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Category: Latest News

BEUMER Group wins Chairman’s Manufacturing Performance Award 2020

Posted on by Keith McKinley

With its AFR Systems (Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials) business unit, BEUMER Group supports cement producers in feeding calciners and main burners with alternative fuels and raw materials. The system provider develops complete solutions for efficient handling of different materials. The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has now named BEUMER Group as a winner of the renowned Chairman’s Manufacturing Performance Award 2020.

 The production of cement has always been one of the most energy-intensive operations. In order to avoid expensive primary fuels such as carbon, gas and oil, and to produce cement in a more economic and sustainable way, many factories have relied on alternative fuels for the incineration process in the calciner for several years. These include waste tyres, rubber chips, plastic or other oleaginous mineral materials as well as processed industry/household waste. With its AFR Systems business unit, BEUMER Group supports cement manufacturers with extensive know-how and customised systems. With this capability, it is able to supply and install the whole chain from acceptance and unloading of the delivery vehicle up to the storing, conveying and feeding process of the solid alternative fuels for the specific user. The customer receives everything from one source, thus having a unique contact. The system provider has now been honoured for this with the Chairman’s Manufacturing Performance Award 2020, presented by the Portland Cement Association (PCA), a leading organisation in the cement industry. “I am very honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of BEUMER Group,” said Brian Giese, BEUMER Corporation Director of Business Development, Conveying & Loading. “It demonstrates our commitment to support cement manufacturers in their efforts to make production greener and more sustainable.”

 

Founded in 1916, the PCA is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America’s cement manufacturers. The award recognises achievements in three areas, the development of innovative products, unique processes, and best-in class-practices, and was presented to three companies this year.

Demo video of the Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Logistics Business is staging an international, virtual exhibition for the logistics and materials handling industry in 2021. The Logistics Business Exhibition provides a platform for interaction between logistics, IT, transport and supply chain services, warehousing and materials handling manufacturing industries. The exhibition virtual marketplace enables visitors to source products online, request specific quotations, meet exhibitors on video calls & chats, networking, downloading documents and more.

The first event will be February 22-25th, with a second week in September 2021.

Watch the demo video here to see how it will work.

There will be 6 virtual halls: Forklift & AGV Technology, Handling Automation Systems, Packaging & Pallets, Software & Computing, Transport Services & Equipment, Warehousing Equipment. Visitors will be able to browse halls and search for specific requirements from a long list of sub-categories.

Live stream Panel Discussions each day will see an exchange of ideas across all technologies. Here is the draft schedule:

Monday 22nd: Distribution Centre Project Management; Supply Chain Software-as-a-service Thought Leadership; Loading Bay & Warehouse Safety

Tuesday 23rd: Automated & Robot Warehouse Vehicles; Packaging for eCommerce; Contract Logistics & Freight Management

Wednesday 24th: Forklift Technology Innovations; Sortation & Conveying Suppliers’ Forum; Storage System Projects

Thursday 25th: Transport Management IT Platform Decisions; Wearable Devices and Data Capture in Logistics; Pallets & Containers for Green Supply Chains

New Automated Distribution Centre to Consolidate Supply Chain

Posted on by David Priestman

RM Educational Resources Limited (RM Resources) has announced it will consolidate its supply chain. It has selected provider of warehouse automation and software company Swisslog to build a new automated distribution centre.

RM Resources is a provider of education resources for early years, primary schools and secondary schools. The business has selected Swisslog’s Tornado miniload cranes to power its new build warehouse in The East Midlands.

Together with Swisslog and the storage density of its system, RM Resources will be able to consolidate its supply chain and warehouse operations in the UK, which is currently spread across four different sites.  As part of the KUKA Group, Swisslog covers the entire automation value chain with robotic and data-driven automated solutions for forward thinking businesses. Swisslog UK’s Head of Sales, Shane Faulkner, says: “This project merges four warehouse operations together, while simultaneously allowing sufficient space for RM Resources to expand in the future.”

Transportation throughout the solution will be facilitated by Swisslog’s QuickMove conveyor. Goods will be conveyed to the Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS), provided by a seven aisle Swisslog Tornado miniload solution. The ASRS will store cartons or totes double deep providing dense but rapidly accessible storage.

Automation that provides single touchpoint fulfilment

 The Tornado solution will feed ergonomic goods-to-person stations, each allowing up to six open orders to be picked at a time – facilitating an increased hit rate, improved order fulfilment time, and reduced throughput requirement in the system. With a single level pick-to layout, each goods-to-person station will benefit from one-touch fulfilment, enabling RM Resources to dramatically shorten lead times.

“Using the one-touch fulfilment concept, only one manual touch is required per order,” says Shane Faulkner. “It is becoming more and more commonplace in the market, particularly for e-commerce due to the speed and efficiency it provides in delivering to the end customer.”

Swisslog SynQ software will provide all the necessary WCS functionality, while also integrating with RM Resources’ WMS & ERP systems. SynQ will deliver greater stock accuracy, as well as increased visibility of order progress. It will also provide RM Resources operators with the ability to pick from available new stock immediately as it enters the warehouse.

Monique Louis, Managing Director at RM Resources says: “We are delighted to be progressing with our plans to consolidate our warehouse portfolio, which will deliver a number of efficiencies across the business as we move to one automated site.  We chose Swisslog because of their proven technology, and the quality of their engagement and look forward to working closely with them in the future.

Swisslog’s work on the site in East Midlands will commence in March 2021 and is due to complete at the start of 2022, to allow RM Resources to work on the curriculum line before the following school year.

Swisslog also recently completed a new distribution centre for a German retail pharmacy chain.

During a Boom in e-commerce, Logistics Counts

Posted on by David Priestman

The logistics domain has become increasingly strategic in recent years. In 2020, global markets dramatically accelerated their shift towards e-commerce in order to adapt to the changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This has meant that the quality of a company’s logistics infrastructure has become a determining factor in its survival in the international marketplace, which requires firms to manage higher volumes of product, with greater accuracy, in less time and at lower cost.

Leonardo, a multinational technology company, is one of the leading global players in the aerospace, defence and security sector. Less well known however is that the company has also provided logistics systems and services for more than 40 years, predominantly as the designer and manufacturer of postal and airport automation systems which manage and sort post and baggage.

The Multisort 500, expressly designed for e-commerce market, is a flexible cross-belt parcel sorting system which can handle a wide range of small-to-medium-sized items, including those which are fragile or very thin. Driven by Linear Asynchronous Motors (LASM), the sorting machine’s propulsion system does not require physical contact, reducing wear and the need for maintenance. The continuous propulsion also reduces vibration and mechanical stress.

The Multisort 500’s control system continuously monitors the position and operational status of each individual sorting unit, allowing it to send accurate commands to each cell’s belts at every stage of operation. With this high level of control, parcels of many different shapes and sizes can be carefully handled as they are loaded, transported and unloaded.

The innovative and modular engineering solutions of the Multisort 500 also delivers significant energy savings, with the speed of the system able to be adjusted to accommodate lower levels of throughput. Meanwhile, the high reliability of the system, due in part to its no-friction propulsion system, means that fewer maintenance interventions are required, also cutting costs.

As a systems integrator, Leonardo can tailor its solutions to the specific operational requirements of customers. The Company can supply a range of products and services from automated parcel handling and sorting systems to integrated logistics management IT platforms, including customised after-sales services.

Up to 20% of Ex-Forklifts Potentially Unsafe

Posted on by David Priestman

Up to 20% of explosion protected lift trucks (ex-forklifts) in operation may not pass an Annual Safety Audit, reveals Pyroban.

“When a lift truck leaves our facility, we can be confident that its safety systems are working as they should to help prevent ignition in a potentially explosive atmosphere,” explains Darren Boiling, Materials Handling Sales Manager for Pyroban. “However, it’s important to check that it stays that way, particularly after a few years’ of heavy use.”

“The Annual Safety Audit, known as an Ex-ASA, is recommended to thoroughly inspect all safety critical components and systems of Ex-forklifts,” Darren continues. “During these inspections, we see around 20% of trucks present issues that could pose real and immediate dangers.”

Among the most common reasons for failing a Pyroban Ex-ASA are issues with fork cladding and earth straps, worn tyres, DC motor insulation resistance, poorly maintained batteries and even seat cushion wear. Badly maintained or worn “D” shut-off valves are also a common reason for Ex-ASA failure on diesel forklifts.

On occasion, Pyroban’s audits have found serious problems where the motors have been repaired or altered by unqualified engineers with no experience of explosion protection. This compromises the integrity of the whole safety system and could render elements of it completely useless.

“An unqualified person making any change to an explosion protected truck could prove disastrous, so it’s important that only correctly trained CompEx engineers work on Pyroban converted lift trucks,” says Darren. “That said, any of the issues highlighted – from worn seats to battery issues – could potentially result in a horror story. Keeping up with preventative maintenance is an ideal way to avoid danger and make sure systems function correctly,” he continues. “But ensuring that equipment is regularly audited for safety provides extra reassurance and should be a priority for any operation with trucks operating in ATEX Zone 1, 2, 21 or 22 areas.”

Who is speaking? Warehouse Voice Software Knows

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Wherever you have lots of order pickers working side by side in the warehouse, voice software can incorrectly recognizes commands. EPG (Ehrhardt + Partner Group) has incorporated machine learning into its latest release. The system reacts to the volume of the input signal coming from the speaker and automatically ignores it if there’s a significant deviation. This ensures that the system only listens to the actual user, avoiding incorrect commands from other people speaking. In addition, Lydia® Voice now also features a voice-activated client event reporting function for simplified error analysis during voice application. The new release is available on the latest operating systems, including Android 10.

And even when used with headsets featuring microphones that don’t offer optimum noise-cancelling capabilities, the new Lydia® Voice release is able to leverage its strengths, with Lydia® now even better at differentiating between the actual user and other people who are talking nearby. The integrated machine learning technology reacts to the volume of the input signal. When there is a significant deviation in input volume, the system can tell whether it’s the actual user talking or somebody else. And if it is somebody else, the system automatically disregards what they’ve said. This helps to avoid incorrect commands and ensure the actual worker can go about his or her duties without
interruption.

Improved error analysis

In the event of something unexpected happening in warehouse operations, such as network problems or challenges with voice input and output, the new release allows the user to actively generate log files by voice command via the client event reporting feature. This puts a marker in the system that is easy to find, enabling each
documented incident to be analysed and evaluated swiftly. Incidents can therefore be rectified as soon as they occur, saving a great deal of time, and can also be assigned to error categories as part of the process.

The new Lydia® release is available on the latest versions of major operating  systems, including Android 10. This also means maximum flexibility when it comes to choosing hardware.

Logistics Business reported recently on Lydia® VoiceWear®, which offers increased mobility while picking. Click here for more.

Unlocking the Value of Gender Equality in Supply Chains

Posted on by Keith McKinley

In 2020, gender diversity is more than just a buzzword. It can be found on almost all corporate and government agendas and gender parity is seen as a hallmark of progress for modern operations. While there’s no doubt progress is being made – 33% of board members in FTSE100 companies are now made up of women – women-led businesses remain significantly underrepresented across global supply chains.

This is a loss for more than just slogans or quotas. A gender diverse supply chain impacts profits as much as it does partiality and global leaders must be more proactive if they are to reap its commercial benefits. So, where do things currently stand?

Supply chain diversity today

An estimated 35% of firms worldwide are owned or run by female entrepreneurs.[1] In the US, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 21% between 2014 and 2019, outpacing the overall growth of businesses by 11%[2]. This said, women-owned businesses account for less than 1% of global and corporate supply chains.

This is discouraging and yet organisations are increasingly waking up to the issue. A recent study by the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in partnership with Kearney revealed that 35% of firms across a range of industries surveyed in Europe and North America have a supplier diversity programme, and a further 18% intend to develop one within the next three years. Progress, yes, but not nearly enough. As this stands almost half of those surveyed would not have a programme in operation by 2022 of which some may take many years to start having a tangible impact. To accelerate the pace of change, the case for taking action must be made clearer.

Extending beyond CSR

The business case for diversifying supply chains is strong, but the benefits are not always realised, even by those who have been implementing programmes. At present, the primary drivers of supplier diversity are meeting CSR commitments (59%) and ‘doing the right thing’ (45%). Innovation and cost benefits feature lower on the list, but there’s no reason this should be the case.

More than one third of companies who diversify their suppliers report a positive impact on profitability, according to a report by UN Women. A further study by the benchmarking firm Hackett Group found that, on average, supplier diversity programs can add $3.6 million to the bottom line for every $1 million in procurement operation costs. Why is this the case? There are many reasons but broadly speaking, it’s quite often the case that big doesn’t always mean cheaper. Smaller businesses, which are more likely to be women-owned, can offer greater cost savings and more innovative products.

The lack of a truly competitive market means established suppliers won’t be in any rush to innovate or their scale acts as a structural constraint to change. However, if decision makers start recognising smaller but nimbler challengers – who can offer more creative solutions – in the bidding process, the market itself would grow and innovate quicker. Diversity of background brings diversity of perspectives, which can be vital to transforming male-dominated sectors like manufacturing – where only 29% of companies have supply chain diversity programmes.

Unlocking its value

With over half of organisations reporting difficulty in identifying suppliers who meet the requirements of their programme, it’s clear that gender-diverse businesses must have greater visibility. In the modern world, visibility means data. One way to amplify data is by employing technology that can put it to good use. For example, digital assessment tools are one way of benchmarking a firm’s room for improvement by enabling them to target specific areas and open opportunities for more diverse suppliers.

Of course, visibility works both ways which is why collaboration and commitment is key to unlocking the value of diverse supply chains. This starts with initiatives such as increasing the number of women at board level, to actively supporting the growth and development of suppliers with potential who might not be able to meet requirements yet.

Driving real change means developing strategies that tackle the root cause of inequalities in the supply chain and building from there. It is an industry wide effort that begins with leaders acknowledging it is the right thing to do, but then recognising that it is also so much more than that and committing to tangible actions to accelerate change.

Unlocking the Value of Gender equality in Supply Chains is Authored by Imran Dassu, Senior Partner at Kearney  and written exclusively for Logistics Business Magazine

[1] World Bank. (2018). World Development Indicators: Women and Development. World Bank World View.

[2] American Express, 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report

What does the Logistics World of the Future look like?

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Let a futurist explain, reports Paul Hamblin. Transport management and visibility specialist Transporeon recently staged an online conference which very neatly replicated the format of the real-world version with a quirky navigation that allowed attendees to enter different rooms in a faithfully reproduced virtual ‘venue’.

Top of the bill was Richard van Hooijdonk, a trend watcher and futurist (“trend watchers explain, futurists predict” he reveals) from the Netherlands, with a 100kph patter and an undeniably hypnotic watchability. Richard grabbed attendees from the off by revealing he has had an RFID chip inserted into his wrist and hopes to have another in his brain in due course. (“They’re like tattoos – once you have one, you want another,” he announces). You’ll never need your wallet again, he promises. I’m not convinced. Not yet, anyway.

He began his presentation on the future of transport, logistics and supply chains by listing the dramatic changes wrought by COVID, such as shorter supply chains and the increasing reliance on digital innovation. If a digital product is good and can answer a need, it will grow fast, he said, giving the example of Zoom, which had 10 million users in 2019, but can boast over 300 million at the time of going to press.

The Dutchman’s key point is that all repetitive, predictable tasks will be taken over by machines and that transport will be at the heart of this revolution. Now that autonomous systems can be trained to replicate human movements, they can carry them out, essentially without the downside. The downside being that we humans are emotional and make decisions, which leads to car accidents. Van Hooijdonk confidently predicts a world in which autonomous vehicles – cars, lorries, buses – will interweave painlessly on highways powered by induction-charging from the road
itself. Smart containers will be able to switch between lorries without manual support, while self-sailing ships – he shows the example of an existing Rolls- Royce design – will in future operate
in a world without harbours as smaller autonomous vessels and drones pick up directly from those huge ships well away from ports. The same concept will apply in Distribution Centres on land.

The future of logistics transport is underground, he promises, showing delegates a vision of city-to-city hyperloop tunnels. You don’t have to look too far to find cynics concerning the actual
opportunity provided by blockchain technology, but van Hooijdonk is not among them, pointing out how Wal-Mart and IBM have trialled the complete supply chain transparency of mango fruit using blockchain technology. Every successful transport company will become a technology company, he promises. Data is the oil of technology, it joins up the dots.

Shorter supply chains are here to stay, he believes, as manufacturing migrates to the warehouse itself with the tech provided by Additive Manufacturing. In evidence he cites BMW and Mercedes already using 3D printing to produce car parts, while he offers images from the US of concrete-framed houses already built in under 24 hours and with ambitions to cut that time to six hours.
Business as usual is a thing of the past, he tells us. Change is the only constant factor and established processes prevent change. So why are businesses not more willing to change? Three reasons, he says.

First, uncertainty, which no-one likes, proven in spades by the past six months. Second, faith in existing business models because the numbers are still good. After all, he points out wryly, Kodak’s numbers were great in 2010. Five years later they were gone forever. We like expected behaviour, he argues, and that keeps us stuck in the past. “Only the paranoid survive,” said Andy Grove, founder of Intel. That means you’ve got to be able to unlearn, as Amazon shows how an entire sector can be disrupted. The answer, according to the futurist? Every company will have to part of an ecosystem. You can’t do it alone. Read the whole article here.

New Rugged Tablet for Harsh Environments

Posted on by David Priestman

A new powerful, fully rugged tablet has been specially developed to meet the requirements of transport and logistics. Innovative manufacturer of industrial IT and communication solutions, WEROCK Technologies GmbH, has announced the release of the Rocktab L110.

Whether in warehouses and logistics or in retail and gastronomy – user-friendly, powerful and flexibly deployable mobile computers are the prerequisite for smooth processes. With the release of the L110, the manufacturer is expanding its range to include a 10″ tablet for adverse working environments for precisely these requirements.

The tablet offers the possibility to use both a barcode scanner and an RFID reader simultaneously. The scan module scans all common 1D and 2D barcodes at high speed, while the RFID module can be used with a range of up to 3 meters. Active and passive vehicle mountings are available for the use of the tablet on vehicles.

Designed for maximum robustness, the Rocktab L110 can withstand even the most adverse environmental conditions. The MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certified tablet can be used reliably in ambient temperatures from -20°C to +60°C and can withstand falls from a height of up to 1.20 metres.

“More and more tablets are being used in industry and logistics, but they are often not designed for outdoor use and harsh environments,” says Markus Nicoleit, managing director of WEROCK. “The Rocktab L110 is ready for all requirements thanks to its convenient logistics functions and a bright display that can be read under sunlight,” Nicoleit continues.

Like all of the company’s products, the tablet’s carbon footprint, which is inevitably created during production and transport, is fully offset through WWF Gold Standard climate projects.

The Rocktab L110 is available immediately and can be purchased directly or through distribution partners. To expand the distribution network, interested system houses can contact WEROCK for partner registration. WEROCK offers its partners an exclusive premium service covering the entire range of services as well as competitive conditions. In addition to the L110, the company presented the Rocktab X550, a fully rugged notebook, in November.

CEVA Logistics wins Contract with Pernod Ricard in Thailand

Posted on by David Priestman

CEVA Logistics has won a major, five year contract with Pernod Ricard to provide the drinks manufacturer with warehousing and distribution support in South East Asia. Pernod Ricard is one of the world’s leading alcoholic beverages producers and within this new contract, CEVA Logistics’ extensive scope of work in Thailand will include Customs Brokerage and import haulage, a combination of standard duty paid and bonded warehouse management and domestic transportation alongside a range of value-added services including tax stamping, warning label, gift box and repacking. The operation will manage an annual throughput of 19 million bottles of liquor and spirit across 26 different brands of liquor, champagne and wines.

Pernod Ricard has been operating in Thailand for over 20 years. In January 2020, Pernod Ricard Thailand issued a competitive tender with the objective of uplifting the storage quality and service standard, in which CEVA Logistics was the successful bidder. This win further extends CEVA Logistics’ existing contract with the company in the Philippines and paves the way for future collaboration in other SEAPAC countries.

CEVA Logistics’s winning offer is based on the conversion of an existing CEVA Logistics multi-user site at Bangna-Bangkok, into a 7,600 m2 facility completely dedicated to Pernod Ricard. This high quality, Good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliant site featuring air conditioning will gather both a duty paid, and a bonded warehouse “under one roof”. Pernod Ricard trusted CEVA Logistics to deliver a seamless solution as a leading logistics provider part of the CMA CGM Group, and because of its existing collaboration with the company for Custom Brokerage and last mile delivery.

The go live was seamless, largely credited to a strong team and disciplined execution of CEVA Logistics’ well-respected zero defect start-up (ZDS) methodology. ZDS is a process that relies both on best practices and accurate planning for error-free contract start-up, with clear pre-agreed targets between the customer and CEVA Logistics.

Elaine Low, CEVA Logistics’ Regional Managing Director South East Asia & Pacific Region,says : “We are delighted to be working with Pernod Ricard and providing them with our warehousing, distribution and delivery services across Thailand as they expand their global business. Our experienced team has created a robust solution which is both compliant and scalable and will ensure reliable, value-added services and delivery across their range of famous brands”.

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