Advanced Equipment

The first case of the novel coronavirus in the US was reported to the CDC on January 22, 2020. By April, the Strategic National Stockpile was nearly depleted of medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), despite having delivered only a fraction needed by essential workers. Storing and managing the quantity of supplies needed to guard against global or national pandemics is…

The sounds of a once-smooth system now vibrating and squeaking. The distinct smells of overheated metals and oils. The drips of oil or metal shavings on the floor, and the discolored or warped parts due to excessive heat. All of these are signs that your conveyor system may be overdue for some TLC. All of them can be detected by…

Because of their ubiquity across many industries, there are many types of conveyor, each with unique abilities and peripherals. Choosing a conveyor from among all the possible options can seem a herculean task. Modern conveyors do more than move material. They are integral parts of complex material-handling systems. The right system can sort items quickly and efficiently, can buffer those…

Conveyors can be found everywhere in our society. They feed the silos that hold the grain that helps feed the world. They grease the wheels of commerce and tourism by moving luggage through airports. And of course they are the arteries of e-commerce, moving through warehouses the thousands of items each hour that online shoppers expect to be out the…

For many not in the material handling industry, the words “conveyor system” may bring to mind the miles of it they’ve seen in the news or on YouTube – or in the news on YouTube – snaking through Amazon fulfillment centers. Conveyors, however, do more for society than help fill our online orders. If you’ve ever driven past grain farms…

55% of the operational costs of a typical distribution center (DC) are associated with order picking. So when an owner or manager of a DC asks us to help lower their costs, streamlining that process is one of the first places we know to look. Here are some ways you can lower associated expenses and improve your facility's profitability. Perfecting…

A typical warehouse spends 50% or more of its operational budget in the picking process. When a facility first looks to upgrade their systems, solving inefficiencies here usually offers its best return on investment. One good solution for transporting goods through a warehouse or manufacturing facility – or, in fact, over nearly any distance – is a conveyor system. They…

In our industry discussions tend to range from the low-tech to the high – from racking and shelving to the latest advances in picking technologies and robotics. But we don’t often discuss how those two ends of the spectrum are brought together through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). If the software in your Warehouse Management System (WMS) is considered the brain…

If there is one universal challenge in warehouse management and operations, it would be the efficient handling and storage of pallets. With few exceptions, they need to be stored as compactly, and retrieved as quickly and accurately, as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with an automated or semi-automated storage system. Steve Dale has been involved…