“Power on board” option for maintenance cart: IdealWarehouse Innovations’ power-on-board option for the company’s MARC (maintenance and retrieval cart) system allows operators to access high-density storage areas to use powered cleaningtools, such as vacuums, to sanitize an otherwise inaccessible area.
The MARC is a self-propelled engineered anchor system thatprovides operators with a “safe zone” at any location at heightand depth in the rack system.
The MARC is ideal for food manufacturers in the fast-movingconsumer-goods sector, where high-density storage systems areemployed, the company says. These systems are configured intopush-back, pallet-flow, and double-deep racks and now morecommonly, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS). Theresulting storage configuration is both deep and high to obtainmaximum density and throughput, which is very efficient butdifficult to access.
Every facility is susceptible to inadvertent spillage of productfrom time to time. To address the challenge of keeping high-density storage areas clean, Ideal Warehouse Innovations developedthe new power-on-board option that enables the MARC to provide 110V AC power in these inaccessible areas. Operators cannow utilize appropriate powered cleaning tools to perform operations and maintenance where they were never able to before.
The on-board power system provides for 2+ hours of powerwhen drawing eight amps.
Also available is a dust-extraction system. This system is highlydurable and compact, and packaged to fit within the MARCusing a quick-release mount, the manufacturer says. (IdealWarehouse Innovations, idealwarehouse.com)
Predictive maintenance IoT system: Material handling automation provider Material Handling Systems Inc. (MHS) haslaunched a predictive maintenance product to keep parcelsortation equipment andother warehouse hardware platforms runningsmoothly.
Known as MHSInsights, the Internet ofThings (IoT) system is a“condition-based maintenance solution thatmonitors assets through IoT sensors and system data,” thecompany said at the Modex trade show in Atlanta. Accordingto the manufacturer, MHS Insights detects emerging failurerisks early, so businesses can avoid unplanned downtime byproactively scheduling maintenance and repairs. The systemworks by integrating readings from multiple data sources withpredictive models, historical readings, and detailed knowledge offailure modes. It then produces condition-based predictive alertson potential failures, rated with a red, yellow, or green level ofurgency. (Material Handling Systems Inc., www.mhsglobal.com)
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Conveyor control drive:
Beckhoff Automation hasintroduced its EP7402 controller for motor-driven roller (MDR) conveyors. Thiscompact product is smallerthan most other controllers on the market because it has beenengineered to withstand any exposure and does not need a protective casing, the manufacturer says.
The controller, which measures 174 mm by 60 mm by 36. 5
mm ( 6. 9 inches by 2. 4 inches by 1. 4 inches), also simplifieswiring, using one cable to connect one controller to the next.
Furthermore, inputs/outputs for auxiliary equipment such asbar-code readers, safety devices, and vision systems can be easilyadded. (Beckhoff Automation, beckhoff.com)
Stored energy solutions: The industrial battery landscape continues to change, as new technologies gain traction among makers of batteries and charging technology. Stored energy solutionsprovider EnerSys is embracing that change with the developmentof TPPL (Thin Plate Pure Lead) and advanced lithium-ion (li-ion)
technologies.
The company is focused on the growing market demand forfuel cell technology, TPPL, and lithium-ion solutions, as customersincreasingly seek to minimize the watering and other maintenance associated with flooded lead-acid batteries.
Its NexSys Pure TPPL and NexSys iON li-ion solutions aredesigned to deliver simple, more productive, predictable powerfor a wide range of material handling applications.
Optimized for fast- and opportunity-charging, NexSys Purebatteries are ideal for light- to medium-duty applications and areavailable in a range of capacities and configurations, the company says. Featuring a proprietary carbon additive for extendedcycle life and increased lifetime energy throughput, the batteries are also equipped with an integrated Battery ManagementSystem (BMS) and Wi-iQ battery monitoring device to trackvarious performance metrics, including discharge current, chargecurrent, and state of charge, according to the manufacturer.
NexSys iON batteries are built to the highest safety, design, andmanufacturing standards and are an ideal solution for poweringheavy-duty applications, the company says. They are engineeredwith large-format prismatic cells and Nickel Manganese Cobalt(NMC) cell chemistry, and the control module in each batteryfeatures an integrated BMS that enables communication withthe charger and truck for optimum safety and control. (EnerSys,www.enersys.com)
AS/RS totes: Flexcon, a maker of containers, dividers, pallets, andbulk boxes to protect end-users’ products throughout the supplychain, has unveiled a new line of AS/RS totes that are compatiblewith virtually any mini-load and automated system. Accordingto Flexcon, the totes have unique reinforced bottoms that resistdeflection under heavy loads to allow AS/RS systems to run fasterand be more space-efficient. (Flexcon, flexcontainer.com)
