Material Handling

Rough Terrain Stacker, Once Reserved for Military, Now Available to Public

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military grade heavy equiipment
RT240 Rough Terrain Reach Stacker

Kalmar RT, a manufacturer of rough terrain lift stacker trucks that have been reserved exclusively for the United States military, announced that it now is offering some its vehicles to civilians as well.

The Kalmar RT240 is designed to be operated under practically any terrain conditions, including grades of up to 27 percent. It has the capability to stack 20- and 40-foot containers and can work in unimproved ground conditions, including marshy terrain, and any type of environment. The versatility of its applications is enhanced by available fork and sling lift attachments.

Four Purchased for Oil Field Project

Four of the vehicles already have been sold to Toll Group, an Asian integrated logistic services provider, and will be used on the Gorgon Project, a remote natural gas project in Australia’s Gorgon gas fields, considered to be one of the biggest in the world. The vehicle was selected because of its capacity and  efficiency and will be used both at the dock and at the construction site. Previous vehicles proved ineffective and the project fell behind schedule.

So far, Toll Group is the first to buy the vehicles, but Kalmar RT, based in Cibolo, Texas, is poised to market the rough terrain reach stackers to customers who are looking for equipment that already has been quite literally battle-tested.

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Walmart Hosts US Manufacturing Summit

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Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, hosted a conference for more than 1,500 manufacturing and government officials last Thursday at its US Manufacturing Summit. The event, which was held at the Orlando Convention Center, was co-sponsored by the  National Retail Federation. Scheduled participants included Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Walmart CEO Mike Duke, GE chairman Jeff Immelt and the governors of eight states. Walmart’s … Read more

Make a Good First Impression with a Clean and Organized Reception Area

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desk and chairsWhen clients and visitors enter your business, what do they see?

If you aren’t sure how to answer that question, try this experiment: Pretend that you are a first time visitor to your business. Drive into your parking lot and act as if you have never been there before. Is your entrance easy to find? Are there signs to direct visitors where to go?

Walk into your reception area and look around. Does it look friendly and inviting? Is there a live person there to greet you? If so, what do they say? Are they personable and helpful?

Next, look at your waiting area, if you have one. Is the furniture clean and in good repair? Is there something to keep your visitors occupied while they are waiting, such as a television or some magazines?

Like anything else in life, first impressions mean a lot when it comes to your company’s visitors. So the way they perceive your business during their first visit can set the tone to how they feel about interacting with your company in the future. A few simple improvements to your visitor’s experience can determine whether or not they will become a lifelong customer.

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Retail Sales Up Again in July, Fed Says

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Retail sales in the United States increased 0.5% during July compared to June, according to statistics released by the US Department of Commerce and the National Retail Federation. It was the fourth consecutive month that retail sales went up, providing a sign of economic improvement. July’s retail sales of $424.5 billion were 4.0% higher than … Read more

10 Tips to Make Moving Day Easier

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moving suppliesWhether you are moving into a new house or apartment, taking your son or daughter to college, or moving your business to a new location, moving day can be a stressful experience.

If you are doing the moving yourself, the most important thing is to get all of your possessions to where they are going safely and with as little breakage as possible. Here are the Top 10 Tips to help make your moving day go more smoothly:

1. Protect your furniture from nicks and scratches by wrapping it in a stretch wrap. A single large roll usually is enough to cover every major piece of furniture you own.

2. If you can get into your new space before your possessions arrive, pre-clean your bathrooms and kitchen first. Put up a new shower curtain and bring some bath towels so you can enjoy a hot shower after the hard work of moving is over.

3. Pack the essentials — such as soap, dishwashing liquid, shampoo and toilet paper — into an overnight bag and carry it with you. That way you won’t have to search through boxes for the items you need right away.

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Want to Cut Electricity Costs? Mitsubishi May Be Able to Help

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation announced this week that it is teaming up with Powerit Solutions to help manufacturing businesses identify ways to reduce their electricity costs and achieve corporate sustainability goals. With energy costs rising, practically every materials handling and manufacturing company is looking for was to reduce their electrical usage. The two companies plan to … Read more

New Report Tells Material Handling Industry To Cut Energy Usage

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A report released this week by a materials handling industry advisory council provided ideas on why and how companies can  reduce their energy consumption. The report — issued by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NISE) — was based on a two-day workshop the group hosted for 31 energy and materials handling … Read more

German Materials Handling Company to Unveil Intralogistic Solutions

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Jungheinrich, a German-based materials handling and forklift manufacturer, announced Monday that at an upcoming trade show it would be unveiling a new business model that could reduce materials handling fleet operating costs by up to 20%. During the Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution Show — scheduled for September 18 and 19, in Peterborough Arena in Cambridgeshire, … Read more

Materials Handling Planning Book Can Streamline Efficiency

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Using a single binder to keep track of all the details of an automation project can help provide a central record of all the various decisions and details that went into the complicated process, according to the editor of a popular online materials handling website. Cliff Holste, of SCDigest, said he has had great success … Read more

Indiana Manufacturer Retools Plant to Improve Efficiency

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The Braun Corp., a company that makes wheelchair-accessible minivans, recently renovated its Winamac, Indiana, facility to improve its receiving, storage and picking capabilities. The result is improve production efficiency, improved storage capabilities and a new tugger-based parts picking system. The company also was able to redeploy many of its warehouse associates, slash inventory and even … Read more