DC Velocity - January 2017

Automated tugger: Creform’s BST AGV works as an automated tugger, traveling along a magnetic tape guidepath without a human driver. It slips under a stationary cart, extends a tow pin into the cart’s frame, and then conveys it to a designated area.

The company’s BST CA-A50060-NSI- designated AGV makes four to six trips during two shifts. It currently travels a two-route system, with the ability to handle more. The overall distance the unit travels is 600 feet. The forward-only mode AGV can travel from 10 to

164 feet per minute, depending on the area conditions and production needs.

The Creform BST AGV-NSI offers a sophisticated control system. It is programmable and can control 50 courses with up to 128 commands on each. Programs can be downloaded via USB memory, ethernet cable, or radio signals (with optional equipment). The unit uses

24-volt power and can run a full shift under load capacity prior to recharge.

The carts are built using Creform’s 42mm pipe and joint system for high load capacity and wide shelf spans. Each shelf is rated for a distributed load of 400 pounds. The cart measures 64 inches long by 40 inches wide by

51 inches high. It is open on four sides for easy load/unload, and each shelf features retainers around the perimeter to ensure payload stays safely aboard during transport.

Options for the system include remote start via data transmitter at the home station, opportunity charging systems, radio communications to integrate with a Creform traffic control system, and a preventive maintenance program to ensure reliable operation. (Creform, www.

creform.com)

LED light-directed picking system: The Raymond Corp. has launched the Pick2Pallet LED light system, which was designed to help customers boost productivity and reduce picking errors. With a focus on providing end-to-end warehouse solutions for addressing customer productivity needs, Raymond developed this latest system based on customer demand for better A-B picking.

The patent-pending Pick2Pallet LED light system maximizes operator productivity by directing operators where to place picked product through visual, colored light cues that work in tandem with voice picking solutions.

Raymond field-tested the system with Associated Grocers, which reported an average

8- to 10-percent increase in productivity and a 35-percent reduction in pick errors on jacks with the Pick2Pallet option versus those without. (Raymond Corp., www.raymondcorp.com)

Free load-matching app: XYpper Technologies Inc., a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based tech startup, in September introduced an app that allows brokers to post their load information online through a Web-based portal and then sends real-time alerts to truckers looking for loads.

The XYpper app works much like Uber and other “sharing economy” apps by directly connecting individuals who have a need with someone who can perform a service, the company says. In XYpper’s case, that means it connects freight brokers who have loads that need to be delivered with truckers who are either in their geographic area or on their way.

The app, which is designed to cover the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, could improve efficiency and increase profit for both brokers and truckers, particularly independent owner-operators, the company says.

The free app is available for download immediately in the Apple App Store and, for Android devices, on Google Play. (XYpper Technologies Inc., www.xypper.com)

Proof-of-delivery solution: HighJump has made its advanced track and trace proof-of-delivery solution, HighJump SkyTrack, available to users of the HighJump Supply Chain Advantage suite. HighJump Sky Track tracks the status of deliveries and pickups in real time and captures proof-of-delivery data.

Part of the HighJump Essentials line of applications, HighJump SkyTrack can track packages handled by electronically connected common carriers or an internal fleet. For fleet-based deliveries, SkyTrack shows the driver’s exact location on a digital map and indicates the status of the route’s deliveries and pickups.

The application is built in HTML5, so it can be rendered via a Web browser on any device. Delivery drivers can pull up Sky Track on a smartphone or tablet, mark the status of the delivery or pickup, record images, and record a signature through sign-on-glass proof-of-delivery. (HighJump, www.highjump.com)