineered timber products, have taken delivery of electric Combilift-CBE Multi Directional Forklifts from Briggs Equipment.

The new machines signal the start of a sustainability drive for Crendon to help meet their own sustainability targets and reduce environmental impact through investment in green technology and processes. These machines are already having a positive impact on-site and have fitted seamlessly into Crendon’s operations.

Ed Kirk, Crendon Timber’s Operations, Innovation and Sustainability Director, commented: “As two leading firms in their respective fields, Crendon Timber and Briggs have worked in partnership for several years, Briggs manage our fleet of sideloaders, multi-directional and forklift trucks.

“As part of our cleaner environment sustainability programme to reduce emissions and lower running costs, Crendon Timber are introducing electric trucks. We have already taken delivery of electric multi directional forklifts in East Harling and Glastonbury, whist we are trialling electric sideloaders and multidirectional trucks on two of our sites. There is an ongoing programme to replace our existing fleet of trucks over the next few years and make the switch to an all-electric fleet.”

Chris Tustain, Briggs Equipment’s Key Account Manager, commented: “We have established a fantastic partnership with Crendon Timber and we are delighted to support their move towards electric equipment. Given the diversity of our fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly product range, we have been able to propose a phased implementation programme that fits their budget and requirements.

“We look forward to continuing the roll-out of this new electric equipment and ensuring Crendon can continue to get the most out of their machines.”

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