DC Velocity - May 2019

“SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE” has gained new meaning for warehouses and distribution centers. Consumers today demand fast, on-time delivery of their orders. But with e-commerce volumes swiftly rising, DCs and fulfillment centers are being challenged to help retailers keep pace without sacrificing service quality. In this environment, every part of the operation counts.

That includes the dock area. Although at first glance they might seem removed from the order-fulfillment “action,” loading docks are integral to the successful delivery of an order to the customer’s door. Any inefficiencies, inconsistencies, or non-standard practices at the dock door lead to delays that put service commitments at risk. For retail and e-commerce facilities—indeed, for any high-volume, time-sensitive operation—consistently efficient dock operations are critical.

Helping busy warehouses and DCs keep product flowing quickly and efficiently across the dock, day in and day out, is the motivation behind Kelley’s innovative new Digital Master Control Panel. The company introduced master control panels about 30 years ago and has been continuously improving them since. Without them, each piece of equipment—door, dock leveler, trailer restraint, powered dock shelter, and so on—requires its own control with separate wiring, often with different voltages. Operators must also select the right control in the right order. A master control panel, by contrast, eliminates clutter and confusion by consolidating everything into a single device with one voltage, and by indicating the correct sequence for operating the equipment.

Over the years, master control panels have had a beneficial impact on dock efficiency. Kelley’s Digital Master Control Panel improves on that record by updating the concept for today’s fast-paced operations. The completely new design responds directly to customers’ changing requirements, says John Carroll, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Loading Dock Products. Customers asked for more intuitive operation and better equipment sequencing. They also wanted a device that would be easier to service, with a smaller footprint and the ability to generate more operating and maintenance data, he says.

The Digital Master Control Panel provides exactly that, offering
“generational” improvements that meet the needs of high-velocity,
high-throughput facilities, Carroll says. They include:
b A human-machine interface (HMI) touch screen that is fully intu-
itive. Where previous versions have separate buttons for each piece
of dock equipment, requiring operators to read explanatory text in the
correct sequence, the Digital Master Control Panel has a single screen
that displays only one operation at a time, in the proper order. There is
no text, only universal symbols, so anyone can learn to use it in just a
few minutes. This is a significant advantage for training new employees
as well as seasonal, temporary, or multilingual personnel.
b Guided sequencing for deploying dock equipment. An operator
sees the indicator for one action at a time, in the proper sequence;
there is simply no opportunity to use equipment in the wrong order.
For example, in a typical forward sequence of events—engage vehi-
cle restraint, open dock door, and place
dock leveler in trailer—the first thing an
operator sees is a large, brightly colored
“button” on the screen with a truck and
padlock symbol (right). He or she presses
the button, the vehicle restraint engages
automatically, and a green light indicates
when the restraint is in place. Only then
does the control panel show the button for
the next step. “The operator only gets the next button after the auto-
mated task has been completed, or if it’s a manual action, after verifying
and confirming that it’s been completed,” Carroll explains.
b Actionable data on dock and equipment usage. For high-volume
warehouses and DCs, the ability to identify and eliminate sources of
inefficiency is invaluable. The Digital Master Control Panel supports that
objective by making it easier to view and utilize data. It collects and
stores information for each door, leveler, and vehicle restraint by dock
position. This allows users to see, for example, under- or overutilization
of individual docks, and how long trailers remain at each door. In addi-
tion, the programmable logic controller’s (PLC) input/output status can
now be displayed on the HMI screen. This lets technicians troubleshoot
without having to go through the complicated process of opening a
high-voltage panel.
And there’s more to come: Kelley will soon début “4Sight TM Connect,”
a cloud-based platform that, in concert with the Digital Master Control
Panel, will allow managers to generate a variety of customizable dock
performance reports.
For more information, go to kelleyentrematic.com.
vative
er Control
high-volume
centers keep
ng quickly and
cross the dock.