DC Velocity - January 2016

www.dcvelocity.com JANUARY 2016 DC VELOCITY 65
Dimensioning equipment: Quantronix
Inc.’s new CubiScan 75 is an advanced
overhead dimensioning device that uses 3-D
cameras to quickly and accurately measure
parcels in low- to high-volume shipping applica-
tions. The CubiScan 75 makes it easy to determine
accurate dimensions for outbound parcels and other
daily shipments.

The new parcel-scanning system has no moving parts, making the device user-installable and easy to maintain. Its simple overhead design allows packages to be placed on the device from almost any direction. The CubiScan 75 can seamlessly integrate with shipping software, a bar-code scanner, and a label printer to create a complete shipping/manifesting workstation.

The CubiScan 75 is capable of measuring an object that is placed on the scale in a matter of seconds with a measurement capacity of up to 40 inches long, 28 inches wide, and 24 inches high. It has a resolution of 0.2 inches plus an integrated 10-inch color display, showing the measurement results for the user. CubiScan’s proprietary software interface, Qbit, will pass accurate parcel dimensions to almost any shipping system. (Quantronix Inc., www.cubiscan.com)

Package delivery app: UPS has hit a milestone of 20 million “UPS My Choice” members around the world. Online shoppers can use the service to manage their residential deliveries.

UPS My Choice members receive an e-mail or text message the day before a shipment arrives. If they won’t be home, they can reroute most packages to their workplace, a neighbor’s home, or a nearby UPS Access Point location. Members can also provide instructions for their UPS driver on where to leave their packages, such as the back porch or side of the garage. Most delivery alerts include an estimated delivery window, and for a small fee, UPS can also provide a two-hour confirmed delivery window. A small fee also applies to certain delivery changes.

Online shoppers traveling for the holidays can activate a vacation setting to have packages held and delivered when they return home. An online calendar helps members manage their deliveries from one location.

The UPS My Choice service is a key feature of the UPS Mobile App, which is available in 16 countries. The app is helping transform consumers’ expectations for package delivery and has been downloaded more than seven million times on iOS and Android devices. (UPS, ups.com)

Educational e-book: VeriShip, a parcel audit and intelligence company, has released its first e-book: “The Cold Hard Truth: In Parcel Shipping, What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You.” The free e-book addresses the greatest challenges parcel shippers face when attempting to optimize and reduce their parcel spend. The parcel accountability e-book offers vital insights, with chapters that cover relevant topics like seasonal surcharges, accessorials, parcel contract negotiations, parcel auditing, and data benchmarking.

Created with parcel logistics insights gained from 3,300+ clients, comprehensive benchmarking data, and more than a decade in the industry, “The Cold Hard Truth” provides actionable intelligence that parcel shippers can use to make the most of their parcel spend.

The e-book is available for free download at www.veriship. com/coldhardtruth. (VeriShip, www.veriship.com)

Parcel unloader: Beumer Group has developed the Beumer Parcel Picker, a semiautomatic device for unloading swap bodies and trailers. The robust and compact device is safe and easy to operate, according to Beumer. The company reports that the Parcel Picker can achieve throughput rates of more than 2,500 packages per hour.

The Beumer Parcel Picker consists of a modified stationary telescopic belt conveyor and an unloading unit connected on the face side that is operated by the employee. The unit is pushed by the telescoping belt conveyor. The main component of the unloading unit is the package manipulator, which the operator uses to pull the packages onto the conveying technology. The package manipulator supports proper package handling and prevents damage.

Because of the package manipulator, packages do not have to be lifted, which means almost no physical strain for the operator.

The employee enters the direction of movement into the system via an easy-to-control operating unit at the operator panel. The actual movement is triggered by a foot-operated button.

The employee moves the unloading unit exactly in front of the swap body or trailer. The integrated laser pointers allow for proper alignment and orientation. As soon as the front part of the Beumer Parcel Picker is located in the swap body, the control switches into automatic operation. The system is positioned using its lateral distance sensors, until the vertical pickup conveyors are in front of the first packages. With the package manipulator, the user takes individual package stacks and, with gentle movements, pulls them onto the conveyors of the pickup unit. Here, they are collected and transferred to the telescopic belt conveyor in a bulk stream. (Beumer Group, www.beumergroup.com)