NEW LOGISTICS PRODUCTS & SERVICES
EDITED BY SUSAN LACEFIELD rollouts
Mini-load AS/RS: Murata
Machinery’s FX Quad mini-load
automated storage and retrieval
system (AS/RS) is now available in
North America.
With a maximum load capacity
of 300 kg (approximately 660
pounds) and a double-deep storage design, the new mini-load
The FX Quad features a high-speed mini-load crane that can
travel across the floor at up to 300 meters (984 feet) per minute
and has a lifting speed of up to 180 meters (591 feet) per
minute. The system can handle one to four units at a time, allowing it to provide high throughput. In fact, the new system provides higher throughput performance than Murata’s existing sin-gle-deep micro-load AS/RS at the same storage volume.
The system has several options for the load-handling device:
rear hook fork, single fork, twin fork with belt conveyor, and
twin fork with belt conveyor for double-deep storage.
The rear hook fork has the flexibility to handle different load
types and sizes. It can handle up to four loads weighing 25 kg
( 55 pounds) apiece at a time.
The load-handling device with a single fork can carry loads of
up to 300 kg (660 pounds) and can achieve heavier loads and
higher density by stacking.
The twin-fork load-handling device is best for high-density
storage such as for daily products that require large volumes to
be shipped in a short time. The twin fork with belt conveyor for
double-deep storage is load-rated for four units of up to 50 kg
(110 pounds) apiece. Heavier loads and higher density can be
achieved by stacking.
When installed, the system measures 10 meters ( 32 feet) by 15
meters ( 49 feet). (Murata Machinery, www.muratec.co.jp)
Rugged tablet PC: The x Tablet T1200 from MobileDemand is a
rugged tablet PC designed for mobile workers operating in
demanding environments such as warehousing, transportation,
and distribution.
The tablet comes with either the Windows 8 Professional or
Windows 7 Professional operating system and is readable in all
lights, according to MobileDemand. It has a 10.4-inch LCD
screen, an integrated bar-code scanner and RFID reader, and a
built-in numeric keypad. It also has both a high-resolution front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera.
The x Tablet comes with two six-cell hot swappable 116-watt-
hour batteries, which provide up to 10 hours of real-use life,
according to the manufacturer.
The xTablet T1200 is built “military rugged” with an IP65
sealant rating to withstand rain and dust, and an MIL-STD 810 G
5-foot drop spec, vibration, and humidity rating. It operates in
temperatures ranging from - 4 F to 140 F. (MobileDemand,
www.RuggedTabletPC.com)
Transportation analysis software: Transportation Guru, a new
application from LLamasoft Inc., helps users design and analyze
their global transportation networks. The application can also be
used to solve routing problems and analyze a company’s transportation strategy.
According to LLamasoft, Transportation Guru integrates vehicle routing and mode selection functionality with network optimization and enterprise simulation.
Transportation Guru enables logistics professionals to model
and optimize their existing transportation network. For example,
it can help users identify and select the most efficient mode of
transportation or design the best multistop routes for inbound,
outbound, or periodic shipments.
Transportation Guru can also help users evaluate entirely new
network structures. They can use the application to locate new
greenfield sites, optimize the number and location of distribution
sites, and realign distribution center-to-customer/store assignments. It can also simulate the costs and service levels of new
transportation strategies, and analyze proposed changes to the
transportation strategy.
The application communicates its results through detailed
route maps, reports, and charts. (LLamasoft Inc., www.llama-soft.com)
Semiautomatic scale and bagger: Automated Packaging
Systems has teamed up with Yamato Corp. to develop a combined semiautomatic scale and bagger for fixed-weight food
packaging applications.
The packaging system combines Automated Packaging
Systems’ FAS SPrint Revolution bagger and the Yamato
Dataweigh TSDW-205W scale.
The Dataweigh scale is a tabletop unit with 12 scales; six on
each side of a central conveyor. One or two operators manually
place products onto the scales,
The system then
takes the products to
the bagger on a central conveyor, which
loads the items directly
into the pre-opened
SidePouch bag. The belt conveyor system only has a small drop, making it possible to transfer even fragile products to the bag.
Once the bag is filled, it is indexed, sealed, and delivered to a
tote or takeaway conveyor. This integrated system will package
up to 30 bags per minute.
According to the two companies, the system is ideal for packaging fresh food and fragile products such as shrimp, fruit, vegetables, beef jerky, and other items sold by a fixed weight.
(Automated Packaging Systems, www.autobag.com)
