Automotive category includes trucks that are very popular in many industries. This category includes trucks and cranes, different conveyors like slides, wheels, rollers, chain, slat, flat belt, magnetic tape, buckets, and screw conveyors, hand trucks, platform and lift trucks and pallet jacks. As for cranes, jib, bridge, gantry cranes and forklifts are popular choice.

Positioning Equipment includes trucks that are used in relation to a material in one place for the proper processing position. Common examples include lift tables, dock levelers, ball roller tables, part feeder, air-film devices, manipulators, hoists and balancers.

Loading unit training equipment includes pallets, skids, tote pans, pallet boxes, crates, boxes, crates, containers and intermodal palletizer.

Other trucks Categories include identification and control instruments. Storage is to store, hold or buff materials used for a certain period. The most common machines found in this category are selective pallet racks, flow-through racks, pushback racks, sliding racks and stack frames. Identification and control of equipments include bar codes, radio frequency tags, magnetic stripe, machine vision, and portable data terminals.

One such material handling equipment which the company prides itself on, is the variable-speed modular conveyor system from Dematic Corp, the world’s leading supplier of logistics automation solutions, systems and service.

This conveyor system can convey toys of widely divergent weights and sizes on the same conveyor, ideal for the DC’s product line. The major advantage provided by this system is flexibility and modularity as the modular conveyor units can be unbolted from the floor and moved to fit a new process, if PFSweb needs changes.

“In the past, when we put a big conveyor system in, it was hard to change it or modify it for our changing business needs,” says the company adding, “This system was engineered to be extremely modular.”

The system is different from traditional conveyors as each conveyor section has its own control logic and internal wiring. These controls give the individual sections of the conveyor the ability to speed up or slow down. The Dematic variable-speed modular conveyor system also maintains user-selectable gapping between conveyable items. Without changing hardware, PSFweb operators can select a desired gap for maximum buffer, for sorting, or for proper pitch prior to an in-line scale. Operators can also select the speed from 70 feet-per-minute up to 400 feet-per-minute.

It also has the functionality to automatically turn itself off when it is not needed. Compared to conventional conveyor systems, it reduces power consumption up to 30 percent.

Today, most product manufactures utilize automated UPC bar code print and apply case labeling methods to identify SKUs. By ceasing on that opportunity, the receiving process for the top DC performers takes on a new look.

For container and common carrier loose bar-coded carton receipts, an integrated conveyor system process can automate and streamline receiving. This practice is commonly referred to as flow-through or cross-dock and works well for many retailers, especially door-per-store operations.

Here, the product is placed on a conveyor (that extends into the receiving trailer) at the receiving dock, scanned, and electronically assigned to an outbound order/shipment. A bar-coded shipping label is automatically printed and applied to the carton. The material handling system routes the carton to the shipping sortation system. The shipping label is scanned and the product is sorted by customer and/or shipment and routed directly to the shipping dock where it is taken from the conveyor and palletized or floor-loaded directly into the shipping trailer.

Thus the handling of materials is minimized as the carton is handled once at the receiving dock and once at the shipping dock. Except for cartons which are rejected for some reason, the carton/order/shipment does not require any operator intervention within the distribution center. In addition, the inventory is never waiting for processing in the distribution center as it is on its way to the retail outlets where it will be available for sale.

Loose case product that is not needed immediately to fill orders is conveyed to the shipping sorter where the cases are scanned and automatically sorted by SKU to palletizing stations for staging and/or putaway into inventory.

Checking and inspection of case goods or full pallet loads can be limited to random audits except for vendors that have known quality issues.

The use of printer/applicators expands on the benefits that material handling equipment provides. Newer technologies also allow the systems to generate and apply labels with more data at higher throughput rates over a wider range of package sizes.

To sum up, maintaining a Competitive Receiving Operation is Key to Higher Productivity and Customer Service Levelsand as such, businesses should always be on a lookout for options which would lead to better performance and results.

Radiant Logistics, Inc., a domestic and international logistics services company, today announced opening of a new Airgroup office in San Antonio, Texas which will operate as a new exclusive agent location and leverage the Company’s robust technology platform and global network to provide domestic and international freight forwarding and logistics services.

Sandra McDow has been chosen to Airgroup-SAT and she says, “We are very excited to be joining Radiant and the Airgroup network. As a group, the Radiant/Airgroup team has a real appreciation for the needs of the local owner/entrepreneur and a clear and achievable plan for building a world class logistics organization.  The platform, in terms of people, process, technology and network is unique in the marketplace and represents a compelling opportunity for me and my team. We are looking forward to leveraging our own strengths along with the capabilities of the Radiant network to bring additional value to our customers while enjoying the benefits of participating in an organization that, through its status as a public company, gives us the ability to work as shareholders and participate in the value that we help create.”

Ms. McDow continued: “Through years of dedicated services, our entire San Antonio crew has developed some very strong relationships with our customers, vendors and associates around the globe. Our customers have always remained our top priority whether they were here in Texas or abroad and this philosophy has been the key to our success. As we look to keep pace with the needs of our customers, our service offering is extending beyond the physical movement of goods to include a robust information reporting capability that provides our customers with timely, accurate information around the world. Radiant’s technology platform is already proving to be a great differentiator for us in the marketplace as our customers are gravitating to the web-based transportation management and in transit visibility tools now available. This is only the beginning of our efforts to deliver heightened value added capabilities around our core transportation services.”

Radiant’s Chairman and CEO, Bohn Crain, remarked, “We are very proud to have Sandra and the rest of the San Antonio organization join the Radiant/Airgroup team.  We are working very hard to drive continuous improvement across the Company and we remain keenly focused on attracting quality operations like our new Airgroup-SAT station which will continue to strengthen our overall network and help drive our continued organic growth.”

The 600-50-A has an 8-degree slope certification, a 36.5-foot side reach, 400-pound single bucket capacity and an 84-inch jib with a 60-inch hydraulic extension. “It works well in low and high temps,” Bigras said.

The machine has the capacity to perform up to par in -40 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It also features a fully proportional feather touch control, a 250-degree continually rotating jib, 55-foot platform height with a 60-foot working height and a 24-inch platform lift.

Speaking on the occasion, Normand Bigras, vice president of sales and marketing for Posi-Plus, reflected on the fact that material handling machines are in high demand for the company, accounting for 80-85 percent of sales. “They have a high capacity, are strong and durable and last up to 25 years.”

“We did a survey (with customers) to create this new unit,” Bigras said. “(Customers) wanted big capacity.”

One such material handling product which can be used to reduce physical and manual workforce needed for carrying and transporting the manufactured products or the materials used for manufacturing purposes from one place to another is carts or trucks. Apart from eliminating the risk of physical injury, they also bring about maximum speed and efficiency in the workplace.

Trucks and carts are cost-effective and efficient means used for transportation of heavy loads of materials from one location to another. Trucks are generally used for transporting materials or products to some other nearest location in the warehouses. Two-wheeled ones are the most commonly used ones in the worksites. They are designed with easy to clean smooth surfaces, user-friendly grip handles and high loading capacity. Quiet casters and plastic constructions eliminate loud noise while in use. These are found in models of hand trucks, cube trucks, platform trucks and more.

Material handling carts are basically used for storage and handling. Depending on the needs, they come in different sizes, finishes, colors and models like electric, luggage and utility carts. There are special garbage carts used for transporting waste materials that pile up in workplaces.

Material handling products ensure greater productivity and reduce extra expenses for your industry. They have now become indispensable ones in refineries, farm, warehouses, shipyards and other industrial centers.

The software market for WMS has consequently become more and more competitive and as such the packages are competing with each other to address more and more customer needs such as more intricate advanced shipping notice (ASN)/radio frequency (RF) receiving, lot/expiration control, location/carton selection, wave building, labor planning, advanced kitting, wave templates, material selection, compliance labeling, picking/packing, cluster/batch picking, serial number capture, catch-weight capture, cycle counting, task management, replenishment, container tracking, cross docking, report generation, shipping paperwork, automated rule checking, carton selection, etc.

Now-a-days, a typical WMS solution has evolved from merely storage and retrieval of inventory to strategies which increase throughput and productivity by managing a full range of warehouse resources to effectively manage common warehouse business processes and direct warehouse activities. The typical functions addressed by a WMS system include the following:

1. The receiving function which encompasses the physical receipt of material, the inspection of the shipment for conformance with the purchase order [i.e., quantity and damage], the identification and delivery to destination, and the preparation of receiving reports

2. The put-away function which involves removing the material from the dock (or other location of receipt), transporting the material to a storage area, placing that material in a staging area and then moving it to a specific location, and recording the movement and identification of the location where the material has been placed.

3. Order picking which includes selecting or “picking” the required quantity of specific products for movement to a packaging area (usually in response to one or more shipping orders) and documenting that the material was moved from one location to shipping

4. Staging and consolidated shipping which involves physically moving material from the packing area to a staging area, based on a prescribed set of instructions related to a particular outbound vehicle or delivery route, often for shipment consolidation purposes

5. Inventory cycle counting where inventory is counted on a cyclic schedule rather than once a year.

Thus, WMS applications traditionally automate activities that fall within the four walls of a warehouse, such as receiving, put-away, serialization, picking, packing, and shipping.

1. The first step involves defining goals and objectives which include minimizing warehousing operating costs, maximizing picking productivity, or simply providing the best customer service.
2. Consult your staff by conducting personal interviews with those dedicated to all major functional areas within the process. If those interviewed can’t identify areas of opportunity for improvement in their department or area, you should look to interview more from that department or functional area as there is always room for improvement.

3. Collect information and data about existing space for the new facility which should include accurate drawings showing column sizes and locations, dock and personnel doors and locations, ceiling height restrictions, and ceiling girder/joist construction.

4. After collecting data about the space and the inventory, conduct an analysis with the following questions like how well does the product flow into, within, and out of the facility, is the storage system and area large enough to accommodate the inventory including any required safety stock, what type of conveying and sortation equipment will be used, what are the staffing requirements, etc.

5. Create a detailed project plan which includes start and end dates for all tasks, as well as availability of resources. Once the plan has been developed, it should be reviewed and checked to be sure the timeline is realistic and attainable.

A well-designed and well-planned warehouse or distribution center is a principle key in keeping you ahead in this business world. With each careful step from start to finish, the result will be a facility that operates efficiently, uses space effectively, maintains cost control, and in the end achieves its ultimate goal of meeting expectations.

The seminar titled, “Critical Steps in Properly Planning a Distribution Center,” will benefit companies who seek to change the layout of their current warehouse or planning a new warehouse or distribution center. The topics to be covered in the seminar range from product storage to increasing throughput, process flow and slotting analysis, and more. Attention will also be given to determining storage and picking dominance by use of a seven-step process and a 10-point planning checklist.

Says Bertorello, “By focusing on a layout that fits storage and activity levels, you can reduce construction costs that occur from mistakes. This seminar will show how to position your company for projected future needs and to get the highest return on investment through efficient design. It is for those considering a new facility or re-engineering an existing building.”

The seminar will be held at two locations; Wednesday, October 21 at the Radisson Hotel, 4700 Salisbury Road in Jacksonville, FL, and Wednesday, October 28 at the TriFactor Learning Center, 2401 Drane Field Road in Lakeland.

Right from warehouse operations to manufacturing, commercial and distributive applications, a conveyor system comes to help everywhere. The range of industrial sector where this equipment is widely used includes airport, cement, environment, manufacturing, sugar processing etc.

A conveyor system offers many advantages including better space usage, flexible product routing, reduced manual material handling, increased production output and reliable and cost effective solutions.

Depending on the materials to be transported, the application and the industry where it is used and different usages, there are various varieties of conveyor systems which can be classified as belt conveyor, gravity conveyor, hytrol conveyor, unit load conveyor, roller conveyor etc. These systems run on power or gravity and its major components include drivers, pulleys and belts.

For maximum productivity, one should choose the right conveyor system depending on the weight, form, width, and height of the product to be handled.