Winging it: As more of your warehouse associates are equipped with mobile wireless devices,
the wireless infrastructure in your DC becomes
more important than ever. Motorola has rolled
out a new wireless local area network (WLAN)—
WiNG 5—which it says will increase the scalabili-ty and reliability of that infrastructure while
reducing total cost of ownership.
Currently, WLANs operate in a hub-and-spoke
system, with the hub being a central wireless
controller (which handles the management and
control of the network) and the spoke being
access points (which serve as antennas relaying
data between the wireless device and the controller). This centralized system has worked well
in the past, but now more and more devices are
demanding video, voice, or other large bandwidth data. Facing greater demands for bandwidth, the controller can turn into a bottleneck,
slowing the system down.
Under Motorola’s new WiNG 5 WLAN, access
points have been re-engineered to take on
some of the management and control capability
of a controller. This allows the network to better
handle an increase in bandwidth requirements.
Additionally, the access points can continue to
function, sending and receiving data to users,
even if the link to the controller is lost or slowed.
Furthermore, access points can now handle fire-walls and other security systems. With access
points now serving more like controllers, DCs will
be able to function with fewer controllers, which
will reduce their capital expenses. (Motorola
Solutions, www.motorola.com/web/Business/
microsites/US-EN/WiNG5/ index.html)
Spot-on handling: TGW Systems says its Twister load handling technology offers a
variety of design options for automated storage and retrieval applications, providing
for the fully automated handling of cartons, plastic totes, and trays. Able to handle a
diverse range of sizes and weights in shelving racks, this load handling technology is
particularly reliable due to the form-locked handling of cartons or totes via built-in
movable lead arms. Even under difficult
operating conditions, such as uneven
loading, irregular carton quality, or low
working temperatures, this equipment
performs consistently and reliably, the
manufacturer says.
Twister load handling devices are capable of automatically storing cartons up to
four deep in shelving racks, while providing access to each individual carton to
ensure stock integrity. For maximum flexibility, they are designed to handle cartons ranging from 200 to 800 mm ( 7.87 to 31. 50 inches) in length and 150 to 650
mm ( 5.91 to 25. 59 inches) in width.
Belt conveyors integrated into the load handling device enable very high throughput rates. The load is directly handed over to a driven conveyor system, without having to extend any telescopic arms, reducing handling times at pickup and deposit
stations. The Twister can combine multiple storage and retrieval and pickup and
deposit moves within one transaction to optimize machine usage.
A special feature of the Twister load handling device is its ability to handle cartons
and totes with varying sizes within multiple storage depths within the same journey.
This gives warehouse managers the flexibility to manage different package sizes contained in the same storage aisle. (TGW Systems, www.tgw-group.com)
rollouts
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Ship shape: Accellos, a developer of supply
chain execution software solutions, has released
Accellos One Ship. This scalable and fully integrated shipping solution is designed to provide
mid-market companies with functionality normally available only to their enterprise-level
counterparts.
Accellos One Ship enables 3PLs, distributors,
retailers, and manufacturers to meet complex
shipping requirements while remaining flexible
as their shipping requirements evolve. Not only
does it provide real-time access to shipping
information, but it also stores a complete archive
of shipment documentation. The architecture
gives companies the ability to customize the
solution to accommodate their unique shipping
processes.
One Ship is carrier-certified for FedEx, UPS,
USPS, U.S. regional carriers, Canadian parcel carriers, and more. It enables rate shopping based
on configurable business rules. (Accellos,
www.accellos.com)
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