Technology Showcase

ProMat 2017 delivers thousands of supply chain solutions

Kardex Remstar Vertical Buffer Module — Kardex Remstar introduced the LR 35 storage and retrieval unit, which is a goods-to-person bin handling solution ideal for companies involved in handling single-part or small-volume orders.

Rite-Hite vertical leveler — Rite-Hite’s RHV-4100 Vertical-Storing Hydraulic Dock Leveler features a constant-radius rear hinge to create a smooth transition between the leveler and the warehouse floor to minimize the effects of whole body vibration.

Intelligrated shoe sorter — Intelligrated’s IntelliSort HDS sliding shoe sorter is an ideal solution for high-throughput e-commerce operations, offering fast, precise diverts of a variety of product and packaging types.

Storax Poweracks — Poweracks, from Storax, is a mobile racking system that provides direct access to every pallet location.

Westfalia Firefly — Westfalia Technologies showcased Firefly, part of its Savanna.NET WES application suite, which provides a 3D, augmented view of the warehouse, inventory and automated systems to help facilities run more efficiently and recover from automation faults more quickly.

Swisslog AIP with CarryPick — Swisslog’s new automated item pick is a robotics application for picking single items, making it possible to pick both identical and different products from storage.

Ametek Prestolite WBID — AMETEK Prestolite Power’s enhanced Wireless Battery Identification Device allows operators to monitor battery and charger usage for an entire fleet through continuous data collection.

Qimorex mk5 lift — Qimarox’s Prorunner mk5 vertical transport and sorting lift is designed to transport a capacity of 2,000 products per hour.

3GTMS — 3Gtms released version 16.1 of its 3G-TM transportation management system software.

Signode Octopus machine — Among the many innovations on display at Signode Industrial Group’s booth was Muller’s Octopus “1825 B” automatic rotary ring stretch wrapper, designed to accommodate a wide range of pallet load sizes and a variety of applications.

Cimcorp 3D shuttle — Cimcorp’s 3D Shuttle system is a fully automated goods-to-man order picking solution that consists of a robotic AS/RS, high-speed conveyor system and ergonomic order-picking stations.

BOLZONI-AURAMO highlighted its damage-free logistics and material handling solutions.

Yale Materials Handling displayed its team of data-driven fleet management solutions, including Yale Vision, as seen here, which monitors equipment, truck and driver performance to help minimize total cost of operation.

Raymond Seegrid tow tractor — Raymond’s and Seegrid’s Raymond Courier 3020 tow tractor automated lift truck automates horizontal towing in a number of operations, including the transfer of parts to production lines and finished goods to warehouse facilities.

FreightSnap dimensioner — FreightSnap’s new FS PARCEL is a small package dimensioner and cubing solution that offers fast, certified measurements of boxes, poly envelopes, bags and other cubic and irregular-shaped objects.

Adrian’s safety strap — Adrian’s Safety Solutions introduced the Rack Safety Strap, designed to mount to the back of the storage rack to prevent large and palletized items from pushing into the longitudinal flue space.

Interroll MCP — Interroll displayed its modular conveyor platform, which can be customized to form a complete material handling solution for uninterrupted flow of product.

Wildeck RiderLift — Wildeck introduced the new RiderLift Rideable Material Lift, designed to increase the utilization of facility capacity gained from mezzanines, rack systems and pick modules.

KEB H6drive — KEB's R6 regenerative drive units are designed with advanced processing hardware and control algorithms to return otherwise unused energy to the grid.

PS Doors SAFEMEZZ360 — PS DOORS showcased its ANSI- and OSHA-compliant SAFEMEZZ360 mezzanine safety gate, which utilizes a counterbalanced gate system to provide 360 degrees of mezzanine ledge protection.

Regal Beloit MODSORT — Regal Beloit debuted its MODSORT modular transfer and diverter station, which eliminates the need for a lift or pneumatics.

ACT BATTview — Advanced Charging Technologies extended the capabilities of its BATTview battery monitors to effectively measure critical battery parameters, including voltage, current, electrolyte temperature, water level, AHR throughput and state of charge.

Orion Packaging AG360 — Orion Packaging introduced the company’s first automatically guided portable stretch wrapper, designed for those distribution centers and manufacturers looking for greater flexibility in securing pallet size and larger loads.

Dematic E’gv Compact — Dematic Egemin (formerly Egemin Automation Inc.) added functionality to its E’gv Compact mid-sized AGV with the addition of a straddle fork component.

Douglas LegaC2 — Douglas Battery showcased its LegaC2 high-frequency modular chargers, designed to maintain peak efficiency at all times.

Absolute E-Z Up partnered with Zallys to debut a new line of electrical utility vehicles.

Delta-Q ICL1200 battery charger — Delta-Q Technologies released its first lithium-specific battery charger—the ICL1200—a 1,200-watt charger, designed to optimally charge lithium battery systems with any lithium-ion chemistry.

Orbis OPTE Bulk — The OPTE Bulk from ORBIS is a collapsible bulk system comprised of a plastic pallet, reusable sleeve and top cap that protects bulk products and tote systems during shipping.

Intelligrated IntelliSort HDS — The IntelliSort HDS from Intelligrated offers an innovative dual-sided design that fits a high density of chutes in minimal floor space, an ideal solution for zone-skipping applications that pre-sort orders according to destination prior to releasing them to parcel carriers.

Havis computers — Havis Inc., Warminster, Pa., displayed new docking and mounting solutions, designed to increase mobile productivity for in-vehicle material handling applications, including forklifts, mobile carts, and pallet jacks.

Forever lamp GS Series — Foreverlamp showcased its LED lighting solutions that enable customers to re-use their existing lighting fixtures in an eco-friendly manner by simply replacing a light bulb.

Magline LiftPlus — Magline launched LiftPlus, a versatile all-in-one system that encompasses an electric screw drive system providing smooth and quiet operation.

Manitou 316 — Manitou Group launched a new range of industrial forklifts, including the new ME316, which offers a lift capacity of 3,520 pounds and a lift height up to 21 feet x 4 inches.

AeroVironment PosiCharge ProCore — AeroVironment launched a patent-pending advanced version of its ConnectRx for its PosiCharge ProCore line of electric forklift chargers.

Tetra Pak Services infographic — Tetra Pak Services’ offerings include a wide variety of products and services, such as consumables, upgrades, personnel evaluation and customized training, remote equipment monitoring and remote support and consulting.

Box Latch Products are a reusable alternative to tape, staples and bands, and can be incorporated into closed loop systems, work-in-process and parts inventory storage operations.

Muratec UniShuttle — Murata Machinery USA dubted its new Uni-SHUTTLE HP, a high-performance AS/RS, which combines flexible storage functionality, high-capacity transport and sorting capabilities in one material handling solution.

Paxxal pallet — Paxxal’s new pallet, available in the U.S. market, is made from 100% recyclable, patented composite material with impact resistance and durability properties.

Vecna Logistics Solution — Vecna unveiled Logistics Solution, an end-to-end logistics approach that re-imagines automation for manufacturing, warehousing and omni-channel fulfillment.

Delta wireless charger system AGV — Delta Group launched a line of wireless battery charging systems that can be applied to a wide range of industrial vehicles, including forklifts and AGVs.

Liftking multiloader ML series — The Liftking ML series of 4-way multi-loaders from Liftking Manufacturing boasts capacities ranging from 6,000-22,000 pounds and lifts from 12-24 feet.

Mac Rak Advantage — Mac Rak showcased its line of repair and protective guarding solutions.

Datalogic RFID solutions — Datalogic showcased its portfolio of supply chain solutions to be used in every facet of the supply chain to efficiently and effectively detect, identify, mark, sort, ship, receive and fulfill.

Voxware AR solution — Voxware partnered with Vuzix to develop an AR offering that brings voice and scanning together with vision and image capture to create a comprehensive personnel optimization solution.

Hyundai Forklift BCS-9 — Hyundai Forklift introduced the BCS-9 stand-up counter-balanced battery lift trucks for narrow aisle operation in distribution and manufacturing environments.

Mallard Extend-A-Rail — Mallard Manufacturing introduced Extend-a-Rail, a mobile, expandable pallet flow lane that provides temporary pallet staging where and when it’s needed.

EMH Model LS Hoist — EMH released the new Model LS Load-Stabilized Hoist, ideal for transporting loads quickly, securely and safely.

Komatsu BX50 Series — The new BBX50 model 4-wheel electric forklift from Komatsu offers lifting capacities ranging from 4,000-6,500 pounds.

Mobile Demand xTablet T8650 — MobileDemand designed an innovative 8-inch rugged tablet with integrated 3D camera that features a high-performance 2D barcode imager, fingerprint reader, 4G LTE, GPS, dual color cameras, hot swappable batteries, vehicle mounting and more.

KION Baoli KBD Series — KION showcased its offerings together with Dematic, including the Baoli KBD Series, as seen here, which features a Kohler Tier 4 Final diesel engine and load capacities up to 7,000 pounds.

I.D. Systems Vision Pro — I.D. Systems’ new Vision Pro software features an exception-based, intuitive and easy-to-navigate user interface with advanced technologies that allow for tighter integration with WMS, ERP and maintenance software packages.

Designed for durability in a variety of environments, OTTO Motors’ redesigned OTTO 100 self-driving vehicle meets the rigors of industrial environments, while continuing to maintain the flexibility to work in a lab, at manufacturing plants and everywhere in between.

Hoist Lifttruck — Hoist Liftruck expanded its electric tractor line to include flooded lead acid, fast charge, hydrogen fuel cell and lithium ion charging options.

Trelleborg Pit Stop Line Elite — Trelleborg showcased a sampling of its full range of tires for the material handling market, including the Pit Stop Line Elite XP resilient, which features a built-in, visible line that appears when the tire has just 100 hours remaining before replacement.

Exide battery — Exide Technologies announced the GNB Marathon FPX Premium Flat Plate battery, designed for medium to heavy-duty industrial use and for opportunity charging applications.

Scandit MatrixScan — Scandit released Barcode Scanner SDK 5.2 with MatrixScan, which enables users of any camera-equipped device to locate, track and decode multiple barcodes at once.

Magnet Source sweeper trio — Master Magnetics (The Magnet Source) provides workhorse magnets for the supply chain and distribution industries, including magnetic sweepers, ideal for the fast and efficient removal of hazardous scrap metal debris from warehouses, loading docks, parking areas, runways, manufacturing and shop areas, job sites, workshops and other high-traffic areas.

Opex Perfect Pick — OPEX released Perfect Pick HD, a unique, robotic goods-to-person order picking technology that stores custom totes two deep on either side of the aisle.

TAB Wrapper Tornado Skinny Series — The new TAB Wrapper Tornado “Skinny Series” orbital wrapping machines from TAB Industries wraps low-profile and limited-length products in plastic film for secure storage, warehousing and transportation without the need for pallets, boxes or containers.

Lenze smart drive — Lenze Americas delivers out-of-the-box smart product solutions for clearly specified roller and chain conveyor applications.

viastore’s updated viadat 9.0 WMS is independent of databases and operating systems, and its scalability and multi-client capability make it suitable for e-commerce businesses and logistics service providers.

ProMat 2017 is said to be the industry's only event that showcases the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain equipment and systems under one roof.

Hosted by MHI, Charlotte, N.C., this year’s show took place April 3-6 at Chicago's McCormick Place, and featured more than 950 exhibitors, four keynote sessions, 100 show floor seminars and thousands of supply chain solutions.

Here is a rundown of some of the latest innovations introduced and showcased at ProMat 2017.

GOODS-TO-PERSON HANDLING SOLUTIONS

Kardex Remstar, Westbrook, Maine, rolled out the red carpet for the launch of its newest product line—the Vertical Buffer Module product family.

New to the lineup is the LR 35 storage and retrieval unit, which is a goods-to-person bin handling solution ideal for companies involved in handling single-part or small-volume orders. The unit consists of a shelf system with automatic bin handling, picking stations and its own logistics software. The LR 35 also improves order picking performance, energy efficiency and the amount of floor space required for storage of goods.

The Shuttle XP Vertical Lift Module integrated with pick-to-light technology and Power Pick Global inventory management software utilizes the vertical space from floor to ceiling to eliminate wasted space.

Kardex Remstar, LLC
800-639-5805
www.kardexremstar.com

DRIVE-THROUGH DOCK APPLICATIONS

Rite-Hite, Milwaukee, Wis., showcased its “drive-through” dock application, where when the trailer is secured to the dock, the dock door opens, the trailer’s security seal breaks and the doors open into the building. This limits opportunities for tampering and exposure to outside elements and contaminants. The RHV-4100 Vertical-Storing Hydraulic Dock Leveler features a constant-radius rear hinge to create a smooth transition between the leveler and the warehouse floor to minimize the effects of whole body vibration (or “dock shock”), while a 2-point crown control on the front lip hinge distributes the load evenly. For added safety, the RHV is a power-up/power-down unit that requires constant pressure on the controls to keep the operator in control of leveler movement. Removing pressure from the “raise” or “lower” buttons immediately stops movement of the leveler. The lip can also be extended or retracted at any time during the leveler cycle. Because the RHV stores vertically, it allows for easy, routine pit cleaning or full washdown. Additionally, in its stored position, it acts as a visual/physical barrier, helping prevent potentially dangerous loading dock accidents and door damage.

Meanwhile, Rite-Hite’s Eclipse NH provides a tight, consistent seal all the way up trailer sides, across the top and at the corners, minimizing gaps that can allow contaminants to enter and energy to escape. It features an exclusive double-seal technology along the sides of the trailer, which produces a tighter, more consistent seal along trailer sides. Side curtains are built with high-strength, friction-resistant Durathon fabric. Along the top of the trailer, an exclusive weighted head curtain applies over 100 pounds of pressure across the full width of the trailer top to keep the curtain in constant contact with the trailer during loading and unloading. At the top corners, the Eclipse’s side curtains and weighted header work together to seal gaps, while innovative fabric corner pockets connect sides to top.

Rite-Hite’s exclusive PitMaster under-leveler sealing system provides a barrier against environmental infiltration on the exterior of the dock. Meanwhile, lip corner seals, filler pads and other components block gaps on the inside of the dock.

Lastly, Rite-Hite’s exclusive Dok-Lok SHR 5000 uses a patented “shadow hook” to secure intermodal container chassis and trailers with rear-impact guard obstructions, as well as traditional trailers. The Dok-Lok SHR-5000 is a physical theft deterrent and can directly interface with security systems to help prevent trailer theft.

Rite-Hite Corp.
800-456-0600
www.ritehite.com

SLIDING SHOE SORTER

The IntelliSort HDS sliding shoe sorter from Intelligrated, Mason, Ohio, is an ideal solution for high-throughput e-commerce operations, offering fast, precise diverts of a variety of product and packaging types. Its innovative dual-sided design accommodates a high density of chutes in minimal floor space, making the sorter fit for zone-skipping applications that pre-sort orders according to destination region before releasing them to last-mile parcel carriers. The patented soft touch divert technology provides gentle product control and reduced item impact speed without compromising throughput or divert accuracy.

Intelligrated also showcased its software configurable put wall, integrated with xD and xL light fulfillment technologies. This patent-pending put wall features dividers that can be easily reconfigured to align slot sizes based on seasonal product changes and/or changing order profiles. As slot size is adjusted, the integrated xD and xL light devices change accordingly, using pre-programmed or user-defined software templates for space-constrained operations.

Intelligrated
866-936-7300
www.intelligrated.com

WAREHOUSE OPTIMIZATION SOLUTIONS

Pcdata, East Granby, Conn., showcased a team of warehouse optimization solutions.

For instance, Put to Light is designed to improve order filling accuracy and shipping productivity in fast-paced fresh food processing industries. Put to Light replaces traditional paper-based shipping systems to capture customer and order data necessary for loading and shipment of products and orders to customers.

PickCart is an innovative multi-order picking solution that maximizes efficiency during the picking process. PickCart is equipped with the latest route optimization software, and optimizes the route for the orders to be picked, minimizing travel time.

A Put wall utilizes light-directed displays for high-speed, automated batch sortation, making it ideal for e-commerce order fulfillment. Constructed as a series of shelves that have been divided vertically into multiple openings, each space represents a unique customer order. The Put Wall boasts openings front and back, and is equipped with a light-directed display on both sides.

Pcdata
855-844-1086
www.pcdatausa.com

MOBILE RACKING, HIGH DENSITY SHUTTLE

Storax, Charleston, S.C., featured Poweracks, a mobile racking system, and Ranger, an automated, high density pallet shuttle.

Poweracks maximizes space utilization through use of a moving aisle, which provides direct access to every pallet location and greatly reduces the number of static access aisles required. Wasted aisle space is converted to usage inventory space, thus increasing storage density by as much as 100% while providing the lowest cost per pallet.

Ranger automatically circulates pallets on a shuttle system by handheld remote control or WiFi PDA. Utilizing advanced photocell technology, the Ranger intelligently detects and positions itself underneath a pallet to lift and move pallets within a deep lane tunnel rack system, leaving operators free to execute other tasks.

Storax Systems
512-771-6715
www.storaxsolutions.com

FAULT RECOVERY VISUALIZATION TOOL

Westfalia Technologies, Inc., York, Pa., showcased its latest warehouse automation technology.

Firefly, which is part of its Savanna.NET WES application suite, provides a three-dimensional (3D), augmented view of the warehouse, inventory and automated systems to help facilities run more efficiently and recover from automation faults more quickly.

Utilizing an interactive, drag-and-drop user interface, Firefly translates user screen interactions with back-end commands to simplify the fault recovery process. In addition, Firefly runs on virtually any device, which gives companies the ability to view and manage their inventories from anywhere in the world.

Westfalia Technologies, Inc.
717-764-1115
www.westfaliaUSA.com

THE FUTURE OF INTRALOGISTICS

Swisslog, Newport News, Va., demonstrated a variety of robotic, data-driven and flexible automated solutions.

Swisslog’s new automated item pick (AIP) is a robotics application for picking single items, making it possible to pick both identical and different products from storage. The new AIP uses a 2D/3D vision system that detects the dimensions of the various objects and directs the gripper technology accordingly. AIP is designed to work hand-in-hand with humans as well as independently.

Other technologies include the CycloneCarrier and PowerStore shuttle systems, and goods-to-person systems AutoStore and CarryPick, which carry over from Swisslog’s strategic partnership with Intelligrated, Mason, Ohio.

For the first time, Swisslog demonstrated its SynQ software platform, a flexible and adaptable cloud-enabled software that connects and synchronizes automation equipment, robotics, people and processes.

Swisslog North America
757-820-3400
www.swisslog.com

WIRELESS FLEET MANAGEMENT

AMETEK Prestolite Power, Troy, Ohio, introduced its enhanced Wireless Battery Identification Device (WBID), which allows operators to monitor battery and charger usage for an entire fleet through continuous data collection. Data is transmitted wirelessly with ZigBee radio or over DC cables to a single data point, where the data is available to download from multiple units simultaneously.

Meanwhile, DataLink3 software enables users to review data and customize reports in either a graph or spreadsheet format with the option to toggle between both views. DataLink3 also offers the view of an event or graphic-based report from a 30-day summary overview of your fleet, and its 5-minute samplings provide a more detailed view to help identify a problem. The connectivity range is up to 500 feet while mounted in the truck with the capacity to gather data for multiple devices instantly.

AMETEK Prestolite Power
800-367-2002
www.prestolitepower.com

IMPROVING DOCK SAFETY

Blue Giant Equipment Corp., Canada, introduced the mechanical hold-down kit, designed to enhance unit performance by improving safety, reducing operator strain and providing a secure hold at any point in the dock leveler working range. The easy-pull feature enables an upgraded dock leveler to be deployed and retracted with up to 25% less operator effort. Cadmium-plated ratchet bar and pawl teeth offer consistent and reliable operation. The secure and instant hold prevents pop-ups and ensures compatibility with air-ride suspension systems. And, an automatic float compensation and pressure relief system prevents tension overload, allowing the dock leveler to seamlessly adjust to changes in trailer bed height without interrupting operation

Blue Giant also released a host of trailer bumpers, available in different shapes, sizes, and configurations. Choose from Sentinel Series steel-faced, laminated or molded bumpers, as well as bumper build-outs, mounting plates and risers. Each model is available in different shapes, sizes, and configurations to suit your application requirements.

Blue Giant Equipment Corp.
800-872-2583
www.bluegiant.com

VERTICAL TRANSPORT, SORTING LIFT

Qimarox, The Netherlands, displayed the Prorunner mk5 vertical transport and sorting lift, designed to transport a capacity of 2,000 products per hour. The Prorunner mk5 can feed products in and out in three directions, without the need for additional equipment.

Qimarox
877-778-8375
www.qimarox.com

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