A-frame picking system: SSI Schaefer has designed a
high-performance picking system for the pharmaceutical and
cosmetics industry. The automated A-frame picking system can
be integrated with existing systems and was developed to promote error-free picking, even with
the smallest of packaging units.
The A-frame offers rapid processing of complex orders, even
under peak loads. The flexibility of
the configurable product channels
is the key feature of the A-frame.
With the system, up to 40,000 products, whether cylindrical or
rectangular, can be picked per hour.
The advantage of the A-frame lies in the fact that refilling
and picking are separate processes, the company says. During
low load times, the A-frames are refilled and then perform the
picking fully automatically at peak times. The system’s benefits
include optimum personnel utilization in the warehouse, low
error rates, and enhanced performance. (SSI Schaefer, www.
ssi-schaefer.com)
Picking robot: With the Pick-it-Easy Robot, Knapp has developed a
solution for order processing using
industrial robots.
The intelligent networked intralogistics system is at the center of Logistics
4.0, and one aspect of this is the use of industrial robots. In intralogistics, the demands placed on robots and sensors are very high:
Object recognition and the pick process are highly complex, and
to successfully implement this process, many components must
work together harmoniously.
The company took a step forward into the Industry 4.0 era
with the introduction of the Pick-it-Easy Robot. The picking robot
combines performance, maximum flexibility, and error-free picking in a single system, according to Knapp. The robot has become
a coworker for humans; thanks to the Pick-it-Easy Robot, the
workload can be better distributed and productivity increased by
up to four times. Another advantage is that it can be retroactively
integrated into existing intralogistics systems, the company says.
(Knapp, www.knapp.com)
Flexible driver service: Flexible WorkForce LLC is a new contract
vendor management service for companies looking for more
comprehensive ways to manage their flexible driver workforce.
The vendor’s automated platform is a one-stop alternative for
logistics companies looking to recruit, screen, verify, onboard,
manage, pay, and insure a flexible driver workforce.
Clients using Flexible WorkForce’s new dashboard also get
access to the company’s new Driver Marketplace, which is
designed to help them find, recruit, and seamlessly onboard
contracted and ready-to-go drivers, the vendor says. (Flexible
WorkForce LLC, www.flexibleworkforce.net)
Bluetooth data logger: SpotSee, a global Internet of Things
(Io T) connectivity platform, has teamed up with Bosch Connected
Devices and Solutions to develop the SpotBot BLE, a transport
data logger that measures and transmits impact, tilt, temperature, and humidity data through Bluetooth communication.
The SpotBot BLE was created as a cost-effective, simple, and
reliable way to bring transparency to the entire supply chain.
The device operates using hardware and engineering support
from Bosch that is connected and displayed through the SpotSee
mobile application.
Alarm thresholds for each parameter measured by the SpotBot
BLE (impact, tilt, temperature, and humidity) can be individually
configured based on the sensitivities of the products being transported. At the end of the journey, data from the device is easily
downloaded to the mobile application to quickly identify potential damage caused by threshold violations and to understand
where in the supply chain they might have occurred. (SpotSee,
www.spotsee.io)
Recycled packaging: Lightweight Containers BV has introduced
two lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic recycled
packaging systems for the transportation of beverage products.
The KeyKeg features the ball-in-bag technology that maintains
a longer shelf life of a product. The UniKeg is designed for sin-gle-use limited releases of particular beverages.
With lightweight packaging, both KeyKeg and UniKeg offer
savings on transport of up to 65 percent, which can result in a
decreased carbon footprint by supply chain operators and help
with a beverage producer’s bottom line, allowing it to focus its
money elsewhere.
In addition, Lightweight Containers BV recently introduced
a new sustainability initiative. The company has started to collect used KeyKegs in order to manufacture new KeyKegs. With
this initiative, KeyKegs are expected to be made of up to 50
percent recycled materials. (Lightweight Containers BV, www.
keykeg.com)
Cost-reduction software: To help building and business owners and managers find new ways to reduce costs and increase
efficiency when it comes to purchasing and supply chain management, Afflink has introduced its Elevate process. This Web-based system offers strategic sourcing software designed to help
eliminate inefficiencies and reduce costs.
The process converts information about a facility’s supply
needs and priorities, and produces data-driven suggestions to
help eliminate trial-and-error purchasing. According to the company, Elevate accurately forecasts demand, instantly provides
stock inventory, and helps owners and managers create a procurement strategy that helps optimize purchasing.
The Elevate process works on almost any computer system
and provides a roadmap to help guide purchasers toward a
more effective procurement process, reducing costs and optimizing the supply chain, all in under 30 minutes. (Afflink, www.
elevateprocess.com)
