NEW LOGISTICS PRODUCTS & SERVICES
EDITED BY ERICA MAC DONALD AND SEAN MALONEY
rollouts
Paper trail: Westfalia Technologies presents its latest shuttle
car design for fully automated
paper roll handling. Ideal for
the printing and publishing
industries, the Roll Handling
Shuttle Car is designed to
smoothly transfer rolls automatically to the line of presses, while avoiding friction and
damage to unwrapped paper rolls. It has a maximum load capacity of 4,122 pounds and maximum speed of 262 feet per minute.
The Roll Handling Shuttle Car handles rolls of various widths
placed on highly polished stainless steel plates via a telescopic
fork. The steel plate rotates slightly to handle rolls of various
widths. The use of an adapter fitting over the steel plates allows
even small-sized rolls to be handled, further reducing waste.
The shuttle cars runs along crane rails from the storage out-feed
to the presses. To counter any tipping action as the fork reaches
out to lift a roll, a third rail is placed in the middle of the traditional two rail design, and an anti-tipping grabber device is used to balance the load. (Westfalia Technologies Inc.,
www.WestfaliaUSA.com)
A safer weigh: Mettler Toledo introduces the new IND560x
intrinsically safe weighing terminal. Designed for process control
and manual weighing operations within hazardous areas, the
IND560x features analog or Electro Magnetic Force Restoration
(EMFR) weighing technologies. It offers discrete input/output
options, and communicates via serial, Ethernet, and a variety of
PLC interfaces.
Among other uses, the IND560x is well suited for manual
weighing applications, according to the manufacturer. The
SmartTrac graphic display provides operators with unmistakable
weighing transaction status, helping to reduce errors and eliminate
waste. The IND560x supports up to 20 programmable on-screen
prompts to assist an operator through complex operations.
In addition, the new terminal allows users to control devices
directly in hazardous areas without the need to use expensive barriers or purges. (Mettler Toledo, www.mt.com)
Wind in your sails: Kewill, a provider of solutions for global trade
and logistics, announces the general availability of release 14. 4 of
Kewill Clippership. The latest version of the multicarrier shipping
solution expands the company’s support of regional carriers with
the addition of OnTrac (formerly California Overnight). OnTrac,
which is now part of a portfolio of regional carriers that includes
Eastern Connection and LoneStar, provides next-day shipping in six
states at competitive rates.
Clippership users will now have lower-cost alternatives for next-day shipments in 19 states and parts of Mexico, serving some of
the largest metropolitan areas. (Kewill, www.kewill.com)
Stacks up well: TGW-Ermanco has introduced the Mustang Evo
automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). The Mustang Evo
is a single-mast crane with a maximum payload of 220 pounds
and an optimum height of 39 feet. Using the same lightweight
construction design as its predecessor, the Mustang, the Mustang
Evo combines newer technologies and engineering approaches
new to stacker crane construction. This next-generation AS/RS is
stronger than the Mustang but is also much lighter and more energy efficient.
The Mustang Evo uses aircraft construction concepts, reducing
its overall weight by about 25 percent. Much of this comes from a
new mast construction design, where specially rolled profiles, consistently adapted material thickness, and high-strength bolted connections make the mast three times stiffer yet lighter than the
Mustang’s. The chassis, chassis frame, and lifting unit were reinforced and re-engineered using this weight-optimized design.
Further enhancements to the Mustang Evo come from improvements to the crane’s center of gravity, better distribution of loads
to the running wheels, and the elimination of drive motors at the
top of the machine. The combination of increased mast stiffness,
improvements to the crane’s center of gravity, and the placement
of the friction wheel drive at the bottom rail allows the Mustang
Evo to reach maximum speeds of 9. 7 feet per second, even with
a height of 39 feet, making it one of the fastest AS/RS solutions in
the industry. (TGW-Ermanco, www.tgw-ermanco.com)
S’ lots more: Optricity, a developer of supply chain optimization
software, unveils the newest release of OptiSlot DC. OptiSlot’s
underlying optimization engines and intuitive interface are
designed to maximize warehousing productivity by boosting picking and replenishment efficiencies, including response to seasonal and promotional demand. It maximizes space utilization through
optimal product assignment while mitigating the need for new
equipment, additional labor, and extra space. It also offers the ability to compare multiple what-if scenarios in seconds and analyzes
slotting strategies on key performance metrics.
This newest version of OptiSlot DC includes improved internal
layout editability for greater control over slot sequencing. It also
features logical and overhead graphical view capabilities that
enable granular multi-edit functionality. (Optricity,
www.optricity.com)
Miles to go: U.S. shippers who have relied on Rand McNally’s
mileage and routing information will now be able to ship internationally with the same confidence and accuracy. Rand McNally has
introduced MileMaker Global, a single-source solution for accurately calculating routes and miles in North America, Europe, Africa,
Asia, and Australia.
MileMaker Global brings global standardization to multi-market
logistics applications like freight contract negotiation, freight rate
setting, freight-bill auditing, fuel tax reporting, and inter-continent
routing. (Rand McNally Commercial Transportation, www.truck-ing.randmcnally.com)
