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Truck solar panels: A new accessory from Carrier Transicold
harnesses the power of the sun to charge transport refrigeration
unit (TRU) batteries.
Developed specifically to maintain TRU battery charge, the
new Thin-Film Flexible Solar Panels are installed on the roofs of
trailers, truck bodies, and refrigerated railcars chilled by Carrier
Transicold technology or other systems. When exposed to daylight, the panels continuously charge TRU batteries, ensuring
ample power for system starts and helping to avoid issues and
costs associated with a
weak or dead battery.
In recent years,
demands on refrigeration
system batteries have
increased as they have
been tapped to power
additional electronics,
such as telematics devices, fuel-level sensors,
interior trailer lighting, and other accessories. Such power draws
can range from milliamps to a few amps per hour, depending
on the number of devices tied to the battery. If the TRU has not
been operated for some time and these accessories continue
to draw power while the unit is off, its battery might not have
enough charge to start the engine, resulting in a service callout
or battery replacement. Solar panels can offset the draw from
accessory electrical devices while the TRU is off, significantly
reducing callout charges related to the battery, says Carrier
Transicold.
Solar panels can also help conserve fuel by minimizing the
need to run the TRU engine to charge the battery. Carrier
Transicold solar panels provide up to 1. 8 amps per hour and
are compatible with 12-volt wet cell and absorbent glass mat
batteries.
The panels use amorphous silicon solar cell technology, which
performs reliably even in low and indirect lighting conditions.
Weighing less than two pounds, the panels are highly flexible
and measure less than one-eighth of an inch thick. Designed
to withstand the harsh transportation environment, they are
waterproof and puncture-resistant, and have a five-year limited
warranty on power output.
Carrier Transicold’s North American dealers offer two configurations of Thin-Film Flexible Solar Panels. The standard panel
measures approximately 26 by 41 inches and is intended for
trailer and rail installations where there is a wide, flat roof. The
rail-optimized panel is suited for narrow corrugated roofs, measuring approximately 14 by 80 inches. (Carrier Transicold, www.
carrier.com/tru-solar)
Short-sea shipping to/from Mexico: World Direct Shipping is
now offering a two-way short-sea connection between Mexico
and Port Manatee, Fla., for refrigerated produce and other
goods. The weekly service provides transit times of 2. 5 days from
the Port of Coatzacoalcos, in the southern part of the Mexican
state of Veracruz, to Port Manatee. The service is expected to
carry produce such as pineapples, avocados, limes, mangos, and
bananas as well as machinery, vehicles, lumber, paper products,
juice concentrates, sugar, and beer. (Port Manatee, www.port-manatee.com)
Industrial mobile computers: Zebra Technologies Corp. has
released new versions of its two most popular mobile computers with narrowband radios so that they can be used to track
and manage inventory and assets in large outdoor environments, such as ports, yards, and transport facilities. The Omnii
XT15 handheld mobile computer and the VH10 vehicle-mount
computer are now both narrowband-enabled and offer back-ward-compatibility with the former Psion’s existing narrowband
wireless gateway and controller.
Narrow band is a secure, low-bandwidth, long-range wireless
network specifically designed to deliver affordable and dependable digital wireless connectivity for data applications in large
outdoor areas. It uses licensed frequencies that customers own,
and it doesn’t conflict with other 2. 4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless networks. As a result, it is a good solution for companies that need
wireless access in very large outdoor spaces that are filled with
materials that can wreak havoc on wireless signals. According to
Zebra, it is also more affordable than Wi-Fi and cellular networks,
which require more infrastructure and have monthly data costs.
Zebra can offer a complete narrowband solution composed of
wireless infrastructure, software, and mobile computers. Its solutions can provide strong signal penetration and performance in
non-line-of-sight applications, such as transmitting data around
piles of metal containers in a port or rail yard, says Zebra.
As a result, the narrowband-enabled XT15 and VH10 are good
for inventory and asset management applications in harsh environments and large areas, including seaports, airports, rail yards,
and manufacturing plants with large outdoor yards. (Zebra
Technologies, www.zebra.com)
Supply chain IT suite: International Business Systems (IBS), an
enterprise resource planning and supply chain technology developer, has released IBS Business Suite 2015, a second-generation
supply chain platform that helps companies manage inventory
levels and cost throughout their distribution channels.
The full suite includes IBS Enterprise (ERP), IBS Dynaman (
warehouse management), IBS Bookmaster, IBS Mobility, IBS Netstore
(e-commerce), and IBS Sales & Operations Planning. The suite is
geared to mid-market distribution companies in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, publishing, automotive aftermarkets,
third-party logistics services, and wholesale distribution.
The new suite offers many new additional features. For example, the sales and operations planning module now offers more
exception-based planning. IBS Business Suite 2015 now also
delivers best-of-breed transportation management and labor
management capabilities through strategic partnerships. The
industry-specific functionality gives users the power to plan and
execute their supply chain strategies faster and more effectively
for achieving business growth. (International Business Systems,
www.ibs.net)
Laser sensors: Banner Engineering has expanded its L-Gage LE
family of laser sensors with the new LE250. The LE250 is optimized for measurements ranging from 100 mm ( 3. 9 inches) to
400 mm ( 15. 7 inches).
According to Banner, the LE250 features superior measurement precision and a small laser spot size. The sensor’s linear
array allows for reliable detection and measurement across a
wide range of difficult targets, from black rubber to shiny metal.
(Banner Engineering, www.bannerengineering.com)
