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Tag: packaging

Oakland appoints operations director

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Total supply chain solutions provider Oakland International has announced the appointment of Jas Sittre as Operations Director. Previously General Manager for transport and warehouse operations at DHL, Sittre has a wealth of operational experience having held a number of senior roles within the logistics sector.

Oakland International Chief Operating Officer Lee Whiting said: “I am delighted to welcome Jas as Operations Director. His sector knowledge and experience will be put to good use supporting our strategic long-term growth plans and I very much look forward to working with him.”

As a leading D2C/B2C/B2B specialist in contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution, Oakland International has taken the first step to becoming B Corp certified, a fast-growing movement using business as a force for good, with the company also working to becoming the first business within their sector to achieve net-zero. BRCGS AA accredited, and a double Queen’s Award for Enterprise recipient for International Trade and Sustainable Development, Oakland is a brand development support provider for ambient, chilled, and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and food service markets in the UK, Ireland and via their partner in Spain.

Commenting on his appointment, Sittre said: “I am really pleased to join Oakland International, a well-established business who are driving their innovative agenda and providing their clients with sustainability solutions.

“I have always worked within operations, and I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with a great team of people. I am also looking forward to working with Lee Whiting along with the board to grow the business even further over the coming years.”

 

Craemer box ideal for meat processing company

Posted on by David Priestman

Proving to be extremely robust even at high trip rates, the CB3 pallet box is a combination of pallet and box made by Craemer. A large German-Polish meat processing company discovered this plastic pallet box by chance. It left such a good impression that the company immediately placed an order with the Craemer group’s German headquarters via its representative office in Poland.

Besides being durable, these resistant boxes have to meet the highest hygiene requirements of the kebab producer: They are used to transport animal by-products which are converted into animal feed. After successful test runs, the company is now gradually replacing its entire stock of containers from a competing company whose boxes were previously used and have proven inappropriate for this demanding task.

The Craemer Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of durable logistics and waste disposal solutions with over 60 years of experience in plastics processing. Established in 1912 and now in its fifth generation, this family-owned company operates its headquarters in Germany as well as three other plants in Europe. As a further business field, plastics processing was added to metal processing at the end of the 1950s. Craemer initially manufactured large plastic injection-mould containers. In 1967, the Group obtained a patent for the world’s first one-piece pallet. The portfolio now comprises plastic pallets for a wide variety of requirements as well as a wide range of transport and storage containers – from stacking boxes, round containers and tubs to pallet boxes.

All Craemer products are made of high-quality polyethylene fulfilling the most stringent requirements and excel with their tried and tested quality. Since 2014, the Craemer Group has been operating a representative office in Poland named Craemer GmbH Przedstawicielstwo w Polsce. The daily business consists in the sales promotion of Craemer pallets or pallet boxes as well as plastic containers for storage and transport.

Booming exports

Established in 2008 as a German-Polish joint-venture, the kebab company produces various types of doner kebab – poultry, beef and veal, depending on the customer’s wishes. The founders have years of experience with this grilled meat dish that originally comes from Turkey and which has taken most of Europe and half of the world’s countries by storm. Approved for intra-community trade, the manufacturer also cooperates with many member countries of the European Union.

The company – which boast to be one of the best producers in the industry, striving for the top position in the domestic as well as in the European market – is booming and growing fast. In western Poland, a new production facility has now been opened for processing chicken meat into kebab dishes which are then exported to the Central and Western European markets.

“Our new customer came across Craemer and their plastic pallet boxes in an astonishing way,” explains Arkadiusz Michal Wissuwa, Area Sales Manager Poland. “Another Polish meat processor, whose category 3 abattoir waste goes into animal feed, had already been using several hundred of our light grey CB3 for this purpose. This company was one of our first CB3 customers in Poland, by the way.”

Replacing unstable boxes with CB3

“This customer then systematically replaced the boxes they were using at the time with our CB3,” Arkadiusz Michal Wissuwa continues, “because the pallet boxes are returned empty from the animal feed manufacturer to the meat processing companies every time, sometimes boxes accidentally end up not with the original owner but with other producers of abattoir waste.”

This is how this kebab producer came across Craemer boxes. “They were looking for very stable and hygienic pallet boxes because the competitor’s boxes they had been using broke quickly,” Wissuwa explains. “They soon realised that the CB3 box is much better, very stable and durable, even at high trip rates.”

On the new customer’s part, the requirements concerning the boxes are also very demanding: “Filling them, transporting them over a distance of 100km and more to the next processing site, where they are emptied. The Craemer pallet boxes proved to withstand these challenges, whereas the competitor’s boxes broke quickly during usage.”

Since the market launch of the Craemer pallet box CB3 in 2017, the stable combination of pallet and box made of food-safe polyethylene has been a success. The fact that the load carrier is integral part of the container makes the logistics processes in many industries considerably easier. The CB3 box with the industrial pallet dimension of 1,200mm x 1,000mm and a height of 720mm is made in one piece with three longitudinal runners and has a capacity of 610 litres.

Thanks to its sturdy construction and features, it offers many advantages for daily operations: Additional ribs above the entry openings provide increased impact protection against forklift tines; its smooth inner surfaces ensure easy emptying, simple cleaning and good drying properties; thanks to the three robust runners the box runs smoothly on automated conveyor systems; integrated locking devices at the four corners ensure safe stacking of boxes (stacking cams); optional retrofitting with RFID transponders for tracking the transport and shipping route via radio frequency identification is possible thanks to a special retaining device; a strippled area allows easy attachment and removal of temporary stickers; various fields for prints provide space for individual hot stamping, and the space-saving three-in-two stacking permits efficient use of space during empty transport and storage.

Tried and tested in food industry

Craemer pallet boxes are mainly used in the food processing industry, especially for transporting and storing meat, as well as poultry and fish. Numerous other industries profit from the advantages of CB3, among others the waste disposal and trade sector.

The German-Polish kebab producer needed reliable transport containers in its new plant to transport abattoir waste – chicken bones from its production of grilled poultry – to an animal feed manufacturer. Category 3 waste (animal by-products; ABPs – not suitable for human consumption with the lowest risk level) is subject to high safety and hygiene requirements, even though it may only be processed as ingredient in animal feeds. Searching for a sturdy, high-quality alternative to the currently used more fragile boxes, the management finally found what they were looking for at Craemer.

Easy cleaning and drying

“The CB3 pallet box fully meets the criteria of the kebab producer and also fulfils the legally defined hygiene regulations, of course,” confirms Wissuwa, who is responsible for the sale of Craemer products in western Poland. And what is more, the material prevents chemical reactions when it gets into contact with fats and acids, which is an essential quality feature given the often very fatty animal by-products. Thanks to the smooth inner surfaces, CB3 boxes can be easily cleaned using high pressure with hot water and food-safe chemicals.

Since March 2022, the German-Polish company has been using a few dozen CB3 boxes in basalt grey, which is one of seven standard colours in addition to optional special colours. To distinguish deliveries from different companies, each pallet box was hot-printed with the word “BEST” to identify the owner.

“This imprint is appropriate: Our pallet boxes are simply the best,” says the sales expert from Craemer’s representative office in Poland. Since the CB3 pallet box has continued to prove itself as a safe and sturdy all-rounder in use, the second delivery already took place in autumn 2022. In future, the “best” solution will systematically replace the former boxes until the poultry kebab producer works exclusively with the reliable CB3.

 

Pitney Bowes Continues eBay Support

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Pitney Bowes, a global shipping and mailing company that provides technology, logistics and financial services, will continue to provide a range of cross-border ecommerce logistics services to eBay in the US and UK.

In the US, Pitney Bowes has been a partner to eBay since 2012 and will continue to support eBay’s Global Shipping Program (GSP) with leading technology, compliance and cross-border delivery services as eBay transitions Sellers from GSP to the new International Shipping. Pitney Bowes will continue to be a partner, offering a range of ecommerce logistics services to support International Shipping going forward.

In the UK, Pitney Bowes has renewed its agreement to support eBay’s UK Global Shipping Program as the platform looks to add Sellers to the program and drive more value to its successful and growing online marketplace. Pitney Bowes has provided technology, compliance and cross-border delivery services to help eBay Sellers in the UK reach consumers internationally since 2014.

“As our partnership enters its second decade, Pitney Bowes is excited to be a part of eBay’s renewed vision to make international selling as simple and seamless as domestic delivery for eBay Sellers and buyers around the globe,” said Gregg Zegras, EVP & President, Global Ecommerce at Pitney Bowes.

Cristian van Tienhoven, Chief Operating Officer at eBay UK, said: “The eBay Global Shipping Programme simplifies and removes friction from the increasing complexity of selling internationally. We look forward to working with Pitney Bowes to drive further growth for our sellers.”

 

AutoLoadBaler is a R(e)volution

Posted on by Keith McKinley

What to do with all the cardboard that accumulates in a supermarket every day? That’s an important question in the world of food retail. There are hundreds of cardboards of various sizes that arrive every day and must be disposed of. The immense amount of required work for this has been transformed into a simple process with the AutoLoadBaler, a r(e)volution of a baler from Strautmann Umwelttechnik.

The employees throw the cardboard into the collection cart. When it’s full, the collection cart is simply pushed into the press. The AutoLoadBaler empties the collection cart, and the baling chamber is filled automatically. After that the material is compressed with a pressing force of around 53 tonnes into a bale that can be sold directly.

After two to three days at the Rewe Wutke store, a bale weighing 400kg accrues. The bale is tied off with four wires. Even inexperienced people can strap the bale without any effort using the equipment supplied. Thanks to the convenient and safe bale ejection, the tied bale can simply be placed on a pallet for transport and transported away with a lift truck.

What sounds easy in theory also passes the practical test. At least that’s what Alexander Wutke, owner of the Rewe market Wutke in Bad Heilbrunn in Upper Bavaria, confirms: “The press is so important for us, and it makes work a lot easier.”

There are 22 employees in his store who ensure that the customer feels comfortable in the store and that they receive expert support if they have any questions or requests. They can now devote more time to this – their actual – task, since filling of the baler and time-consuming shredding and stacking of cardboard is no longer necessary. The cardboard no longer has to be re-sorted in the head office but can be handed over directly for recycling and thus fed back into the material cycle.

“We used to have to tear the boxes apart by hand, load them onto the roll containers and then throw everything into the press ourselves,” recalls store manager Michaela Markreiter. That took a lot of time and was quite exhausting. It was not uncommon for hands to be cut by razor-sharp edges.

In order to keep small cardboard boxes from falling out when they were collected, the ‘trolleys’ were wrapped in film. Often the collected cardboard also caused space problems, and everyone in food retail knows how valuable warehouse space is.

In the Bad Heilbrunn Rewe store, these efforts have been important; that’s why Wutke wanted to use the AutoLoadBaler right from the start: “I knew it would change our whole situation,” he recalls. The 36-year-old completed his training and various departments at Rewe and has found that conventional baler always requires a lot of extra work, which takes time and, of course, causes costs.

“We could hardly cope with the number of boxes that accumulate with the fruit and vegetable deliveries in the morning alone,” says Wutke. “With the AutoLoadBaler, we do not only increase the profitability of the operation, but also the satisfaction for our employees because a lot of stress is eliminated. Even a loss of staff can now be better dealt with, since some time-consuming work steps are no longer necessary.

“The AutoLoadBaler’s collection cart are easy-to-move – much better than the collection trolleys. While one collection cart is being emptied in the baler, two more are in use in the store, so there is no waiting.”

“The faster work is also reflected in the shop and that ultimately benefits the customer,” says Markreiter. All in all, she and her boss think things just look tidier in their 970 sq m supermarket and in the warehouse. A further smart detail is that the side walls of the collection cart can be used as advertising space, either for the market itself or for local companies.

The press itself is 3.05m high and requires only 4.5 sq m of floor space. Pushing the filled collection cart into the side of the baler is uncomplicated and effortless. The closed system ensures a high level of operator safety. There is a detailed briefing for the employees and once a year a service employee comes for maintenance.

“Up until now, everything has always been flawless,” says Wutke. He’s a fan of the AutoLoadBaler, his ‘baby’, as he says jokingly. “This baler is the best thing Rewe could have done for me. I can only recommend it.”

The AutoLoadBaler revolutionises the cardboard disposal process in all retail, logistics and manufacturing applications. Time-consuming filling work that previously had to be done manually is now done automatically. It is no longer the operator but the intelligent system that monitors and controls both the filling of the baler and the compaction.

Practical experience and studies show a saving in working time of up to three hours and 43.5 minutes per bale – this corresponds to an increase in productivity of over 800%. The automation results in even, stackable bales weighing more than 400kg, which can be marketed directly to the paper mills.

 

Load carriers for the beverage industry

Posted on by David Priestman

In addition to hygiene and safety, durability and economy also play a significant role in producing, filling and packaging of beverages. Craemer Group, a world leader in plastic logistics solutions, has developed a new generation of sturdy, hygienic, non-slip beverage pallets. Also interesting for the beverage industry are pallet boxes from Craemer.

When it comes to hygiene and safety, processes in the beverage industry are subject to stringent requirements and legal regulations. Plastic pallets make a decisive contribution. Craemer Group, an experienced partner in beverage logistics, is a pioneer in plastics processing: Back in 1967, Craemer developed the world’s first one-piece injection-moulded plastic pallet. Sturdy, hygienic, durable, safe, hard-wearing, versatile, maintenance-free – these are the main characteristics of today’s load carriers that are made of high-quality, food-safe and recyclable polyethylene (PE).

In the brewing and beverage industry or in the beverage wholesale trade, the following applies: When producing, filling, packaging, transporting and storing sensitive raw materials and goods, hygienic and absolutely reliable handling must be ensured. For safe (production-) technical and (intra-) logistical processes, Craemer provides load carriers made of robust plastic that are characterised by high functionality, load-bearing capacity, process reliability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

The innovative industry solutions are pool-compatible and can be used universally along the entire logistics chain. They guarantee safe beverage handling in automated systems, when using forklift trucks, in high racks or when storing, for example, containers with concentrates in a refrigerated environment.

Versatile in use

Whether light or heavy beverage packages, Craemer develops customised solutions for storing and transporting barrels and containers, cardboard boxes and plastic crates containing bottles or six-packs of cans. The CR plastic pallet, for example, is one of Craemer’s successful load carriers used in the beverage industry around the world. Perfect for heavy loads and all types of containers: the Euro L1 in the size of the Euro wooden pallet (load-bearing capacity in high racks 1250kg) and L3, the multi-use pallet (2000kg) with evenly closed runners, optionally available with Palgrip anti-slip plates (L3) for even better material flow. The TC Palgrip is easy to clean with completely closed top deck and smooth lower deck.

Thanks to the Palgrip anti-slip coating on the top deck, which is a standard feature, all these heavy-duty pallet models hold the load safely even in damp conditions or inclined positions. Controllable via the conventional stacker cranes, palletisers and depalletisers, they run maintenance-free and smoothly on all standard hoists and conveyors, and are suitable for roller conveyors, chain conveyors and automated high-rack warehouses.

Another novelty in the Craemer portfolio is the large-volume CB3 High pallet box. With a height of 1140mm, it provides extra protection during transport and storage in the beverage industry.

Heavy-duty pallets

Whether milk, mineral water, lemonade, juice or alcohol – each type of beverage places its own demands on the packaging and on handling the various processes. Craemer pallets permit a wide range of applications. With its external dimensions (l x w x h: 1200 x 800 x 150mm), the Euro L1 corresponds exactly to the wooden Euro pallet. Unlike wood, the one-piece PE injection-moulded pallet is extremely robust and durable – without any signs of wear or chipping. The pallet is provided with five reinforcement profiles, permitting a load-bearing capacity of 7500kg in static condition and 1250kg during transport or in high racks.

Craemer’s new L3 plastic pallet, a further development of the C3-5 pallet, is also particularly hard-wearing and durable. It is the ideal all-purpose pallet for the brewing and beverage industry. Whether for transporting and storing packages with PET or glass bottles, aluminium or steel cans, composite beverage cartons or HDPE bottles in beverage crates, foil or cardboard containers, it is suitable for all purposes. The L3 boasts a high load-bearing capacity (7500kg static load, 2000kg dynamic load, up to 2000kg in high racks) and slip resistance.

Other features: In industrial size with dimensions of 1200x1000x160mm (L x W x H), it is equipped with three welded runners, 5mm outer rims and five corrosion-protected reinforcement profiles.

Craemer says its completely closed plastic pallets of the TC series with full-surface Palgrip anti-slip deck also perfectly meet the requirements of the beverage industry. The coated top deck and smooth lower deck of the TC Palgrip are characterised by excellent cleaning properties, while the cavity- and rib-free design of the sturdy and durable hygiene pallet reliably protects against contamination or water ingress.

The load-bearing capacity in the rack can optionally be increased to up to 2000kg with the help of integrated, corrosion-protected metal reinforcement profiles. Chamfered edges on both sides of the non-welded runners allow for optimal transport with ground conveyors. The dimensionally stable TC Palgrip is available in Euro size of 1200 x 800mm with three runners (TC1) and in industrial size of 1200 x 1000mm with three (TC3) or five runners (TC3-5). The height of the TC pallets is 160mm.

All reusable pallets from Craemer have the same properties: Thanks to their high quality, they retain their shape even with intensive use and increasing number of trips – thus making them durable, sustainable and economical. In addition, the robust load carriers can withstand temperatures of -30 to +40°C, with short-term heat resistance of up to 90°C. For seamless tracking and tracing, Craemer pallets are optionally available with RFID transponders. Dedicated fields for prints provide space for individually stamped logos, lettering or numbering.

Pallet box in industrial size

The large-volume CB3 High is a versatile, pallet box for the beverage industry. With a height of 1140mm, a capacity of approx. 1000 litres and a weight of 46 or 49kg, it is suitable for particularly large quantities – with extra safety. The sturdy ribbed lower deck provides additional strength to the container floor, integrated stacking cams secure the hold. The hard-wearing, sturdily constructed CB3 High is available in industrial size with closed walls and three longitudinal runners or nine feet. Additional ribs above the entry openings provide increased impact protection against forklift tines, while the seamless construction and smooth interior walls ensure easy emptying, cleaning and drying.

The pallet box is optionally available with one open 1” and one open 2” drain port. If necessary, markings facilitate the later drilling of the standard closed holes with integrated thread. Custom-fit lids are available as additional accessories.

 

RAJA shares growth strategy with suppliers 

Posted on by Keith McKinley

RAJA Group, a European leader in the distribution of packaging, office supplies and industrial equipment, brought together its 300 most important suppliers on October 14th in Frankfurt as part of the RAJA Group Suppliers’ Day 2022.

Led by Ulrick Parfum, Director of Purchasing and Product Offering (Packaging, Equipment, Janitorials, EPP), and Michael Behling, Head of Category, Commerce Platform & Data Management, as well as Alain Josse and Vincent Terradot, Managing Directors RAJA Office and RAJA Packaging & Equipment, the event allowed for RAJA Group to involve its main supplier partners in its ambitious development projects.

Driven by strong organic growth and a strategy of acquisitions to better meet market needs, the RAJA Group has become a key player in the field of business supplies and equipment. An independent company benefiting from the long-term vision of its President Danièle Kapel-Marcovici, a multi-specialist and multi-channel distributor with strong values and convictions, RAJA today serves more than two million companies across Europe, of all sizes and in all sectors of activity.

Despite the difficult economic climate, the Group remains as optimistic and determined as ever: “Being a supplier to the RAJA Group means having maximum exposure for your products and multiplying opportunities to sell. It is also an opportunity to create value and share the fruits of strong growth throughout Europe.  Finally, and above all, it also means ensuring the satisfaction of our customers every day,” say Josse and Terradot.

The Suppliers’ Day 2022 also allowed RAJA Group to clarify its expectations of its suppliers: “Our growth plans necessarily go hand in hand with the selection of the best manufacturers. Our aim is to build long-lasting partnerships with our strategic suppliers, based on common values: consistent product quality, excellent service, innovation, commitment to environmental responsibility and of course competitiveness,” Parfum and Behling explain.

 

Peli BioThermal launches cold chain shipping solution

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Peli BioThermal, the life science industry’s partner from discovery to distribution, has revealed its newest reusable, flexible temperature controlled shipping solution. Crēdo Go is designed to adapt to unique customer programmes, as well as to help pharmaceutical companies reach environmental, social and governance goals, cost reduction targets and operational performance indicators.

“The number of commercially approved pharmaceutical products that require strict temperature control is growing rapidly. And we understand that discovery, clinical trials and commercialisation require different solutions,” said Phil Gyori, CEO of Pelican Products, Inc. parent company of Peli BioThermal. “Crēdo Go brings together Peli BioThermal’s long-trusted technology and modern design innovation to improve payload protection, increase component longevity and minimise a programme’s carbon footprint.”

Peli BioThermal’s newest shipping solution combines customer collaboration and data-driven optimisation to propose a portfolio of shipper options that meet unique business and programme requirements. Each shipper is supplied with 2-, 4- or 6-TIC configurations to dial thermal duration up or down and switch between open and tight temperature control to meet typical and complex shipping lane profiles.

New box build automation technology offers increased throughput and capacity potential with greatly reduced lead times for new shipper configurations while a simple, repeatable and accurate pack-out process reduces packing time, increases daily throughput and minimises assembly error. Additionally, TIC BridgeGuard technology distributes the phase change material coolant to where it is most needed to reduce the impact of thermal bridging without sacrificing payload space or increasing chargeable shipper weight.

Crēdo Go users begin their product journey by working with a dedicated product specialist to identify opportunities for improvement and cost reduction by collecting customer-specific data points to input into Peli BioThermal’s Trufit optimisation software. This analysis tool utilises customer data to build an optimal solution portfolio that meets the needs, goals and performance metrics of any programme. Once a programme is up and running, Crēdo ProEnvision software provides order, shipment and maintenance support to measure and continually improve programme performance.

Crēdo Go reusable shippers accommodate payload sizes from 2.5 litres to 83 litres and temperature ranges from frozen to controlled room temperature. Shipping durations span 24 – 120+ hours. All sizes are available through Peli BioThermal’s Crēdo on Reserve rental programme, which provides an easy-to-follow process for return to the organisation’s high-volume service centres, where the majority of the shipper is reused and the rest is recycled.

 

Sparck manager receives SCM award

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Jo Bradley, Sparck Technologies’ UK business development manager, has been selected as an award recipient of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s prestigious 2022 Women in Supply Chain Awards.

The Women in Supply Chain Awards honour female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company’s supply chain network. This year over 280 submissions were received.

Jo has been a high profile evangelist for the advancement of eco-friendly packaging in the ecommerce sector for the past six years. Her work, raising industry awareness as to the wasteful practice of using oversized boxes for ecommerce deliveries, has helped establish automated right-sized packaging as an accepted and transformative technology for the industry.

Sparck Technologies’ Richard Nijboer, director of sales & services, said: “This award is fitting recognition of Jo’s determination to change the way that ecommerce supply chains approach packaging. Jo believes that she can make a difference, by encouraging the industry to do the right thing for the planet and for the sound business principles of capacity, performance and cost. She passionately believes that right-sized packaging is the sustainable way forward for the ecommerce sector.

“Her determination to deliver change is just one of Jo’s many fine qualities. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative mind that thinks both ‘inside and outside’ the box. Everyone at Sparck is delighted that Jo has received this prestigious award.”

With the capability to tailor-make up to 1,100 packages per hour, for multiple or single item orders, Sparck Technologies’ CVP Everest and CVP Impack packaging systems effortlessly create, fill, fold and label each parcel in one seamless process – reducing package volumes by up to 50%, cutting cardboard usage by 30% and eliminating the need for void fill.

Through her efforts, Jo has achieved considerable success positioning the machines at some of the UK’s largest retailers – including ASDA, The White Company, Boots and Frasers.

Commenting on the Award, Jo Bradley said: “Receiving a Women in Supply Chain Award has been both a wonderful surprise and a great honour. In many ways this Award is industry recognition of the important roll eco-friendly packaging plays in the supply chain – saving materials, transit space and energy.”

 

Kite Packaging extends Coventry campus

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Adding almost 190,000 sq ft, Kite Packaging’s Coventry capacity now stands at 380,000 sq ft, offering a considerably larger inventory to clients. With space for c.40,000 pallets, Kite says great stock availability is guaranteed. An additional 30,000 sq ft of space in Unit 2 awaits expansion as the company continues to grow, with plans to increase Coventry personnel to 170 people.

Significant investment went into furnishing the new site, with Kite supporting the local economy by hiring Midlands-based contractors where possible. The units feature new IT infrastructure and energy-efficient machinery, with 18 new forklifts, 14 low-level order pickers, and a conveyor system to streamline warehouse processes. With no shortage for space, Kite’s mobile packaging laboratory has its very own parking place when it is not out on visits.

Complete with a meeting room suite, exceptional canteen and breakout space, the campus also boasts a dedicated educational facility which Kite describes as “like no other in our industry”, providing on-site training for employees and customers as well as a great work environment. Surrounding wildlife has been preserved and landscaped with walkway access, benefitting the employees without disturbing the natural environment.

The move saw more green initiatives accommodated, enabling Kite to refine its existing sustainable operations in its new home. While modern insulation and smart lighting are employed for energy efficiency, the site has also been fitted with solar panels to source renewable power. A campus-wide recycling initiative has been implemented, along with Kite having its very own on-site water recycling plant for self-sufficiency. To add, electric vehicle charging points have been installed across the premises with the opportunity to add more if the need arises.

New TSC Printronix mobile printer available across EMEA

Posted on by David Priestman

The Alpha-30R next gen mobile barcode printer from TSC Printronix Auto ID is now on sale throughout the EMEA region. It packs a large battery capacity for such a compact, lightweight device, enabling full shifts to be completed without interruption in busy retail stores, manufacturing, healthcare, transport and logistics operations.

The Alpha-30R has the most robust specifications in its class, making it ideal for harsh working environments, indoors and out, where it could be exposed to vibrations, drops, dust and liquid. Built for durability, it has an IP54 rating and meets MIL-STD-810 military standards. It can withstand 2.5m drops or 1,000 tumbles, while in its protective case, or 2.1m drops and 800 tumbles out of it.

Aside from its impressive ruggedness, the Alpha-30R also delivers strong, seamless and reliable wireless connectivity that’s vital for mobile fieldwork. Its Apple-certified MFi Bluetooth 5.0 with NFC Tap-to-Pair provides, simple and easy connectivity, while its 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi module enables super fast roaming. Labels, including linerless ones, and receipts can be securely and quickly printed wherever needed.

The 3” wide Alpha-30R comes in two models, a 5ips print speed or 6ips. Both models have easy-to-read LCD displays and are lightweight to carry –  just 0.65kg including battery – enabling workers to comfortably complete entire shifts accurately, efficiently and quickly.

The Alpha-30R boasts sophisticated features like smart battery status and auto-detection of poor printhead dots, which can be effortlessly and remotely managed in SOTI Connect or TSC Console printer management tools. They enable real-time monitoring of battery health and remaining capacity, as well as printhead status. Such real-time visibility allows enterprise IT staff to manage multiple tasks, reduce maintenance costs, and avoid downtime of these business-critical devices.

A full line-up of accessories is available for the Alpha-30R, such as protective cases, hands-free attachments and multiple battery charging options, all designed to improve user-friendliness and boost productivity. Forklift and vehicle mount accessories are also available which are quick and easy to fit.

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