If you are looking for ideas to improve the efficiency of packaging, manufacturing or over materials handling, you need to look no further than your computer’s mouse. If you turn over a mechanical computer mouse, you will find is operated by a small rubber or plastic trackball that controls where the cursor on your computer screen is located. Apply … Read more
If yours is like most businesses, you probably already have a mop and mop bucket in your supply closet. This is the same type of cleaning equipment that has been used since at least the 18th Century to clean up spills and accidents. But should your business really be depending on 300-year-old cleaning technology to support your operations? You … Read more
Looking like a cross between R2D2 from “Star Wars” and Number 5 from “Short Circuit”, ADAM, the newest robot from RMT Robotics was rolled out, literally, during this year’s PROMAT trade show in Chicago. ADAM, an anagram for “Autonomous Delivery and Manipulation”, is a highly dynamic autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that is designed to improve productivity by robotically … Read more
A number of economic signs indicate optimism in the US manufacturing sector during the next three to six months, according to a quarterly report issued this month by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI). The September 2013 composite index, the leading indicator for the manufacturing sector, increased to 66, up from 58 in … Read more
Researchers at Michigan State University, in East Lansing, Michigan, have launched an ambitious research project that will predict what supply chains will look like in the future and how they are related to the business model. The university has joined with APICS, an international supply chain professional organization, to identify the capabilities necessary for strategic supply … Read more
The upcoming holiday season could cause a rise in workplace accidents, according to a leading industry safety training group in the UK. Because warehouses and manufacturing facilities will be busier preparing for the increased business that typically accompanies the holidays, there is a higher risk of danger, according to Andy Cartwright, technical manager for Mentor, … Read more
In business, getting supplies to your warehouses and manufacturing facilities efficiently is important. But in the military, it can mean the difference between life and death. The US Army’s 861th Quartermaster Company Detachment — nicknamed the “Army Riggers” — specializes in getting much-needed supplies to troops in forward positions using air drops. It’s the most … Read more
When trucks and other transport vehicles pull up to a loading dock, there is always a chance that an accident can occur if the is not properly secured during the unloading and loading process. Now the Loading Dock Equipment Manufacturers (LODEM), an industry trade group affiliated with Materials Handling International, has released a new report called … Read more
Today is the second annual Manufacturing Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the importance of manufacturing to the nation’s economy and to draw attention to the many high-skill jobs available in manufacturing today. This year’s Manufacturing Day theme is “Youth and Technology,” according to Pat Lee, marketing director for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, one … Read more
Having a planned replacement strategy for your fleet of lift trucks and other materials handling equipment is the key to maximizing your fleet’s value and reducing overall operating and maintenance costs. Generally, lift trucks have a useful life of about 10,000 to 12,000 operational hours, depending on maintenance practices, operating conditions and the type of … Read more
