DC Velocity - December 2013

item upon receipt at the facility. Receiving is configured with a U-shaped conveyor for handling arriving cases. In-line within the conveyor are two CubiScan 150 dimensioning units augmented with digital cameras that take pictures as each item is dimensioned and weighed. The customer can view the images and other shipment details at any time via Panalpina’s track-and-trace application.

“Our warehouse agents just have to
push a button,” says Hotze. “That is much
better than them taking a tape measure,
measuring three dimensions, and
inputting it into the computer. Per receipt,
that time saved really adds up and drives
productivity improvements. Also, the
upload of the digital pictures is fully auto-
mated and allows us to offer a full audit
trail to our customer.”
Since many of the receipts will ship as air
cargo, potentially on passenger planes, the
conveyors also feed the inbound cases
through a Rapiscan X-ray machine. The X-
ray detection is performed as part of the
Certified Cargo Screening Program and
done on the inbound side so that outbound
freight can be processed faster and cut-off
times can be extended.

Full pallets, crated loads, and heavier freight that cannot ride on the conveyors are processed using a floor-mounted CubiScan 1200-AKL system. Weight is also captured, with the load placed on a floor scale stationed below the dimensioning system. “It’s a one-step process as we take the weight, images, and dimensions at the same time on receipt,” says Hotze.

The dimensional information also helps with the outbound load planning process. For instance, customer service agents can use the data to determine which cartons and freight are to be loaded into what outbound container.

Hotze says the cost of dimensioning systems has come down since Panalpina first began using them, which means the company realizes a faster return on its investment. On top of that, the machines have few moving parts, so very little maintenance is required. And he says that the integration services offered by vendors help to assure that data integrates smoothly with the management software so that the information can be acted upon quickly. ;

management system to facilitate dimensioning as well as transactions such as load planning and weight validations.

Similar dimensional information is gathered on cartons and load units arriving at most of the 280 warehouses that Panalpina operates worldwide. Many of these facilities also perform value-added services for clients, such as light assembly, kitting, and ticketing.

The dimensional data can also be integrated with management and slotting software to determine optimal placement of items in storage and picking areas. Panalpina deploys additional state-of-the-art warehouse design and optimization tools that allow it to create 3-D models of facilities and plan slotting routines for various scenarios prior to physically changing warehouse layouts.

The company also collects the
information for security reasons.
Weight is recorded on inbound
items and compared with the num-
bers recorded on the same item
when weighed previously at a tran-
sit facility. If any differences exist, it
may be an indication of theft or
tampering during transit and can
trigger additional control processes.

SPOT ON

A good example of how the CubiScan dimensioning systems function at Panalpina can be found at the company’s facility in Miami. The site began using cubing systems in the late 1990s and has regularly updated its systems with the latest technology ever since.

One of the major customers serviced here is an aerospace company, for which Panalpina processes and ships parts. To help assure quality and accuracy, Panalpina automatically measures and weighs every