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Month: May 2023

Trelleborg Wheel Systems Officially Joins Yokohama

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Following last year’s announcement, Trelleborg Wheel Systems is pleased to announce the acquisition by The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been successfully completed for 2,074 million euro.
From this day forward, the company will officially be part of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., operating under the name ‘Yokohama TWS’ as a new company.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., based in Hiratsuka, Japan, is a global leader in the tyre industry and other rubber applications, such as conveyor belts, hoses & couplings, and fenders.
With 860.5 billion yen in revenues (approx. 6 billion euro), it is a truly international concern, employing over 28,000 people around the globe and operating in more than 120 countries.

This acquisition enables The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. to consolidate its leading position among tire producers in the world, becoming a global leader in the off-highway tires segment with the addition of Trelleborg, Mitas, Maximo, Cultor brands and Interfit service network to its portfolio.

Paolo Pompei, former President of Trelleborg Wheel Systems and current President and CEO of Yokohama TWS, says: “Today we are closing a successful chapter in our history with the Trelleborg Group and opening a new page with a leading player in the tire industry, sharing our values and vision for the future. Over the last few years, we have delivered continuous business growth combining strategic acquisitions with dedicated investments, and this has allowed us to build a strong and sustainable platform supported by a global manufacturing footprint, innovative products and solutions and an extensive sales network in close proximity to our customers. I’m extremely proud of what the TWS team has been able to achieve so far and we are all honoured that Yokohama has decided to invest in us, building together with their existing business, a new leading player in the off-highway segment.”

Yokohama TWS will continue delivering the same high quality products, solutions, and level of service to all its customers worldwide. As a new company, Yokohama TWS will operate with no change to its organizational structure.

Yokohama TWS is part of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. and is a leader in designing and producing tyre and wheel solutions to drive a sustainable future for Agriculture, Construction, Material Handling and Two-Wheeler markets. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing sites reach customers worldwide, producing more sustainable solutions while implementing advanced technologies. Yokohama TWS includes Trelleborg, Mitas, Maximo, Cultor and Interfit whose network of local specialists offer tailor-made services to meet customers’ needs for any applications wherever they are. In 2022, the division generated sales over € 1.2 billion and currently employs more than 6,600 people in 42 countries.

UK Freight Association Elects new Chair

Posted on by David Priestman

Charles Hogg has succeeded Rachel Morley as the elected national chair of BIFA – the British International Freight Association – for a two-year period.

Charles, commercial director at BIFA member company, Unsworth, who has been vice-chair for the past two years, was appointed a director of BIFA in 2019 and chairs the trade association’s Surface Policy Group.

Alongside Charles will be Keith Baguley,  UK import manager at Atlantic Container Line (ACL)who became BIFA’s regional chairman, Merseyside in 2018, and has now been elected as vice-chair.

Rachel Morley becomes immediate past chair for a two-year term, and  Sir Peter Bottomley, MP, remains as BIFA president.

BIFA director general Steve Parker comments: “In welcoming Charles and Keith into their new positions, I wish to express my appreciation for the contribution made by Rachel Morley over many years; and pleasure that Sir Peter has agreed to continue in office.

“Charles and Keith’s’ wide-ranging experience and senior roles in successful freight forwarding companies will ensure that BIFA and its members will benefit greatly from these new appointments.”

BIFA Members can be either Full or Associate members. Full members are those actively providing international freight services and/or customs brokerage services, whereas Associate members are not primarily engaged in international freight or customs brokerage but have an ancillary interest in the industry and wish to develop their interests through the Association.

Safer Driving Target

Posted on by David Priestman

Applied Driving has teamed up with VisionTrack, a global leader of AI video telematics and connected vehicle data, to develop a video-enabled safe driving solution. The companies will bring together the proven benefits of automated risk reduction, 360-degree vision and cloud-based video analysis for the first time to revolutionise fleet and driver safety.

“This is a hugely exciting partnership that has the potential to transform how our fleet customers tackle driver and fleet risk reduction,” explains Andy Phillips, Global Managing Partner at Applied Driving. “By providing access to the latest technologies and integrations, we are helping companies to build a safe driving culture that prioritises the welfare of drivers and other road users. Working closely with VisionTrack, we can take advantage of the latest advances in AI video telematics and the benefits this provides.”

Under the partnership, Applied Driving’s online web-application Riskmapp will be integrated with VisionTrack’s award-winning IoT platform, Autonomise.ai. This will enable fleets to optimise driver engagement and coaching through the provision of targeted training that is supported with relevant video and data insight. The solution will be able to utilise footage from around the vehicle, captured by forward, driver, side and rear facing cameras, including a growing range of AI devices.

Footage of collisions and near misses will be uploaded to Riskmapp having been assessed and verified by VisionTrack’s AI-powered post-analysis tool, NARA. It will be available for review by both Applied Driving and the fleet customer, as well as shared with the driver as part of Applied Driving’s Triggered TrainingTM functionality within its Companion+ solution. Video and supporting data will also be used where additional coaching and engagement is required, using real-life examples to encourage safer driving habits.

Richard Lane, Global Product Director at VisionTrack commented: “We are passionate about road safety and committed to working with likeminded organisations, such as Applied Driving, to continually push the boundaries of what is possible. By integrating our AI video telematics with Applied Driving’s innovative safe driving technologies and processes, we can develop advanced solutions that further mitigate the impact of road, driver and fleet risk.”

IFOY Test Report: Continental AMR IL 1200

Posted on by David Priestman

In the run-up to the handing out of the IFOY Awards in Dortmund on June 22nd, we are running through all the 2023 finalists and share the verdict from the IFOY test conducted during the evaluation by an expert jury in March. Our next entry (alphabetically speaking) is the AMR IL 1200 from Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH.

Category: AGV / AMR

IFOY Test Report

The AMR IL 1200 automates the flow of materials in production plants, warehouses or logistics centres. The robust industrial truck is equipped with field-proven technologies: Lidar sensors for 360° detection of the environment, 3D camera systems, intelligent software and an optional ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter for precise live tracking of the industrial truck in the fleet make the AMR a valuable device. The vehicle autonomously executes transport orders, can avoid obstacles and calculate alternative routes. An optional fleet management system can coordinate a larger fleet of AMRs.

The most important innovations of the AMR Il 1200 compared to its predecessor include an increase in travel speed to up to 2m/s, which enables even faster transport while maintaining the same level of safety. The prerequisites for this safety are created by an optimised sensor concept, which leads to an improvement in all-round protection. The optimised drive components and a reduction in the turning circle make the AMR IL 1200 even more agile and powerful than its predecessor. The company’s signature robustness and durability of the hardware combined with several new superstructures, including Cart, Load Module and Top Roller, ensure that unlike its predecessor, the AMR IL 1200 can be used for multiple applications. Other features of the industrial truck include a compact design and integrated lifting system for loads up to 1.2 tonnes.

On the course set up for the IFOY TEST DAYS, the Continental team deliberately kept the distance between the side walls at one of the transfer stations for the floor rollers (dimensions: 1,200 x 800mm), which serve as transport aids, small. In this way, the manufacturer wanted to show how precisely the autonomous industrial truck can drive into such stations.

IFOY test verdict: The AMR IL 1200 is designed for transporting loading aids in the manufacturing industry and logistics. The focus is on production logistics with heavy pallets, such as those found in the automotive industry. To broaden the application portfolio for the vehicle, various superstructures and load handling attachments are available. The compact and modern design should also be emphasised. The technical equipment allows mixed traffic with other industrial trucks and people. Calculations by the manufacturer show that the efficiency gains achieved by using the AMR IL 1200 result in savings of up to 80% of operational costs in terms of in-house transport of loading equipment.

IFOY Innovation Check:

Market relevance: The AMR IL 1200 vehicle from Continental, which has been further developed based on a predecessor vehicle, automates the transport of floor rollers in the 1200x800mm format on which euro pallets, large load carriers or comparable load carriers are transported. The market for this type of transport, correctly located by Continental itself in the production logistics of the automotive industry and the metal processing industry, has great relevance there. However, transports with floor rollers of this format are by no means used in all companies, which is why the market relevance is only rated as balanced.

Customer benefit: The manoeuvrability of the vehicle enables good user benefits. In addition, the user benefits from the vehicle’s extensive sensory equipment, which leads to the expectation of robust and trouble-free operation, as the impressive demonstration on the IFOY TEST DAYS exhibition floor showed. With the vehicle’s steering software, the functionality can be well adapted to different operational environments and tasks.

Novelty / Innovation: In the vehicle class for transporting floor rollers with pallets, a larger number of solutions are available on the market. The particularly flat and compact design combined with the multiple monitoring of the driving area, also above the scan level of the safety sensors, give the vehicle a good level of novelty that makes it stand out in the named market segment.

Functionality / Type of implementation: The AMR IL 1200 performs transport tasks reliably and also offers autonomy functions to avoid obstacles on blocked sections. The load pick-up and load delivery are solidly designed. The approaches to specified sources and sinks of a transport network require more driving surface than an area-moving vehicle with the implemented three-wheel chassis but were reliably demonstrated in the demonstration operation.

Verdict: Vehicles like the IL 1200 have a market but transports with floor rollers in the 1200x800mm format are by far not used in all companies. The manoeuvrability of the vehicle provides good benefits for the users. In this flat form combined with the good manoeuvrability, the vehicle is new and offers good functions for the user.

Market relevance Ø
Customer benefit +
Novelty / Innovation +
Functionality / Type of implementation +
KEY: ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available}

 

Infor Benefits Food & Beverage Industry

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Infor, the industry cloud company, has formed a partnership with Ivy Mobility to strengthen the solution ecosystem for consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage manufacturing and distributing businesses requiring mobile solutions for direct store delivery (DSD), and merchandising and in-store operations.

Ivy Mobility offers intelligent route-to-market solutions for consumer goods manufacturers and distributors. The company supports DSD, merchandising and in-store activities with mobile solutions. Ivy Mobility is a modern cloud-based solution that fits well with Infor’s industry cloud platform. Ivy Mobility has its head office in Singapore and has operations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company has operations in 57+ countries.

“Infor has more than 1,000 food and beverage manufacturing and distributing customers, many of which are in markets and product categories that are delivered directly to stores and other points of sale, such as bars, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and fuel stations,” says Marcel Koks, Infor’s industry and product strategist for the food & beverage industry. “This sales channel requires advanced and easy-to-use mobile solutions for the workforce on the road and in the stores that are available on- and offline.”

Ivy Mobility and Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage are complementary software solutions. Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage manages the customer and product master data, sales order entry, warehousing and accounts receivable. Ivy Mobility covers the execution of route deliveries, van sales, taking field orders and returns, accepting credit card payments, as well as executing merchandising and in-store activities. Ivy Mobility also supports route and visit planning, van load and end-of-day van stock reconciliation.

“Ivy Mobility is excited to partner with Infor and give our 100+ global CPG customers access to the combined portfolio of solutions. As our industry looks to adapt and excel in a post-COVID world, there is a growing need for partnerships between best-in-class solutions,” says Douglas Remick, senior sales director and global partnership lead at Ivy. “With this partnership, CPG companies around the world can access clear and organised information in real time, enabling the frontline to execute at a much higher level.”

Transaid Extends Work with FIA Foundation

Posted on by David Priestman

Transaid has secured an extension of its work funded by global road safety philanthropy the FIA Foundation, to lead the second phase of a project to establish a National Helmet Wearing Coalition in Kenya, using its extensive experience in motorcycle and motorised three-wheeler safety.

Priorities for a new 13-month term are to secure the long-term future of the Coalition and cement Kenyan ownership of this initiative, whilst strengthening the implementation of the existing Kenyan Helmet Standard through improved enforcement capacity.

This will see Transaid continuing to work with local stakeholders to increase awareness amongst motorcycle users around the importance of wearing a quality helmet, as well as securing additional funding to broaden the short and medium-term impact of the Coalition.

Sam Clark, Head of Programmes at Transaid, says: “Research during the first phase of the project revealed that up to 40% of road traffic fatalities in Kenya were linked to the use of motorcycles and motorcycle taxis, and that helmet prevalence was low amongst motorcycle users. We will now be focused on building the capacity of relevant authorities to strengthen implementation of the current Kenyan Helmet Standard, while also equipping motorcycle users with an improved sense of what constitutes a poor quality and a good quality helmet.”

Aggie Krasnolucka, Programmes Director of the FIA Foundation, explains: “The FIA Foundation is excited to support the second phase of the Kenya Helmet Wearing Coalition with Transaid. This exciting new chapter will build on the data and relationships to advocate for improved legislation and strengthened enforcement of certified helmets as well as wider public awareness.”

Official figures released in 2018* showed there were approximately 1.4 million motorcycles used as taxis – known as ‘boda bodas’ – in urban and rural areas across Kenya. While the country already has a compulsory motorcycle helmet use law, enforcement is largely inconsistent and helmet use is low – despite research which shows a motorcycle helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42% and risk of head injury by 69% in a crash.

Clark adds: “Road traffic crashes continue to constitute a global health crisis, and the consequences are disproportionately felt in low and middle-income countries. This initiative aims to directly reduce injury and death on Kenya’s roads, benefitting a broad audience, including riders and their fare-paying passengers.”

Whilst Kenya is the first country where the FIA Foundation’s Helmet Wearing Coalition is being implemented, Transaid plans to share its learnings from the project with organisations and clubs worldwide that are working towards the same aim of improving motorcycle and three-wheeler safety.

*Source: Directorate of Registration and Licensing at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), reported there were 1,393,290 registered motorcycles in Kenya in February 2018.

NEXT Streamlines Order Processing

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in mobile robots for logistics, and NEXT, the British multinational clothing, footwear and home products retailer, have announced the success of their automation collaboration in NEXT’s Dearne Valley Pallet fulfilment centre. In 45,000 sq m of warehouse space, 250 Geek+ robots handle both goods-to-person picking and order sorting processes for NEXT’s e-commerce operations.

Faced with high demand and operating in the volatile fashion industry, NEXT decided to streamline its processes and scale up efficiently to meet new customer requirements. To achieve this goal, it  has sought efficient solutions including selecting Geek+ as its robotic warehouse automation partner. The hybrid “Pick-and-Sort” solution is the result of the successful co-development process between the two companies.

Liam Jenkinson, Site Manager at NEXT, said: “Working with Geek+ has been a positive experience for us, both from the start and with the ongoing support provided. The flexibility offered by Geek+’s picking and sortation system is critical to our operations, and the integration between our Warehouse Management System and Geek+’s Robot Management System is seamless. As our business continues to expand, we are planning to extend the warehouse and replicate the success of this project in the new space.”

NEXT Manages Wide Variety of Products

The process begins with the Geek+ P800 picking robots, which retrieve the pallets from the pallet transfer area and move them to the storage area for picking. Once a picking order is initiated, the robot transports the rack to a multifunctional workstation that is utilised for both the picking and sorting procedures. Once the picking is completed, the operator deposits the item onto the S20T sorting robot. The S20T robot then transfers the goods to the designated chute for the depot, while the parcel heads downstairs for packing. The flexibility of the Geek+ solution enables NEXT to manage a wide variety of products that differ in size, weight, and velocity of sale.

With this solution, NEXT can process 16,000 units per day. According to NEXT, the efficiency of the automated process is twice that of manual picking.

Brian Lee, VP of EMEA Region at Geek+, said: “NEXT is a visionary customer that placed their trust in us. We are proud to have fulfilled our promise and provided NEXT’s warehouse with our intelligent and flexible warehouse automation solutions. We are eager to replicate it in more warehouses across the UK, Europe, and around the global.”

This improved efficiency has not only enabled NEXT to handle a record volume during the last Christmas season without requiring additional labour, but it has also allowed it to push the cut-off time from 18:00 to 22:00 while still meeting its next day delivery promise. One of the advantages of the Geek+ solution is its scalability. To meet its growing demand, NEXT introduced 50 additional S20T robots earlier this year.

 

TEG Launches ‘Industry-First’ Transport Data Service

Posted on by David Priestman

Transport Exchange Group (TEG), a leading UK online freight exchange platform, is helping its members to operate more dynamically and competitively in a highly volatile marketplace with the launch of what it describes as an ‘industry-first’ load pricing data service. Price Per Mile (PPM) will offer simple, timely and accurate insight into changing road transport rates for the first time, so hauliers, couriers and owner drivers can better shape their pricing strategies in real-time.

“The road transport sector has faced a period of unprecedented instability over the past few years because of multiple economic factors such as Brexit, COVID, driver shortages, and the war in Ukraine,” explains Lyall Cresswell, CEO of Transport Exchange Group. “The resulting impact on small-and mid-sized operators in terms of pricing strategy and capacity planning has been significant, so we have launched PPM to provide our members with the business intelligence needed to compete and grow.”

PPM can be tailored by both postcode and vehicle type to provide a weekly update of average, high and low pricing data into and out of a specified area. The aggregated and anonymised information is calculated using data from millions of transactions. The service was initially launched as a pilot involving owner drivers, but it has now been rolled out to all members of the Haulage Exchange and Courier Exchange, with self-service functionality soon to be introduced to simplify the order and delivery process.

PPM follows the introduction of the TEG Road Transport Price Index in November 2021, which provides a monthly, macro-level summary of pricing and market trends to industry operators and policymakers alike. This valuable and validated insight tracks changes in the marketplace using a unique data set, based on many thousands of different freight buyer and seller combinations that that take place on TEG’s online freight exchange platform.

“We are investing heavily in data science as we continue to enhance the functionality and guidance available on our platform. By constantly innovating we can add value to our members and give them the business and operational tools needed to operate profitably and focus on what they do best,” concludes Cresswell.

 

Kite Expands Enviro-box Range

Posted on by David Priestman

Kite Packaging, a leading UK online supplier of packaging, has expanded its best-selling range of enviro-boxes to include five new sizes following growing demand.

Kite’s enviro-boxes are a premium single-wall box with a heavy-duty flute which combine superior strength and durability with efficient material design. The end result is robust and reliable whilst being cheap enough to be affordable.

These boxes are an eco-friendly alternative to larger double-wall boxes thanks to their manufacturing process which expends 30% less CO₂ emissions by comparison. They also contain between 60-90% recycled content and are made from lighter materials. This means more units can be fitted onto a pallet, leading to lower shipping costs and a reduced carbon footprint.

Enviro-box

Available in an array of sizes, Kite says these boxes are ideal for businesses with a large product file thanks to being versatile in what they can package. Some sizes come multi-scored and can be adjusted to better suit the dimensions of the goods packaged within, helping to keep postage costs to a minimum.

They are supplied flat-packed for easy storage and can be purchased from Kite Packaging at market-beating prices with further discounts available when buying wholesale quantities. The company is carbon neutral certified and has good reviews from its customers.

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Wiliot Appoints VP of Climate & Circularity

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Wiliot, the Internet of Things pioneer whose ambient IoT platform is enabling trillions of “things” to gain intelligence, has appointed Antony Yousefian to the position of VP of Climate & Circularity. In his role, Yousefian will oversee the company’s climate strategy, where he will accelerate the development and implementation of climate products that, for the first time, enable businesses to track in real-time their supply chain’s impact on nature and carbon footprint.

Prior to Wiliot, Yousefian held various executive positions at climate technology startups and impact investment funds, where he developed products and invested in companies that work to restore the planet for future generations, through carbon removal in supply chains and biodiversity restoration.

“The ambient IoT is a breakthrough technology paradigm that brings intelligence to every single thing in our supply chains – which unlocks new efficiencies, profits, and revenue streams for the global businesses,” stated Wiliot CEO Tal Tamir. “However, equally important as these financial benefits are the ambient IoT’s impact on the climate. The ambient IoT aligns profits and planet in ways rarely seen – and Antony’s appointment will accelerate a transformational shift in real-time carbon footprint tracking that will make a material impact on both corporate profitability and environmental sustainability.”

The Wiliot IoT Platform connects the digital and physical worlds using its cloud platform and IoT Pixels, which are stamp-sized compute devices that cost pennies and feature a fundamental breakthrough in ambient computing technology – or computing that’s self-powered, harvesting radio waves that are all around us.

The platform not only offers real-time data on a product’s status and journey through the supply chain but also leverages AI capabilities in the cloud to transform sensor data into actionable insights. This enables companies to take actions that reduce their carbon emissions and costs.

“Wiliot’s technology will play a significant role in addressing the unsustainable human demand on Earth’s natural resources, which currently stands at around 1.7 times the planet’s capacity to regenerate,” stated Yousefian. “As a leader in the ambient IoT, Wiliot has developed innovative battery-free sensing solutions that capture essential data – driving real-time and accurate understanding of a product’s impact and climate risk. Wiliot represents a paradigm shift in carbon accountability and climate intelligence, and I feel privileged to join a team that’s poised to make a material impact on the climate crisis.”

With Wiliot’s ambient IoT technology, sustainability shifts from being a side project or separate team to an integral part of procurement, production, and distribution – in line with companies’ commitments to net zero and regulatory compliance.

This is particularly relevant for industries like food, where up to 90% of emissions can come from scope 3 sources. By leveraging Wiliot’s ambient IoT technology, companies can better assess their ecological footprint and take proactive steps toward a more sustainable future.

“I’ve been involved in IoT for several years and have seen first-hand the positive impact it can have for businesses – from reducing waste to increasing crop yields,” concluded Yousefian. “However, while status quo IoT battery-powered sensors proved effective in small-scale implementations, it failed to scale across entire supply chains – which is where the real, material impact can be achieved. Wiliot, with its low-cost battery-free technology, has solved this blocker to enable real-time visibility and traceability of every finished good or even resource in our supply chains. It is well-positioned to unlock the circular economy potential for businesses and the planet.”

Wiliot is currently working with many of the world’s largest companies across CPG and grocery; apparel and soft goods; pharma; and healthcare on a variety of ambient IoT projects.

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