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Category: Latest News

The Beauty of a Reliable Order Picking System

Posted on by Keith McKinley

With e-commerce on the rise, customers are looking for their orders to be delivered quickly, often by the next day. A reliable order picking system is therefore vital.

Online beauty products company flaconi in Germany is using Wanzl’s KT3 order picking trolleys at their 10,000 sqm warehouse in Berlin.

“We put our all into offering our customers a complete beauty experience with a high level of service quality,” says Steffen Christ, member of the flaconi management team and COO of Logistics. “In addition to our broad product portfolio, we set the highest standards with an optimal supply chain, simple order processing and fast dispatch. In our warehouse we work according to the ‘man to goods’ principle, and therefore have high demands of our order picking trolleys when it comes to day-to-day operations. That’s why we opted for Wanzl’s KT3 model.”

flaconi has a total of 100 trolleys, provided by the industry expert, in use every day for both storage and picking. The goods are stored securely on shelves that are metres high with lots of organised activity going on around – not a problem for the easily manoeuvrable trolleys from Wanzl. Two order picking trolleys need to fit next to each other in the narrow aisles when goods are being deposited or picked. In addition to high weight-bearing capacity, flexibility is also essential. Trips around the warehouse are long because the 720 brands and 45,000 products occupy a lot of space.

“A total of 150 employees work here and the trolleys are with them all the time,” Steffen Christ reports. “We’re impressed with the KT3 in use not only because of its load capacity of up to 300 kg, but mainly because it’s so manoeuvrable thanks to the additional fifth wheel and lightweight design. The separately mounted ladder also means our employees can reach the higher shelves.”

The product range stocked by flaconi in Berlin is both extensive and varied – from natural cosmetics and luxury products to the traditional Nivea cream. Tubes, glass bottles and all kinds of fragile jars find their way into the trolley’s baskets and compartments. And the trolley needs to be equipped for these various products. Its system design has allowed the KT3 to be adapted to the special wishes of the beauty pioneer. “To transport our goods efficiently, Wanzl came up with a custom configuration of the KT3 just for us. Along with the fifth wheel and ladder, all the trolleys have an additional pair of handles so they can be pushed comfortably along the aisles. We’ve also fitted the model for storing goods with a lattice back panel and four hook-in shelves, whereas we selected six hook-in shelves for the model used for picking,” Steffen Christ explains.

We first needed to work closely with flaconi in order to then develop a solution that was optimally tailored to its needs. As a holistic solutions provider, Wanzl attaches particular importance to support and providing an all-round service – a claim that the industry expert also shares with flaconi. Satisfied with the service, Steffen Christ summarises the collaboration: “It soon became clear which features we need the KT3 to have to meet our many demands. We greatly appreciate this solution-orientated way of working and the excellent communication. It made working with Wanzl a very pleasant experience.”

 

Intralogistics Provider STILL announced Reforestation Project

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Hamburg-based intralogistics provider STILL has announced it supports the reforestation project PLANT-MY-TREE. This month, the first of a total of 1,000 trees were planted in the reforestation area in Hohenaspe near Itzehoe in Germany. There, on the “STILL woodland”, they will grow in peace for at least 100 years and compensate for harmful emissions.

Environmental protection is currently one of the most important issues in the logistics industry and the subject of lively discussion in the industry. The Hamburg-based STILL GmbH turns words into deeds and actively participates in the PLANT-MY-TREE project, which contributes to CO2 compensation with nationwide reforestation campaigns.

“We wanted to do our part regarding the extremely important topic of sustainability and were looking for appropriate opportunities,” reports Michael Quest, Head of the STILL Branch Hanover/Bielefeld, on how the participation in the project came about. Sven Budelmann, his Sales Manager, brought up the reforestation activities of the PLANT-MY-TREE initiative. “We were immediately inspired by this idea, and the decision to sponsor 1,000 trees quickly matured,” says Michael Quest, adding: “In my opinion, the preservation of an intact environment is the basis of the existence of all of us. Accordingly, we feel an obligation to use natural resources responsibly. This is a principle that STILL already observes when developing new products by considering their impact on the environment at an early stage”.

Spread the word

However, there is more to it: the customers of the main branch in Hanover/Bielefeld are to have a share in the environmental protection campaign. “Customers who ordered new electric forklift trucks from us and shut down their IC engine-powered forklifts in return received personalised tree certificates as a small thank-you. These certificates can be displayed prominently at their company premises and thus underline their environmentally conscious attitude and actions,” explains Sven Budelmann. The STILL Branch Manager and his Sales Manager plan to give away further tree certificates during the upcoming Christmas season to those customers who remained loyal to them in recent months during the Covid-19 crisis.

His attitude towards ecology also prevented Michael Quest from personally participating in today’s tree planting campaign in Hohenaspe. Quest: “Of course, we would all have loved to have been there and taken a look at the site where our 1,000 trees will now stand watch for at least 100 years. But for this we would have had to travel several hours to get there. This, however, is anything but ecological and contradicts our attitude towards climate protection”. For this reason, Mikinari Oki, Head of the Hamburg/Bremen Branch, and Andre Jacques, Regional Service Manager, were on site as official representatives of STILL GmbH during the tree planting campaign in Schleswig-Holstein.

STILL celebrated it’s 100th birthday this year.

AR Racking kits out Cold Warehouse with Storage System

Posted on by David Priestman

AR Racking has fitted a new cold warehouse with a storage system in France for AUTTA. AUTAA corporation specialises in industrial services for lifting and transporting heavy loads, transportation of production tools, stock management and storage.

With a history that dates back to 1964, AUTAA is one of the most widely present organisations in the heavy industrial loading services and management sector in France. The company has a 5,000 m2 warehouse in Artix (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France), where it is based. The cold storage warehouse, will help improve AUTAA’s storage asystem and performance as a goods management and logistics warehousing specialist.

“Versatility defines us as a company, so we wanted a warehouse that would allow us to offer an even more complete service. AR Racking’s systems ensure we have immediate access to goods and high-density compact storage, while the logistics capacity has been strengthened qualitatively and quantitatively”, said Hervé Dupey, Logistics Manager of the AUTAA Group.

The new warehouse has 4 areas, three of which for cold storage with a positive temperature (between 0°C and 10°C). AR Racking has installed adjustable pallet racking systems both in the dry area of zone 1 and in zone 3 designed for cold storage, resulting in 2,132 europallets (800 mm x 1200 mm) and 1,128 positions respectively. The two remaining zones, which are also cold stores, have been fitted with pallet shuttle solutions: each with a capacity for 1,736 and 1,128 industrial pallets. In total, around 6,100 new positions.

“Areas with racking for the pallet shuttle have been designed for pallets of both 800 mm and 1000 mm deep, enabling two different types of loading management”, explained Christophe Braquehais (Key Accounts Manager at AR Racking France).

Adour Manutention, strategic distributor at AR Racking, has been assigned with supplying the shuttle for its long-term rental and will be responsible for the maintenance of the shuttle services on site.

AR Racking fitted out a new warehouse in Valencia a couple of months ago for a power electronics company.

 

Mansfields go Green with Lithium Ion Batteries for Machine Fleet

Posted on by David Priestman

Hiremech has completed the delivery of 15 new Hyster machines, fitted with Lithium Ion batteries, to Mansfields.

The new fleet is a mix of four wheel forklifts and platform pallet trucks, which will be used to boost productivity at Mansfields’ 20+ farms across the South East region of the UK.

Mansfields have been in the fruit business for many generations and are currently one of the largest fruit growing, storage and packing operations in the UK.

Mansfields have now completed rolling out state of the art production across all its facilities. Alongside innovating its production, the company has rolled out a carbon zero scheme and an environmental strategy to match and these new machines will help achieve greater levels of performance and efficiency. The Lithium Ion batteries mean operators can use the machines for longer, whilst also making significant energy savings and helping to reduce their environmental impact. This technology also allows for opportunity charging, which is ideal for busy shift patterns that need to keep working.

This investment in brand-new Lithium Ion equipment shows their clear commitment to sustainability and understanding of their carbon footprint responsibility.

Lee Port, Head of Operations at Mansfields, commented: “Advancements in farming technology continue apace, which is why Mansfields are constantly looking ahead to plan for future investments that will continue to keep them sustainable and ahead of the competition, and indeed continuing its legacy of innovation dating right back to its beginnings”

Paul Green, Hiremech’s Managing Director, commented “We are delighted to have completed this latest delivery of Hyster equipment to Mansfields.

“From our initial conversations, they made it clear that any new equipment would need to be energy efficient. We were quickly able to present a suitable solution of Hyster trucks fitted with Lithium Ion batteries.

“The team at Mansfields were impressed with the energy savings, performance and opportunity charging that this offered and following agreement of the deal earlier in 2020, the equipment has arrived on-time, on-site and ready to go.

“We look forward to working closely with Mansfields and supporting their equipment requirements as their business continues to grow.”

For more news on Lithium Ion batteries being used to make energy savings, sign-up to our news here

PlayStation 5 Supply Problems – ‘Size does Matter’ According to Supply Chain Expert

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Commenting on issues with the PlayStation 5 supply problems, Professor Richard Wilding OBE, Professor of Supply Chain Strategy at Cranfield School of Management, said: “Size does matter. The bigger the item the more logistics capacity is consumed. A large item such as a games console consumes more space and logistics providers need to understand the size of items to optimise logistics.      

“In logistics, we talk about ‘cube’. The smaller the ‘cube’ the more items can be packed on a pallet and loaded onto a vehicle.If the item has a large ‘cube’ less items can be carried. For example, if you can get only one item on a lorry then all the capacity of the vehicle is consumed, all the costs of running that lorry and all the CO2 generated are assigned to that one item.However if one thousand items are loaded on a lorry then it consumes 1:1000th of the capacity and all the costs and CO2 are divided by 1000.   

“Making products logistics and supply chain friendly is increasingly critical and linked to this is the science of packaging which impacts both profitability and the environment. For example, Apple has just shrunk the box on the new iPhone 12 to both improve logistics and help the environment. 

“Controversially plastic should not be seen as an evil in all situations, plastic packaging can be better for the environment than using paper and cardboard, for the same level of protection the plastic package may have a smaller “cube” and reduced weight so more items can be placed in containers and on lorries without damage, which therefore reduces the amount of pollution and resources consumed through logistics. These are just many complex trade-offs both consumers and companies need to consider.”

 

Panel Discussions Schedule Released for Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition

Posted on by Keith McKinley

At the Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition next year visitors and exhibitors will have a chance to engage in a series of live panel discussions.

The new virtual exhibition for the logistics and materials handling industry will be February 22nd – 25th.

This new digital show 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.

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.

If you are interested in participating in any of the panel discussions you can email sh**@***************ss.com

To register as a visitor click here

For more information about the show click here

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 & Palletizing for Green Supply Chains

 

Improve ladder safety with Laddertag from Scafftag

Posted on by Keith McKinley

In order to improve ladder safety, Laddertag is the original and industry leading status tagging system for ladders. Laddertag is a robust and highly visible system, instantly showing the ladder is in date for it’s thorough examination, the ladder’s inspection period and a guide to the pre-use and in-use visual inspections to be carried out by the operative.  This clear system has been adopted by thousands of leading ISO 9000 companies. A complete range of ladder inspection systems are available to control your ladder safety, inspections, maintenance and identification. Shop for Laddertag now

Scafftag helps companies stay compliant and up to date with latest Standards. The Ladder Inspection Guide Poster notes the do’s don’ts and best practice, while the Yellow Book offers the ‘ladder management’ element. Guidance, Risk Assessment, Ladder Register and Inspection Report – total compliance in it’s simplest form.

Ladder Inspection Guide Poster

This is a A2 wall sheet designed to help with ladder safety, which has been updated to align with BS EN 131. Ladder Inspection Guide Poster details key components, user’s do’s and don’ts and legislation requirements.

The Yellow Book Ladder Inspection Records

The Yellow Book from Scafftag is the must have ladder accessory!  Make maintaining safety of your ladders simple and compliant. Combining all the elements required to manage your ladders (steps, fixed, pole and hop-ups) in one protective binder.

It contains legislative and risk assessment guidance, ladder register, inspection reports and fault notifications.

Scafftag’s Yellow Book helps you to comply with legislative requirements and good practices of:

Conducting a risk assessment

Inspecting and maintaining equipment at suitable periods as deemed appropriate by a risk assessment

Maintaining a record of all timed, written inspections

Maintaining the important Ladder Register

Ensuring the life-cycle of the ladder is documented

Refills of ladder inspection reports, notification of fault reports and ladder registers are also available for. Several numerical combinations of holders and inserts are now available to accommodate all requirements – from just 1 ladder upwards (for management of multiple ladders, consider Safetrak – the electronic management system.  Streamlining reporting and minimizing paperwork)!

Are you looking for simplicity and compliance?  Choose one of Scafftag’s Ladder Inspection Kits. Ladder management kits from Scafftag offer a convenient solution for ladder inspection including Laddertags, a handy pocket guide and the step by step ladder management system.

You can find all useful tools for your Ladder Safety compliance at one place. Directly from the world class producer and made in UK!

 

Check them out or buy them right away >>

 

Vertical Edge Protection for Bundled Products

Posted on by David Priestman

The Mosca EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H by Mosca is high-end strapping machine. It is now available with a vertical edge protection applicator – which makes it ideal for users who need to secure sensitive products, plastic crates, or other stacked goods. The edge protection system automatically attaches four cardboard edge protectors to the product to be secured. This not only protects the edges during transport, it also joins products stacked in layers to form a bundle – offering an eco-friendly alternative to stretch wrapping. Different edge protector sizes and large buffers offer companies maximum flexibility for different products and high throughput.

Introduced in 2017, the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H was the first horizontal strapping machine to feature Mosca’s ultrasonic technology. This high-speed unit uses mechanical vibrations instead of heat to weld strap ends and ensure a secure seal – especially on bulky furniture or kitchen appliances. The edge protection feeder applies edge protectors made of recyclable cardboard and thus extends the scope of EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H applications to other industries. Mosca GmbH CEO Timo Mosca explains: “Companies in the food and beverage industry are looking for eco-friendly alternatives when it comes to securing goods for transport. An edge protection applicator offers significant potential for users who, for instance, need to secure plastic crates stacked on top of each other. In the past, this was done with stretch wrapping machines.” Cardboard edge protectors offer a material-saving alternative to stretch wrapping, which requires a relatively large amount of plastic film to create a bundle. They are also suitable for sensitive products, such as fruit and vegetables packed in crates that cannot be wrapped in plastic. The new machine feature is also available to customers who already use an EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H in their production line. “We can easily upgrade existing machines with the edge protection applicator,” says Timo Mosca.

Fully automated strapping

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H is specially designed for use in fully automated production lines. That’s why the edge protection system is also fully automatic. Four photoelectric sensors detect the edges of a product placed on the machine. The edge protection applicator then guides cardboard angles to all four edges in parallel and gently places them on the product. To optimally secure the bundle, the machine uses its movable strap guide frame to strap the product and the edge protectors horizontally at multiple positions. Using Mosca or OEM conveyor technology, the product is then forwarded for vertical strapping or direct transport. The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H can double strap up to 150 bundles per hour.

Large edge protection magazine for maximum flexibility

The EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H has been reliably strapping products in different sizes since its introduction in 2017. Reliability was also a key focus in the development of the edge protection system. Its magazine can be filled with cardboard angles in three different formats to accommodate edge protectors ranging from 600 to 2400 mm in length with a side length of 40×40 to 60×60 mm and a material thickness of 2-6 mm. This enables users to flexibly choose the edge protectors that best match their products and requirements while avoiding unnecessary material expenditure. Each of the twelve edge protector buffers holds up to 55 edge protectors with a thickness of three millimetres. This ensures maximum machine availability even at high throughput rates.

Additional applications for pallet strapping machines

In addition to the application for the EVOLUTION SoniXs MS-6 H, Mosca will soon offer the newly developed edge protection system for other horizontal strapping machines, including the KOV-315 and its variants: KOB-315 and KOH-315. These fully automatic pallet strapping machines are commonly used in the construction industry as well as for bulky items. The edge protectors can be used to bundle bricks and other stacked products. Thanks to the machine’s extremely high strap tension, heavy goods can be reliably secured for safe transport. For sensitive products, such as freshly produced aerated concrete (Ytong) bricks, the cardboard angles protect the delicate product edges from transport damage.

IDS Launches New Camera Family for Industrial Applications

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The new uEye XLE camera family from IDS (pictured) has been developed for high-volume and price-sensitive projects, ideal for industrial applications.

Affordable, compact and powerful

Thanks to their space-saving design, practical USB3 interface and support of the USB3 Vision
Standard, the industrial cameras can be easily integrated into any machine vision system. Customers can
choose between single-board cameras with or without C-/CS-mount or S-mount as well as variants with
coated plastic housing. The first models will be equipped with the light-sensitive 5 MP sensor ON Semiconductor AR0521.

There are almost no limits to the possible applications of the new camera family. “It will prove its worth in small appliance construction, measurement technology, transport and even agricultural applications,” explains Jürgen Hejna, Product Manager at IDS. The cameras also show their strengths in classic industrial applications such as surface inspection. Thanks to their compact dimensions, the models fit into the smallest of spaces, for example as embedded vision solutions. The price-optimised design makes the cameras particularly interesting for applications where costs are the main concern. Therefore, the company also offers a large number of inexpensive lenses for the cameras.

All uEye XLE camera models feature a USB3 interface (SuperSpeed USB, 5 Gpbs) and are 100 percent GenICamcompliant. The cameras can be used with any software that supports the USB3 Vision Standard. For an optimal user experience, the company recommends the use of IDS peak. The free SDK includes all necessary components from source code samples to transport layer, so that customers can start developing their own applications right away.

Warehouse REIT Strengthens Finance and Investment teams

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Warehouse REIT, the UK REIT that invests in and manages urban and ‘last-mile’ industrial warehouse assets for e-commerce in strategic locations across the UK, announces that its external investment advisor, Tilstone Partners Limited, has appointed Adrian Daminato (pictured above) as Head of Financial Planning and Reporting and Dan Ragonez (pictured below) as Senior Investment Analyst. Adrian and Dan join the expanding team responsible for advising Warehouse REIT on their diversified warehouse portfolio, which now exceeds seven million sq ft with a value of c. £563 million.

 Adrian will report directly to Finance Director Peter Greenslade and will oversee financial planning and analysis, further boosting the firm’s financial analysis capabilities. Adrian is a Chartered Accountant with over 13 years’ experience in accounting, reporting and financial planning and control. He has held a number of roles in the real estate sector including most recently as Head of Financial Planning and Analysis at CLS Holdings, a FTSE 250 business with over £2bn of assets under management in the UK, Germany and France.

 Dan is a Chartered Accountant with an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and brings 11 years of financial analysis, investment appraisal and transaction experience, skills which are immediately transferable to the REIT’s pipeline of new opportunities. He was previously a senior real estate analyst at an Australian private equity fund manager and mezzanine debt boutique, having also held roles at JP Morgan and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

 Peter Greenslade, Finance Director of Tilstone Partners, the Investment Advisor, commented: “These appointments underline our commitment to continued growth and strengthening the quality of the team to ensure that Tilstone can unlock the full potential of the Warehouse REIT portfolio.

 “Adrian brings strong technical and analytical skills which will be invaluable in supporting the growing finance function, whilst Dan’s experience in securing and appraising value-added and opportunistic deals will help support us in identifying optimum investment opportunities, which will be fundamental in enhancing and supporting our growth ambitions. We are pleased to welcome both Adrian and Dan to the Tilstone team and recognise that these high calibre appointments are a strong endorsement of the direction that we are taking the business.”

 

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