NEW LOGISTICS PRODUCTS & SERVICES
EDITED BY SUSAN LACEFIELD rollouts
Low-decibel fan: The Patterson
db is a quiet fan designed for
the industrial market. Made
from highly durable rotomold-ed polypropylene, the db has
a small footprint, making it well
suited for applications in pick modules and truck bay door areas. According to the manufacturer,
the Patterson db provides 70 percent more clearance than the
manufacturer’s 18-inch high-velocity fan. With a half horsepower
motor powering the double blower, the db is able to throw an
evenly distributed column of air 50 feet without incurring exorbitant energy costs, according to Patterson.
At 70 decibels, the db is 40 percent quieter than Patterson’s
18-inch fan and eight times quieter than the average lawn-mower, according to the company. (Patterson Fan Co., www.
pattersonfan.com)
Compact controller: Siemens’ popular Simatic S7-1200 line
of compact controllers now includes both standard and failsafe
functionality. According to the company, this functionality delivers new levels of safety for standalone, simple machine control
applications.
The new Simatic S7 1214FC and S7 1215FC controllers
and corresponding failsafe input/output modules offer compact, powerful, and cost-effective failsafe control, according to
Siemens. The scalable controllers provide fast throughput with
easily reproduced control cabinets.
The controllers’ Failsafe-library is certified by TÜVs, German
organizations that work to validate the safety of products. The
controllers have a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) of 3 and comply with
IEC 61508 2nd Edition / PL e (Performance Level) to ISO 13849.
According to Siemens, the enhanced standard and safety diagnostics reduce downtime.
The new controllers include 24 integrated standard inputs/
outputs and an integrated Ethernet interface. The controllers feature one signal board, up to three communication modules, two
integrated 0- to 10-volt standard analog inputs, and two 0 to 20
mA analog outputs. (Siemens, bit.ly/failsafefunctions)
Forklift GPS: Yale Materials Handling Corp. is adding a global
positioning system (GPS) feature to its Yale Vision wireless asset
management system.
This new feature tracks the operation and location of a customer’s lift trucks, allowing warehouse and distribution managers to monitor operations as they happen and make changes
or take action as needed. The GPS data extracted from lift truck
routes can also provide insights about high-risk collision areas
and route efficiency. Companies can use this information to
make decisions concerning facility layout and high traffic areas.
Yale Vision is a wireless asset management system that helps
users manage costs, protect assets, and optimize productivity by
monitoring a variety of metrics, including idle time and impacts.
(Yale Materials Handling Corp., www.yale.com)
Automated document applicator: Inther’s new Automated
Document Applicator (ADA) can print documents up to four
pages long, buffer and fold them, and then apply them with a
foil (docufoil) to boxes and cartons. This fully automated system
can affix documents to the exterior of boxes at a rate of up to
400 per minute.
The applicator can handle documents of many different sizes
and can attach them to a variety of different positions on the
boxes. ADA also ensures that the right document is attached to
the right box.
In more manual environments, pack lists or invoices are
attached manually to a shipping carton. This typically takes 45
to 60 seconds per carton, according to Inther. The Automated
Document Applicator takes nine seconds per carton. Based on
this time savings, Inther calculates that the ADA can provide a
return on investment within a year. (Inther Integrated Systems
Corp., www.documentapplicator.com)
Automated inventory vending system: AutoCrib Inc.’s
IntelliPort Lite is an automated inventory vending system that
uses a radio-frequency identification (RFID) portal. The IntelliPort
Lite mimics the company’s traditional IntelliPort product but is
meant for smaller crib environments.
Placed at a gateway point, the IntelliPort Lite securely tracks
the movement of products in and out of a controlled area 24/7.
The portal is designed for companies that want to record the
movement of an unlimited number of items from supply rooms
or tool cribs but need an RFID portal with a smaller footprint.
IntelliPort Lite requires virtually no end-user training, according
to AutoCrib. Authorized employees gain access through the
locked gates of the IntelliPort Lite gateway using their employee
badge or number and can then “shop” for needed items. The
gateway has a checkout system
that, with a push of a button,
automatically scans RFID tags
on items, issues a receipt, and
unlocks the doors for exit. All
of the data are stored in the
IntelliPort Lite system for tracking and reporting.
Because items are tracked
through RFID tags and sensors, there is less dependency
on proper bin location inside
the crib. IntelliPort Lite also
includes a returns process that
senses and tracks items being
returned.
IntelliPort Lite comes in sin-gle- or double-door versions, supports multiple languages, and is
suitable for high-volume environments. Operations and procurement managers can use the data captured in IntelliPort Lite to
track supply, set inventory alerts, and send e-mail reports to any
smartphone, tablet, or computer. (AutoCrib, www.autocrib.com)
