The Southworth PalletPal® Pallet Inverter is the fast, safe, economical way
to rotate pallet loads. The pressure-adjustable clamp secures loads up to
48" x 48" x 60" and weighing up to 4,400 lbs. and rotates them 180°.
The uses are endless…
• Transferring to or from in-house to shipping pallets or slip sheets
• Replacing damaged items at the bottom of a load
• Turning inventory for freshness
• Replacing broken pallets
For complete details, visit www.SouthworthProducts.com/inverter
making work faster, safer, and easier since 1890
TEL: (800) 743-1000 • FAX: (207) 797-4734
SouthworthProducts.com • salesinfo@SouthworthProducts.com
One Minute With No Manual Labor
16-041 Pallet Inverter Ad-DCV.indd 1 2/1/16 9: 42 AMwww.dcvelocity.com JUNE 2017 DC VELOCITY 45
tics and material handling systems provider that makes AGVs for truck loading,
says trailer loading in particular is gaining more attention from customers that
have realized accuracy and efficiency gains
from using AGVs elsewhere in the facility.
“Customers are saying, ‘We’ve
improved everywhere else, where can we
go now?’” says Clark, who is the company’s director of marketing. He cautions,
however, that automated trailer loading
is more complex than processes like automated picking, which means higher-grade
AGVs may be required. For one thing,
AGVs used on the loading dock must
be more robust, often incorporating a
higher level of sensor technology in order
to adjust the path of the vehicle into the
trailer. They also need to be more durable,
as they don’t always follow a smooth path
but may have to travel up and over door
plates, for instance. Though it’s a different
type of machine, efficiency is still the goal.
“Any time you have automation, what
you’re trying to do is remove human
touches,” Clark explains. “If you can
remove touches within your supply chain,
it will increase accuracy and throughput,
and provide a more complete solution.”
Matthew Butler, director of solution
strategy for retail and supply chain solu-
tions company JDA Software Group,
emphasizes the need to view automation
from an even broader perspective. He
points to automated case picking as a
way to improve movement through the
facility and alleviate congestion on the
loading dock.
High-volume case-pick operations such
as those found in grocery and retail DCs
are a good example. In such environ-
ments, automated case picking can pro-
duce shipment-ready pallets by anticipat-
ing stacking requirements and supporting
in-process palletization/wrapping of the
case-pick pallets for stability. At a lower
cost of entry, Butler says, many com-
panies are looking to leverage well-es-
tablished voice-activated technologies for
this purpose. He adds that augmented
reality is an emerging technology that
is garnering interest too—and one that
today can drive efficiency and accura-
cy during picking, but tomorrow may
provide more direct instruction during
pallet-building.
Automation in all its forms is one
of the hottest areas in industrial set-
tings, so it’s no surprise the load-
ing dock is benefiting from it as
well. And when considered alongside
more traditional methods of improv-
ing efficiency at the dock, it leaves
supply chain managers with myriad
opportunities to make headway.
“Companies are constantly looking at where they can [remove costs]
next,” says Clark. “They need to figure out how to maintain a competitive advantage. This is a good way to
do that.”
