The Material Handling Blog

How a Project Go-Live Compares to Having a New Baby

Bastian Solutions

January 23, 2014

My wife and I were recently blessed with a newborn baby, and the during labor and week after, I couldn’t help but think how the process and activities of being a parent are very comparative to being a project manager...

What’s right for you? PLC or Safety PLC?

Vijay Kapila

January 08, 2014

Do you need a PLC (programmable logic controller) or a safety PLC? The answer depends on the safety requirement of the system or equipment in question. There are PLCs and there are safety PLCs which have safety built into them. So what's the difference, and what should you be using for your automated system when there is a stringent safety requirement? Read: Safety PLC versus a Regular PLC

All I Want for Christmas is an Empty Box?

Gregg Durham

December 19, 2013

I was recently talking with a client who wants to improve productivity by increasing the efficiency of his facility’s picking operation. As we talked, I learned he was thinking about going to a pick to pack methodology, so I asked him how he was going to get the boxes to his operators...

A Conveyor is Only as Good as the Belt That’s on It

David Mann

December 12, 2013

Choosing the right conveyor belt for your product is one of the most important, and often over-looked, details in the selection of a conveyor. The type of material the belt is made of is vital to the success of the application, and having the wrong belt can significantly affect throughput, downtime and safety.

4 Advanced Picking Technologies Improving E-Fulfillment

Marvin Logan

December 04, 2013

Following a hugely successful Cyber Monday, it’s easy to see why an efficient and accurate order fulfillment process is critical to today’s retailers. Customers are expecting orders to arrive faster, and one way of doing that is injecting a little automation into an often manual operation.

The Supply Chain as a Hot Career Choice

Sheila Dooley

November 27, 2013

With all the buzz about supply chains recently, it’s no surprise that career opportunities in the supply chain world are also on the rise. In fact, logistician / supply chain manager was identified as one of the top growth jobs for 2013, but more than 250,000 supply-chain jobs will go unfilled each year through 2018 for lack of qualified talent...

5 Critical Items to Share with an Integrator When Requesting a Proposal

Rodger Katter

November 07, 2013

When a client comes to us for assistance in solving facility issues, they walk the fine line between sharing too many views or not providing enough information. Both situations can be detrimental to the proposal process, so for best results here are the 5 key pieces of information to provide an integrator...

Preventing Workplace Injuries and the Cost of Ignoring Ergonomics

DJ Howard

October 31, 2013

There are more than 1,000,000 non-fatal workplace injuries a year, a third of which are related to musculoskeletal disorders, injuries related to a person's work or working environment. To help prevent injuries and avoid the costs associated with those injuries, here are 4 tips for creating a more ergonomic work environment...

Measure Twice, Cut Once: Getting the Most Out of Your System Data

Marvin Logan

October 23, 2013

In junior high I’d taken a "Shop" class. Here I honed my love for building, creating and also learned a valuable life lesson: measure twice and cut once. I still find this adage helpful to this day, especially when helping new clients analyze their operations and prep for the future.

How to Build Better Supply Chain Software: Use Automated Unit Testing

Justin Kaffenberger

October 16, 2013

There are many practices that go into creating great software, but one of the most efficient and effective ways to do that is through automated unit testing. It might sound difficult, but once I explain, you will understand how this common, but often overlooked, programming feature is worth the extra time.

How Do We Recruit the Next Generation of Skilled Workers?

Mark Colzani

October 02, 2013

I regularly hear from manufacturing business leaders about how hard it is to attract and retain top skilled workers for manufacturing. I know firsthand how hard it is to bring on the next generation of craftsmen in our plant. There are many reasons for this shortage, but I think a lot of it stems back to lack of a successful career path for our young people coming out of high school...

Logistics Gets a Taste of the Spotlight

Sheila Dooley

September 19, 2013

Logistics professionals are the unsung hero of the retail industry, ensuring consumers get the products they need when they need them. With all this hard work, it's nice to see the industry experience an increase in news coverage in recent months. Here are some of the top stories...

AI-Based Robotic Depalletizing vs. Robotic Layer Depalletizing

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