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Day: 15 March 2023

Warehouse Automation Solutions & Expertise

Posted on by David Priestman

OPEX® Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation providing solutions for warehouse automation will exhibit the company’s innovative warehouse automation systems at ProMat, the leading trade show for the manufacturing and supply chain industry, March 20-23 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“Today’s high-volume warehouses demand that goods move through the supply chain with accuracy at lightning speed,” said Alex Stevens, President, Warehouse Automation, OPEX. “At ProMat, we look forward to demonstrating in person how our systems help ecommerce and other industry clients transform the way they do business now, while also offering solutions to guide their future.”

At ProMat Booth S2712, OPEX experts will showcase Infinity™ AS/RS, a goods-to-person automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) designed for flexibility and scalability in both throughput and storage.

Perfect for ecommerce, micro-fulfilment, store replenishment, and omni-channel distribution, Infinity AS/RS features triple-deep, high-density racking along with a fleet of bots that access inventory from any of the storage locations.

Introduced in March 2022, Infinity AS/RS has been chosen as a finalist for the 2023 MHI Innovation Award for Best New Innovation. Winners will be announced during the expo.

OPEX will also feature Sure Sort®—a compact, configurable, and cost-effective small-item sorting solution—along with a virtual reality (VR) experience of Perfect Pick®, a goods-to-person system designed for ecommerce fulfillment and micro-fulfillment. Perfect Pick reduces reliance on labor while utilizing a warehouse’s vertical space to increase throughput, reliability, and effectiveness.

In addition, OPEX experts will lead presentations on the following important industry topics:

• The Cost of Not Automating Your Warehouse, Drew Stevens, VP Global Business Development and Marketing, March 21 at 3:45 PM in Theater B; and
• Maximizing Flexible Automation Benefits, John Sauer, Senior Director Global Business Development, OPEX Warehouse Automation, along with Art Eldred, VP and Growth Officer, from OPEX partner, Vargo, March 20 at 1:30 PM in Theatre C.

ProMat attendees can schedule personalized meetings with OPEX team members any day during the event.

On-Board Charging for Forklifts

Posted on by David Priestman

Delta-Q Technologies, a ZAPI GROUP company, will showcase their latest charging solutions for electric class I, II and III lift trucks at booth #S1798 exhibit at ProMat 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, from March 20 to 23, 2023.

At ProMat 2023, Conway Hui, Delta-Q’s Director of Global Sales Application Engineering, will lead an educational seminar entitled “On-Board Charging for Class I and Class II Lift Trucks.” The talk is part of the show’s on-floor educational seminars on industry best-practices and innovations, and is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 12:45-1:30 p.m. in Theatre H.

Conway will discuss the benefits of on-board charging and provide practical considerations for implementation. Attendees will learn how advancements in lithium battery technology are transforming Class I and Class II lift truck systems and meeting the operational needs and challenges of warehouses, material handlers, and rental fleets. Conway will also cover the logistics of implementation, including the types of connectors required, the location and space of the on-board charger in the lift truck, and the challenges that could present during integration.

“We’re excited to be at ProMat this year with the ZAPI GROUP of companies and share our knowledge of on-board charging for counterbalance lift trucks and pallet walkies,” said Lloyd Gomm, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Delta-Q. “We’re also proud to showcase our latest innovation in powertrain electrification, the XV3300. This solution is a compact, on-board charging system, perfectly suited for the demands of the material handling industry.”

The XV3300 features a high-performance 3.3 kW stackable charger, an integrated DC-DC converter, and electric vehicle (EV) charging station interface. This 3-in-1 feature saves space and cost and removes the need for extra components, which enables material handling OEMs to more easily transition to electrified powertrains. Its ability to comply with both SAE
J1772 (levels 1 and 2) and IEC 61851 (modes 2 and 3) makes it compatible with standard EV AC charging stations across North America and Europe.

Delta-Q’s sister company, BlueBotics, is also exhibiting at ProMat 2023 at booth #N6715. The company is showcasing its automation navigation solutions for the material handling industry and will lead “Building the Business Case for Mobile Robotics in Logistics & Manufacturing,” an educational talk on Wednesday, March 22 from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. in Theatre I. The company will co-present with Bastian Solutions and Oceaneering.

Delta-Q Technologies is charging the future and driving the world’s transition to electric energy. We collaboratively design, test, and manufacture robust battery chargers that improve the performance of our customers’ electric drive vehicles and industrial machines. As the supplier of choice for Tier 1 OEMs, our customer support and engineering expertise guide our customers through the electrification process for a sustainable world.

Delta-Q is part of the ZAPI GROUP of companies and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The team and distribution span five continents to service industries such as electric golf cars, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, e-mobility, floor care machines, utility/recreational vehicles, and new markets, like outdoor power equipment.

Precise, Comprehensive Data in Air Freight

Posted on by David Priestman

On March 1st the EU customs safety and security system, ICS2, was launched for the air freight industry. In a transition period that has been extended through June 30, 2023, airlines have more time to adjust to the new procedures. “Air freight forwarders should use this period to ensure that they can provide the airlines with the additional data required,” advises DAKOSY authorized officer Dirk Gladiator. This includes the commodity code as well as the complete addresses of both the original sender and the final recipient.

With ICS2, the EU is introducing a unified and centralized procedure for dedicated risk analysis for goods from third countries, which begins even before the goods are loaded in the country of export. “The introduction of ICS2 in air cargo is a milestone. For the first time, we have a customs procedure with only one central European entry door instead of 27 national doors,” says Gladiator, assessing its significance. In the long run, the EU Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD) plans that the vast majority of customs processes will be bundled via the specially-created Shared Trader Interface (STI).

In addition to the STI central reporting point, there are other innovations that will be implemented with the ICS2 customs system. In future, the declaration process will have two stages. Up to now, the Pre-Arrival notification (latest submission four hours before arrival of the aircraft) has already been in effect. A further notification has been added, the so-called Pre-Loading, which must be submitted as early as possible, in any case before loading begins. This information can be submitted by the airline or – what is new – also directly by the freight forwarder. The latter is called Multiple Filing. “Due to the extension of the deadline for airlines until June 30, 2023, the time window for Multiple Filing has been pushed back. For freight forwarders who want to participate, this is an important update. Conversions can occur between July 1 and Oct. 2, 2023, based on current information,” Gladiator explains.

In any case, the participating service providers must deliver more comprehensive data that meets a very high standard. Gladiator draws attention to this: “It is high time for freight forwarders to verify whether they can provide ICS2-compliant data. When an airline participates in the new procedure, the freight forwarder using that airline must also be able to provide the information required for Multiple Filing. Otherwise, the goods will not be loaded.

Transition period extended: freight forwarders should use window of opportunity to conduct review

Overview of required data reliability
For air freight, forwarders or loaders must provide the following additional data compared to the current ICS procedure:
* the complete address of the original sender,
* the complete address of the final consignee,
* the commodity code in the form of a six-digit HS code,
* EORI (the successor of the customs number at EU level) of the consignee.

It is important to note that the information must be properly structured, for example, a postal code must be entered with five digits. Otherwise, the data will not be recognized and this may lead to disruptions in the process. The EORI of the consignee is not technically a mandatory ICS2 specification. However, if the specification is available (the consignee is located in the EU), then the specification should be made. This is also underlined by the fact that the EORI is mandatory for the immediate follow-up procedure (Temporary Storage) in many EU member states and is therefore already required by the airlines.

Even if this part of data submission is more complex than before, the process as a whole is simplified and also made safer and more reliable for all involved, says Gladiator. He motivates participants to pass on the information as early as possible: “The sooner the airline has the data, the sooner possible errors can be identified and corrected, if necessary.”

 

Right Charging Infrastructure for EV Fleets

Posted on by David Priestman

Nicola Mahmood (pictured), Business Development Director of Equans EV Solutions, advises Logistics Business readers on adopting the right charging infrastructure for commercial vehicle EV fleets.

Over recent years, making a conscious effort to reduce corporate carbon emissions and become more sustainable has switched from being a consideration, to something that is essential for every business. Whilst there are many ways for businesses to improve their sustainability credentials, organisations are increasingly considering van and lorry fleet electrification as part of their sustainability strategy. This is reflected in recent electric vehicle uptake figures as at the end of last year, sales of new electric cars in the UK overtakes diesel vehicles for the first time – largely fuelled by fleet and business users.

With roughly only one fleet replacement cycle before the UK’s 2030 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles comes into effect, now is the time to start considering EV charging infrastructure for your logistics operation.

Key considerations for charging infrastructure

Choosing charging infrastructure that best meets the needs of your operation is crucial. To determine the right charging solution, you first need to understand the behaviour of your fleet. First consider the distance your drivers travel on a daily basis. According to the statistics from the Department of Transport, over half of van drivers in the UK tend to stay local – only travelling within 15 miles of their base on a typical day. Mapping out your typical routes throughout the week will help you to determine the required range of your van and lorry fleet vehicles.

The next factor to consider is where your drivers will return to once they’ve been on the road. If they will be returning to a depot overnight, installing on-site charging facilities using AC fast chargers – ideally 22kW and under, is likely to be the most suitable option. However, if the vehicles return to base but need a quick charge before heading back on the road – rapid charging is something that should be taken into consideration. If at the end of the day, the vans are taken home by employees – domestic charging should be the first choice. If your fleet operates different schedules, you might need a combination of on-site and domestic charging to keep your operation moving.

For fleets that cover long distance on a daily basis, likely with lorry fleets, public charging networks provide the perfect solution. Public charging infrastructure is rapidly growing to meet the needs of EV drivers, both private and commercial. In fact, recent statistics have shown that in the UK there are currently 33,281 public EV charging points. The GeniePoint network has over 500 rapid chargers across the UK, with most charging the average EV in under 45 minutes.

To make managing payments easier, many charge point network operators offer trade accounts, enabling businesses to set up an account for multiple drivers and be billed in arrears for usage on the public network. This mirrors standard fuel cards – making the transition from petrol or diesel even easier.

Taking the habits of your fleet and your drivers into consideration will help you determine which charging solution is going to be right for your logistics business.

Delivering charging infrastructure that works for your business

Once you understand your fleet charging needs, the next phase is to get your site EV ready. Working with a dedicated charging partner, such as Equans, can ensure this process is smooth and efficient. Choosing a partner that provides an end-to-end charging solution will ensure you are supported through every stage of your fleet electrification process. This includes full planning, design and delivery of your EV programme, from recommending the most suitable hardware, to carrying out installation works. Post installation, the right partner will be on hand to help you manage and optimise your charge points, provide crucial performance insights and support with monetisation.

Overcoming power challenges

One of the biggest barriers to EV charging implementation is on-site power availability. If the solution identified means that additional power is needed, it can be expensive and time consuming to upgrade the on-site power supply. Innovations such as load balancing and battery storage are great solutions to tackle this problem. Battery storage is typically cheaper than a supply upgrade and can help to drastically reduce lead times. For logistics organisations looking to meet specific deadlines – battery storage can ensure those critical timescales are met.

With battery storage, you can also increase energy efficiency by combining with solar power. By installing solar panels onto the site building and battery storage alongside, energy captured through the day can be stored within a battery and used to recharge vehicles overnight. Maximising these innovations can eliminate the barrier of not having on-site power available and also reduces the investment required – making EV adoption simple and cost-effective.

Start small and scale your solutions

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to finding the right charging solution, so it is recommended to start small and scale up. This enables you to change your strategy if needed and prove the concept works, before making a large-scale investment. Speaking to an expert charging infrastructure partner who offers scalable solutions is recommended to guide you through the process. Finally, it’s important to consider what will work for your business’ specific use case. It’s likely that you will need a combined approach to charging, installing chargers on-site, as well as using public networks. Through Equans EV fleet analysis, we take the time to understand your business needs, and therefore can recommend a scalable charging solution that will work around you.

Warehouse Digital Twins with Artificial Intelligence

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Synkrato, the next-generation logistics platform with Digital Twin, Mobility, Digital Labelling, and AI-Driven Logistics (slotting), announced a major update to their Digital Twin and slotting solutions. The update allows users to connect a warehouse digital twin to the slotting engine and perform slotting and re-slotting using digital twins.

“We believe the key to supply chain resilience and innovation is to simplify transformative technologies. Companies are looking for solutions that streamline operations without requiring a high level of IT skills, said Amin Sikander, Synkrato president. “Managing slotting algorithms in a spreadsheet is a labour-intensive, error-prone process, especially with a lot of inventory coming in and going out. By connecting Synkrato Digital Twin to the adaptive slotting algorithm, businesses gain real-time warehouse efficiency through a user-friendly interface.”
Maximum warehouse capacity utilization and reduced travel time

After users create a digital twin, the latest version of Synkrato automatically provides recommendations on where to find, store, and relocate inventory within a warehouse. According to Sikander, “warehouse space and labour availability are both becoming scarce in some areas of the United States. The shortage of warehouses, rising rent, and capacity constraints have firms searching for ways to get the most out of their existing industrial space. Additionally, low inventory visibility and poor pick-up paths require extra labor to prepare orders at a time when finding warehouse operators is challenging. This software update helps companies optimize their available resources.”

Synkrato’s dynamic digital twin sends data to slotting, like inventory location, distances, sales history, personnel, and stock levels, in real time. The slotting algorithm then uses this data to provide ongoing slot recommendations for all incoming and outgoing orders in real time. This integration simplifies slotting and supports an agile strategy by removing bottlenecks, recommending optimal pick paths, and streamlining put-away.

“Imagine a warehouse with a single staging area and three inventory storage zones. The price to move inventory to the staging area is proportional to the distance, so the closest distance has the lowest movement cost. Synkrato provides recommendations on where to store products based on sales history, forecast, and staging distance to reduce costs and order-preparation time, all from the digital twin interface,” said Jason Mancuso, Synkrato product director.

Synkrato is showcasing its Digital Twin and AI-Driven Logistics solutions at ProMat 2023 in Chicago. Synkrato was also selected as a Best IT Innovation award finalist, an award presented by MHI at ProMat to recognize innovative supply chain products. Attendees can visit Synkrato at booth #N6256 to see a live demonstration.

Netherlands tops DHL Globalisation Index

Posted on by David Priestman

DHL and New York University’s Stern School of Business have released the new DHL Global Connectedness Index 2022, an in-depth report on the state of globalisation and its prospects. Analysing data from 171 countries and territories, it reveals how flows of trade, people, capital, and information move around the world.

The report shows that international flows have been remarkably resilient in the face of recent shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. After a slight decline in 2020, the composite DHL Global Connectedness Index rose back to above pre-pandemic levels in 2021. The currently available data points to a further increase in 2022, despite slower growth in some flows. International trade in goods was 10% above pre-pandemic levels in mid-2022. International travel remained 37% below 2019 levels in 2022, but doubled compared to 2021.

“The latest DHL Global Connectedness Index data clearly debunks the perception of globalisation going into reverse gear,” John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, concludes. “Globalisation is not just a buzzword, it’s a powerful force that has transformed our world for the better. By breaking down barriers, opening up markets and creating opportunities, it has enabled individuals, businesses and entire nations to flourish and thrive like never before. As we continue to embrace globalisation, we can build a brighter future that benefits us all, creating a world that is more interconnected, more prosperous and more peaceful than ever before.”

US and China: Geopolitical rivalry frays connection

The DHL Global Connectedness Index provides evidence that the US and China are decoupling in many fields. Looking at 11 types of trade, capital, information, and people flows (such as merchandise exports, M&A transactions, and scientific research collaboration), the share of US flows with China declined for 8 out of 11 types since 2016. In the same period, the share of China’s flows with the US decreased for 7 out of 10 types with data available for China. Several of these were large declines. Nonetheless, the US and China are still linked by far greater flows than any other two countries that do not share a border. Furthermore, the data shows that, so far, the decoupling between these two countries has not led to a broader fragmentation of global flows between rival blocs of countries.

No evidence of trend towards regionalisation – globalisation has increased

Analyses in the DHL Global Connectedness Index also show that predictions of a shift from globalisation to regionalisation have not – at least yet – come to fruition. The average distance traversed by trade, capital, information, and people flows has increased over the past two decades, and trade flows even stretched out over longer distances during the Covid-19 pandemic. The only category that displays a clear recent shift toward regionalisation is people flows. This is due to the dramatic change in travel patterns during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It remains an open question whether trade patterns will become significantly more regionalised in the future,” says Steven Altman (pictured), Senior Research Scholar and Director of the DHL Initiative on Globalisation at NYU Stern’s Center for the Future of Management. “Many companies and governments are focused on nearshoring to regionalise supply chains, and there are substantial business benefits that can come from regionalisation. On the other hand, more than half of all trade already happens within regions, and the benefits of long-distance trade are still important, especially as inflation remains high, economic growth has slowed, and container shipping rates have come back down.”

Ranking of most globally connected countries

In the country ranking of the DHL Global Connectedness Index 2022, the Netherlands was again the most globally connected country. Singapore ranked second overall and first in terms of the size of international relative to domestic flows. The UK has the most globally distributed flows. Among the 55 most globally connected countries, there are representatives from every world region.

The DHL Global Connectedness Index

Published regularly since 2011, the renowned DHL Global Connectedness Index provides reliable findings on globalisation trends by analysing 13 types of international trade, people, capital, and information flows. The 2022 edition is based on over four million data points from 171 countries, accounting for 99.7% of the world’s gross domestic product and 96% of its population. A collection of 171 one-page country profiles provides concise summaries of individual countries’ globalisation patterns.

The report was commissioned by DHL and authored by Steven A. Altman and Caroline R. Bastian of New York University Stern School of Business.

Decarbonization of Logistics: Data Start-up

Posted on by David Priestman

shipzero enables transport and logistics companies to create transparency about their emissions data and manage decarbonization throughout the supply chain. The Hamburg-based data platform has received seven-figure growth funding for further product development and internationalization. Through the data-based processing and analysis of transport data, the startup identifies and supports its customers in concrete decarbonization projects. The investors include the Munich-based VC investor “Rethink Ventures”, which specializes in mobility and logistics, the sustainability-focused investment company “zu na mi” and the London-based climate tech investor “Rainmaking Impact”.

“With the funding, we will further expand the functionality and analytics capabilities of our data platform. We want to radically simplify emissions reporting, make it more accurate, and enable data-driven decisions and investments to accelerate decarbonization in specific projects within the transportation sector,” says Tobias Bohnhoff, co-founder and CEO of shipzero.

The awareness of a necessary transformation in the industry has grown steadily over the past two years. This is also reflected in the sharp rise in demand for the shipzero data platform. The team of logistics and data experts is now being requested by companies ranging from owner-operated freight forwarders to major corporations. Companies such as the Nagel Group, BLG Logistics, Lanfer Logistik and BSH Hausgeräte already rely on the expertise of the 23-strong team.

Transport and logistics companies are facing major challenges. Manufacturing companies, which purchase high volumes of transport, are demanding greater transparency and the ability of their service providers to report information on emissions data. Meanwhile, legal regulations are increasing the obligations for comprehensive CO2 reporting on the transports carried out.

At the same time, many companies struggle with the consolidation of their transport and order data from the various systems even before the actual CO2 calculation. “We notice repeatedly, the biggest challenge is getting access to the most complete information possible. There is a lack of a holistic view of all movement and consumption data and a reliable quality of the data,” says co-founder and data expert Mirko Schedlbauer. shipzero integrates primary data from diverse fleets and systems, including those of external logistics partners, into its platform. The CO2 calculation is thus not only based on projections, but on the actual energy turnover of the means of transport.

According to Bohnhoff, the coming financial years will be characterized by increasingly ambitious goals on the path to climate neutrality and the investments required to achieve them. The two founders know the specific challenges of the transport and logistics industry and have specialized the data platform and the team behind it in the complex logistics business. “In the coming years, billions will be invested in alternative engines, fuels and infrastructure. Today, only a few companies can tell on a data basis where and when exactly this investment will pay off for them, and that’s exactly what we want to change with shipzero,” explains Tobias Bohnhoff.

shipzero is a data platform that enables effective emissions tracking and reduction in global freight transport. Shippers, logistics service providers and carriers can use shipzero to manage transport emissions and to move towards net-zero logistics. Appanion Labs was founded in Hamburg in 2018. The team combines experts in data management, logistics and sustainability. The emissions data platform shipzero was launched in 2021 and has been growing continuously. It tracks over 30 million transports in more than 70 countries and is connected to thousands of data generating logistics assets.

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