In an attempt to reduce waste generation, many material handling companies have shifted to reusable shipping containers.  By using a corrugated box twice – instead of once – a company can cut the quantity of container material needed for 1 million shipments by 50 percent. If they switch from single-use corrugated boxes to plastic containers – that can be used up to 250 times – they can reduce the amount of container material waste by 98.5 percent.

Aside from reducing your carbon footprint, the use of sustainable packaging containers provides many businesses a more cost-efficient means of production.  Reducing damages, packaging and labor costs, as well as the elimination of disposal costs, are just a few examples of how reusable containers can save companies money.  Standardizing reusable containers can add to these cost savings in that they maximize space efficiency in trucks and save labor time in assembly line operations.

In addition, the collapsibility and stackability of these shipping containers provide material handling companies with easy storage options that are out of the work area.

Click here to read more about the benefits of using reusable shipping containers!

The new BSI Laser Length Measuring System has been a good addition to these efforts in that it maximizes material usage through its ability to make more accurate and consistent cuts. This measuring system uses laser technology to first verify the length of the material to be processed.  From there, the laser will detect the material and send overall dimensions to an easy-to-read control panel.  The operator can then move the material – with the help of powered roller conveyors – to the correct length for cut off.  Once positioned in the correct position, the material is cut and the cycle repeats. 

This new laser measuring system eliminates time-consuming manual measuring and wasted materials due to human error, ultimately making material handling processes more efficient and less harmful to the environment.     

To learn more about the new Laser Length Measuring System, call toll-free 888-234-7464 or visit www.behringersaws.com.  For additional material handling industry news and insights, check out our website!

Who are our new partners?

MARYLAND INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS – Dealership offering a complete line of lift trucks, material handling equipment, industrial trucks, sweepers, scrubbers, litter collection equipment, asphalt equipment, environmental products, inspection systems and lead loaders. Supports all equipment with parts, service, rental, financing and training.

DELTA MATERIALS HANDLING, INC. – Full-service dealer in Memphis, Tennessee for forklifts, lift trucks, yard ramps, tow motors and other used pneumatic materials handling equipment and parts. Brands include Clark, Linde, Bendi, Drexel and Mitsubishi.

PROLIFT EQUIPMENT – Full-service forklift and aerial equipment dealership in seven locations.

WISCONSIN LIFT TRUCK CORP. – New and used equipment provider in addition to service, parts and training. Serving Wisconsin and upper Michigan since 1962.

What does it mean to become one of our partners?

The Material Handling Connection provides lead generation and marketing services for material handling companies across the U.S. You essentially become an extension of our brand if you become our partner. What do we do, you ask? In addition to marketing services, we provide material handling insights, news and best practices in the form of a blog. Interested in becoming a partner? Contact our Executive Sales Representative, Matt Witte, at mwitte@abstraktmg.com.

We hope to have the opportunity to partner with you and your team.

The donated lift truck will be used primarily in the storage facility to help move and store valuable works of art displayed at the museum. Individuals from all three organizations have expressed deep appreciation. NACCO Materials Group and Papé Material Handling are especially thankful and expressed how thrilled they are to be able to help others with their product.

ABOUT NACCO MATERIALS GROUP

NACCO Materials Group is an operating holding company with subsidiaries in the following principal industries: lift trucks, small appliances, specialty retail and mining. All of its subsidiaries are leaders in the industry, operating separately from the parent company.

ABOUT PAPÉ MATERIAL HANDLING

Papé Material Handling is a full-service material handling dealer authorized for Hyster, Combilift and Mariotti. In addition to lift trucks, Papé offers a complete line of narrow aisle warehousing and aerial equipment, large container handlers and reach stackers. They now have 22 dealerships in Alaska, Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

You can always count on Material Handling Company for industry news, insights and best practices. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Why so much surprise? While it is estimated that Kiva Systems generates around $100 million in annual revenue (actual sales reports have not been released), no other material handling company has received this kind of multiple in a sale.

WHY KIVA SYSTEMS OVER THE OTHERS?

As an already avid customer of Kiva, Amazon is striving to improve its margins and build out its network of warehouses. Kiva thrives off of its innovative technology to build robots that help retailers to manage their inventory and fulfill orders. They service many large retailers, such as Gap, Staples and Saks, just to name a few. Kiva’s investors include (but are not limited to) Bain Capital Ventures and Meakem Becker Venture Capital.

In such a crowded marketplace of e-commerce, Amazon has differentiated itself with its wide array of products, competitive pricing and fast delivery services. Amazon is certain that folding Kiva into the mix will help them to trim a few overwhelming costs.

Big changes are underway with this transition in ownership slated to finalize in the second quarter of 2012. And despite the shocking price of $775M, it constitutes the second largest acquisition by Amazon next to its purchase of Zappos.com in 2009 for $847 million.

For additional details on this acquisition, visit The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch. For additional material handling industry news and insights, check back with our blog or follow us on Twitter!

2011 represented the year in which the U.S relied on less foreign oil than in any of the previous 16 years. But even with domestic oil production doing relatively well, the U.S. produces only two percent of the world’s oil reserves.

“Because of new technologies, because we can now access natural gas that we couldn’t access before in an economic way, we’ve got a supply of natural gas under our feet that can last America nearly a hundred years,” said Obama. “And developing it could power our cars and our homes and our factories in a cleaner and cheaper way. The experts believe it could support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. We, it turns out, are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. We’ve got a lot of it.”

In April 2011, Obama discussed the rollout of the White House’s National Clean Fleets Partnership designed to assist large companies with reducing diesel and gasoline usage in their fleets by meshing electronic vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-savings measures. This effort focuses on replacing gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles with advanced technology vehicles or those that run on alternative fuels like electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, or propane. Fourteen corporate partners, including UPS, FedEx, AT&T, and PepsiCo among others have joined the force to change the way we operate vehicles and technology.

“Industry and business leaders all support the use of available energy resources within the United States to make the U.S. less dependent upon foreign oil as well as to increase job opportunities,” Brittain Ladd, global supply chain consultant for CapGemini, reported in a Modern Materials Handling article. “My recommendation is that there should be a collaboration between business, communities and government to ensure that there is a strategy in place to optimize the energy resources we have available to drive adoption as fast as possible.”

For more updates on our country’s forward movement toward greener and more resourceful practices, be sure to check back in with our blog at The Material Handling Company

Because warehouses are known for having enormous overhead costs, many of them have shifted into greener practices to maximize their return on investment. Such  businesses are revisiting the fundamentals: reduce, reuse and recycle.

 REDUCE

Reducing overall consumption (e.g. amount of packaging for shipping that is used) is the first place to start when it comes to alleviating the stresses of overspending. More advanced packing materials reduce weight and, therefore, decreases shipping costs. Companies are beginning to use motion sensors for lighting so electricity isn’t wasted. Another energy – and money – saver is to charge forklifts during off-peak hours when energy costs are lower.

REUSE

Warehouses do a good job already of reusing materials, such as wood pallets and plastic totes. But, they still have room for improvement. One way to reuse materials is with returnable packaging for products. Packaging can be very expensive to manufacturers and it usually becomes lost after shipping. By making it easier for customers to return and reuse packing product, less waste is created and more money can be saved.

RECYCLE

Sending used packaging and packing materials to recycling facilities instead of waste facilities is much more environmentally sound. Also, properly recycling batteries, oils and chemicals are becoming a major focus, especially by business auditors. While you may not see an immediate ROI, following these practices can significantly reduce costs.

Converting your warehouse into a greener space with greener practices is no immediate change. However, you can start with the small things like recycling paper instead of tossing them in the trash, printing only what is necessary and turning off electricity where and when it is not necessary.

Fore more information on making your workspace – warehouse or not – a greener place, check back with us at Material Handling Company or find us on Twitter for the industry’s beats and insights.

Perhaps unknown to some, there is a shortage of skilled manufacturers. To combat this issue, Dayton Progress Corporation in Ohio – a worldwide leader in precision metal fabrication – has announced a “manufacturing challenge.” This challenge is to bring awareness to careers in manufacturing and will target Dayton area high school students.

THE CHALLENGE

The Dayton Progress Manufacturing Challenge consists of a prize valued at over $40,000 and will be awarded to the high school with the most creative and effective promotional program of career opportunities in manufacturing. The winning school will receive state-of-the-art manufacturing computer technology (hardware and software) in addition to student scholarships.

While careers in manufacturing are some of the most unique (and high-paying), they don’t receive the credit they deserve given that manufacturing jobs typically do not require a college degree. Therefore, there is minimal – if any – focus on the manufacturing industry in secondary schools. Dayton Progress Corporation has created this challenge to reward schools and their students who honor the industry through awareness.

Not all students see the college experience as part of their future. For those who do, a career in manufacturing can still be their chosen path. This challenge will give four select students the opportunity to explore the industry while still in high school through a paid after-school internship. The goal of the internship is two fold: to provide high quality training in manufacturing and also to provide leeway into a full-time position (in lieu of college or post college).

“Dayton Progress is pleased to be taking a leadership role in the effort to alleviate the severe shortage of skilled workers through awareness of manufacturing careers,” President & CEO Alan Shaffer said in a Modern Materials Handling article.  “As one of the largest area manufacturers, we want to make high school students aware of the high-paying career opportunities in this region. It is also important to reward those schools and their students who do the best job of career awareness development,” Shaffer said.

HOW YOUR WAREHOUSE CAN REDUCE PRODUCT DAMAGE

• Check and re-check pallets. Stringers, nails or missing support blocks, or faulty plants have the potential to cause loading and unloading malfunctions. In one particular instance, loose stringers can get hung up on pallet racks and cause a load to collapse.
• Be clean and pristine. Cluttered and disorganized aisles are recipes for product damage. This disorganization could force forklifts to maneuver around obstructions, creating the likelihood that a forklift may drop a load or run into shelving and other racking systems.
• Manage your weight. Overloading shelving or racks can cause a dangerous collapse, which could destroy thousands of dollars worth of inventory. Make sure you and your team knows the capacities your storage systems can hold. Unfortunately, It is common to ignore capacity and warning signs until it’s too late and an accident happens. These signs should be taken very seriously.
• Invest and install safety equipment. It may not feel like it’s in your budget to go all out on purchasing the best safety equipment. However, installing rack safety netting may prevent injury or death of an employee. Rack safety netting can help stop cartons from crashing down off of palletized loads. Pallet rack column protectors are another option  and are typically less expensive.
• Use accumulation conveyors. Accumulation conveyors hold products in place until signaled for release. This helps to stop collisions through minimal or no driving pressure.

These five accident preventatives are a few of many to help keep your warehouse products safe and sound. Whether you’re in the market for purchasing additional safety equipment, learning new best practices and how-tos, Material Handling Network is your connection. We provide you – material handling manufacturers and distributors – with education, industry leads and advertising services. For more information on how to get started working with us, contact us today at:

Matt Witte

mwitte@abstraktmg.com

(314) 338-8824

 The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 and the Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations state that racking and shelving systems must have regular inspections by a qualified individual. This process helps warehouses to comply with the law and best practices, as well as identify any flaws or problem areas in this system that may otherwise go unnoticed.

THE PALLET RACK AND KEEPING THINGS SAFE

The modern pallet rack is considered to be a sturdy “workhouse” that has the capabilities to hold a particular capacity as long as it is not overused, overloaded or poorly built. It is common for pallet racks to experience slight damage, which can either go unnoticed or unreported.

Maybe you are doing the inspections or choose to bring in external parties to conduct them. Regardless, there are three components below that should be checked:

• Racks should be level. Floors can be uneven or maybe the rack was installed with extensive shims. Crooked or misaligned racks are a recipe for collapse with the potential to damage to thousands of products and danger to warehouse personnel.

• Check for rust or material corrosion. Over time, metal typically finds a way to rust, regardless of the environment, exposure to water or other external factors. If you notice scraped or severely scratched paint, it is likely that your rack had some sort of a collision or corrosion.

• Overloaded racks are extremely hazardous. It’s not always something you can tell at first glance, but overloading racks is more common than not and it’s the number one reason for damaged racks and disasters involving them. Rack capacities should be clear and stressed as extremely important.

If your material handling company does not have a safety team on staff or someone knowledgeable on how to do inspections, consider incorporating this into your business model. Or, you can outsource it and look to companies like PeakLogix to provide you with new pallet racks or help with repairs. In our industry, safety is critical. For more guidance and insights on the material handling industry, check back in with us!