February - Modern Materials Handling

ACCORDING TO “WorldPackaging Machinery,” a newstudy from The Freedonia Group(www.freedoniagroup.com), aCleveland-based industry researchfirm, world demand for packagingmachinery is forecast to grow5.2% annually through 2012 toalmost $40 billion.Sales of this equipment will bespurred by rising economic outputand improved standards of livingin developing parts of the world.This will result in increased consumerspending, manufacturingactivity and associated packagingequipment demand. Labeling andcoding equipment will record thefastest gains of any packagingmachinery type through 2012,driven by a rising consumptionof label-intensive nondurablegoods, a growing need for shippersto accurately track items forCONVEYABLESBREAKING NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOWBar coding and labeling drive packaging growthsafety and security reasons, andan expanding number of labelingregulations.ThingMagic’s spot during the BCSfootball championship gameTHINGMAGIC (www.thingmagic.com), a leading developerof radio frequency identification (RFID) technology,showcasedits RFID applicationduringthe BowlChampionshipSeries (BCS)nationalchampionshipgame.During thehalftime show,a Ford Motor Company demo showed how Tool Linkhelps contractors track tools aboard 2009 Ford F-150, F-Series Super Duty pickups and E-Series vans,with Ford’s new dashboard display, DeWalt’s ToolLink system and rugged RFID tags, and ThingMagic’sMercury5e embedded readers and customized antennas.Ford is the first automotive manufacturer to offerpassive, embedded RFID technology in its vehicles.Survival in the circle of lifeAS PRESIDENT OF TompkinsAssociates, the internationalsupply chain consulting firm, JimTompkins has seen an array ofapproaches to economic recovery.He told Modern during ProMatthat a company’s future is like thecircle of life in “The Lion King.”“What got the fig tree that fell this weekend inmy woods?” he asked. “It was dead and was huge,but in keeping with the circle of life, it was time forthat tree to be gone and let the light in to let thesaplings grow so you have new trees. That’s wherewe are with this recession. It’s marvelous. It’s acelebration we should be having because the deadwood is going away. It’s time for a fresh start and anew beginning.”Agree or disagree? Tell him at his new blog,GoGoGo! Want to know what he thought aboutProMat? He tells you on a 0 to 10 scale, 10 beingthe best, what he thought of everything from theinteraction with people at the show (9), their abilityto understand how to win after the recession(4), and even the coffee in the hotel lobby (1).New logistics certificationTHE MANUFACTURING SKILL STANDARDS COUNCIL has createda new credentialing system allowing “front line workers”to become logistics certified. The Certified Logistics Associateand the more advanced Certified Logistics Technician certificatesaddress the core competenciesof materials handlingworkers. The program isgeared toward younger aspiringsupply chain and logisticsmanagers, such as technicalschool graduates, high schoolgraduates, and even younger.mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / FEBRUARY 2009 3