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Month: January 2024

Cold Chain Operations’ Safety Elevated

Posted on by David Priestman

Igloo Thermo Logistics, a temperature-controlled logistics company in the UK, has partnered with AddSecure to optimise its transport operations. With a fleet of 130 temperature-controlled vehicles that cover up to 90,000 miles per week, Igloo required a comprehensive telematics and temperature monitoring solution, as well as a vehicle camera safety system.

After evaluating multiple providers, Igloo selected AddSecure as the only supplier to offer telematics, remote temperature monitoring, and vehicle camera systems from one user-friendly platform. Each vehicle is equipped with live vehicle tracking and an EN12830 certified Transcan data logger. The transport team can monitor the fleet in real-time and proactively address any issues that may arise. Additionally, customers can access a full audit trail of each journey, complete with easy-to-interpret temperature graphs, and end-of-journey printouts for compliance with cold chain distribution regulations.

Igloo has also installed an integrated dual-camera dashcam system (forward-facing and driver-facing) in all its vehicles to reduce accident rates and lower insurance premiums. The cameras act as a deterrent for dangerous driving behaviours and provide evidence to support First Notification of Loss to Igloo’s insurance provider, expediting the claims process.

“Since implementing AddSecure‘s connected fleet management and temperature monitoring solutions we have experienced a significant reduction in accident rates and insurance premiums. The improvements in safety, efficiency, compliance, and sustainability of our overall transport operations have given us a competitive edge in the industry,” explained Kuljinder Gossal, Operations and Group Fleet Manager at Igloo.

Reduction in accident rates

Igloo is committed to continued improvement and are currently working with AddSecure to upgrade its vehicle tracking units for enhanced driving behaviour monitoring, allowing for improved driver feedback and training. Additionally, the company is also looking to upgrade its camera systems to a multi-camera setup, including rear and side cameras and an in-cab monitor, for safer city driving and slow speed manoeuvrings.

Paul Lawrence, Managing Director at AddSecure UK commented, “The AddSecure solution has once again proven to be a valuable investment for Igloo Thermo-Logistics, allowing the company to provide safe, efficient, and eco-friendly nationwide next-day delivery of temperature-sensitive goods.”

Investment Pays Off, Calmest Peak for 3PL

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Specialist 3PL fulfilment provider Europa Warehouse has reported a 45 per cent increase in total orders picked in December 2023* across its 3PL sites.

Despite this increase, its facilities in Birmingham, Corby, and Dartford – which offer over one million sq. ft combined of dedicated warehouse and logistics space – operated without the usual stress and pressure associated with “peak”.

Notwithstanding continued economic challenges, there was a rise in consumer spending across the period which, supported by figures from Retail Economics, accounted for £202bn worth of global sales online and a 3.7 per cent increase in the UK.

While sales during the 2023 peak season in the UK might be less pronounced in comparison to previous years, the increase in order volumes still puts a huge pressure on 3PL services. Due to Europa’s £70m investment in its logistics operations over recent years, including £11m in shared user automation this peak period was the most efficient of any recent years’ peaks.

Dionne Redpath (pictured), Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of Warehouse at Europa Worldwide Group said: “Shopping habits are ever evolving, but we have invested heavily to alleviate the strain on our e-commerce, retail and wholesale customers. As well as investing in new equipment and processes and having restructured in recent months we’ve augmented our approach with customer and consumer experience at heart. Our focus has been to enable customers to meet or exceed their sales targets, allowing them to maximise revenues whilst ensuring exceptionally high levels of quality and satisfaction.”

To make it easier for customers to scale up and achieve seamless fulfilment, Europa Warehouse identified the importance of implementing strategies to drive innovation in order fulfilment.

“We appreciate that our customers need to cost-effectively scale up and down at pace, while delivering an efficient service for their customers. Our overarching objective is to deliver a peak which doesn’t feel like peak at all. During seasonal peaks, e-commerce and retail brands face upsetting their own status quo: with the significant upturn in sales activity creating volatility and complexity resulting in what can be an inefficient, often-chaotic order fulfilment process. It’s the time of year businesses are more likely to experience costly mispicks, delays to dispatch and higher than normal return rates.”

Europa Warehouse is the 3PL division of Europa Worldwide Group, and one of only a few operators in the UK offering a shared-user automated picking system. Designed for products that are able to be stored in totes, which Europa refer to as ‘toteable’, the system is ideal for clients who operate with a large SKU range and a complex, volatile order profile, often requiring operations to dramatically scale up and down within a short period of time.

Redpath explains: “With robust quality control processes to prevent picking errors, thus reducing cost, a shared-user system can be quickly scaled up or down to meet fluctuating demand. In turn, this allows for accurate financial modelling because of the high level of predictability. For peak planning, this is crucial to ensure a seamless supply chain from start to finish whilst not blowing budgets.”

Calmest Peak for 3PL
Calmest Peak for 3PL

In 2023, Europa’s portfolio of warehouses picked 78.8 million units through its automated and manual fulfilment operations – regularly scaling up to 280,000 individual picks in a 24 hour period. Shared-user automation contributed towards this, allowing for regular scaling from 40 to 100,000 picks from one day to the next. The ability to scale in this way within automation is what makes it such a cost-effective solution. The ability to scale in a similar way in a manual environment is far more complex, requiring significantly more labour at a time of year when labour is at a premium. In the automated environment, those headaches simply don’t exist.

The combination of Europa’s most recent investment in its systems and automated fulfilment technology and processes allows e-commerce brands to optimise resources, simplify operational models and capitalise on the sales and growth opportunities afforded by the peak season.

Holistic Robotic Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Arvato is increasing the targeted use of robots in its logistics centres. After the successful implementation of several robot-assisted palletizing and depalletizing applications at various locations, the supply chain and e-commerce service provider now has decided to use the robot item pick solution “justPick” from the Polish robot specialist Nomagic as the next step in its holistic automation strategy.

At its location in Dortmund, Germany, Arvato operates a 30,000 square meter distribution center for several fashion clients. As part of the “Autostore Port Picking” (ASPP) pilot project, Nomagic’s “justPick” robot will be used to pick individual item orders from the fully automated Autostore warehouse. It is planned that after the successful piloting, other robots will follow and pick at the Autostore system in Dortmund. Arvato currently operates ten Autostore systems worldwide and therefore sees great potential for further scaling of the robot solution. Further applications at shuttle storage workstations and for pocket sorter loading are also being planned.

“The autonomous robot system enables us to respond more flexibly and with shorter throughput times to our customers’ requirements by continuously processing customer orders – especially during late and night shifts,” says Axel Mayer, President Lifestyle Fashion & Sports at Arvato. At the Dortmund site, Arvato is taking a further step on the way to a fully automated order fulfillment process with the automatic provision of goods by the Autostore system and automatic picking by the robot. “Nomagic was the only supplier that was able to map both the pick process for order fulfillment and the returns replenishment process without changing the existing infrastructure,” explains Christoph Echelmeyer, Vice President Operations and Head of the site. With the “justPick” robot, not only are customers’ orders fulfilled, but the Autostore system is also replenished.

As far as possible, Arvato does not design all automation solutions, whether robotics, goods 2-person, AGVs or packaging solutions, as a stand-alone solution, but always in the context of its own “Warehouse Automation Toolbox (WAT)”. “We attach great importance to solutions with a high degree of modularity and flexibility. This approach is also driven by our high level of diversification and positioning in a wide variety of business areas such as high-tech, healthcare and consumer products with their large number of different articles. From our point of view, Nomagic’s “justPick” solution makes a special contribution to these points,” explains Markus Billmann, Senior Expert Process Automation and Future Warehouse Team at Arvato. Nomagic was able to convince Arvato with a large number of systems that have already been implemented, which are very close to the use case of the pilot project and the subsequent projects.

The “justPick” robot is equipped with a gripper tool changer, which enables the independent change of different suction and gripping tools during the container change at the carousel port of the Autostore system. On the one hand, this increases the possible throughput of the system, as downtime or idle times are effectively minimized, and on the other hand, it increases the number of tangible items on the hardware side, which has a positive effect on the future-proofing and scaling of the system in terms of third-party usability. Markus Billmann: “This flexibility is enormously important to us in the dynamic environment in which we operate as a 3PL service provider.”

Holistic Robotic Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Arvato is increasing the targeted use of robots in its logistics centres. After the successful implementation of several robot-assisted palletizing and depalletizing applications at various locations, the supply chain and e-commerce service provider now has decided to use the robot item pick solution “justPick” from the Polish robot specialist Nomagic as the next step in its holistic automation strategy.

At its location in Dortmund, Germany, Arvato operates a 30,000 square meter distribution center for several fashion clients. As part of the “Autostore Port Picking” (ASPP) pilot project, Nomagic’s “justPick” robot will be used to pick individual item orders from the fully automated Autostore warehouse. It is planned that after the successful piloting, other robots will follow and pick at the Autostore system in Dortmund. Arvato currently operates ten Autostore systems worldwide and therefore sees great potential for further scaling of the robot solution. Further applications at shuttle storage workstations and for pocket sorter loading are also being planned.

“The autonomous robot system enables us to respond more flexibly and with shorter throughput times to our customers’ requirements by continuously processing customer orders – especially during late and night shifts,” says Axel Mayer, President Lifestyle Fashion & Sports at Arvato. At the Dortmund site, Arvato is taking a further step on the way to a fully automated order fulfillment process with the automatic provision of goods by the Autostore system and automatic picking by the robot. “Nomagic was the only supplier that was able to map both the pick process for order fulfillment and the returns replenishment process without changing the existing infrastructure,” explains Christoph Echelmeyer, Vice President Operations and Head of the site. With the “justPick” robot, not only are customers’ orders fulfilled, but the Autostore system is also replenished.

As far as possible, Arvato does not design all automation solutions, whether robotics, goods 2-person, AGVs or packaging solutions, as a stand-alone solution, but always in the context of its own “Warehouse Automation Toolbox (WAT)”. “We attach great importance to solutions with a high degree of modularity and flexibility. This approach is also driven by our high level of diversification and positioning in a wide variety of business areas such as high-tech, healthcare and consumer products with their large number of different articles. From our point of view, Nomagic’s “justPick” solution makes a special contribution to these points,” explains Markus Billmann, Senior Expert Process Automation and Future Warehouse Team at Arvato. Nomagic was able to convince Arvato with a large number of systems that have already been implemented, which are very close to the use case of the pilot project and the subsequent projects.

The “justPick” robot is equipped with a gripper tool changer, which enables the independent change of different suction and gripping tools during the container change at the carousel port of the Autostore system. On the one hand, this increases the possible throughput of the system, as downtime or idle times are effectively minimized, and on the other hand, it increases the number of tangible items on the hardware side, which has a positive effect on the future-proofing and scaling of the system in terms of third-party usability. Markus Billmann: “This flexibility is enormously important to us in the dynamic environment in which we operate as a 3PL service provider.”

LogiMAT ’24 Has Your Back

Posted on by David Priestman

Exhibitors from nearly every sector of the industry are coming to LogiMAT 2024 to present their latest products and solutions for ergonomically optimized intralogistics processes, healthy workplaces, and injury prevention. The spectrum ranges from modular workstation designs and systems to hoists not yet exhibited anywhere in the world, software-driven language-based picking processes with smart glasses, and new accessories and assistance systems for forklift operators. An Expert Forum taking place during LogiMAT presents tools and solutions for the ergonomic design of workstations and processes.

The intralogistics industry has not been spared the ravaging effects of demographic change and labor shortages. Some 100,000 logistics-related jobs in Germany alone remain unfilled. This makes ergonomics a topic of growing importance for businesses. Higher-quality workstations, improvements in how physical activities are performed, smart workstations designed with the help of digital technology, human-robot collaboration, and devices to ease the physical strain on workers: These are just some of the tools that can make workflows more efficient and the field of intralogistics more attractive. To cite just one example, a study published in late 2023 on the introduction of wearable exoskeletons found that they could reduce muscle strain in workers with the most strenuous jobs by up to 30 percent. Accuracy rose 27 percent, and speed was up 10 percent. Workplace safety improved while illness-related absences fell. “Ergonomics is an important element of intralogistics. Ergonomic workstations ensure the future of intralogistics and make it easier for the industry to compete for talent,” explains Exhibition Director Michael Ruchty from event organizer EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH in Munich. “LogiMAT, in its role as a barometer for intralogistics industry trends, is the primary platform for presenting the latest developments in this sphere. That’s why we’ve embraced this topic as one of the three areas of focus at this year’s event, as captured in our theme ‘SHAPING CHANGE TOGETHER: Sustainability – AI – Ergonomics.’”

Veronika Kretschmer, Senior Scientist for Assistance Systems and Human-Technology Interaction at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, highlights possible solutions for ergonomically realigning workstations and workflows in her Expert Forum in the East Entrance Atrium, taking place on the second day of LogiMAT 2024. The forum’s content is aligned with Fraunhofer IML’s “Social Networked Industry”—a vision for the workplace of tomorrow in which people and new technologies work together collaboratively in an atmosphere of safety and trust. The tools introduced to support this vision range from exoskeletons and pick-by systems providing cognitive support for pickers to AI-based analytics of movement data for the optimization of intralogistics processes.

Human-machine collaborative workstation

Exhibitors from every sector of the intralogistics industry are also coming to LogiMAT in Stuttgart, March 19–21, to showcase their latest innovations for reducing physical strain and ergonomically optimizing how workstations are designed and equipped. Systems integrators and industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers in Halls 1, 3, 5, and 7 will exhibit new products for the ergonomically optimized design of picking and sorting stations, such as those used in AutoStore systems. The theme greets visitors as soon as they arrive through the East Entrance with the design for a manual picking and packing workstation, presented in the live demonstration of an assembly line innovation that includes custom packing tables and a centralized robotics system that supplies material and removes empty containers.

Exhibitors in Halls 4 and 5 are presenting various new workstation systems for modern assembly, logistics, and warehouse operations. Optimized ergonomics, flexibility, functionality, and a customized modular concept are the hallmarks here. This makes it possible to easily adapt individual components such as shelves, holders, packing tables, and worktables to different body sizes and processes, and to implement upgrades and extensions or integrate new digital technologies at any time. The result is ergonomically efficient systems for logistics jobs with long-term viability. New automated packaging solutions offer customized packing processes that optimize the use of resources and reduce the number of tasks that still need to be performed manually.

The world’s first fully mobile manipulator

Hall 7 will give visitors the opportunity to test new products never yet exhibited anywhere in the world, innovative wire rope hoist and workstation crane systems, and new modular lifting devices for ergonomic, easy, effortless handling. The modular concept lets workers configure their mobile or stationary industrial lifting equipment to match their individual needs. The assistance systems for simplified manual load handling on display in Hall 7 will also include innovative new suction grippers for cardboard packaging and bags. Visitors should also keep an eye open for the world’s first fully mobile manipulator for handling cartons, crates, packages, and containers.

For the manufacturers of industrial trucks and attachments in Halls 9 and 10, ergonomics is focused primarily on providing a comfortable workstation for forklift operators and easy-to-use, multifunctional attachments. Visitors to LogiMAT can look forward to experiencing innovations in equipment and assistance systems. One example is the first-in-Europe live demo of a combination package for forklifts with both location- and event-related features designed to automatically identify and avoid any dangers to people, vehicles, or loads—for enhanced safety and a more comfortable ride. New concepts for improved human-machine interaction and machine learning in the use of autonomous devices will also be presented. A new eurobin tug on display in Hall 9 is an ergonomic lifting and transport solution that gives workers a powered boost in moving eurobins weighing up to 300 kg in an optimal, upright working position, significantly reducing physical strain.

Vision picking for the digital warehouse

Many of the software developers in Hall 8 are showcasing new features and applications in their systems that reflect the role IT solutions can play in the ergonomic planning and design of facility layouts and workflows. A vision picking solution featuring smart glasses illustrates how the integration of cutting-edge technology in ergonomically optimized workflows can support digital warehouse logistics.

Next door in Hall 6, visitors can experience the latest innovations for collaborative workflows in the human-machine interface with automated guided vehicle systems and all the latest robotic solutions: cobots, stationary industrial robots, mobile picking robots, and autonomous mobile robot transport systems. The focus here is on sensor-based safety and ergonomic workstation design at transfer points and the periphery of the line, for example. Sensor technology and convenient identification solutions are also a defining feature in the new products and solutions presented by the specialists for automatic identification and data capture (AIDC), concentrated this year in Hall 2. Smart labels whose data can be read and modified by stationary and mobile readers, and cloud apps with automated interfaces and features for direct printing: These are just a couple examples of how AIDC solutions cut down on walking distances and make life easier for warehouse workers.

“Ergonomics in intralogistics helps maintain worker health and prevent injuries and excess physical strain, ensuring the continuity and efficiency of intralogistics processes,” Ruchty concludes. “Exhibitors at LogiMAT 2024 are presenting a wide range of state-of-the-art solutions for ergonomically optimized workstations. Integrating this cutting-edge technology improves working conditions in the intralogistics industry, and this can enhance the image of logistics-related careers.”

LogiMAT ’24 Has Your Back

Posted on by David Priestman

Exhibitors from nearly every sector of the industry are coming to LogiMAT 2024 to present their latest products and solutions for ergonomically optimized intralogistics processes, healthy workplaces, and injury prevention. The spectrum ranges from modular workstation designs and systems to hoists not yet exhibited anywhere in the world, software-driven language-based picking processes with smart glasses, and new accessories and assistance systems for forklift operators. An Expert Forum taking place during LogiMAT presents tools and solutions for the ergonomic design of workstations and processes.

The intralogistics industry has not been spared the ravaging effects of demographic change and labor shortages. Some 100,000 logistics-related jobs in Germany alone remain unfilled. This makes ergonomics a topic of growing importance for businesses. Higher-quality workstations, improvements in how physical activities are performed, smart workstations designed with the help of digital technology, human-robot collaboration, and devices to ease the physical strain on workers: These are just some of the tools that can make workflows more efficient and the field of intralogistics more attractive. To cite just one example, a study published in late 2023 on the introduction of wearable exoskeletons found that they could reduce muscle strain in workers with the most strenuous jobs by up to 30 percent. Accuracy rose 27 percent, and speed was up 10 percent. Workplace safety improved while illness-related absences fell. “Ergonomics is an important element of intralogistics. Ergonomic workstations ensure the future of intralogistics and make it easier for the industry to compete for talent,” explains Exhibition Director Michael Ruchty from event organizer EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH in Munich. “LogiMAT, in its role as a barometer for intralogistics industry trends, is the primary platform for presenting the latest developments in this sphere. That’s why we’ve embraced this topic as one of the three areas of focus at this year’s event, as captured in our theme ‘SHAPING CHANGE TOGETHER: Sustainability – AI – Ergonomics.’”

Veronika Kretschmer, Senior Scientist for Assistance Systems and Human-Technology Interaction at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, highlights possible solutions for ergonomically realigning workstations and workflows in her Expert Forum in the East Entrance Atrium, taking place on the second day of LogiMAT 2024. The forum’s content is aligned with Fraunhofer IML’s “Social Networked Industry”—a vision for the workplace of tomorrow in which people and new technologies work together collaboratively in an atmosphere of safety and trust. The tools introduced to support this vision range from exoskeletons and pick-by systems providing cognitive support for pickers to AI-based analytics of movement data for the optimization of intralogistics processes.

Human-machine collaborative workstation

Exhibitors from every sector of the intralogistics industry are also coming to LogiMAT in Stuttgart, March 19–21, to showcase their latest innovations for reducing physical strain and ergonomically optimizing how workstations are designed and equipped. Systems integrators and industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers in Halls 1, 3, 5, and 7 will exhibit new products for the ergonomically optimized design of picking and sorting stations, such as those used in AutoStore systems. The theme greets visitors as soon as they arrive through the East Entrance with the design for a manual picking and packing workstation, presented in the live demonstration of an assembly line innovation that includes custom packing tables and a centralized robotics system that supplies material and removes empty containers.

Exhibitors in Halls 4 and 5 are presenting various new workstation systems for modern assembly, logistics, and warehouse operations. Optimized ergonomics, flexibility, functionality, and a customized modular concept are the hallmarks here. This makes it possible to easily adapt individual components such as shelves, holders, packing tables, and worktables to different body sizes and processes, and to implement upgrades and extensions or integrate new digital technologies at any time. The result is ergonomically efficient systems for logistics jobs with long-term viability. New automated packaging solutions offer customized packing processes that optimize the use of resources and reduce the number of tasks that still need to be performed manually.

The world’s first fully mobile manipulator

Hall 7 will give visitors the opportunity to test new products never yet exhibited anywhere in the world, innovative wire rope hoist and workstation crane systems, and new modular lifting devices for ergonomic, easy, effortless handling. The modular concept lets workers configure their mobile or stationary industrial lifting equipment to match their individual needs. The assistance systems for simplified manual load handling on display in Hall 7 will also include innovative new suction grippers for cardboard packaging and bags. Visitors should also keep an eye open for the world’s first fully mobile manipulator for handling cartons, crates, packages, and containers.

For the manufacturers of industrial trucks and attachments in Halls 9 and 10, ergonomics is focused primarily on providing a comfortable workstation for forklift operators and easy-to-use, multifunctional attachments. Visitors to LogiMAT can look forward to experiencing innovations in equipment and assistance systems. One example is the first-in-Europe live demo of a combination package for forklifts with both location- and event-related features designed to automatically identify and avoid any dangers to people, vehicles, or loads—for enhanced safety and a more comfortable ride. New concepts for improved human-machine interaction and machine learning in the use of autonomous devices will also be presented. A new eurobin tug on display in Hall 9 is an ergonomic lifting and transport solution that gives workers a powered boost in moving eurobins weighing up to 300 kg in an optimal, upright working position, significantly reducing physical strain.

Vision picking for the digital warehouse

Many of the software developers in Hall 8 are showcasing new features and applications in their systems that reflect the role IT solutions can play in the ergonomic planning and design of facility layouts and workflows. A vision picking solution featuring smart glasses illustrates how the integration of cutting-edge technology in ergonomically optimized workflows can support digital warehouse logistics.

Next door in Hall 6, visitors can experience the latest innovations for collaborative workflows in the human-machine interface with automated guided vehicle systems and all the latest robotic solutions: cobots, stationary industrial robots, mobile picking robots, and autonomous mobile robot transport systems. The focus here is on sensor-based safety and ergonomic workstation design at transfer points and the periphery of the line, for example. Sensor technology and convenient identification solutions are also a defining feature in the new products and solutions presented by the specialists for automatic identification and data capture (AIDC), concentrated this year in Hall 2. Smart labels whose data can be read and modified by stationary and mobile readers, and cloud apps with automated interfaces and features for direct printing: These are just a couple examples of how AIDC solutions cut down on walking distances and make life easier for warehouse workers.

“Ergonomics in intralogistics helps maintain worker health and prevent injuries and excess physical strain, ensuring the continuity and efficiency of intralogistics processes,” Ruchty concludes. “Exhibitors at LogiMAT 2024 are presenting a wide range of state-of-the-art solutions for ergonomically optimized workstations. Integrating this cutting-edge technology improves working conditions in the intralogistics industry, and this can enhance the image of logistics-related careers.”

Major Innovations from Itoh Denki

Posted on by David Priestman

Itoh Denki, a leading international specialist in motorised drive roller (MDR) based material handling technologies, is set for a busy first quarter of 2024, with major innovations to be displayed at two major international trade shows in March.

The company will be exhibiting at both SITL (stand J086) – short for ‘Salon International du Transport et de la Logistique’ – and LogiMAT, the leading international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management (stand 1K25). Both shows will welcome visitors from 19th to 21st March in Paris and Stuttgart respectively.

At each event, Itoh Denki will be showcasing major innovations which will bring new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility across a broad range of applications.

Among the new products on display will be M-RAT, a highly innovative new diverter and sorter module, developed in response to burgeoning demands from customers globally for systems which can cope with heavier products, especially in manufacturing or on assembly lines. Drawing on a similar acclaimed 24V DC powered design which form the heart of the company’s F-RAT compact 90° diverter and sorter module for the precise transferring of smaller loads, M-RAT will be able to handle individual loads of up to 250kg. This will provide greater flexibility for specifiers and designers needing to move heavier loads who have previously had to rely on heavily motorised or pneumatically powered systems which bring very specific challenges around commissioning, maintenance and safety.

Also on show will be a prototype of FNR, a new MDR-powered conveyor module which transfers loads via an innovative patented bed comprising plastic wheels. Offering a ready alternative to traditional belt conveyors and belt on roller conveyors when handling small items, FNR is a highly cost-efficient solution boasting supreme safety, near-silent operation and very low maintenance. A versatile solution for many applications, it notably offers a practical and cost-efficient solution for singulation of items for order preparation. The prototype on display will demonstrate how FNR can be used in a singulation application, conveying and separating small individual packets of sweets.

Tatsuya Akashi, President of Itoh Denki Europe, explained: “We have exhibited regularly at both SITL and LogiMAT in recent years, and every year, both events have proved highly valuable in reinforcing existing contacts and forging new partnerships. We’ll have knowledgeable colleagues from our expert European team on hand throughout both events to discuss customers’ application requirements and demonstrate our technical capabilities. We look forward to welcoming decision-makers and specifiers from across Europe and further afield to our stands.”

Major Innovations from Itoh Denki

Posted on by David Priestman

Itoh Denki, a leading international specialist in motorised drive roller (MDR) based material handling technologies, is set for a busy first quarter of 2024, with major innovations to be displayed at two major international trade shows in March.

The company will be exhibiting at both SITL (stand J086) – short for ‘Salon International du Transport et de la Logistique’ – and LogiMAT, the leading international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management (stand 1K25). Both shows will welcome visitors from 19th to 21st March in Paris and Stuttgart respectively.

At each event, Itoh Denki will be showcasing major innovations which will bring new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility across a broad range of applications.

Among the new products on display will be M-RAT, a highly innovative new diverter and sorter module, developed in response to burgeoning demands from customers globally for systems which can cope with heavier products, especially in manufacturing or on assembly lines. Drawing on a similar acclaimed 24V DC powered design which form the heart of the company’s F-RAT compact 90° diverter and sorter module for the precise transferring of smaller loads, M-RAT will be able to handle individual loads of up to 250kg. This will provide greater flexibility for specifiers and designers needing to move heavier loads who have previously had to rely on heavily motorised or pneumatically powered systems which bring very specific challenges around commissioning, maintenance and safety.

Also on show will be a prototype of FNR, a new MDR-powered conveyor module which transfers loads via an innovative patented bed comprising plastic wheels. Offering a ready alternative to traditional belt conveyors and belt on roller conveyors when handling small items, FNR is a highly cost-efficient solution boasting supreme safety, near-silent operation and very low maintenance. A versatile solution for many applications, it notably offers a practical and cost-efficient solution for singulation of items for order preparation. The prototype on display will demonstrate how FNR can be used in a singulation application, conveying and separating small individual packets of sweets.

Tatsuya Akashi, President of Itoh Denki Europe, explained: “We have exhibited regularly at both SITL and LogiMAT in recent years, and every year, both events have proved highly valuable in reinforcing existing contacts and forging new partnerships. We’ll have knowledgeable colleagues from our expert European team on hand throughout both events to discuss customers’ application requirements and demonstrate our technical capabilities. We look forward to welcoming decision-makers and specifiers from across Europe and further afield to our stands.”

Temperature-controlled Rail Transport between Europe and Asia

Posted on by David Priestman

The Swiss InterRail Group successfully carried out its first reefer container transports between Asia and Europe last year. This year, the transport company has added temperature-controlled rail transport to its regular range of services.

InterRail uses diesel-powered 45-foot pallet wide reefer containers on the route between Europe and Asia, which can cool or heat independently of the infrastructure on different modes of transport. The performance and internal temperature of the containers are monitored around the clock. Customers receive at least one detailed report per day with all relevant information about their goods.

The refrigerated containers each hold up to 33 euro-pallets, the use of which allows for good air circulation within the container. Temperature-controlled rail transport offers a number of advantages over other modes of transport: it reaches its destination faster than by sea, is cheaper than air freight, and no transshipment of goods is necessary along the route.

Successful deployment

In late summer last year, InterRail transported 13.5 tonnes of high-quality Swiss chocolate from the Basel region to Shanghai. The reefer was operated at a set point of 12°C and proved its worth even under extreme outside temperatures of up to 42°C. Another example of its successful use is the transport of miso ramen soups from Shanghai to Hamburg. The reefer container successfully protected the goods from the cold at a set point of 10 °C and a lowest outside temperature of -27 °C.

“Especially given the current situation in the Red Sea, our new product is an interesting option for certain sensitive/perishable goods that won’t stand the additional transit time caused by the alternative sea route via the Cape of Good Hope. In addition to the Europe – China route, we can also offer this service to and from Central Asia as well as within Europe,” says Stefaniea Klermund, Business Development Manager at InterRail Holding AG.

Temperature-controlled Rail Transport between Europe and Asia

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The Swiss InterRail Group successfully carried out its first reefer container transports between Asia and Europe last year. This year, the transport company has added temperature-controlled rail transport to its regular range of services.

InterRail uses diesel-powered 45-foot pallet wide reefer containers on the route between Europe and Asia, which can cool or heat independently of the infrastructure on different modes of transport. The performance and internal temperature of the containers are monitored around the clock. Customers receive at least one detailed report per day with all relevant information about their goods.

The refrigerated containers each hold up to 33 euro-pallets, the use of which allows for good air circulation within the container. Temperature-controlled rail transport offers a number of advantages over other modes of transport: it reaches its destination faster than by sea, is cheaper than air freight, and no transshipment of goods is necessary along the route.

Successful deployment

In late summer last year, InterRail transported 13.5 tonnes of high-quality Swiss chocolate from the Basel region to Shanghai. The reefer was operated at a set point of 12°C and proved its worth even under extreme outside temperatures of up to 42°C. Another example of its successful use is the transport of miso ramen soups from Shanghai to Hamburg. The reefer container successfully protected the goods from the cold at a set point of 10 °C and a lowest outside temperature of -27 °C.

“Especially given the current situation in the Red Sea, our new product is an interesting option for certain sensitive/perishable goods that won’t stand the additional transit time caused by the alternative sea route via the Cape of Good Hope. In addition to the Europe – China route, we can also offer this service to and from Central Asia as well as within Europe,” says Stefaniea Klermund, Business Development Manager at InterRail Holding AG.

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