Fast boat to China: DHL has launched a new direct less-than-con-tainerload (LCL) service from Los Angeles to Xingang – Tianjin,
enhancing the company’s connectivity between North America
and Northern China. Through Danmar Lines, DHL Global
Forwarding’s in-house carrier, the new weekly direct LCL services
enables shipments to arrive up to a week earlier than in the past.
From Xingang - Tianjin, shipments can be further distributed to
locations within Northern China—including Beijing, Xi’an,
Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Taiyuan, Datong, and Baotou.
With the introduction of this weekly guaranteed service, U.S.
exporters can now ship their cargo from Los Angeles directly to
Northern China, instead of routing it via Hong Kong, reducing transit times by seven to eight days. (DHL, www.dhl.com)
Work in progress: RedPrairie Corp. has introduced an enhanced
user interface for its Workforce Management solution, enabling
greater efficiency and adoptability for its end users. The new
release will allow the company’s customers to implement the solution more quickly, reducing overall change management costs and
providing a quicker return on investment.
The solution is delivered on the same scalable platform that
already supports many RedPrairie customers. The enhancements
are designed to provide users with dynamic action-oriented navigation, extendable product functionality, and an integrated experience in accessing other applications, according to the company.
(RedPrairie, www.redprairie.com)
Take the leap: HighJump Software, a developer of supply chain
execution solutions, has released a warehouse management system (WMS) specifically designed to be configured to customer
requirements and deployable in as few as 45 days. HighJump
Warehouse Advantage Express is built upon the same technology
as the tier-one HighJump Warehouse Advantage solution. The
design allows companies to add more complex warehouse management capabilities as business demands warrant, without implementing a new system.
The HighJump Warehouse Advantage Express WMS is affordably
priced for small and mid-sized distribution operations. It provides
the key warehouse management features needed to quickly deliver ROI, including the tracking and visibility of inbound orders,
directed put-away, a variety of picking methods, shipping, directed
replenishment, and inventory control.
Implementations are structured by a detailed playbook directing
daily activity and providing specific instructions by role and responsibility. In addition, a flexible pricing structure for the product
includes both license- and subscription-based options. Companies
can purchase only the functionality they need, then add more
complex features and modules as needed over time. (HighJump
Software Inc., www.highjumpsoftware.com)
Tamper-evident tag: Metalcraft offers a new destructible version
of its RFID Windshield Tag. The new tag, which is designed for customers that have automated their vehicle tracking and access control activities, is engineered to deter tampering. Any attempts to
remove an applied tag render it unusable.
Metalcraft’s standard RFID Windshield Tag is a 4- by 1-inch
adhesive label that can be placed on the windshield’s interior or
exterior. The label provides a read range of over 18 feet using a
passive KSW Microtec Windshield RFID inlay and does not require
a foam standoff like other windshield tag designs. The destructible
version adds slits along the perimeter of the label that destroy the
inlay if someone tries to remove it from a windshield.
Metalcraft’s construction encapsulates the inlay between thin
layers of polypropylene, adding a bar code and human-readable
information to one side and a windshield-compatible adhesive to
the other. This encapsulation process protects the inlay and
reduces the effects of electrostatic discharge, while the windshield-compatible adhesive protects against harmful UV rays. (Metalcraft,
www.idplate.com)
Flex time: 1st Source Products announces its new line of 1stFlex
flexible conveyors. The 1stFlex line includes the 200 model, a conveyor designed for light/medium-duty applications, and the 300
model, a version designed for heavy-duty applications.
The 1stFlex 200 model has a capacity of 90
pounds per foot. Its frame is constructed of
strong tubular steel and features high-quality
resin skate wheels with internal steel ball bearings and a specially engineered internal structure that produces super-low friction and excellent load-bearing capacity in light- and medium-duty applications.
The 1stFlex 300 model offers the same
strong steel frame and heavy-duty steel skate
wheels with a service life of over 10,000,000
revolutions. The 300 model is rated for a capacity of 300 pounds per foot.
Both models can be adjusted for height from 18 to 40 inches
with the turn of a knob. Each conveyor includes leg connector
brackets to facilitate connection to other flexible conveyors, and an
integral package stop to prevent packages from falling off the conveyor. The conveyors are available in lengths from 12 to 24 feet
and widths from 18 to 24 inches. (1st Source Products,
www.1stsourceproducts.com)
Well read: The CS203Ether from Convergence Systems is an all-weather ruggedized Ethernet-connected UHF EPC C1G2
Integrated RFID reader with long read range and high read rate.
This integrated reader can be used in all environments, indoor or
outdoor, according to the manufacturer. The unit, which is suitable
for use with warehouse dock doors, forklifts, and container ports,
is offered with either left hand or right hand circular polarization,
allowing it to be deployed in the most extreme dense reader environment—face-to-face close-range deployment.
The lightweight readers offer a read range from 9 to 13 meters
( 29 to 42 feet), depending on the tag. They are also dust-, water-,
shock-, and vibration-resistant. (Convergence Systems Ltd.,
www.convergence.com.hk)
