Subscribe

Category: Uncategorised

Stromag clamps help build autobahn bridge

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The replacement A40 Neuenkamp Duisburg Bridge, currently under construction in Germany, will support the future prosperity of the industrial Ruhr region by widening this crucial highway over the Rhine. The landmark project is being supported in part by Stromag, which supplied retractable rail clamps to fit the KM Kümsan overhead cranes lifting the large prefabricated bridge sections into position.

The original A40 Neuenkamp Duisburg Bridge was completed in 1971. Designed to carry 30,000 vehicles a day from the A40 autobahn, in recent times the bridge has had to cope with up to 110,000 a day, including a large quantity of trucks . With this increased usage, and following multiple structural repairs, Germany’s motorway authority has embarked on a €340m project to replace the aging bridge with a new eight lane 802m-long cable stayed bridge. When complete, it will be the longest in the country. The 71m-high structure will offer the capacity to carry up to 150,000 vehicles a day with a design life of up to a century, helping to support future economic growth in the area.

The need for cranes

An innovative construction method has been employed to minimise disturbance to road and river traffic. The first span of the new bridge will be built alongside the original, with prefabricated sections moved into position across the river. The original bridge will then be dismantled and replaced with a second span. Finally, the first span will then be ‘slid’ sideways to sit closely to the second span. This allows road traffic to continue to cross the river during the project.

This construction process relies on the use of large prefabricated steel sections which are assembled and lifted into position by overhead cranes running on rails. Leading crane manufacturer KM Kümsan Cranes, together with project developer OVM Engineering GmbH, was ordered to provide four 50t, 32m span capacity gantry cranes to support the bridge building production process. To ensure that the cranes stayed in position on the rails during operation and parking, the OEM contacted Stromag to provide retractable rail clamps for reliable braking performance.

A rail clamp expert

Rail clamps, also known as storm brakes, generate holding force at the crane rails to prevent uncontrolled movement of the crane due to gusts of wind. It is imperative that rail clamps offer reliability, a stable brake friction coefficient and can operate in a wide variety of conditions.

Stromag, a leading brand of Altra Industrial Motion Corp., is a global provider of power transmission solutions to the crane sector, with a specialty in heavy-duty braking technology. The business provides a range of storm brakes to meet varying overhead crane requirements, offering the capability to provide bespoke designs to meet specific needs.

Ünver Ünlü, Business Development Manager at Stromag, adds: “We recommended oversized RRBS retractable rail clamps with in-built Hydraulic Power Packs (HPUs) to KM Kümsan for use on the cranes. To adhere to the bridge construction schedule, it was important that we could provide the multitude of clamps within a tight schedule. We were able to deliver the customised units to KM Kümsan ahead of time and exactly to specification, ensuring that construction work could begin smoothly.

“Our rail clamps offer high power density in operation, with forces ranging from 100kN to 1200kN. Frictions pads are designed and arranged to provide a stable brake friction coefficient across a range of temperatures, which ensures consistent performance in varied environments.”

Tailored designs

“Rail clamp designs are tailored to offer up to 50mm vertical and horizontal float to meet the needs of curved rails, which means an optimum solution for each application,” Ünver continues.

“For retrofit projects, we even can dial in float to accommodate rails that have become squashed and ‘mushroomed’ over prolonged use. We also have the ability to manufacture rail clamps with special bolt patterns to fit crane OEM designs. This flexibility to provide designs that are specialised to maximise performance means our rail clamps offer the utmost reliability across varying operating conditions.”

Stromag provides proof of performance for all its rail clamps thanks to extensive in-house testing of designs. The rail profile of each project is replicated in brake tests, ensuring accurate results. This ensures rail clamps will operate exactly as intended once installed.

With construction work on the A40 Neuenkamp Duisburg Bridge expected to be completed by 2026, soon cars and trucks will be able to cross the Rhine easier than ever before, helping to safeguard the future economic growth of the Ruhr industrial zone.

Waitrose expands Milton Keynes warehouse

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The renowned supermarket chain brand Waitrose & Partners has increased its storage capacity with the extension of its facilities in Magna Park (Milton Keynes, UK) to consolidate its position as a leader in its sector in the British market. To do so, it has relied on AR Racking, a European benchmark in storage systems.

The new extension consists of an intralogistics solution with AR Racking’s adjustable pallet racking that achieved an added storage capacity for 13,604 UK pallets. It is a storage system that will provide the warehouse with great agility in loading and unloading operations, with direct and immediate access to the goods. A solution perfectly adapted to the increase in demand for consumer goods and the demand on delivery times.

Waitrose is owned by the John Lewis Partnership retail group, the largest example of an employee-owned business in the UK with over 80,000 members. “Our aim is for Waitrose to remain the supermarket chain most valued by the British people and to do that we need a logistics infrastructure that allows us to hold more stock of products that can be delivered in less time. We knew that AR Racking would meet their promises on this strategic extension”, explains Lawrence Ireson, Project Manager of the John Lewis Partnership.

“This is a project that is tailored to the client’s needs and characteristics. The racks have a paint finish in Waitrose’s corporate green colour,” says Mike Smyth, UK Key Account Manager at AR Racking. “We have strictly adhered to the delivery and installation schedules agreed with Waitrose, whose standards are exacting,” adds Jim Albans, AR Racking’s UK Project Manager.

AR Racking, based in Maidenhead, has a well-established presence in the UK thanks to a service tailored to customers’ needs and the ability to deliver large projects to tight deadlines.

 

Fatal accident prompts call for forklift inspections

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA), the trade body representing all aspects of the UK’s material handling industry, has highlighted the importance of proper forklift maintenance and safety procedures following a fatal industrial accident.

The warning comes after the Health & Safety Executive successfully prosecuted the owners of a fencing business following an accident at their premises in which an employee died after being crushed by falling timber.

The accident occurred at PA Fencing Ltd in Bristol in 2017. The deceased, Roderick McKenzie Hopes, was working in a yard at the company’s premises when a telehandler being used to move timber exceeded its rated capacity and tipped over. In doing so, the truck toppled onto stacked timber which fell onto Mr Hopes resulting in his death.

North Somerset Magistrates Court was told that an investigation by HSE inspectors had found the telehandler was faulty and that the safety device to ensure lift heights were not exceeded was inoperative and that maintenance had failed to identify this. In addition, the investigation found that the truck operator had not received full training in how to use the truck and that the machine was regularly used to lift unsafe loads.

The HSE said the yard supervisor did not know the machine’s safe limits and that the yard had not been laid out to allow the safe stacking of the timber.

The court was told the investigation also found that PA Fencing Ltd shared the telehandler with David Crossman, who owns a neighbouring farm and rents the yard to PA Fencing Ltd. Neither PA Fencing Ltd nor Mr Crossman had ensured the machine was properly maintained nor that it was independently thoroughly examined.

David Goss, Technical Director, UKMHA, said: “This sad case has highlighted a catalogue of errors that may have been avoided had the legally-required Thorough Examination been carried out.”

The importance of Thorough Examination by an accredited provider has received a strong focus this year, being the theme of National Forklift Safety Day. Previous campaigns have also identified the importance of safely segregating workers from material handling equipment and the proper training of lift truck operators.

The 2021 campaign coincided with the publication of an updated BITA Guidance Note GN28, the industry guideline on Thorough Examination and Safety Inspection of Industrial Lift Trucks. This translates the general provisions of LOLER, or more correctly, The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and PUWER, that is, The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, into specific requirements for forklift trucks.

Goss said: “A Thorough Examination is the name given to the mandatory inspection required by law to ensure the lifting equipment on a truck is in safe working order. It is roughly equivalent to the MOT for cars.

“Generally, lifting equipment must receive a Thorough Examination at least once a year. However, more frequent examinations could be required depending on the application.”

He said a comprehensive Thorough Examination and Safety Inspection in accordance with GN28, would establish that a truck could continue to be operated safely and without injury to persons provided that the truck was operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

It will verify that the truck is operating as it should when lifting and travelling, identify any defects or weaknesses which could compromise the safe use of the truck and specify the timescales within which identified defects or weaknesses need to be rectified.

“In addition, the examiner will check that all safety devices are functioning correctly, that warning notices are correctly fixed and legible; and where necessary, specify any limitations on the use of a truck,” added Goss.

The CFTS mark awarded on completion of a successful Thorough Examination by an accredited competent person, demonstrates that a truck has been examined carefully, and that key components such as brakes and steering have been thoroughly checked, along with the lifting mechanism.

“The purpose of Thorough Examination, which is required by law, is to prevent exactly this type of tragedy,” concluded Goss.

Logistics – it’s a people thing

Posted on by David Priestman

Worker quality and numbers is fast becoming one of the trickiest aspects of finding and properly utilising people in the DC, says Smitha Raphael, Chief Product & Delivery Officer for WMS technology innovator SnapFulfil.

Amazon has raised the bar in the race for workers by increasing its average starting wage in the US to $18 per hour (potentially rising to $22.50) – plus it also plans to hire more than 125,000 warehouse and transportation workers in the US alone for 350 new logistics facilities opened this year and to help the rollout of one-day delivery for Amazon Prime loyalty club members.

Retailers generally are scrambling to hire hourly workers in this stretched-to-breaking-point labour market and have even been offering benefits and joining bonuses to attract them, with Walmart also planning to hire 20,000 workers at its supply chain division ahead of the manic Q4 season.

The UK & Europe is already following suit, but baby boomers, which have traditionally made up most of the DC workforce, are rapidly approaching retirement age and younger generations are less willing and available to replace these roles in the warehousing industry.

Raphael explains: “The current global labour issue has also highlighted the stark differences between manually operated DCs and those that have integrated automated process solutions and have been able to keep up with rapidly growing e-commerce and quick delivery demands.

“At SnapFulfil we are working with customers to help them meet this labour crisis head on – by way of real time data and warehouse planning – to optimise both space and resource, in order that business as usual can be maintained in these exceptional circumstances.”

When labour is at a premium and self-isolation is a reality, coupled with a rapid change in orders, then having the very latest data to boost the effectiveness of the available workforce, their picking and packing performance, plus available space – underpinned by highly efficient receiving and putaway activity – is vital.

What’s more, it allows for remedial measures to be quickly and inexpensively enacted, because highly configurable WMS software like SnapFulfil means every aspect of the e-commerce fulfilment process can be automated, streamlined and made intuitive for floor staff and management.

Raphael adds: “SnapFulfil customers typically benefit from efficiency and productivity improvements of up to 30%, which basically translates into the ability to do more for less with the same resources – something we are all craving during these hugely uncertain times.”

Optimising logistics operations

Posted on by Keith McKinley

BG Log UK is a specialist in supporting Lean Manufacturing projects, with a particular specialism in the organisational aspects of factories.

Managing the logistics processes taking place within a company is very complex. BG Log UK was formed in 2020 to provide a credible and cost-effective option for Automotive, Aerospace and Warehouse Fulfilment businesses who required a reliable supplier to provide a sustainable product in a timely manner.

Supply chain management requires a clear vision to take into account several intertwined factors. With a highly experienced team in terms of Lean Management and CI implementation techniques, and the capability to work hand in hand with a customer’s Lean engineers and facilitators, BG Log says it can design a solution and build it in the UK, using a robust 28mm range of steel materials that provides structural support and satisfies QHSE (quality, health, safety, environmental) requirements.

BG Log says its concept is based on the design, implementation and construction of complete and fully operational solutions. It selects and provides the best materials for a project, and offers all the advice needed to best produce the solution, as well as constant support with a keen focus on safety.

Its BG SMARTUBE product range includes:

Dunnage racks: created to form bespoke transport solutions for multiple parts that can be easily transported to the point of use or between stations. The bag creates a protective environment for the part and can also be lined with micro fibre material to stop damage and retain the quality finish of the surface. Access can be gained from either side or closed off. Compartments can be numbered for ease of identification.

Gravity Feed conveyors: these work by creating an incline within the flow racks to prompt movement of carriages or parts within the rack. Gravity feeds the part from A to B using rollers or surfaces created to suit the individual requirement. The Operator can feed each part and leave to run to point of use and also have return lanes to form a closed loop for production.

Flow racks: these assist the cell to move products from point A to B by using feed lanes and take off lanes for each operator. The rack helps reduce or remove the several of the wastes in terms of transport and over/under production by creating Kanban positions. Kanban solutions help the Lean transformation of the production line by using a pull system and therefore flow racks are built to host only the right number of parts required for the process. Flow racks can be mobile or static and can be designed to the exacting and unique needs of each customer.

Workstations and trolleys: can be tailored according to the need by adding multiple accessories such shadow boards, drawers, screen arms and tooling rails. BG Log can provide a wide range of surfaces according to either budget or specific needs such as ESD or duty rubberised work tops. Stations can be mobile or static.

5S Solutions: Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. BG Log’s systems help promote 5S in terms of shadow boards, cleaning stations and trolleys and information cubes to help report KPIs and SQCDP metrics. It provides screen printed boards with your company branding and design projects tailored specifically for your facility.

Customised Projects: BG Log has undertaken several special projects that it says have been extremely well received, and says it is willing to discuss customer requirements and provide advice and expertise in best practice.

DSV inaugurates largest logistics centre in Africa

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DSV has inaugurated its new Gauteng HQ in South Africa, DSV Park Gauteng, which is Africa’s largest integrated logistics centre. With this centralised facility DSV will be able to provide more seamless service to customers which is an integral part of creating a strengthened and more efficient logistics network in South Africa.

DSV has consolidated its Gauteng operations in South Africa into a new, centralised facility which is the largest of its kind in Africa. It is situated near O.R. Tambo International Airport between Johannesburg and Pretoria and with easy access to the East and West Rand. The logistics centre consists of approx. 130,000 sq m of buildings and covers supply chain solutions from first to last mile controlled and managed under one roof, by DSV.

The investment in DSV Park Gauteng is a testament to DSV’s commitment to South Africa and to continuing to strengthen the logistics infrastructure in the country to the benefit of DSV customers and the South African society.

The new DSV logistics centre was officially inaugurated at a virtual ceremony. The ceremony host and CEO of DSV Africa, Keith Pienaar, says: “The inauguration of DSV Park Gauteng once again underlines DSV’s strong commitment to South Africa and our will to grow the business in the region. DSV Park Gauteng consolidates several smaller offices and warehouses around Johannesburg into one large, modern logistics centre.

“The foundation of our values and culture is to promote an inclusive workforce and sustainable business practices. One consolidated facility will enhance collaboration and offer truly integrated supply chain solutions for our clients and customers.

“The sprawling complex houses a logistics warehouse of 79,000 sq m, a cross-dock facility of 41,000 sq m and office space of 10,000 sq m. DSV’s divisions Air & Sea, Road, Solutions as well as the Shared Services function will be inhabiting the new logistics centre while other specific units such as Healthcare and parts of Mounties and Solutions will continue out of their current specialised facilities.

“With DSV Park Gauteng, DSV has developed a large-scale modern logistics centre which captures the essence of our consolidation strategy to create larger and more efficient facilities, enabling us to have many of our business units together under one single roof.”

Brian Almind Winther, EVP and Head of Group Property, DSV, says: “We have packed the new DSV facility with solutions such as an innovative sorter that can handle 13,000 packages every single hour. Throughout the whole building process, we have also utilised our global experience to construct buildings where sustainability and resource optimisation have been fundamental in all processes.”

To further improve the infrastructure nationally in South Africa, DSV is also building a consolidating logistics centre in the Western Cape called DSV Park Cape Town. This site will be located near the Cape Town International Airport, and close to the harbour and industrial and commercial hubs.

Duisburg DC marks developer’s market entry

Posted on by Keith McKinley

BEOS Logistics, a joint venture between Swiss Life Asset Managers, Ingo Steves and Stephan Bone-Winkel, is developing an 85,000 sq m logistics facility close to the ports of DeltaPort Niederrheinhäfen on the Rhine and Lippe rivers in Wesel near Duisburg for a global logistics service provider.

BEOS Logistics acquired the site from the DeltaPort Niederrheinhäfen group of ports. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. As the general contractor, the List Group is responsible for the construction works, which are scheduled to start in spring 2022 for completion in summer 2023.

“Besides this first project, our pipeline is well stocked and will allow us to grow rapidly,” says Ingo Steves, Managing Partner of BEOS Logistics. “With this project, we have created an excellent win-win situation for the tenant, Delta-Port and BEOS Logistics. While the port location, with its outstanding connections, is particularly attractive for us and the tenant, DeltaPort benefits from having a long-term user and investor in place.

“What brought all of the stakeholders together, however, was primarily the focus on a solution in which sustainability plays a leading role,” says Steves. The partners’ commitment to sustainability means that the state-of-the-art property will strive for BREEAM “Excellent” certification and substantial investments will be made to enhance other sustainability features throughout the facility.

The property is being developed on a 165,000 sq m greenfield site. The majority of the leasable space (81,400 sq m) will be logistics space. In addition, the new complex will also accommodate 1,600 sq m of office and social and 2,700 sq m of mezzanine space. While the facility is leased on a long-term basis to the single tenant, the space is also flexibly designed for division into up to 10 units for different occupiers. The development will also include 37 parking spaces for heavy goods vehicles and 200 for cars.

The site of the new facility benefits not only from direct access to the Rhine-Lippe port, but also from convenient access to the B8 and A3 highways, both of which link to major logistics routes. Given its proximity to the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp, the region also serves as a hinterland hub for international goods traffic, which has led to the above-average settlement of wholesalers.

At the same time, the location offers access to the Ruhr and Cologne/Bonn regions. Overall, the Duisburg/Lower Rhine region has one of the most efficient infrastructures and is one of the most flexible logistics hubs in Germany.

Timber federation calls for action on labour shortage

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) has called for the government to help it address acute labour shortages across the UK.

In a letter to the UK’s Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, TIMCON President John Dye (pictured) said a lack of staff in the pallet and packaging sector is “impacting severely on the transportation of essential goods and other UK supply chains, with delivery delays and…empty retail shelves”.

A continual supply of new repaired wooden pallets is vital to the supply of categories such as food, drink, and pharmaceuticals, including Covid vaccines.

The pallet and packaging sector employs workers from EU sources including Latvia, Poland and Romania. Since the conclusion of Brexit on 1st January, availability of labour from these countries has decreased dramatically, which, added to staff shortages caused by COVID, is having a serious impact on the industry’s production and repair capacity.

Dye called for the government to urgently roll out a solution like the Seasonal Workers scheme, which allows the horticultural sector to recruit from overseas on a temporary but regular basis.

“It is really frustrating that, despite the recognition of the wooden pallet and packaging sector’s essential role in keeping supply chains moving, there is no assistance for us in recruiting staff during this difficult time,” said Dye. “We are calling on the government to review this situation as a matter of urgency and roll out a similar scheme to the Seasonal Workers programme. Without this, this situation will become more serious, particularly in the run up to Christmas.”

Logistics Business represents UK on IFOY jury

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The IFOY organisation has appointed three new jurors, including Peter MacLeod, news editor of Logistics Business in the UK. He will be joined on the panel by Rosa Maria Cherubini, managing editor at Il Giornale della Logistica in Italy, and Klaus Koch, editor-in-chief at the online magazine LogisticsInnovation.org in Switzerland.

Klaus Koch, who was already part of the IFOY jury in his previous role as editor-in-chief of the Swiss magazine Logistik & Fördertechnik, was re-elected to the board in his new position. He is supported by Christian Doepgen as proxy, editor-in-chief and publishing director of the International Transport Journal (ITJ) based in Basel. Both intend to work together to make IFOY jury decisions in the future and will be advised by material handling equipment and safety expert Martin Schmid. Schmid is the owner and managing director of LogisticsInnovation.org.

Peter MacLeod was also part of the IFOY jury several years ago as editor-in-chief of SHD Logistics in the UK. He returns to the committee in his role as news editor responsible for the online section of Logistics Business.

Rosa Maria Cherubini from Italy, also newly elected to the jury, takes over from Maurizio Peruzzi, who is retiring. As his proxy, Cherubini has already been active in the IFOY jury in the past. Rosa Maria Cherubini is responsible for intralogistics at the magazine Il Giornale della Logistica.

This means that a total of 26 representatives of leading international logistics publications from 20 nations are represented on the IFOY jury. They will have the opportunity to test and judge the world’s best new developments among intralogistics products and solutions again at the beginning of 2022.

The application phase for the IFOY AWARD 2022 is currently underway and suppliers of products and solutions can still apply with their new products and warehouse projects in a total of 13 categories until 30th October, 2021. Start-ups also have the chance to win a trophy.

Due to its expertise, the IFOY AWARD is considered the most important innovation prize in intralogistics. The election is preceded by an extensive audit with nomination and test cycles. The equipment and solutions nominated for the final undergo individually tailored driving or functional tests, including the IFOY test protocol comprising around 80 criteria and the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, on the occasion of the IFOY TEST DAYS from 18-23 March, 2022 at the Messe Dortmund exhibition centre.

In addition, jurors and their teams of advisors from the business world will travel to examine the finalists themselves before casting their vote. As part of IFOY TEST DAYS, TEST CAMP Intralogistics will be held again in 2022, admitting B2B trade visitors interested in innovation. The number of participants is limited.

Applications for the Award can only be submitted via the Internet at www.ifoy.org.

STILL organises flood aid campaigns

Posted on by Keith McKinley

There are many ways to provide support and solidarity – as can be seen from the various aid campaigns organised by the Hamburg-based intralogistics company STILL for those affected by the floods in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria.

By providing personal assistance and donating vehicles to the German Red Cross (DRK), among other things, the company and their employees are actively and reliably supporting the people in the flooded areas.

Within days of the devastating floods in the west and south of Germany, STILL employees organised spontaneous aid for suppliers in the region. For example, STILL electricians promptly travelled to North Rhine-Westphalia. There, they lent a hand to a long-standing supplier, Falkenroth Umformtechnik GmbH, repairing the central production facilities with a great deal of expertise.

This was a success: thanks to this joint effort, production could be resumed in record time. “With this initiative, our employees not only showed great personal commitment, but also proved that they have their hearts in the right place and a good sense of partnership and solidarity,” says Frank Müller, Senior Vice President Brand Management / Sales & Service Steering STILL EMEA.

On-site logistics support

The company also provided valuable emergency aid: STILL promptly made forklift trucks and other industrial trucks available to the German Red Cross in the region hit by the disaster. The powerful and robust trucks are a welcome support in dealing with the major logistical challenges on the ground.

An additional vehicle donation has just been made: to save time and effort when unloading heavy and bulky loads from the trucks, STILL supplied the DRK Ortsverband Bad Neunahr-Ahrweiler e.V. with a powerful electric high lift stacker.

“The volunteers in the flooded areas have been doing great – and often physically very strenuous – work under extremely challenging conditions for weeks. If we can help make this easier, more efficient and more ergonomic with our technology and our equipment, then we are more than happy to do so,” explains Müller.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.