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SHOW PREVIEWBRITAIN’S ONLY FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINE FOR THE INDUSTRY WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK - November 1st 2010QUBE TRANSPORTATION SUPPLIESFIRST FORFLEXIBLEWAREHOUSESOLUTIONS34SNAPFULFILBREAKINGNEW GROUNDIN WMSSOLUTIONS23STILL MATERIALS HANDLINGSTRENGTHENSITS UK MATERIALSHANDLINGOFFERINGJUNGHEINRICHINSIDE10INDUSTRY NEWSKOZY SHACKEXTENDSOAKLANDCONTRACT3DELIVERS FOR TESCOCONTENTSTHIS ISSUE• Industry News Pg 1-7• RTITB Pg 8-9• Forktruck News Pg 10-16• IMHX Pg 17-32• Logistics News Pg 35• Packaging Pg 37• Warehouse I.T. Pg 38-39• The Loading Bay Pg 40-41• Product News Pg 42• Classifieds Pg 43-46• Quote Unquote Pg 47• Crossword Pg 47• Diary Dates Pg 47STAYAHEADOF THEGAMESee the news unfold as the week progresses byvisiting the industry’s leading website everyday. Also catch up on recentnews and events by viewingour online archives.WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKTesco’s nationwide network of storesis served by a number of distributiondepots strategically located around thecountry. One such depot is in Lichfield,Staffordshire.354 forklift trucks - a mixture of reachtrucks, pallet trucks and low level orderpickers - are in operation at the Lichfieldsite. The trucks are supplied and maintainedby Jungheinrich.Incoming orders at the site are a combinationof palletised loads and part pickedorders from other depots which arrive inroll cages.Palletised loads are unloaded from thegoods in bays using electric-powered rideonpallet trucks from Jungheinrich’s ERErange. Jungheinrich’s ERE range has beendesigned for harsh use in and around loadingdocks and has been developed for fast andefficient lorry loading and unloading and fortransporting loads over longer distances.The ERE range boasts a number ofadvanced features designed to increaseproductivity and improve the performanceof the operator throughout even themost demanding shift.For example, the ERE models used byTesco feature ‘ShockProtect’ - a patentedsystem that protects the platform againstimpact. ‘ShockProtect’ reduces the strainon the operator’s spine and lessens theimpact on the truck’s technical components- and, of course, the load that isbeing carried - during operation.Continues on page 5

November 1st 2010 Page 3Tel: 01923 272960INDUSTRY NEWSEmail: warehouse@flame1.comEYES DOWN FOR IMHX 2010THE COMMENT FROM WAREHOUSE & LOGISTICS NEWSWelcome to the 1 NovemberWarehouse & LogisticsNews. With just a few daysleft until IMHX 2010 opens for business atthe NEC, Birmingham, if you’re planning tovisit, we’d like to wish you a good journeyto the Show. We’re printing 5,000 extracopies of this issue to give out at IMHX onour stand, 19J149, and we look forward toseeing you there!In this issue we have features on ForkTrucks, The Loading Bay and Packaging.Fork Trucks looks at all things fork truck,including counterbalance trucks, sideloaders, VNA, reach trucks and other specialistmachines. The Loading Bay includesdoors, dock levelers and dock lifts.Packaging covers transit packaging, stretchwrappers and other forms of protectionused throughout the supply chain.Warehouse & Logistics News is verypleased to support the 2011 RTITB SumoGlove Lift Truck Operator of the YearCompetition, as the official Media Partner.As we report in this issue, the Competitionwill be launched at IMHX 2010 on Tuesday16 November on the RTITB stand, N70 inHall 18, and is open to all eligible NORSoperators. Entry is through an online hazardperception and theory test opening 1stJanuary, followed by five regional NationalFinals in Spring 2011 and the Grand Final inSeptember. This exciting initiative will helpconvey the crucial message that in today'sfast-moving warehouse environment forkliftsafety and proper operator training areessential, and we hope WLN readers willsupport it fully.We’ve also got interviews in this issuewith Gavin Clark, Commercial Director ofSynergy Logistics; Nick Smith, MD of STILLUK, and Shaun Ingram, MD of QTS, shortfor Qube Transportation Supplies Limited.Synergy Logistics’ latest award-winningWMS solution Snapfulfil is a breakthroughin WMS affordability. A unique combinationof advanced technology, functional strengthand a customer-centric business model,Snapfulfil is a comprehensive Software as aService (SaaS) solution, using the latest webtechnologies and “Real Time” RF control.STILL UK’s new management team havedeveloped three key operating regions,bringing sales and service closer together,and integrated DAC - previously STILL’slargest UK distributor - into STILL UK.STILL’s broad-based product range, in particularthe RX70, is coming into its own inthe current climate, contributing to STILL’sincreased sales and market share.QTS startedout in 2003 sellingroll cages to endusers, but now alsosells racking accessoriesand a growing numberof other storage-relatedproducts. QTS hasbeen investing in developingnew products,increasing its production capacity in Chinaand opening a new UK warehouse to enableit to hold larger stocks, reduce lead timesfor orders and capture a wider audience.Bringing the story up to date, Novemberalso sees QTS making its debut as anexhibitor at IMHX 2010.Happy reading, and see you at IMHX onstand 19J149!Warehouse & Logistics NewsCONTENTSNOVEMBER 1STVOLUME 17 - ISSUE 194INDUSTRY NEWSUnion donates Matadoor toTraining Centre to boost skills.FORKTRUCK NEWSE&K Automation, has converted16three trucks to operate driverless.PALLET NETWORKSNOW A BAROMETER FOR THE STATE OF THE ECONOMYThe consistent growth of pallet distributionnetworks has led the sector toovertake the parcels industry as a barometerof the health of the UK economy.That is the opinion of Neil Hodgson,Managing Director of the Fortec PalletDistribution Network who is in a strongposition to compare the two sectorshaving also held executive positions previouslywith TNT and Target Express.The Midlands based Fortec PalletNetwork has consistently enjoyed recordbreaking volumes since the beginning ofthe year and is on course to achieve recordvolumes and profitability again in 2010.“The pallet sector has been ahead ofthe parcels carriers in terms of growth forsome considerable time now with palletnetworks still maintaining good doubledigitgrowth and most parcel carriers,with the exception of one or two, stillstuck on modest single figure growth.“In the main the parcels sector is still relativelyflat and certainly behind the majorityof the pallet networks who are all reportingreasonably healthy increased volumes.“People have been talking aboutuncertainty but we haven’t seen any realevidence of it amongst our licensees andtheir customers.“In fact I seriously believe the palletindustry has now become a good barometerof the state of the economy in thiscountry. I think we have a broader spreadof deliveries whereas the major impacton the parcels carriers in recent years hasobviously been retail focused particularlyinternet shopping,” he said. “We now spanmore industry sectors than parcels carriers.”Hodgson commented that the palletnetworks were now often the first choicefor a wide choice of customers frommanufacturing through to drinks and highvalue consignments in retail, electronics andpharmaceuticals. Goods where increased securitythrough pallet distribution is paramount.“Parcels and pallets used to be ratherblurred in distribution terms. Nowparcels mainly cater for smaller products,especially through the internet and obviouslythe pallet sector has matured andbecome more professional and is a realisticand competitive alternative totraditional parcel delivery,” he continued.However, Neil Hodgson believes thepallet distribution sector does, in fact, faceits own challenges. He explained: “Thereal challenge all pallet networks face is toconsistently improve its service offering.“Pallet delivery is one thing but it is morethan that. It is everything involved in supportingthe delivery - managing information,communication with customers, systemsintegration, on-time delivery, branding etc.“It is not so long ago that we were allarguably behind the parcels carriers interms of IT, customer service, training etc.However, that has now changed. Certainlyat Fortec we are investing substantiallyin IT and systems integration. Our qualityservice is renowned in the industry andour consistent record of growth year onyear for the past several years is evidenceof service standards,” he commented.In fact Fortec recently invested over£700,000 in its advanced Fortrack systemwhich the Geodis-owned company confidentlyclaimed is the best in the industry.Fortec has the commercial benefit ofbeing owned by the largest parent companyof any pallet network in the UK.Parent Geodis is a global logistics providerwith over 26,000 employees and an annualturnover in excess of 5.2 billion euros.Geodis is a major investor in IT systemsfor its multi modal transportoperations internationally and the launchof Fortrack with its flexibility in terms ofsystems integration and managementinformation has, Fortec believes, providedthe company with a competitive edge.Hodgson revealed: “We can easilyflex Fortrack to suit an individual licensee orcustomer account. It enables us to bespoke thesystem to an individual account. It is infinitelyvariable from a systems integration perspectiveand can offer any degree of variablesfor management information. We are at alevel of true state of the art IT with Fortrack.”The Fortec chief confirmed that largercorporate customers in the main aredemanding more management information.He agrees that Fortec has changed itsbusiness model over the past 12 to 18months in order to successfully attackthe corporate market.“We have deliberately made a greateruse of the Geodis Calberson brand. The policyis working and is evident in our results. Forexample in May we enjoyed two record weeksand we are 25% up on last year,” he said.Fortec now has the ability to offer itscustomers a total service deliveringparcels as well as pallets!”Fortec Pallet Distribution Networkwww.fortecpallet.co.ukGLOBAL BRANDING FOR THE 21ST CENTURYNarrow Aisle Ltd, the UK-basedmanufacturer of the Flexi range of articulatedforklift trucks, has announced anew brand identity. Henceforth thecompany will be known as FlexiNarrow Aisle Ltd.“Thanks to the success of the Flexiarticulated forklift truck range acrossthe world, we believe that, for manypeople, the word ‘Flexi’ has become thegeneric term for articulated trucks, so wefelt that it made a lot of sense to make ‘Flexi’more prominent in our company name,”explains John Maguire, Flexi NarrowIrish food producer, Co. Monaghanbased Kozy Shack, is set to expandexport of its dessert and snack rangeinto UK retailers starting this autumn,an export increase of 50% utilising multitemperature supply chain and logisticsspecialist Oakland International's establishedroutes to market.Oakland has worked with KozyShack since 2006, stockholding the producer'srice based products beforeonward distribution to retail distributioncentres in the UK.Oakland International UK OperationsDirector Paul Ziolek, stated: "Our UKand Ireland hubs operate seven days aweek and are currently moving in excessof 6,000 pallets per week, we are wellplaced to support export expansion ofKozy Shack's existing product ranges.Oakland's close retailer relationshipallows for closer links between retailersand Kozy Shack resulting in reducedwastage, improved service levels, nominimum order issues and no requirementfor Kozy Shack to provideweekend stock control and administrationcover for the account."Aisle Ltd’s sales and marketing director.“In a sense, we are presenting ourselvesin a similar way to other leadingglobal brands. For example, to most people,Apple Computer Corporation isknown simply as Apple, yet the company’sfull name reflects the industrythat it excels in. Our company wasoriginally formed to operate in thenarrow aisle storage sector and formany years was known as Narrow AisleLtd. However, as awareness of the Flexibrand has grown across the world we feltthat the time was right to make the change.”IRISH PRODUCERKOZY SHACK EXTENDS UK RETAIL CONTRACT WITH OAKLAND INTERNATIONALGill Hiatt, Sales and New Business Development at Oakland International.Oakland's ability to take delivery ofbulk loads greatly reduces weekly deliveries,linked with their relative fixed caserate and administrative savings hashelped to significantly reduce KozyShack's overheads. An established consolidationand distribution operatoracknowledged for offering effective crossdockingand storage to an increasingnumber of Irish retailers, Oakland providesa highly reactive, flexible andproactive supply chain service offer.Kozy Shack quote: "Having a distributionhub in the UK has been essential to thesuccess and growth of our business andOakland have provided it for us. The efficiencyof their operation has been excellentand allowed us to focus on new opportunitieswith our customers, without having toworry about the supply chain which hasbeen managed so well by Oakland."Oakland International LimitedIreland: +353 (0) 1835 4855UK: +44 (0) 1527 596 222sales@oakland-international.comwww.oakland-international.com35LOGISTICS NEWSMasternaut launches first all-inonevehicle telematics system.37PACKAGINGLoadhog, will be making a showof itself at IMHX 2010.40THE LOADING BAYStertil Stokvis has completed aproject for John G RussellTransport.42PRODUCT NEWSBig savings can be achieved withthe Euro container range.COMING UPNOVEMBER 15THCONVEYING & SORTATIONAutomated materials handling equipmentand IT solutions.ORDER PICKINGPickers, pick to light, voice picking andhand held terminals.MEZZANINE FLOORSIncludes mezzanine floors, accesswalkways and staircases.DECEMBER 15THBATTERIES REPORTIncludes batteries, battery charging andchanging systems.FLOORS & FLOOR CAREIncludes floor preparation, floormaintenance and area markings.WEIGHINGCovering all aspects, from fork mountedand stand alone scales to weigh bridges.

Page 4 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com INDUSTRY NEWSTel: 01923 272960TOP SPEAKERS, MORE NETWORKINGAND TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY TODAY AT INDUSTRY LEADING LOGISTICS LINK SOUTH SHOWThe organisers of 2011’s LogisticsLink South have unveiled a numberof exciting new features and eventsfor the show in Sandown Park,Esher, on 15th and 16th February.Several top industry figures will begiving independent and thoughtprovokingviews on the latestdevelopments with two keynote presentationseach day, using real lifecase studies. Challenging, inspirationaland above all practical, theiradvice will focus on getting the bestreturn from investment in the currentclimate.Following feedback from visitors toprevious shows, Logistics Link Southwill be giving everyone a biggeropportunity to meet their peers, to discussissues of mutual interest and tonetwork in confidence and privacy.New too will be the Future Warehousezone, giving visitors a glimpse of howthe functionality of a warehouse in2020 or beyond may look.Conveniently located less than halfan hour from central London by trainand close to the M25, the show offersthe best and most time-efficientopportunity for logistics executives toidentify new cost saving techniques,compare the latest technology andfind clever ways to make the most ofcurrent systems.Visitors can save months ofresearch and get up-to-date with keydevelopments that could add realvalue to their business all in a fewhours, and be back in the office thesame day.Exhibitors will be presenting productsand services ranging frommaterials handling machinery, packagingand labelling systems, andautomated storage and handlingequipment to warehouse buildingservices.For visitors interested in IT systemsand software for both warehouse andtransport applications, Logistics LinkSouth will offer the biggest choiceunder one roof for years. Dozens ofexhibitors will be presenting the latestin WMS, RFID, scanners and barcodes, stock track and trace, remotevehicle monitoring, transport andfleet planning and management,mobile computing and many more.Entry to the show and the educationalcontent including the brandnew Keynote Presentations is free forthose registering in advance.For further information and toregister for free tickets, go tohttp://www.logisticslink.co.uk.UKWA APPOINTS NEW VICE CHAIRMANThe United Kingdom Warehousing UK logistics industry’s most influentialAssociation (UKWA) has announced trade association.”the appointment of John Maguire, Roger Williams, Chief Executivesales and marketing director of Flexi Officer of UKWA, commented: “WeNarrow Aisle Ltd, as its new Vice are delighted to be able to draw uponChairman. John Maguire will work the services of someone of John’s caliber.I am sure he will be a tremendousclosely with the Association’s currentNational Chairman, Derrick Potter, asset to our organisation.”and will succeed Derrick as UKWA’s John Maguire has held severalNational Chairman in 2011.senior posts within the materials handlingindustry and is widely known forJohn Maguire commented: “TheUKWA has a long and proud history his warehouse system design expertise.and I am honoured and excited to be He is a Fellow of the Charteredgiven the chance to contribute to the Institute of Logistics and Transport.APC OVERNIGHTEXPANDS NETWORK WITH NEW CHILTERN WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION FACILITYAPC Overnight is expanding its‘pick and pack’ services with a newwarehousing and distribution centrein High Wycombe. The site is ownedand managed by Scarlet Couriers, anestablished courier with additionaloffices in Slough, Bracknell,Reading and Uxbridge. WithScarlet’s new facility, Chiltern-basedbusinesses can also take advantageof a local storage, order fulfillmentand despatch service for UK-widenext day delivery through APCOvernight - the UK's largestovernight network.The new site provides 20,000 sq ftof modern warehousing to providesafe and secure storage. ScarletCouriers uses the latest in warehousemanagement technology and equipmentto maximise use of warehousespace, including VNA (very narrowaisle) flexi-articulated forklifts. Thenarrow aisle design provides storagefor over 1,000 pallets on modernracking systems.Existing clients using the company’soutsourcing services cover awide range of products from food toelectronics. Businesses connect to thecompany’s “pick and pack” servicesusing their websites or by simplycalling the office with their orders,which provides a flexible outsourcedfast fulfillment solution for all kindsand sizes of companies.“Our service is both flexible andcost-effective. We take in the goods,assign storage, accept customerorders by web, email or telephone,and then pick and despatch for nextday delivery to anywhere in the UKusing the APC Overnight network.For local entrepreneurs this is a greatway to get their business off theground without the need to invest intheir own warehousing,” says MartinCavendish, Operations Director.Left to right: Jon Barber, Marketing Director ofAPC Overnight and Scarlet CouriersOperations Director Martin Cavendish.High Wycombe is the latest in theScarlet Couriers chain of depots. Thecompany now covers a larger territory,reaching north to Hemel Hempstead,south to Ascot, east to Shepherd’sBush and west to Pangbourne. As partof the APC Overnight nationwide networkof 120+ local depots, it offersnational coverage from the customer’sdoorstep.Martin Cavendish adds: “ScarletCouriers now has comprehensiveservices throughout the ThamesValley and Chilterns. Our Wycombedepot joins up our existing customerzones to provide next day services forcustomers throughout the region.”APC OvernightJon BarberTel: 01753 695200Martin Cavendish can also becontacted on 01494 761761,Martin.cavendish@scarlet.co.ukUNION DONATES MATADOORTO TRAINING CENTRE TO BOOST INDUSTRY SKILLSUnion Industries, the market-leadingmanufacturer of the Matadoor range ofHi-Speed Doors, has joined theWarehouse Technology Group (WTG) tohelp increase skill levels and the use oftechnology in the warehousing, logisticsand distribution sector.WTG is comprised of 15 of Europe’sleading industry technology suppliers tothe logistics sector who are committed todeveloping technology to improve productivityand standards in the sector. Each hasprovided expertise, products or equipmentin the Logistics Innovation and ResearchCentre (LRIC) in Middleton, Manchester.As part of its commitment to the group,Union Industries has donated a Matadoor,which has been installed at LRIC.LRIC is a fully-operational 20,000 sqftwarehouse, which is a multi-functionalcentre designed to test new products,teach experienced logistics workers newskills and provide new participants theskills they need.Also acting as a showcase for the latestin warehouse, logistics and distributiontechnology and equipment, the centreprovides a realistic commercial warehousingenvironment to demonstrate howthe different technologies interface, testedand proved by experienced and novicelearners receiving, handling, retrieving anddistributing live freight.Delivered by work-based learningprovider Mantra Learning, the vocationaltraining courses are provided to bothpublic and private companies and areoften funded by government-backedschemes such as Train2Gain andApprenticeships.Union’s Matadoor range of Hi-SpeedDoors is in use in hundreds of industrial &commercial premises across the world.The range has become the Hi-SpeedDoors of choice of logistics and distributionprofessionals in sectors including,pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, supermarketsand food preparation, productionand storage.The Matadoor installed at LRIC willplay an integral role in the warehouse’straining facilities. Providing particular benefitfor forklift truck driver training, theMatadoor features Union’s innovative‘Crash-Out’ system, which ensures thedoors remain operable even if hit by avehicle.Once hit, the door opens fully thenautomatically resets back into the sideguides, and continues to operate effectively,with no major repairs required,which is a real advantage reducing downtime,increasing productivity.Fitted with radar motion sensors, thedoor automatically-operates whenapproached by a vehicle. To protect operativestraining near the Matadoor, theautomated system can be over-ridden by akey switch on the control panel.As an additional safety device to protectpedestrians, Union has installed‘Stand-Off Sensing Devices’ to both sides,which meet current Health and SafetyExecutive guidelines.Connected to an external area, theMatadoor also supports energy control atthe training centre. Due to its fast operatingspeed of 1.6 metres per second, theMatadoor practically eradicates theingress of cold air allowing the warehouseto maintain a constantly controlled temperature.Union has also donated a set of ‘End ofAisle’ bags to support the centre’s recyclingprogramme. Available from Union’sGeneral Trading Department, the bags arecolour-coded and labelled for the recyclingof paper and plastics.Alan Hirst, Sales Director at UnionIndustries, said: “WTG is leading a veryfresh approach to improving skills, competencyand productivity levels in thelogistics sector. The LRIC centre hashelped to bridge the gap between atraining centre and a real-life workingenvironment, which can only benefit theskills development of operatives and theuse of technology in the sector.“Union Industries has always shown astrong commitment to staff developmentand we are very pleased to be able to playa bigger role in improving skills within thesector through the donation of theMatadoor.”Phil Culling, Co-Founder of theWarehouse Technology Group andChairman of Redirack Ltd, said: “Union’sMatadoor is a fantastic addition to theWarehouse Technology Group. It demonstratesthe quality and innovation thatexists in the logistics’ sector supplychain and will be of huge benefit to themany learners gaining new skills andqualifications at the centre.”Left to right: Phil Culling welcomes Alan Hirst from Union Industries to the Warehouse TechnologyGroup.UNION INDUSTRIES TEL: 0113 244 8393 WWW.UNIONINDUSTRIES.CO.UK

November 1st 2010 Page 5Tel: 01923 272960INDUSTRY NEWSEmail: warehouse@flame1.comRUSMAIL AND DU ROSE FORMALISE COLLABORATIONRusmail Conveyor Systems Ltd hasjust completed a restructuring processfollowing the recent retirement ofdirector Colin Kirk. This cements a 22year association with metalwork fabricatordu Rose Limited.PF WHITEHEADCroydon-based PF Whitehead is one‘He’s a breath of fresh air around theof the UK’s largest transportation logisticsproviders with a large range of blue work,’ says managing director Peterplace. He’s a good lad who wants tochip clients, including B&Q, IKEA and Whitehead. ‘He asked us if he could doYoung and Co Brewery. A family run more so now he is working in the officefirm with more than 30 years’ experience,the company recalls the days learning about the whole business,as well as in the warehouse. He iswhen apprentice drivers were taken on seeing how the whole process operates.’regularly but this stopped once insurancepremiums increased to such an highly enough of the system operatedMr Whitehead says he cannot speakextent as to make the apprenticeships by SLB Logistics which matches thenon-viable for anyone under 25.apprentice to the firm, carries out all theNow, thanks to SLB Logistics’ HR tasks and pays the apprentice £95Apprenticeship Training Agency, a work per week. SLB also oversees the apprentice’sNVQ training which, in Tom’splacement for a young person has beenfound once more. Tom Coyne, aged 18, case, is carried out on PF Whitehead’sfrom South Norwood, has been carrying premises so as not to take him awayout warehouse and stock control duties from the job.since July and his enthusiasm and commitmenthas led to the firm expanding his tasks ence and challenge of being part of theAs for Tom, he is enjoying the experi-to include direct dealing with customers. PF Whitehead team. ‘I left school at 16From October 1, 2010 Ray Hart andTim du Rose are now the directors ofestablished conveyor design and suppliercompany Rusmail Conveyor Systems Ltd.Rusmail and du Rose have workedtogether on many conveyor projects inthe UK and overseas. These have rangedin size and complexity handling unitloads for a diverse range of applicationswithin varied sectors including generalengineering, electronic and automotiveindustries, food processing, paperproduct handling and general retailing.This direct collaboration will providecustomers with a fully integrated approachto projects involving design, fabricationand installation of conveyor systems andassociated equipment such as hoppers,chutes, diverters and structural supports.Rusmail and du Rose willcontinue to trade individually andfor details of products and servicesgo to: www.rusmailconveyors.co.ukand www.durose.co.ukand didn’t manage to get into college sostarted working from then on. I heardabout this apprenticeship schemethrough a friend, he says, adding: ‘Thisis a very good place to work. I see myselfstaying here.’JUNGHEINRICH DELIVERS FOR TESCOContinued from front pageOnce unloaded the pallets aredropped at a marshalling area wherethey are scanned and allocated a palletlocation within the racking.Pallets are then taken by one of 63Jungheinrich ETV 3-Series reach truckswhich are in operation and put away inthe bulk store.The Jungheinrich ETV-3 Series truckslift to just over 12 metres and the trucksfeature Jungheinrich’s patented reachtruck mast damping system. Thedamping system was developed because,when working at high lift, truck mastssway back and forth and, for obvioussafety reasons, truck operators have towait for the swaying to stop beforeattempting to deliver the pallet into theracking. Jungheinrich’s damping systemmeans that the ETVs used by Tesco takeup to 10 seconds fewer for an elevatedload to stop swaying than most competitivemodels. Over the course of a longshift this has considerable productivity -as well as safety - benefits.The reach trucks also feature AC technologyfor drive, lifting and steeringfunctions - which means that they offerclass leading performance and thelowest running costs.Jungheinrich manufactured its firstgeneration of AC motors in the early1990s, but the technology has moved onconsiderably since then and the latestgeneration AC motors offer exceptionallyhigh acceleration and top speedperformance. There are fewer wearingparts which makes the trucks exceptionallyservice-friendly with less downtimeand lower running costs as a result.All outgoing orders are picked in toroll cages which are moved around thedepot using a fleet of Jungheinrich’sERE 225 low level order pickers. TheERE 225s are capable of transportingfour roll cages at a time.Picking lists are generated by Tesco’swarehouse management system andsent directly to the order picking staffwho each wear rugged electronic dataterminals on their arms which they useto scan picked orders and receivepicking instructions.Part and fully picked loads are stored19L100 & 142in lanes before they are taken to the goodsout loading bays and loaded on to a lorry.It is essential that forklift truck downtimeis kept to a minimum, so Tesco’sfleet has been supplied on a full servicecontract and Jungheinrich has five fulltime engineers permanently based at thesite. The engineers work out of a selfcontained fully equipped workshop toensure that the entire fleet operates atoptimum efficiency.The quality of service support offeredby Jungheinrich is one of the keys to thecompany’s successful relationship withTesco, as Simon Nash, Tesco’s regionalengineering manager with responsibilityfor the Litchfield depot explains: “Noone comes close to Jungheinrich in termsof the ongoing maintenance service theyoffer. The Jungheinrich engineers on siteare a great team and there is a real feelingof partnership between our companies.”“We have benchmarked theJungheinrich trucks against other brandsoperating at some of our other depotsand the reliability of the Jungheinrichfleets is unrivalled.”Jungheinrich UK LtdCraig JohnsonTel: 01908 363100Email: craigj@jungheinrich.co.ukwww.jungheinrich.co.ukGAIN AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDSFROM JUST £114 A WEEK• HAVE YOU CONSIDERED TAKING ONAN APPRENTICE, BUT ARE WARY OFTHE COMMITMENT?• DO YOU THINK THERE IS TOO MUCHADDED ADMINISTRATION?• HAVE YOU GOT JOBS THAT NEED TO BEFILLED BUT NOT ENOUGH STAFF TODO THEM?SLB Logistics ATA is a brand NEW initiativedesigned to help the logistics sector overcomethe challenges with taking on apprentices, aswell as assist individual companies to benefitfrom additional staff.SLB Logistics ATA will employ the apprenticesthroughout the duration of their training; all weask from you is to host them.THE BENEFITS OF THIS APPRENTICESHIPPROGRAM TO YOU ARE:• You have no hiring cost or increase inheadcount• The apprentice will be an employee of SLBLogistics• We will be responsible for managing allaspects of the employee, of course, if youwant to give us a hand you can• No recruitment costs to your business• We’ll source and recruit all the apprentices• You can participate in the selection of yourapprentices.• Once sourced, you will be given the choice ofa number of candidates you can select foryour organisation• We source and manage the apprentice NVQtraining and development• We own and manage the NVQ training anddevelopment process, giving you regularupdates on progress and achievements• We can follow your recruitment guidelinesTraffic OfficeCustomer ServiceWarehouse and StorageThe cost of a full time member of staff throughthe ATA is £114 per week + VAT, and in returnyou would have someone working in your businessfor 35 hours a week for a 9 month periodOver 20 employers are already benefiting fromthe support we offer. Their apprentices are beingtrained in:Business AdministrationIf this is something of interest to you andyour company and you would like to help ayoung person gain experience within thelogistics sector please contact us on:0208 681 0053 or emailcherrie.pickard@southlondonbusiness.co.ukwww.slblogistics.co.ukFOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SLB LOGISTICS ON: 0208 681 0053 OR EMAIL CHERRIE.PICKARD@SOUTHLONDONBUSINESS.CO.UK WWW.SLBLOGISTICS.CO.UK

Page 6 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com INDUSTRY NEWSTel: 01923 272960TAXING TIMES... BUT RELIEF IS AT HANDJonathan Medes of TenterdenConsulting looks at some of the opportunitiesfor claiming tax relief forinvestments in capital assets in thelogistics & warehousing sector.The economic challenges of the past24 months have impacted on all businessesand as a result businesses arelooking for more opportunities toreduce costs. Tax is a major cost facedby all businesses, whether it is increasesin fuel duties, employer national insurancecontributions or stamp dutythresholds for property acquisitions.Taxation is of course necessary as thegovernment cannot even begin to balancethe books without considerableincome from taxation.For many businesses capital expenditureprogrammes have been put on holdfor the past 24 months, however, thiscannot last indefinitely if businesseswant to compete in the marketplace.Capital assets also wear out and becomeobsolete over time thereby making continualinvestment in new capital assetsnecessary for survival. There are ofcourse many ways to recoup part of thecapital cost for investing in new capitalassets. This article looks at some of thepotential tax reliefs which are availableto businesses in the logistics & warehousingsector, many of which areoverlooked or significantly underclaimed.Capital allowances are the mechanismby which the government allows businessesto claim tax relief for capitalassets, i.e. those assets which areacquired for the long term use in thebusiness, and set this off against taxableprofits. The obvious expenditure whichattracts capital allowances, for example,trucks, computers, warehouse rackingetc, is generally identified by theaccountant/tax adviser and capitalallowances are claimed accordingly inthe tax return. However, there are manycapital assets which are inherent withinbuildings which attract capitalallowances and these are often overlookedby the accountants/tax advisers.There are various reasons why suchassets are overlooked, the main reason isperhaps the complexity of the rules surroundingcapital allowances which seemto change with each new tax year.Capital assets inherent within buildingswhich may attract capitalallowances include: electrical systems,air conditioning/ventilation equipment,warehouse racking, fire alarm systems,security systems, sprinkler & fire suppressionsystems etc. There are differentrates at which the tax relief is givendepending on the asset in question (andin the case of some assets depending onwhen the expenditure was incurred) andthis is perhaps where the confusionstarts. On top of this is a further set ofrules providing accelerated tax reliefs forcapital expenditure incurred on environmentallybeneficial and energy savingassets. In some cases, repayments of taxin the form of tax credits can be claimedfor expenditure incurred on environmentallybeneficial and energy saving assets.In addition to the above, there is alsotax relief available for expenditureincurred on the remediation of contaminatedland (equal to 150% of theexpenditure incurred) and capitalisedrepairs.For the logistics and warehousingindustry, a considerable proportion ofthe expenditure incurred in acquiring,developing, fitting out or refurbishingwarehouse or distribution facilities, particularlythose with temperaturecontrolled environments, will attract taxrelief in one form or another. However,many qualifying items of expenditureare commonly overlooked due to a lackof supporting information or insufficientknowledge of the rules relating to taxreliefs for capital assets.By way of example, a situationwhich many tenants may be familiarwith is as follows:• A warehouse developer agrees todevelop a warehouse facility to anagreed specification and the tenantagrees to enter into a lease and payrent in respect of that facility.• The tenant then separately agreeswith the developer for certain tenantenhancement works to be undertaken to enable the facility to beadapted to meet the tenant’s traderequirements and in return thetenant agrees to pay an additionalcapital sum to the developer forthose enhancement works.• The work is completed and thedeveloper hands over the facility tothe tenant.• Sometime later, the tenant preparesits tax return for submission to HMRevenue & Customs, however, dueto staff changes there is no onearound who remembers what thecapital sum paid to the developer,for the tenant enhancement works,actually relates to and the tenantultimately misses its opportunity toclaim tax relief in respect of aconsiderable proportion of thecapital expenditure incurred onthose tenant enhancement works.The above example is not uncommon,however, in the current economic climateit is worthwhile spending a bit more timetracking down the correct supportingdocumentation to ensure that claims fortax relief in respect of capital assets arefully maximised. Even where expenditurewas incurred in a prior year there islikely to be opportunities to claim taxrelief and in some cases receive a repaymentof tax from HM Revenue &Customs.TAX RELIEFS FORENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIALAND ENERGY SAVING ASSETSAs previously noted, there areenhanced tax reliefs for expenditureincurred on qualifying environmentallybeneficial and energy saving assets. Thetax relief that can be claimed is equal to100% of the cost of the asset in year 1.Taxpayers often overlook claims for taxrelief in respect of such assets, similarlymany product manufacturers also do notmake purchasers aware of the acceleratedclaims for tax relief that can beclaimed for qualifying assets. Forexample, in certain cases lighting canqualify for tax relief in full under theprovisions for energy saving assetsalthough to date many taxpayers havenot yet claimed the enhanced tax relief towhich they are entitled.In certain circumstances, it is possibleto claim a tax credit (tax repayment) forexpenditure incurred in respect of environmentallybeneficial and energy savingassets equal to 19% of the cost of theasset. When factored into the initial costof purchasing the asset the result is aconsiderable reduction to the capitaloutlay. When the efficiency gains, reductionsin the carbon footprint and taxbenefits are all taken into account taxpayerscan gain considerable benefits byinvesting in qualifying energy efficientassets even where the original capitalcost is higher when compared with noncompliantproducts.WHAT DO I DO NEXT TO ENSURE IHAVE MADE THE MOST OF THERELIEFS AVAILABLE?If you are an owner/occupier of awarehouse or distribution facility thenyou may be missing out on significanttax reliefs on your capital assets. If yourbusiness has incurred capital expenditurein acquiring, developing, fitting outor refurbishing property in the past 10years then it is likely that tax reliefs canstill be claimed even if the expenditurerelates to tax return periods that arenow closed. Tenterden Consulting specialisesin helping taxpayers maximiseclaims for tax relief in respect of capitalexpenditure. If your business is currentlyincurring or is planning to incurcapital expenditure on property relatedassets then Tenterden Consulting canassist you with maximising your claimsfor tax relief.Jonathan Medes is the managingdirector of Tenterden ConsultingLimited and can be contacted onjonathan@tenterdenconsulting.co.ukor alternatively visit the website atwww.tenterdenconsulting.co.ukASTEC CONVEYORS DEVELOPMENTPART OF STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FUTUREAs part of ongoing development ofthe business and premises of AstecConveyors Limited, based in Swadlincote– Derbyshire, the company hasannounced the completion of a majorrefurbishment to the factory and officesthat has taken months to complete.Having acquired the site back in 2002from a former fabrication company, Astecset about expanding the facilities tocreate more storage and workspace areawith the introduction of a new 4000 sq ftmezzanine floor. This was shortly followedby the introduction of a £165kTrumpf CNC Punch and a new 160 tonneBystronic CNC brake press, plus pretreatmentand powder coating plant thatmade them totally self sufficient in thedesign and manufacturing of conveyormodules, bespoke equipment and completeturnkey materials handling systemsin-house.This final stage of the developmentplan has seen a total transformation ofthe building’s exterior, including newbrickwork, hardware fittings and completere-cladding and insulation to ecospecifications. As part of the plan, additionalclear roof panels allowed for a 20%increase in natural daylight and contributedto savings in the carbonfootprint.Internally, the original offices havebeen totally gutted to provide a new featurereception area, modern offices andmeeting rooms that maximize on theamount of natural light the interiorreceives.Adrian Smart, Astec ConveyorsManaging Director reported, "When wedecided to acquire and move to the currentsite, we had a strategic plan for thefuture of Astec Conveyors and that was toinvest and become totally self sufficientand provide a proficient ‘one-stopsource’ for conveyors and integratedmaterial handling solutions.With major investment in the manufacturingside of our business completed,the time was right to refurbish the exteriorof the factory to reflect thecommitment and professionalism of theoperation, whilst modernising internalworking conditions to create an attractiveenvironment in which to work.With more than 100 years combinedexperience within the materials handling,process and packaging industry, AstecConveyors have established a core of regularsatisfied customers who providerepeat business and are keen to offerreferrals, which reflects their confidenceand enabled us to control our expansion.From originally supplying equipmentto other OEM’s, Astec Conveyors diversifiedto capitalise on its wealth ofexperience to provide end user customerswith conveyor systems andbespoke products such as conveyingdividers/combiners, counter balancedpallet lifts, elevators/lowerators, etc,through to complete turnkey sortationhandling systems. Everything is managedin-house, even down toundertaking functional design and electricalspecifications.Astec Conveyors work very closelywith the customer to provide scheduledservicing arrangements as required andwhere necessary, have even been calledupon to relocate equipment and productionlines within a factory or even to othersites. When it comes to servicing the customer,Astec are always prepared to gothat extra mile and as a result, we canconfidently boast of having a healthyorder book.This substantial investment by AstecConveyors Limited goes further than cosmeticimprovements and is part of thecompany’s development strategy that willhopefully maintain and instil confidencein our existing and potential customersand sends a positive message to theindustry.”ASTEC CONVEYORS LTD TEL: 01283 210333 EMAIL: SALES@ASTECCONVEYORS.COM WWW.ASTECCONVEYORS.COM

November 1st 2010 Page 7Tel: 01923 272960INDUSTRY NEWSEmail: warehouse@flame1.comPicking is one the most costly parts of adistribution operation. There are varioustechnologies available to make pickers moreefficient in a manual picking environmentsuch as RF scanning and Voice directedpicking and these technologies have madethe picking process much more efficient andaccurate but the fact remains that in mostwarehouse operations a picker does notspend as much of his time actually pickingas you think he does. Recent studies haveshown that pickers only spend around 40%to 45% of their time picking, the larger partof their time is spent collecting assignments,picking up an empty pallet, driving to thefirst location, getting on and off the truck ateach location, verifying that he is pickingthe correct product, delivering full pallets tothe shrink wrapper, etc., etc. You only haveto watch a picker in your own warehouse toverify this. Apart from the non-value-addedeffort and cost, each of these other tasks is arisk for damage to product and equipment.Previously all efforts have been directed atmaking picking more efficient, shouldn’t webe also concentrating on increasing the timehe spends picking and reducing the picker’snon-picking activities? What if you couldleave the picker in the picking aisle to focuson picking? We can do this by combining twotechnologies; voice directed picking andlaser-guided trucks - LaserTrucks+® byDematic - Delivering improved productivity,safety and operational transparency whileretaining ultimate logistics flexibility.Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) havebeen around for decades and in the early daystrundled around the warehouse on a pre-setroute guided by wires or tape within the floor.Nowadays standard lift trucks can be fitted withtheir own automation to enable them to be operatedwithout a driver. They are fitted with safetysensors to protect the warehouse infrastructureand human workforce and they are equippedwith laser guidance systems which meansthey can operate anywhere within the warehouse.By automating the manual truck andfreeing up the operator for more picking, LaserTrucks+ deliver benefits in productivity, safetyand operational visibility while retaining maximumflexibility in new and existing operations.By integrating Laser Trucks+ with Voicepicking, we can double the productivity of thepicker who will now be picking for more than70% of his time. The solution eliminates manyof the non-value added tasks. Laser Trucks+automatically retrieves new shipping palletsand delivers them to the picker, and takes awaycompleted pallets to despatch while anothertruck brings a new pallet. The picker remainsin the aisle to continue picking. Within the pickaisle, LaserTrucks+ automatically moves withthe picker to locations. On confirmation of apick the truck moves automatically to the nextlocation. Initially you’d think that if the pickeris walking behind the truck instead of drivingit the pick would be less efficient - not so, on afairly condensed picking assignment the pickerwill be getting on and off the truck for almostevery pick and will have to walk around thepallet/cages each time. With LaserTrucks+he walks far less. As soon as the picker hasverbally confirmed that he has completedthe pick in this location the truck moves offto the next location with the picker followingclose behind. The picker can also verballycommand the truck to raise or lower the forksso that he is always placing his picks onto thepallet/cage at the optimal height. The pickerwill assume he is talking to the truck but ineffect he is talking to the WMS or WCS whichis directing automated truck movements.During peak periods, pickers withmanual pallet trucks can work in conjunctionwith Laser Trucks+ to take up the additionalthroughput. As operational requirementschange, additional Laser Trucks+ can beadded, and even transferred between sites.Improved Warehouse SafetyEach truck is equipped with safety sensorscontrolling its operation. When LaserTrucks+ come into close proximity with othertrucks, personnel or any part of the buildingor racking structure then the truck speed isreduced or stopped to avoid contact. Personnelinjury, product damage and structural damageare eliminated. Speeding of trucks, takingshort cuts and misuse are a thing of the past.Vehicle DamageBecause Laser Trucks+ are guided sosafely they are less likely to get damaged incollisions with infrastructure and othervehicles. The drivers of manually driventrucks are also aware that a laser-guidedtruck approaching from the side will alwaysgive way to them. The result is big savingsfrom less vehicle and infrastructure damage.Longer Life-spanWhen trucks are driven automatically theyare driven at optimum speeds for the currentconditions. They do not accelerate and cornerat speed. This ensures that Laser Trucks+ lastmuch longer and that a trucks residual valueis much higher at the end of its lease period.LASERTRUCKS+ BY DEMATICEnergy SavingsBecause the trucks are always driven at theoptimum pace for the prevailing conditions theyuse less energy than when driven manually.This results in longer periods between charging.When LaserTrucks+ require charging they cantake themselves directly to the charging area.ProductivityReducing costs, increasing throughputsand maximising space utilisation are keyfactors in most warehouse operations. Lasertrucks+ are specifically designed to reducethe non productive, costly elements withinwarehouse operations.Manual ControlAll Laser Trucks+ retain ultimate flexibilitywith full manual controls. Simplymove the control handle or wheel and thetruck automatically reverts to manual control.The Trucks only return to laser controlon confirmation by operative.Manual Trucks MonitoringWithin a Laser trucks+ enabled facilitysimple laser technology can be added to themanual truck fleet, thereby giving an operationalwindow based on real-time task andposition to further improve resource productivityvia the combined WMS/WCS entity.TrammingLaserTrucks can also be used for unmannedtramming missions to carry out the mundaneA to B transportation of picked pallets tothe stretch-wrapper or marshalling area, theycan also be used for putaway and replenishment.The benefits are clear in this scenario, thetruck is content to work 24 x 7 and no driveris required. LaserTrucks can carry out complexmissions though and are not restricted toA to B routes as they were in the old AGV days.Emerging TechnologyAlthough Voice picking and guided vehicleshave both been around for a long time theSTAND: 18N110combination of the two - LaserTrucks+ is stillan emerging technology in the early adopterstage so it cannot yet be seen on many sites,and is still not cheap although the solutioncan deliver a payback in around 18 months.However, Dematic have partnered withToyota BT to bring a live demonstration ofLaserTrucks+ to the forthcoming IHMX showat the Birmingham NEC. The demonstrationfeatures one of Toyota BT’s laser guided trucksperforming voice picking assignments andunmanned replenishment assignments regularlythroughout the four days of the show.DematicTel: 01295 274600www.dematic.co.uk

Page 8 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com RTITB SUMO GLOVE LIFT TRUCK OPERATOR OF THE YEAR COMPETITIONTel: 01923 272960RTITBOfficial Media PartnerSEARCH FOR BRITAIN’S BEST FORK LIFT OPERATOR LAUNCHES AT IMHXollowing the success of the firstNational Lift Truck Operator ofFthe Year Competition in 2008,event organisers RTITB and Sumo Gloveare uniting once again to stage a follow upevent, due to go live in the New Year.Set to be a major stimulus to the ongoingdevelopment of UK fork lift driver skills, the2011 RTITB Sumo Glove Lift Truck Operatorof the Year Competition will be formallylaunched at IMHX 2010 on Wednesday 17November, on the RTITB stand, numberN70 in Hall 18. 2008 Competition winnerKen Saward, who is now a qualified fork liftoperator instructor as a direct result of hissuccess, will also be on the stand to helpstart the ball rolling for 2011CALLING ALL OPERATORSThe 2011 RTITB & Sumo Glove Lift TruckOperator of the Year Competition is open toall eligible NORS operators. Entry is throughan online hazard perception and theorytest, which opens on 1st January 2011 andruns until 11th February.The top 16 successful entrants from eachregion - Northern England, SouthernEngland, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – whoemerge from the online stage will competein their respective National Finals in spring2011. The winner and runner up of eachNational Final will go forward to the GrandFinal on 16 September 2011 at the 4 StarTelford Golf and Spa, owned by Q hotels.Jane Willis, HSE’s Director – Cross-cuttingInterventions Directorate, will present theprizes.Laura Nelson, Operations Director atRTITB, says: “Safe, efficient lift truck operatorsand operations are key to anysuccessful warehouse, and we are veryproud to be able to highlight the skillsinvolved in these operations via the newcompetition. With over 250,000 operatorscurrently registered on NORS, the sheervolume of potential entrants promises tomake 2011 a bigger, more exciting venturethan the 2008 event. All the organisers,sponsors, and competitors contribute tohighlighting the RTITB accredited organisationsand the excellent training that theyprovide to NORS registered operators.”Simon Ross, Managing Director of SumoGlove, comments: “With this competition,we set out to highlight the UK and Ireland’sfork lift operators who are often the forgottenheroes, and make a competition thatwill be remembered. I am very excited bythe number of potential entrants availablefor the up and coming competition, and Iwould strongly urge anyone eligible to putthemselves forward.”RTITB and Sumo Glove are now lookingfor standards and safety conscientiousorganisations to get involved and sponsorthis outstanding event. The NationalOperator of the Year Competition willprovide such organisations with a uniqueopportunity to align themselves and theirbrand with a nationally recognised lift trucksafety competition, seen by the industry asan innovative way to showcaseeffective training and pay respectto skilled operators and toobtain promotion andmarketing of theirproducts at rateswhich provideexcellent value formoney.BACKED BY THE INDUSTRYThe leading UK fork truck industry bodyBITA plays an active role in the promotionof health and safety and wholly supportsthe RTITB SUMO Glove Lift Truck Operatorof the Year competition. James Clark, BITASecretary General, says, “The competitionraises awareness of the need for regularaccredited training and highlights its importancein raising safety standards.”Media coverage plays a key part inspreading the message about the competition.As the industry’s only fortnightly title,Warehouse & Logistics News has beenappointed the official media partner to theRTITB Sumo Glove Lift Truck Operator ofthe Year Competition.Warehouse & Logistics News PublisherJames Surridge comments: “We are verypleased to support this exciting initiative,which will help convey the crucial messagethat in today's fast-moving, high pressurewarehouse environment forklift safety isparamount, and proper operator training isessential to achieve it.“This competition is a welcome developmentfor the industry. It will play a key rolein raising awareness and understanding ofthe value of forklift operating skills amongoperators, trainers and managers and highlightthe need to keep these skills polishedwith regular training."SUCCESS FIRST TIME ROUNDRTITB and Sumo Glove held the firstNational Lift Truck Operator of the YearCompetition in 2008 giving lift truck operators,their employers and their trainers thechance to showcase excellent training andoperating skills. 80,000 operators wereinvited to enter the competition; the invitedNORS-registered counterbalance operatorsscored highly on their initial basic operatingskills test, and were further assessed by anon-line hazard perception and theory test.From this the top scoring eight competitorsfrom five regions around the UK andIreland were selected to attend the regionalfinals held at Barloworld Handling Ltd, WestBromwich. From the demanding regionalfinals ten finalists emerged to compete forthe title of Lift Truck Operator of the Year2008 in the National Final, an allexpenses paid opportunity forthe competitors to once againshowcase their skills whilstundertaking tests designed tochallenge them at thehighest level.Following the NationalFinal held at RTITB headquartersin Telford,Shropshire, the competitors,their partners, trainers,employers and industry representativescontinued on to the spectacularGala Dinner held at the Q Hotel, Telford Golfand Spa. Before presenting the prizes, JaneWillis, HSE’s Director - Cross-cuttingInterventions Directorate gave a poignantspeech highlighting the importance oftraining and safe operation and commendingRTITB and Sumo Glove for raisingawareness of this through the competition.WINNING CHANGED KEN’S LIFEThe 2008 Competition winner wasKenneth Saward, trained by DLT TrainingLimited. Second prize went to Steven Hall,trained and employed by TNT ExpressServices UK & Ireland. Kenneth says,"Winning the competition has changed mylife and I was thankful for the opportunity totake part, let alone winning. It's a great wayto highlight the importance of being safeand for getting the recognition of operatingsafely and properly.“I was self-employed when I won, andfacing an uncertain future. My success ledto me becoming an operator for a reemploymenttraining charity in Cardiff, andI’m now a specialist fork lift driver withEastern Valley Chemicals, Blaenavon.”In his personal life, Ken says winning thecompetition came at a perfect time: “To sayI was at a bit of a low back then is a massiveunderstatement. My wife was havingcancer treatment for the second time, andthe competition gave me something positiveto focus on. Best of all, I was able togive the prize car to my wife, which wasgreat.”Ken would like to take part in the 2011Competition, but under the rules his newlyacquired operator status rules him out. Sowhat was it like taking part in the 2008Competition?“The online part involved hazard perceptiontests, which were very realistic andquite tricky, and you had to have your witsabout you. In the live heats in the regionaland national finals, the challenges weretough but fun, and made you pay attentionto what you were doing.“It’s easy for drivers to switch offduring their shift, but the tests and thechallenges in the Competition encourageyou to use what you’ve been taught inyour working life, and the standard of thecompetitors in the ‘live’ stage was veryhigh. The Competition covers everythingdrivers need to know in terms of theoryand pre-shift checks, but perhaps youcould add more in terms of naming ofparts and a few extra hazards in the testarea. Competitions like this are of realvalue: forklift drivers are needed everywhere,and the standard of training needsto be consistent nationwide.”RTITB – ACHIEVING EFFICIENCY, EXCEL-LENCE & SAFETY IN THE LOGISTICSINDUSTRYRTITB Ltd was incorporated inNovember 1998, and has been synonymouswith the road freight and logistics industryfor 40 years. RTITB is the UK’s largest lifttruck training accrediting body and Ireland,recognised by the HSE, HSA and HSENI.Today RTITB accredits the training providedat over 600 training locations throughoutthe UK and Ireland and has a contact databaseof over 300,000, comprising lift truckoperators, LGV drivers and instructors in arange of disciplines.RTITB works with over 600 of the UK andIreland’s best trainers, including TNT, Coca-Cola and Boots as well as quality SME’s.RTITB Accreditation is about providing thebest service, the best support and upholdingthe highest standards. Its registration systems,NORS and MDRS provide flexible,affordable online certification schemes, withturnaround times second to none.In 2003 RTITB established the RTITBAcademy, investing over £1.25 million insetting up a fully equipped training centrelocated in Shropshire. RTITB has monitoredthe development and introduction of theDriver CPC Directive since the late 1990s,resulting in the introduction of MasterDriver for CPC.The Master Driver Consortium has amembership of 160 organisations coveringover 200 locations and has alreadyuploaded over 100,000 training hours to theDSA. RTITB aims to set standards in accreditationand raise the standard of training bymodernising training materials and systems.SUMO GLOVE - BECAUSE FORK TRUCKSAFETY COMES FIRSTSUMO Glove was born from a desire toreduce damage and improve upon healthand safety in the workplace. The Gloveitself was introduced to the UK businesssector in 2008.Made of industrial grade polyurethane,the SUMO Glove is bonded to the forks ofthe fork lift truck and replaces the hardsteel with a material that has a uniquecushioning effect,designed to greatlyreduce product palletand racking damagewhile enhancing safetywithout affecting theoperating effectivenessof the truck.STAND: 18N70RTITB TEL: 01952 520218 EMAIL: FLTCOMPETITION@RTITB.CO.UK WWW.RTITB.CO.UKSUMO GLOVE TEL: 01344 622784 EMAIL: INFO@SUMOGLOVE.COM WWW.SUMOGLOVE.COM

Page 10 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com THE INTERVIEW - STILL MATERIALS HANDLING LTDTel: 01923 272960STILL MATERIALS HANDLINGSTRENGTHENS ITS UK MATERIALS HANDLING OFFERINGTILL, one of Europe’s leadingmaterials handing equipmentSsuppliers with a wide range ofindustrial trucks for different applications,is celebrating 90 years of successfultrading, and continues to make majorglobal progress.Here, STILL has been making substantialchanges to its UK business in the last twoyears, which strengthens its market positionsignificantly. First of all STILL carriedout a major re-organisation through2008/9. With a new management team,they developed three key operating regions,bringing its sales and service aspects closertogether. As part of this, the integration ofthe DAC business - previously STILL’slargest UK distributor - into STILL UK provideda great opportunity to reach newcustomers. STILL UK now has comprehensivenational coverage, with localknowledge, supported by their exclusiveDistributor base.STILL’s broad-based product range iscoming into its own in the current climate,and in particular, the RX70’s economicalbenefits are hitting home to STILL’s customers.As a result, despite the overall UKindustrial market dropping in the recessionSTILL has been seeing an increase in itssales and market share. Nick Smith,Managing Director of STILL UK, spoke toWarehouse & Logistics News.WLN – First of all, Nick, what does yourrole entail as MD of STILL UK? Do you getinvolved in developing fleet solutions formajor customers? Who besides yourself isin the senior management team?I’m lucky to have a great team aroundme, with Steve Gerrard (UK Head of Sales),Steve Pearce (UK Head of Service) and JobKoopmans (UK Rental and Used Manager).I really enjoy meeting our customers andsupporting our team in presenting valuedcommercial proposals to clients. A largepart of my role over the last two years hasalso been to reorganise our business, bothstructural and culturally, to push ourselvestowards our strategy of ‘best in service’. Iwant everyone associated with our companyto feel they get the best service.WLN – STILL Group is celebrating 90years of history, a long time by any standard.Where and when was Still set up, andwho by?Hans Still founded the company inHamburg in 1920 as a repair shop for electricmotors. During the 1950s, Hans Stillwas quick to recognize that as the need totransport goods increased so to would theneed for innovative logistics solutions. Healso identified that it would need a strongbrand for every employee to identifywith so that they could continuouslydevelop efficient solutions for the customers.WLN - How is STILL doing globally?STILL features in the topbrands in the marketplace,andemploys over6,000 people inEurope alone.WLN - When was Still UK set up?Where is STILL UK based? How manypeople do you employ here?STILL began operations in the UK in 1978and today we employ over 200 peopledirectly. We also have five dedicated, wellestablished Exclusive STILL DistributorPartners, serving customers in their localregions.WLN - How does the UK fit into theSTILL worldwide picture? What characterisesthe UK as a market for your trucks?Whilst the UK market is both highlycompetitive and mature, nevertheless itsstrategic importance is clear, and thus ourcommitment to this market is crucial. Weserve a great number of pan-European contracts,operated from the UK, and our fullrange product offering ideally suits the UKmarketplace.WLN – Which UK industry sectors areyour customers in? Can you tell us aboutthem?STILL covers a broad spectrum of customers- that’s the beauty of having the fullproduct range! We are particularly strong inthe food and drink sector, along with 3PLorganisations. Our fleet range is particularlysuited for our partners to gain from ourtotal cost of ownership savings.WLN – You’ve been carrying out amajor restructuring in the UK. Whatprompted it at this time? Have you beenpersonally heading it up? Can you talk usthrough what’s been involved? Is it completenow?Yes, it is complete. I started the reorganisationin July 2008. It was instigated dueto our acquisition of the DAC business. Atthe time, we were making very severe cutsand changes, at a point when our competitorswere continuing to employ personnel.This created some market rumours,however I believe in taking a ‘quick knifeapproach’ to such changes. This enabled usto come through the other side quickly asthe market dropped severely. Now, weare growing and recruiting! Withoutbeing arrogant, we see many businessesstill going through the ‘bigchanges’, while we are now focusedon improvements to our customerservice and growth.WLN – DAC was previously yourlargest UK distributor. Do youplan to ownmore of yourUK distributionnetwork,or is there stilla role for independentregional distributors towork side by side withyou? Are you looking formore distributors?Well, first of all, 2008seems a long time ago!There was a need tobring DAC andSTILL together atthis time, which provideda great platformfor our development. Havingsaid that, we are very proud of our establishedexclusive distributors and are veryclear that they form part of our long-termstrategy, and are able to serve our mutualcustomers extremely well in their regions.We will not be adding to this portfolio, butwill be developing what we have already.WLN – Following the reorganisation,how would you sum up the Still proposition?Why buy a fork lift fleet from Still?!The re-organisation of our structurewas heavily influenced by our desire tobecome the company that was closestin contact with its customers and bestin service. All the changes we havemade have led to closer interaction withcustomers.We believe personal contact is key inboth sales and service. One of our mostinnovative and unique products is STILLReport - not a forklift truck itself but anonline service management package,bespoke to individual customers. So toanswer the question “Why buy a forkliftfrom STILL?,” it has to be for unrivalledaccount management.WLN – Which products are in your UKrange? Which are your best selling ones?Every customer of STILL benefits fromwhat is probably the most comprehensiveand innovative range of materials handlingequipment available from a single sourcemanufacturer. From the most basic handpallet truck right through to semi-automatedwarehousing equipment, STILL canoffer the right product for the right job. Atrue “one stop shop”!STILL are probably best known for theirhigh performance electric counterbalancetruck range but recently all the talk hasbeen about the RX70 with HybridTechnology.WLN - Why is the RX70 doing so well atthis particular time?Economic challenges have promptedcompanies to look at ways to save moneyand this is where the RX70 comes into itsown. Through Hybrid Technology thatSTILL developed and has used for manyyears, the RX70 is saving customers up to30% on fuel costs compared to their previoustrucks but the savings do not stopthere. Maintenance free braking, unrivalledperformance and long serviceintervals all add up to make the RX70 thetruck with the lowest TCO – Total Cost ofOwnership.WLN – Have you launched any newproducts in 2010? Can you tell us aboutthem?Investment in R&D at STILL is paramountto our future, and we have areputation for being the innovators.Exciting new products brought to marketin 2010 include the innovative, multi-purposeCiTi truck, an electric powered pallettruck with superelastic tyres for loadingand unloading vehicles in town and citycentres.2010 has also seen the launch of a newmodular family of Powered Pallet Trucksincluding the EXU-SF, which is particularlysuited for the UK market with its flip downrider platform, which offers unrivalled comfortfor the operator with its uniquesuspension, height adjustable side guardsand the “combi-tiller” which extends orfolds depending on whether it’s in rider orpedestrian mode.There has also been the Kanvan, a multifunctionaltruck that operates as atrailer/tractor unit but has the adaptabilityto operate as a fork lift truck with flip downforks and mast, and of course the newSTILL RC40 torque convertor truck,allowing our team to offer the complete”solution sale” and provide customers withthe right truck for their applications andbudget.WLN – Do you provide driver training?We offer a comprehensive in housetraining programme. We have our owndriver training centres, and have been successfulin providing training to 650operators at one of our major clients.WLN – Do you offer tailor-made trucksin small batches, if clients require them?Do you provide LPG trucks if clientsrequest it?We can offer customers bespoke specificationin terms of factory modifications. Wewould survey the application first to ascertainwhat changes from standard arerequired and give the customer professionaladvice in terms of requirements andtimescale.LPG Trucks are a major part of what wesupply, and are available from within theHybrid RX70 range and the TorqueConvertor RC 40 range.WLN - Do you offer related materialshandling services such as warehousedesign and racking consultancy?Yes we do. Clients invite the STILL teamto take responsibility for the site, and inreturn we plan for them the best optimisationof the space available.WLN - You claim to be ‘First inIntralogistics.’ For the uninitiated, whatexactly is ‘Intralogistics,’ and what doesyou being first in this area mean to the endusers?Intralogistics is a cutting edge termwhich describes the internal flow of materialsbetween different logistics functions ina company - from materials handling in theproduction process to distribution of theproducts as well as the corresponding flowof information.STILL are well known for offering worldclass products, and now that can be saidabout the innovative solutions we alsooffer including RFID, stock managementcontrol systems, semi automation andracking systems.WLN - Do you offer on-site fleet management?Is this side of your business growing?This is one of our major strengths: STILLhas its own suite of fleet managementproducts. We have the fleet manager fitteddirectly to the truck,allowing STILL andthe customer theopportunity to monitorand drive downdamage or as wecall it at STILL, 3D.It also allows us towatch utilisationand pick up on anyinefficiency withinthe operation. Ontop of this we havethe unique STILLReport System, anon line fleetmanagementsystem.Nick Smith, Managing Director of STILL UK.STILL Report gives a detailed look intohow both STILL service and its productsoperate on the customer sites. The systemallows all the standard KPI reporting programsthat everyone offers: what is uniqueto STILL Report is the facility to dig deep andanalyse all aspects of the contract. If there is aproblem then it will be shown in the Reports,which enables us to improve and continue tobetter our service to our valuable customersWLN – You offer a high quality both ofproducts and service. In the present climate,do you think customers are preparedto pay for quality, or is it a buyer’s market?Of course everyone knows the MaterialsHandling Industry is high in its capacity ofsuppliers, and you can buy equipment fromwithin our Industry at extremely low pricesfor the front end of the contract. However,you need to ask what is the true cost ofthese contracts? What I can guarantee youfrom STILL is a return on your investment.WLN – How do you think the UK forkliftmarket has changed, as a result of therecession?I’m relatively new to this industry, havingworked in Oil & Gas, Construction and so on, butfor me it’s clear that the days are over of marketshare dominance being the key to success.To survive now, we have to not only bethe best in service, but also understand ourtrue contract profitability. This means wehave to make courageous decisions andsometimes to walk away from a deal!WLN - What do you see as the mostimportant issues for forklift manufacturersand distributors?In my view, the industry is quick to celebratethe success of winning the deal, butthen puts far less energy into delivery of thecontract during its lifetime. We had a businesscase to make big changes anyway in 2008, butthe recession has focused everyone’s minds onlooking into the detail. It’s obvious that the daysof profit contribution from the sale of a truck hasgone, therefore we have to ensure our marginby sustaining our relationship with the customerthrough our service offering. The goal of highcustomer retention, partnership and mutual successis key to our strategy, and we are balancingour sales and service to work in partnership.WLN – Where do you see STILL UKgoing from here?We have been through all the bigchanges and are now focused on customerservice and growth. We have a great team,a service-focused culture, a great infrastructureacross the UK with Direct andDistributor coverage, and a newDemonstration Arena which opened inOctober at our Midlands Depot. At the endof October, we launched our new TorqueConverter Product, the STILL RC40. With ahigh focus on service and agreat productrange,STILL isnow wellplaced forgrowthin the UK.We arereally upfor it!STILL MATERIALS HANDLING LTD TEL: 01772 644300 WWW.STILL.CO.UK

Page 12 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com FORKTRUCK NEWSTel: 01923 272960A revolutionary four-high lift truckbattery charge and change facility hasbeen installed by EnerSys as part of arefurbishment project at the St Helensregional distribution centre operated bythe logistics arm of The Co-operativeGroup. The system makes the best possibleuse of available space on theminimum footprint and eliminatesmanual handling.The 582,000 sq ft (54,000 sq m) StHelens regional distribution centre wasoriginally opened by Somerfield aroundeight years ago to serve local conveniencestores in the North West and Wales.Somerfield was subsequently bought byThe Co-operative Group in 2009. The distributioncentre’s temperature controlledchambers alone measure over three millioncubic feet, equivalent to over 300,800household freezers. Nine miles of undergroundducting and drainage pipeworkand the racking steelwork would stretch for80 miles if laid end-to-end. After the acquisitionthe logistics arm of The Co-operativeGroup decided to upgrade the site, whichcovers 42.8 acres and is by far the largest inits expanded nationwide network, to bringFIRST FOUR-HIGH BATTERY SYSTEM FOR CO-OPit in line with its other warehouses andincorporate the latest equipment and servicesto support efficiency and sustainability.The warehouse is currently buildingup its fully composite operation followingthe investment and will eventually work24/7 to deliver around 1.7 million cases aweek to the existing Co-operative Groupand newly rebranded local conveniencestores. Deliveries will be made by a fleetof over 300 vehicles including almost 250trailer units. Changes in distribution proceduresintroduced by the logistics arm ofThe Co-operative Group are expected toreduce the annual mileage of the fleet by816,000 miles which is equal to 37 roundthe-worldtrips.Materials handling on site will be managedusing a fleet of 230 reach trucks, orderpickers, pallet transporters and counterbalancetrucks. With a fleet of this size it wasimportant to ensure the battery charge andchange area was configured for optimumuse of space and operational efficiency. Oneof the key requirements was to ensure thefacility occupied the smallest possible footprint,to leave more space for productivestorage, without compromising the abilityto maintain warehouse truck operations.As with its other sites the logistics arm ofThe Co-operative Group wanted to introducebest practice procedures and eliminateany need for manual handling of batteriesfor its warehouse staff. The company’srecent new-build distribution centres havemulti-tier charge and change facilities andits first three-tier system was installed at theCoventry operation in 2005. This proved tobe a successful combination of leading edgebattery management and handling systems.The logistics arm of The Co-operativeGroup and EnerSys decided to go further atSt Helens and install a four-tier system.“Multi-tier battery banks have provedthemselves at our other distribution centresand going four-high is a safe and flexible solutionwhich follows best practice,” says ChasShepperson, National MHE Fleet Manager atthe logistics arm of The Co-operative Group.In conventional installations batteriesare typically arranged at ground level withtheir chargers and any other ancillary equipmentalongside or, more usually, overhead.This makes it relatively easy to exchangebatteries without any need for lifting.However in the very largest warehousesit can take up a lot of expensive floorspace.Multi-tier installations have beenaround for some time. Batteries arestored above each other to make better useof floorspace and handled in and out of racksusing specially adapted handling carts. Thesewere generally restricted to two or threelevels in the past because of limitations withthe hydraulic performance of the handlingequipment. EnerSys eliminated these issuesat The Co-operative Group’s Chester-le-Streetwarehouse by creating a battery handlingsystem with a fully-electric battery changingcart without any need for hydraulics. Aversion of this machine, which was basedon the popular Pro Series BBH, was built forhandling batteries on four levels at St Helens.When a lift truck battery change isrequired, the truck approaches the changingarea and the driver disconnects its battery.A trained member of staff dedicated to thebattery area takes over and completes thechange using the Pro-Series BBE which runson concealed rails alongside the chargerbanks. The battery is removed by thepowerful extending electro-magnet on theBBE, placed on its on-board roller bed andpushed into place for charging. A chargedChas Shepperson, National MHE FleetManager at the logistics arm of The CooperativeGroup.battery is then loaded by the BBE onto thetruck. Batteries on all four levels can be handledin this way. Truck uptime is sustainedand potentially injurious manual handling iseliminated in what is a simple one-man job.By adopting afuture-proof strategywith two identical banksof batteries arrangedback-to-back, each withits own BBE, flexibilityof operation is assured STAND: 20F30both at peak periodsand during maintenance. One of the bankscan be taken off-line for short periods and thecentral aisle which runs between the banksenables engineers who are monitoring andmaintaining batteries and chargers to do sosafely without entering truck operating areas.EnerSys Motive PowerKaren SmithTel: 0161 794 4611email: karen.smith@uk.enersys.comwww.enersys-hawker.comwww.enersys.comHANDLED WITH CAREPlunkett Tiling floored byMitsubishi forklift fleet’s reliability.You may not have heard ofPlunkett Tiling, but you’re bound tohave seen some of the Newcastlebasedcontractor’s work... or evenstepped on it. From the Houses ofParliament and the iconic BBC studiosat White City to the limestone floorsof Gateshead’s Metro Centre, for morethan 30 years the firm has been thetiling contractor of choice for the UK’smost prestigious projects.With clients spread the length andbreadth of Britain and over three milliontiles processed every year at thePlunkett Tiling factory, materials handlingplays a vital role in thecompany’s operations. That’s why thetiling contractor has relied onMitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer A1Industrial Trucks for over twodecades.When the company decided toexpand its fleet earlier this year, managingdirector Paddy Plunkett turnedto A1’s sales team for expert advice.“By working with A1, I knew that wewould receive complete back-up -including the type of product advicewhich enhances our use of the truck.”Sales director Graeme Tennickassisted Paddy throughout theprocess. He explains: “The customerwas looking for an additional truck toassist with the loading and unloadingof tiles in the factory.“Handling heavy loads over longshifts requires an efficient and reliableworkhorse, so I recommended theFG18N, a 1.8 tonne LP gas counterbalance.“Easy handling is essential whentransporting such delicate cargo. Tominimise effort, the FG18N has anautomotive style-pedal layout withself-energising and self-adjustingdrum brakes.“Optional fingertip controls werespecified to further maximise productivity.These are mounted on anergonomically positioned armrest andensure that drivers can manoeuvrewith precision and ease.”The truck, which was purchasedoutright, benefits from a long serviceinterval of 500 hours. Graemeexplains: “This reduces the cost ofownership by keeping downtime to aminimum.”A state-of-the-art LPG engine, featuringan engine management systemand regulated catalytic converter,works to further minimise runningcosts by delivering high performanceand low fuel consumption.Paddy Plunkett is delighted withthe new addition to his Mitsubishiforklift fleet and the after-sales servicefrom A1 Industrial Trucks. Heexplains: “Since we began workingtogether, A1 - much like ourselves -has demonstrated a total commitmentto its product. The service qualityoffered by A1 is first class.”Speaking on behalf of MitsubishiForklift Trucks UK, regional managerMartyn Davies said: “Like all of thedealers in our network, A1 IndustrialTrucks was hand-picked for the commitmentits team consistentlydemonstrates to delivering customersthe best of both worlds: reliable trucksand excellent service.”Excellent back up from A1 Industrial Trucksimpressed Plunkett Tiling’s managing directorPaddy Plunkett.To find out more about P. PlunkettTiling Contractors Limited, call01661 836 960, or emailmark.forster@plunketttiling.co.uk orvisit the company website:www.plunketttiling.co.uk .For further information on A1Industrial Trucks, call 0191 229 0303,visit www.a1-mitsubishi.comFor further information on theaward-winning Mitsubishi ForkliftTrucks range, and the servicesavailable from local dealers,call the Greenline 0845 371 3048,contactinfo@mitsubishi-forklift.co.ukwww.mitsubishi-forklift.co.uk

November 1st 2010 Page 13Tel: 01923 272960FORKTRUCK NEWSEmail: warehouse@flame1.comHawker XFC batteries from EnerSysare being used in a new project withautomated guided vehicles (AGVs)manufactured by JBT Corporation forhandling print reels and other loads at acommercial printing plant in Sheffield,UK. The Hawker XFC units werechosen by JBT Corporation because ofthe batteries’ compact size/shape, heavyduty performance, and quick/ondemandcharging, without the need formaintenance. These features enabledthe batteries to be integrated into theJBT Corporation AGVs and deliver efficient,round-the-clock operation.AGVs are battery powered, computercontrolled vehicles which operateunmanned to complete routine materialmovements in production plants andwarehouses. There is a certain level ofcustomization in AGVs because they aretypically designed for the requirementsof the specific material handling application(e.g. load weight, load dimensions,aisle width, pick up points, drop off points,hours of operation, etc.). In analyzing thespecific application, AGV engineers designthe AGV to safely support and move eachload type while maximizing the amountof time each AGV is available to dowork. To maximize AGV availability, theoptimum mix of battery capacity, batterysize, battery weight and battery chargefrequency/time is required. This allowsthe operational needs of the application tobe met by the minimum number of AGVs.The equipment required by the printingplant in Sheffield is a good example ofwhat is required in this design process. Thecustomer produces magazines and otheritems for newspaper colour supplementswhich are wound spirally onto large, twometre diameter reels as they are printed.They wanted an automated method ofmoving these reels between the printing,assembly and packing areas. Each reeltypically holds thousands of magazinesand weighs up to 1400kg. The plant operatesaround the clock and the customerneeded equipment that could operatealmost continuously to ensure it couldmeet the demanding service commitments.After assessing the flow of materialsthat were required to support efficientplant operation, JBT Corporationdesigned an AGV that would safely pickup and deliver the required loads. Theexisting infrastructure at the plant dictatedsome of the design parameterssuch as the maximum length and width ofthe AGVs. Factors such as weight and sizeof the loads and the need to install andaccess safety sensors and guidance equipmentwere also critical considerations. Thebatteries provide some of the weight thatcounterbalances the load but the vehicledesign had only a limited amount of spaceon the vehicle available for the battery.The shape and size of the compactHawker XFC battery unit offered severaladvantages compared to other battery technologies.Each XFC battery is approximately30 per cent smaller than comparable conventionalunits with the added advantage thatit can be placed in any orientation, includingupright, on its side or on its end because thedry gel electrolyte will not leak. These featuresallowed use of a compact and efficientbattery pack made up of 12 smaller batteryunits in various orientations on three layersto make the most efficient use of the availablebattery compartment space and achievethe required 48V, 530A capacity needed.Another critical consideration in thechoice of the Hawker XFC battery wasits performance in use. The AGVs aredesigned for almost continuous operationsand battery changing or swapping- which is sometimes used on AGVs -was not preferred by the customer. TheXFC battery delivers maximum performancebecause it stores around 30 per centmore charge than conventional units whichextends the amount of time the AGV canoperate before recharging. The XFC batterycan be charged from around 60 per cent dischargeto full capacity in under three hourswhen used with a Hawker Lifetech highfrequency charger. This combination of batteryand charger also supports intermittentor opportunity charging with shorter butmore frequent charge periods - and this doesnot adversely affect battery performanceor lifetime. It was this opportunity chargingmethod that was utilized in this applicationso that the AGVs are charged for a fewminutes whenever they are not being used.The AGVs are automatically commandedto navigate to one of the automatic chargingpoints distributed throughout the site. In thisway the batteries and chargers can supportnearly continuous AGV operation 24 x 7.ENERSYS DELIVERS ON-DEMAND AGV CHARGINGAnother attractive feature of the XFCbattery is its maintenance-free and nogassingperformance. Since one of theprimary goals of installing an AGVsystem is to increase personnel productivity,maintenance-free batteries areoften preferred by customers. And typicallywhen a standard battery is charged,it gives off gasses that must be ventedfrom confined areas. No gassing meansthe AGV can be used in confined areaswithout the need for special ventingequipment at the charging stations.Ten AGVs were integrated by JBTCorporation into this printing customer’soperations. An on-board laser-basedguidance system keeps the AGVs on thepredetermined paths. The position of eachAGV is also communicated to an on-sitemanagement control system so that operationof the fleet of AGVs can be continuallyoptimized. Obstacle detection on theAGVs is supplied by additional laser basedsensors which bring the AGV to a safe stopbefore it contacts any obstacle that mightbe in the AGV’s path. JBT Corporation’slaser guided AGV systems are very flexibleand scalable and as the movement ofmaterials in the printing plant grows andchanges in the future, the AGV systemcan quickly be reconfigured and expandedto support the new requirements.EnerSys Motive PowerKaren SmithTel: 0161 727 3800email: karen.smith@uk.enersys.comwww.enersys-hawker.comwww.enersys.comSTAND: 20F30

Page 14 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com FORKTRUCK NEWSTel: 01923 272960A STRONG PERFORMANCEC40-55 celebrates 2010 premiere: Clarklaunches diesel/LPG forklifts of the premiumseries Gen2 on the market.The next addition to the premier Gen 2range from Clark is here. After winning theMMH award in the price-performance ratiosection, Clark is again launching a forklift at acompetitive price and optimised for power, efficiencyand sturdiness with the C40-55 Series.The new diesel and LPG powered forklifts ofthe Gen2 series (Load capacity 4-5.5 tons) isdesigned for use in warehousing, distribution,transport, production, recycling etc. and celebratesa world premiere in 2010.C40-55 - MORE THAN “BUILT TO LAST”The Clark motto “Built to last” means theC40-55 is more than just strength and durabilitywith minimum maintenance. The C40-55 hasbeen developed under the premises of reliability,comfort, power and energy efficiency,enabling users to configure the specification ofthe equipment to suit their application. EgonStrehl, Managing Director, Clark Europe GmbH:“The new C40-55 can be summed up as follows:It is fully oriented to practical applications, inother words the requirements of the applicationat locations where critical factors such as lowoperating or maintenance costs and safety atwork have to be fully taken into account. Inwinning the MMH award, we also undertake tooffer an extraordinary price-performance ratio -and we successfully achieved this again withthe C40-55.”REDUCED MAINTENANCE -REDUCED COSTSThat is typically Clark: Thin steel or plasticparts cannot be found in critical areas onthe C40-55. The robust chassis madefrom thick steel plate ensures the bestprotection of important components andstands for radically reduced maintenancecosts. The wet disc brakes do notneed any maintenance, while the sophisticatedcooling system that protects theengine against overheating offers investmentcertainty. The air intake isoptimised. The air is sucked in where itis cleanest: at the top, in the left columnof the driver’s overhead guard. The highair intake in conjunction with the highpowerair filter enables longer filterintervals and increases the service life ofthe engine. If maintenance work is actuallyneeded, the engine compartment iseasy to access with just a few actions.SOPHISTICATED, PRACTICAL,COMFORTABLEIt is an established fact that efficiencyand effectiveness are directly linked to thehandling and comfort of a forklift. Clarkhas therefore designed a sophisticated,practical drivers compartment for theC40-55 without disturbing vital elements.The forklift driver can concentrate on thetask at hand without suffering any discomfortand strain. The C40-55 combinesspaciousness with problem-free access tothe operators controls. All hydrauliclevers are mounted ergonomically in convenientrange of the driver. The steeringcolumn with tilt adjustment also ensureseasy handling through ergonomic design.As with all functions of the premiumseries, it enables individual adjustment ofthe steering column to suit the operator.A QUIET MACHINEThe re-positioning of theengine/gearbox and drive axle hasreduced the noise level and vibrations ofthe new C40-55 to a minimum. Furtherparallels to automobile design can befound in the arrangement of the pedalsand hand brake as well as the digitaldisplay (TFT). This provides informationon the most important operatingstatus of the forklift, such as oil pressure,water temperature, speed, time,truck direction etc. Excellent legroom, alarge rubber covered floor area and variousstowage compartments round offthe driver’s compartment. Operatorscabins complete with heater or air conditioningare also available as a factoryfitted option.POWERFUL DIESEL ANDLPG/GASOLINE ENGINES.The C40-55 can be ordered with dieselor LPG/gasoline engines, depending onthe applications. The heart of the dieselmodel is a Kubota V3800T engine (92 HP/ 2400 RPM), giving high performance atthe top end of the power class. The traveland lifting speed are just as impressive.The GM V6 LPG (4.3 litres displacement)also ensures an extraordinary level ofpower. Both engine variants are based ona tried-and-tested, manual two speedindustrial transmission.EQUIPMENT FEATURES ON CALLCustomer and order-specific equipmentbegins with the uprights on theC40-55. Standard, Hi-Lo and Triplexuprights up to 7 meters high are available.SE tyres are also an option. TheC40-55 also comes with all the prominentfeatures of a Clark forklift. Clark offersupright cushioning as standard for liftingand lowering. This feature reducesshocks and noise, protects the goods andminimises wear. The solid finite elementdesign (FED) construction prevents anychassis distortions, even under extremeloads. The compact design and optimumweight distribution gives the C40-55optimum driving stability and safetywhen cornering. The sturdy design of thesteering axle can withstand intenseshocks and loads without requiringadjustment. The low front cowl givesexcellent visibility of the fork tips andload. The new location of the hydraulichoses within the upright gives excellentvision through all upright variants. Thelow, high visible foot steps with sturdyperforated plates are designed to be nonslipand further ensures a safeenvironment for the operator.Clark Europe GmbHTel: +49 (0)208-377336-0E: info-europe@clarkmheu.comwww.clarkmheu.com

Page 16 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com FORKTRUCK NEWSTel: 01923 272960Dimension control fitted to the AGV forkschecks if the pallet coming from production isof the correct size and can therefore be storedin the racking.DRIVERLESS LIFT TRUCKS AUTOMATE SAMSONITE WAREHOUSEAutomated guided vehicle (AGV)specialist, E&K Automation, has convertedthree Linde K-Range VNA (verynarrow aisle) stacker trucks so that theymove without drivers around luggagemanufacturer, Samsonite's new warehousein Oudenaarde, Belgium. WorkingSTAND: 18N162alongside operator controlled lift trucks,the computer controlled AGVs havetransformed the efficiency of this busyEuropean storage and distributioncentre, as E&K's UK subsidiary explains.Moving along the narrow aisles followinginductive guide wires set into thefloor, the automated Linde trucks arefitted with an E&K laser-based navigationsystem so they can free-range off thewires into other areas of the warehouse.In this case, the trucks guide themselvesby triangulation using reflectorsmounted on the warehouse walls. DataThe AGVs travel automatically outside as well as inside the very narrow aisles.communication between AGVs and theE&K controller is via a wireless LAN.The trucks are also equipped with telescopicforks and pallet profile control,which checks that the dimensions of thepallets coming from production are correctand therefore that they can be storedin the automated warehouse.Germain Ghys, a Samsonite employeewith 28 years' experience and currentlylogistics manager at Oudenaarde, commented,"Our ever increasing range ofplastic suitcases and trolleys wasbecoming a logistical challenge."To cope with the multitude of products,we rented additional storage spacein the immediate vicinity some yearsago. However, this solution was not costeffective,was too slow and inflexible,and in any case had reached its capacity."Samsonite products are split into fastand slow moving products. Every itemcan be a slow or a fast mover accordingto season and promotional campaigns,increasing logistical complexity. So in2007, Samsonite decided that a new,dynamic bulk storage and order pickingarea was required for slow movers, primarilyto release capacity for handlingfast moving items.Initially, three alternatives for thedynamic storage area were considered:first, a solution with fully automaticcranes; second, manually operated VNAtrucks; and third, manually operatedreach trucks. All three ideas wererejected due to the large number oftrucks required and the high cost.The search for further alternatives ledGhys and his staff to several companies,including E&K Automation. The experienceand collaboration between E&KAutomation and Linde MaterialHandling, underpinned by the reliabilityof the K-Range trucks, was one of thedeciding factors behind Samsoniteopting for this solution.Additionally, the automated high bayVNA stacker trucks provide back-up in theevent of electronic failure, as they areequipped with an operator seat and can bemanually driven in an emergency. All ofthe other standard functions of the Lindelift trucks also remain. Simple maintenancewas a further reason for choosing this solution.Furthermore, the availability on theLinde K truck of an interface that E&KAutomation could readily use to access theelectronics of the high bay VNA stackersallowed the trucks to be automated.Construction began in the summer of2008 on a greenfield site and was completedin April 2009. Samsonite did notneed the support of a general contractor,because the company was able to use itsown automation expertise."Without our own experience, it wouldnot have been possible to carry out aproject like this so quickly ", stated Ghys.“All subcontractors, from the rackbuilder to the suppliers of conveyer systems,electrical networks and securitysystems as well as the automatic highbay stacker trucks were selected by us,while our in-house skills allowed us todevelop our own electronic solutions."Optimised material flowThe new storage area comprises rackingon five levels along 12 aisles up to 160metres long. In total there are 11,520 storagelocations and 1,100 picking locations for amaximum of one million individual items.The pallet racking is divided into six separatesections. Each consists of an orderpicking aisle and two narrow aisles forreplenishment, which are serviced by thethree AGVs. Every afternoon, ordersreceived by 12.00 noon are processed. TheWMS (warehouse management system)determines which products are alreadyavailable at a pick location and which goodsstill need to be replenished. On average, thetrucks rearrange around 20 per cent of thestored goods until every product can befound at an order picking storage location.Samsonite employees use a route-optimisedpick list to take the items from theorder picking locations, attach a barcodelabel and place them on a conveyer belt inthe middle of the pick aisle. From there,they are transported to a consolidationarea where they are grouped by destination.A manual electric fork lift truck loadsthe pallets into a lorry using a dock leveller.Around 27 lorries with an average of1,000 to 1,500 items each make their waydaily to retailers throughout Europe.Slow moving products are transportedfrom production to the warehouse onLinde electric counterbalance trucks.Each truck places the laden 1,400 x 1,400x 2,000 mm high special pallets into themarshalling area. After pallet profiling iscompleted, the load is transferred to theautomated storage area of the warehousevia cantilever pick and drop stations.AGV movement instructions are sentfrom the E&K system controller based onorder information from the WMS. Thetrucks automatically pick up the pallets ontheir telescopic forks and transport them tothe required rack location. When transferringpallets, the AGVs use an opticalsystem to ensure positional accuracy. Thereis a 150 mm safety clearance between thetrucks and the load in the racks.Since there is only 75 to 100 mm ofspace between pallet storage locations, apallet profiler mounted on the AGVforks confirms that the load can be storedin the rack and ensures that productshoused in two adjacent rack positions donot touch each other. If the dimensions ofa load exceed the standard pallet profile,the automated Linde narrow aisle truckis switched to manual operation.When the AGVs have no outstandingorders, they travel to a designated stationfor automatic charging. The 80V/775Ahlead-acid battery is charged through contactpads in the floor.Safety is paramountSamsonite placed strict safety requirementson the system, as AGVs,manually-driven fork lift trucks andpeople work in the warehouse. An innovativeand secure safety system preventscollisions and maximises work flow.The picking aisle is protected with anaccess control system for the order picker;AGVs are not allowed to operate in thisarea. The neighbouring truck aisles forreplenishment are located on either sideof the order picking aisle. AGVs operatehere, but staff can also enter. However,access management prevents the trucksoperating at the same time as the pickers,who can only enter the section when thearea is safe. AGVs are similarly prohibitedfrom entering if pickers are in the aisle.Access to the replenishment aisle isautomatically blocked for manuallyoperated trucks by a light barrier and aremote controlled emergency stop circuiton the rack entrance.Equipment protecting the operators isfitted to the AGV, making it intrinsicallysafe. Should a person approach a truck, itstops in a controlled manner and remainsstationary. This is essential, as the narrowaisles do not offer operators an escape routeand the trucks not only travel freely in theaisles but also in an additional storage area.After more than a year of operation,production manager Germain Ghys is verysatisfied with his innovative idea." Ouroperation is extremely efficient, providinga significant competitive advantage. Weare constantly advancing and look forwardto a successful future," he said.E&K Automation LtdPeter Holdcroft, Managing DirectorTel: 01256 880228peterhold.croft@ek-automation.comwww.ek-automation.comTHE HISTORY OF THE FORKLIFT TRUCKEPISODE 51: 1966 CONTINUED - MEN VERSUS MACHINES AT THE DOCKSWarehouse & Logistics News is proud tobring you the fiftyfirst instalment in ourexclusive series on the history of the forklift truck, the machine that over thedecades has revolutionised the face ofmaterials handling around the world. Ourseries has now reached its half-century interms of the episodes we’ve published sofar, so we’re celebrating reaching a majormilestone. And there’s still plenty of thestory to come.Our writer is James Brindley, anacknowledged authority on fork lift trucks.James’s distinguished career has involvedengineering and management roles with BTRolatruc and serving as a Director of theFork Lift Truck Association, before he set upthe National Fork Truck Heritage Centre in2004 as Britain’s first such collection opento the public.The Heritage Centre continues to needyour support in 2010, and if you or yourcompany would like to help in any way, youcan contact James on the number below.Now sit back and enjoy the latest part ofthis fascinating series.EPISODE 51: 1966 CONTINUED -MEN VERSUS MACHINES AT THE DOCKSContinuing with 1966 and the theme offork lift trucks working on ships and docks,we come to a time when the mechanisationof work came into conflict between thedockers and indirectly the government. Ithad been muted for quite a number of yearsthat inefficiency and congestion at the dockswere prejudicing our export trade andincreasing our import costs. The root causewas recognised by many to be the fault ofoutdated and outmoded handling methods,and to a large extent this was true. Howeverthe problem of handling could not be tackledin isolation as at the time the relationshipbetween the dockers and the employers wasvery strained, to say the least.In an attempt to resolve this situation thegovernment of the day appointed Lord Devlinto make recommendations. The Devlin reportstressed that it was impossible to haveefficient mechanisation against a backgroundof casual labour. His main proposal therefore,which was greeted enthusiastically byGovernment, employers and trade unionsalike, was the decasualisation of dock labour.Although the report was accepted as a majorstep forward by the unions, it was seen as adanger by the dockers themselves, whosensed that this was a way for the employersto get more work out of them. As in the yearsgone by they saw little protection from theunions themselves and led by militant actiongroups were quite used to taking things intotheir own hands: Since 1960, of the 421strikes in the docks 410 were unofficial. Thefinal recommendation by Devlin thereforewas that the government should intervenedirectly to ensure that any agreed efficiencyplan would not be wrecked by a minority oftroublemakers. The suggestion here was tobreak any unofficial strikes by the interventionof the armed forces. Even so, with the labourelement put to one side, efficiency could stillonly be achieved if British industry as a wholealtered its presentation of packaged goods atthe ports. Likewise the country’s imports,where possible, would have to be shipped in asimilar manner. This would involve majoralterations to ship design so that palletizedunit loads could be handled by mechanicalmeans.The photo shows a forklift truck workingin a hold that has been designed with sideports for loading and discharging this typeof pallet. Some ships of the Fred Olsen Line,a pioneer in this type of handling, werealready able to handle such goods in mostmainland European ports but in most Britishports the dockers still manually loaded andunloaded packaged goods as individualitems using a load board and slings.In an attempt to bypass the delayscaused by manual loading, somemanufacturers opted for containerisation orroll-on, roll-off operations, but at this timethere were only a limited number of Britishports that could handle this type of freight.Although still behind most other countriesin modernizing, one of these facilities forroll-on, roll-off traffic was now available atHull docks. As for the use of mechanisation,a new wharf was now nearing completion atMillwall docks to handle palletised goodsthrough ship side ports. This new facilitywas being built by the Port of LondonAuthority for the sole use of the Olsen Line.In general, from this approximate time,most British ports were starting to follow thelead of the shipping Lines and increasing theirefforts to accommodate the new techniques.As a result new docking facilities were well onthe way to being built around the country. Fortheir part in modernisation the National DockLabour Board were now running fork lift andplatform truck training schools at London,Liverpool, Hull, Southampton Grangemouth,Bristol and Manchester Docks.To be continuedBy James Brindley, Director, National ForkTruck Heritage Centre.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL FORK TRUCK HERITAGE CENTRE, PLEASE CALL JAMES BRINDLEY ON 0780 195 4167

IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010 Page 17Tel: 01923 272960IMHX 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.comCROWN LIFT TRUCKS AT IMHX 2010SEE THE LATEST CROWN PRODUCTS, LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS OF INFOLINK AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE LOWEST TCO.As a leading supplier of high performancelift trucks, Crown will have manyexciting features on their stand at theforthcoming IMHX 2010.Make sure you visit the stand to see anumber of first unveilings to the Europeanmarket, including Crown’s first ever ICengineCounterbalanceTruck, the C-5. Thisexciting new truck hasbeen designed to providesuperior value andlowest Total Cost ofOwnership (TCO).STAND: 19J90The DT 3000 Series Double Stacker Pallettruck will also be shown in Europe for thefirst time. This new truck is ideal for highdensity, heavy duty applications.Other important trucks that will be onshow include the WT 3000 Series RiderPallet Truck. This particular range of truckslaunched earlier this year, has quicklyearned an international reputation for beingextremely tough, yet easy to use. A fixedplatform rear-entry version of the WTSeries will be featured with Crown’s uniqueweight–adjustable FlexRide. This versionalso includes the patented Entry Bar SafetySwitch, which addresses the concern of anoperator travelling with a foot outside of thecompartment.Other highlights include the ESR 5000Cold Store Cabin Reach Truck. Building onthe class-leading reliability and performanceof the IF Gold Award winning ESR5000, the new Cold Store Cabin version hasbeen optimised for low temperature environments- down to minus 30°C.Each truck on the stand will be equippedwith InfoLink® - Crown’s unique fleet managementsystem. Live and interactivedemonstrations will enable visitors to seefirst-hand how Crown cansignificantly reduce runningcosts and offer thelowest TCO.Come and join us onstand 19J90Crownwww.crown.comLAMERHOLM ELECTRONICSTO LAUNCH FORKLIFT SAFETY DRIVE AT IMHXDamage deterrent specialistLamerholm Electronics is urgingbusinesses to harness new technologyto help prevent thehundreds of forklift truck accidentsthat are reported everyyear in the UK.In a bid to help reduce theshocking numbers of deaths, injuriesand damage to property and goodsthat result from forklift accidents,Lamerholm Electronics will presentits latest Impact Manager device atthe IMHX show in Birmingham from16th to 19th November.The Hertfordshire-based company,whose unique system isdesigned to monitor driver behaviourand control access to forklifttrucks, will appeal to delegates specialisingin storage, packaging,handling and distribution to takeaction to improve safety, efficiencyand working practices.The cost-effective Impact Managerfeatures an access key that ensuresonly correctly qualified drivers canactivate a truck, and a monitor thatdetects any impacts, logs themagainst the driver and wirelesslytransmits the details to a central softwaresuite, from which accuratereports and graphs can be generated.Existing users of the systeminclude Linpac, IKEA, Sarah Lee, AllPort :Packaging, Michelin Tyres,Procter & Gamble, Forth Ports,Cooper B-Line Ltd and Kerry Foods,as well as fork lift manufacturerssuch as Nissan.Derek Richardson, Group SalesDirector at Lamerholm Electronics’parent company IMC Group, said:“The system is designed to preventthe misuse of forklift trucks, a majorfactor in the surprisingly highnumber of deaths and serious injuriesthat occur each year. And that’s not tomention the huge financial cost ofdamage to trucks, warehouses, factoriesand goods, as well as the staffingimplications of employees taking timeoff due to injuries.”According to the latest statisticsfrom the Health and Safety Executive(HSE), forklift trucks are involved ina quarter of all workplace transportaccidents. Figures for the four-yearperiod from 2001/2002 to2005/2006 show that there were21,190 injuries involving forklifttrucks, 94 of which were fatal and15,338 of which resulted in staffbeing off for at least three days.LamerholmElectronics Ltd,part of the IMCGroup, is a worldleaderin thedesign and manufactureof damage STAND: 20B60deterrent equipment,from forklift truck (FLT) fleetmanagement to monitoring the conditionof goods throughout theshipping and handling process.Environmental parameters includetemperature and humidity to 360degrees, tilt and roll and many more.The ShockLog and ShockWatchrange offers technology to recordconditions for all heavy weight orsensitive goods. For more information,visit www.lamerholm.comWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 18 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960CHESS LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY AT IMHXChess Logistics Technology is a software specialistproviding WMS and integrated real timesolutions to the wholesale, retail and thirdparty logistics sectors. Trading over thirtyyears, Chess has a successful track record inimplementing business critical software solutions.Its products reflect wide experience oflogistics with highly functional modules able tomeet the needs of manufacturer, wholesaler orservice provider alike. Current customersinclude DHL Supply Chain, BHS, Heals,Highways Agency, Radley & Co., Welspun, BSSand Eriks UK.Chess has extensive experience with real time solutionsintegration, which includes multiple WMSimplementations based on wireless LAN, and voicedirected pick operations in fast moving retail distribution.It also offers true ‘mobile’ systems based onnetworked communications technology. Real time integrationis driven by Chess’ own software and requiresno third party middleware to provide functioning solutions.Empirica WMS is the principal warehouse managementproduct. A well developed product aimed at largeor multi-site operations, it offers a range of advancedfeatures for warehouse operation, planning andreporting. It supportsreal time functions forwireless mobile andvoice technology as standard,and offers coreintegration tools forapplication dataSTAND: 20G110exchange.Empirica Lite is an entry level WMS withappeal to operators of smaller warehouses.Aimed at growing operations looking forstrong basic functionality plus scalability,the system is available in simple PC modeor with a compact range of real timeoptions. It makes the ideal choice for companieswho want a serious WMS that’scompetitively priced with short implementationtimes.Another key product for logisticsproviders is the EDIS mobile delivery informationsolution. EDIS integrates real timePDA data capture with advanced reportingsystems to allow you to manage and monitordelivery activity, provide real timeupdates and report exceptions. EDIS alsoincorporates bar code scanning, signatureand image capture, GPS location and mappingtools to create an advanced solutionwhich verifies delivery, and eliminateserrors to improve operational performanceand enhance customer service.Chess meets the growing need for mobileenabled working with Empirica Mobile, adevelopment tool to create applications forthe Windows Mobile (5+) platform.Designed for all wireless communicationstechnology it has unique technical featureswhich can be used to rapidly create anddeploy real time applications for any business.It’s self contained, needing no othersoftware products to operate and maintain,and contains many features which make itflexible, easy to use and cost effective.Chess Logistics Technology LtdTel: 0161 888 2580Email: info@chess.uk.comwww.chess.uk.comWIN AN IPAD EVERY DAYWITH JUNGHEINRICH AT IMHXVisit us at IMHX - Proteus: 20C127 - Psion Teklogix: 18M95Leadingmaterials handlingequipmentmanufacturerJungheinrichwill be giving19L100 & 142away a top prizeof an Apple iPad every daythroughout the forthcoming IMHXexhibition.Released in April of this year, theiPad is perfect for audio and visualmedia such as books, movies,music, and games as well as webcontent. Such is the iPad’s popularitythat 3 million of the deviceswere sold in the first in 80 daysafter its launch.Visitors to the Jungheinrichstand at IMHX can also win otherprizes in a fun, free to enter draw.“Of course, we hope visitors tothe show will visit us to learn howJungheinrich can maximise productivityand minimise lifetime costs ofoperating a forklift fleet, but thegreat give-aways are an extra incentiveto call by and see us,” says CraigJohnson, Jungheinrich UK Ltd’smarketing manager.www.jungheinrich.co.ukSOLIDEAL ANNOUNCE GROWTH PLANSWith last years’ acquisitionof a national industryretail company, SolidealIndustrial Tyres Limitedwill be taking the opportunityto tell the materialshandling industrySTAND: 20F90about its exciting plans at IMHX. The companypurchased Industrial Tyre Services Limitedin 2009 and is now the only manufacturing,wholesale and retail operation in the UK.As Solideal Industrial Tyre’s MD LenSambrook, explained: “This is an exciting timefor Solideal. With the acquisition of IndustrialTyre Services we are now a viable alternativefor customers in the retail sector. We will betaking the opportunity at IMHX to leteveryone know about Solideal’s future plans.”WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 20 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960Identification plays an importantpart in any system, whetherit’s in the office, retail, industrialor home environment. Thingsneed to be in their place andthat place needs to be identified.This is where Beaverswoodcomes into the picture. Theyspecialise in a wide range oflabelling and identificationproducts to suit almost everyenvironment including coldstores Beaverswood will beexhibiting their full range at theIMHX show come along to stand19L73 where they will alsoshowing some new products notreleased on to the market as yetand at the same time pick uptheir brand new revamped catalogue.Beaverswoods range includesSelf-adhesive Numbers andLetters, Ticket and Label Holders,Beam and Shelf Code Labels,Weight Load Signs, Aisle and BayMarkers and Floor Identificationproducts toname but afew.Some of theproducts areavailable withself-adhesive or STAND: 19L73After another successful yearthat saw a strong business performancedefy the downturn,leading pallet inversion andhandling specialist Payne PalletInverters is looking forward toIMHX with confidence.As pioneers in the conception anddevelopment of the pallet inverter,first designed to enable the swift andsimple removal of damaged fertiliserbags from loaded pallets, the companysupplies a real Who’s Who of retail,Magnetic fixings to suit the applicationrequired. Beaverswood alsospecialise in producing those specialmade to order items thatsimply can not be found “off theshelf”.If you can not attend IMHX thecomplete information is containedin the Beaverswood Catalogue,manufacturingand logistics.Clients as variedas Adidas, Argos,Boots, Kraft,Corus, Tesco andWincanton use STAND: 20G85Payne inverters, retrievers andexchangers across their operations.Whether the requirement is forswitching pallet type, replacing abroken pallet or removing damagedgoods, supplying a stainless steelwhich is available on request completewith a FREE sample pack ofuseful identification items.To obtain your free copy simply call on01189 796096 or emailsales@beaverswood.co.uk or goon-line www.beaverswood.co.ukPAYNE EXPECTS IMHX TURNOVER BOOSTunit for food or pharmaceutical useor a pile turner for use with sheet orboard, the company offers a solution.PROTEUS PROVIDESVOICE WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO DRIVE HIGHER EFFICIENCY GAINSProteus Software provideswarehouse solutions to its customersthat drive efficiency andimprovements in throughput,without incurring relativeincreases in operational costs.Our investment in ongoing developmentand implementation ofnew technologies ensures ourcustomers can deliver a higherstandard of service, stay ahead oftheir competition and increasetheir market share.Regarding warehouse managementsystems, two strategic upgradeoptions are available to deliver significantimprovements to paperbased stock management processes.Paper to Wireless Systems -can generate efficiency savings ofgreater than 50%Many organisations have successfullymigrated from paper to wirelessdriven systems, which utilise screensand handheld barcode readers, eradicatingthe use of paperwork. Theefficiency gains using this type of technologywill differ for each company,although typically users have reportedincreases of greater than 50%Wireless to Voice Systems -users report up to 25% increasein warehouse throughputThe PROTEUS® WMS voice solutiontalks people through their dailytasks replacing paperwork, theinherent errors associated with it,and traditional data capturemethods, with hands free personalvoice instructions and confirmation.It leaves both hands free formanual tasks such as driving, pickingLPG is a cleaner fuel thandiesel and avoids the costly downtimeof electric trucks, making it aflexible, reliable and increasinglypopular choice for the materialshandling industry. Flogas UKLimited is a leading supplier ofLiquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).With a network that boasts moreSTAND: 20C127and loading. The resultant efficienciesimpact a number of operationalareas, and case studies have highlightedthe following efficiency gains:• A 25% increase in warehousethroughput - within 6 monthsof full implementation• 10% - 25% in labour efficiency- incurred during the pickingprocess over scanning solutions,and as much as 50% overpaper based solutions.• Reduced training times• Pay back on implementationcosts ROI in six to twelve months• Lower cost of ownership - dueto elimination of handheldequipment (purchase and repair)• Lower stock damage - due toless accidents• 99.9% elimination of pickingerrorsfilling plants than the rest of theLPG industry’s major playersadded together - they have a trulynational network. They offer acomplete refuelling solution tothe logistics industry. Flogasalready supply many top bluechip companies who trust them astheir business partner for energy.Implementation of GoodTechnology - a key driver of sustainablecorporate growthThe correct choice of warehousemanagement system, and the selectionof a first class system provider, isfundamental to your personal andcorporate success. Our objective is to,not only automate your key operationalprocesses, but also deliver asystem that can be aligned withchanges in your business requirementsand support corporate growth.Proteus Software partners withPsion Teklogix and Vocollect to providetotal integrated solutions thatsuit your supply chain requirements.Proteus SoftwareTel: 0121 7177474www.proteussoftware.comFUELLING A GREENER FUTUREIn commonwith industry ingeneral, thebiggest problemfacing the logisticssector todayis the current STAND: 19L117economic situationcoupled with the everincreasing pressure to reducecarbon emissions and comply withnew environmental legislation.There is already a significant pressureon businesses to reduce theircarbon emissions; a pressure whichwill only increase further.Flogas are uniquely placed tohelp customers run a greener operationwhilst keeping tight controlon their fuel spend. Not only is LPGthe cleanest off mains fossil fuel, butFlogas are also the only off mainsenergy company to have beenawarded the Carbon Trust Standardfor reduced carbon emissions andcommitment to continual improvementin this area. They arecurrently addressing the issues ofcarbon reduction with a series offuel efficiency measures and anEnvironmental Management systemthat has seen them not onlyawarded the Carbon Trust Standardbut also the Royal Warrant in thepast year.With a commitment as a companyto reducing carbon year onyear and with a product in LPG thatis a cleaner, more economical fuel,Flogas believe that they have thecomplete package to help companiesof all sizes not only reducetheir carbon emissions, but to savemoney too.Lee Gannon, Sales andMarketing Director at Flogas, said:“LPG offers a more economicalapproach to powering fork lifttrucks than other available energysources. As a cleaner fuel provider,we can help you save not only costbut carbon.”More information regarding Flogas andtheir forklift truck strategy can befound at www.flogas.co.ukWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010 Page 21Tel: 01923 272960IMHX 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.comDAVIS DERBY TO LAUNCHNEW TRUCKLOG PRODUCT RANGE AT IMHX 2010Designed for demanding materialhandling environments andsuitable for the smallest orlargest fleets, the New DavisDerby TruckLOG range will tellyou everything you need to knowabout who’s driving your trucks –and how. It puts you firmly incontrol of driver access, preoperationinspection, Thoroughexamination and includes drivertraining and vehicle serviceschedules.In addition to existing features,which include Driver Access control,Shock sensing & Fleetutilisation enabling lower runningand ownership costs, ourSchoeller Arca Systems, theglobal market leader in returnabletransit packaging, will be launchingthe next generation foldable largecontainer at IMHX 2010.Strengthened by their capabilities,experience and know-how, theyare taking a major leap forward tobring important value to all userswith the supply chain. This is whythey developed the new MagnumOptimum® range, a pallet boxsystem for transporting heavyloads, whose characteristics contributeto a significant reduction inoperational costs and improvementsin distribution handling.Not only does the MagnumOptimum® container include anextensive list of improvements butnew products will also offer, viacolour touch screen display, fullyconfigurable Pre-Ops check, Realtime messaging and Full Multilanguageoptions. 2 way DataTransfer, using latest radio technologyand GPRS are available aswill be GPS. Data access will bevia browser over internet, phone,PDA etc.Visit our stand 20F92 to see thenew range and discuss yourrequirements.Davis Derby LtdTel: 01332 227518Email: info@davisderby.comit is also compatible with the SASMagnum Classic containers as wellas the majority of FLC’s from othermanufacturers.The newly enhanced features ofthe Magnum Optimum® seriesinclude smooth- and rib- free sidewallsfor hygiene and easymaintenance, improved foldingratio and reduced weight resultingin freight and fuel savings,increased internal volume, and newsliding doors enabling use in confinedspaces.In essence, the MagnumOptimum® is a new concept forunrivalled ease of handling, whichcan impact positively on yoursupply chain operations as well asthe environment.STAND: 20F92AS SUPPLY CHAINS DEVELOP,SO DO SCHOELLER ARCA’S FOLDABLE LARGE CONTAINERS!With the UK head office and warehousein Abingdon and theworldwide head office in Zwolle,Netherlands, Schoeller Arca Systemsemploys over 1000 people worldwideand has a turnover of€500million. Schoeller Arca Systemsstandard rangeof productsextends fromPrelog foldablesmall containersandBig Boxes toMagnumfoldable largecontainers,Intermediate BulkContainers andBIPP plastic pallets.For further information contact NickJames - Schoeller Arca Systems onnick.james@schoellerarca.com or 01235863800. Reference WLN-FLC-OPT.STAND: 20F86STANLEY HANDLINGAT IMHX 2010Stanley Handling is displayinga wide selection ofROBUR powered pedestrianequipment as well as a comprehensiverange ofPowerMate, SC and Sprinterpowered stairclimbers. A newwheelchair powered version,the Stanley Liftkar PT willalso be launched at the show.The ROBUR range of poweredpallet trucks, stackers andcounterbalanced stackers illustrateshow handling costs canbe reduced whilst maintaininghigh levels of safety and productivity.Highlights include theSBC Compact counterbalancedstacker with a chassis length ofonly 940mm, truck width of850mm and operating aislefrom 2150mm.A wide range of ROBUR specialistand bespoke equipmenthas been developed to targetniche applications. Theseinclude powered pallet trucksto 8000kg, paper reel and rollhandlers, four-way trucks to4000kg - a 2010 FLTA Awardsfinalist - pedestrian/ride-onunits, explosion-proof stackersand pallet trucks to 4000kg anda full range of stainless steelpallet trucks and stackers forhazardous/ high hygiene environments.The powered stairclimber isa unique handling aid, the fourtrucks-in-onesafety handlerlifting heavy and awkwardloads up and down stairs andeven from ground level to adeck height of 60cm. Regulardemonstrations of all modelswill takep l a c eincluding thelaunch of theStanleyLiftkar PTwheelchairmodel.STAND: 18M165Stanley Handling LimitedSarah StanleyTel: 01582 767711E: sarah@stanleyhandling.co.ukwww.stanleyhandling.co.ukWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 22 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com SNAPFULFILTel: 01923 272960SNAPFULFIL SAAS WMS CASE STUDYhe Company - Huhtamaki (UK) distribution operation, they track a variety Snapfulfil technical and commercial offeringLtd is a global speciality and con-packaging company Time, In Full (OTIF) to ensure that their his team and most importantly the business.of Key Performance Indicators such as On proved to be a winning combination for Gary,Tsumerfocusing on moulded fibre/paper products,films, flexible packaging, foodservice paperclients are receiving the best levels ofservice in this highly competitive industry.Key business decision drivers were:cups and other products based on paperforming technology. Their main customermarkets include foodservice operators, fastfood restaurants, ice-cream and other consumergoods markets, non-food consumerpackaging, fresh food packers, pet foodpackers as well as retailers.Today, Huhtamaki employs some 14,600people in 65 manufacturing, distributionand sales facilities, in 35 countries worldwide.Net sales in 2008 amounted to EUR2.3 billion.A fast moving, 24/7 manufacturing and••••••••Non CapexNo Traditional Finance Models12 month ROIComprehensive FunctionalityMinimal IT Resource DemandsProven SolutionRapid ImplementationInterface Capability to HuhtamakiCorporate HostRequirementsLike all businesses in this difficult economicenvironment, efficiency gains were akey business driver with the warehousingand distribution operations spearheadingthe initiative. As part of this process, GaryOwen, UK Warehouse & DistributionManager determined that the operationdemanded a more sophisticated WarehouseManagement System (WMS) for its 3southern area UK warehouse facilities,capable of delivering “Tier 1” functionality,but without the headaches typically associatedwith WMS implementations. Thechallenge was to deliver these business benefits,but with the demanding additionalrequirements of the 3 warehouse facilitiesgoing live with the solution concurrently, 'NoCapex', 'No Finance' and a '12 month ROI'.Huhtamaki, as an organisation, embracesthe use of the latest in technologicaladvances to leverage competitive advantage;accordingly Gary began evaluating Softwareas a Service solutions in conjunction with themore traditional WMS software offerings.Following extensive research, he identifiedSnapfulfil as not only the right WMS, but alsothe only SaaS WMS solution that could meetall of his requirements and still meet thatdemanding ROI constraint. The comprehensiveblend of functionality present within theSnapfulfil system combined with the uniqueKey operational areas Snapfulfil wereselected to improve included:• Multi-Site control and visibility• Stock receipting from Production toverify production runs and ensurerapid visibility and availability ofinventory for despatch• Put-away of both Raw Materials, WIPneeded to be verified for accuracy andhave immediate visibility• RF driven processes increasingefficiency, accuracy and ensuring thatcorrect stock rotation was followed• Automated management of Taskallocation to warehouse operatives toreduce administration and supervision• Reporting of resource efficiency wouldhelp to maximise efficiencies in overallheadcount and highlight whereoperators required further trainingImmediate BenefitsNot only did the implementation of theSnapfulfil system significantly increase theproductivity within the warehouse environment,but Key Performance Indicators, suchas OTIF were increased to their highest everlevels.Product receiving, put away and retrievalhave all benefited as predicted andWarehouse Operative efficiency has significantlyimproved utilising the Snapfulfilsystem, with more expected within the nextfew months.With the successful launch of 3 sites concurrentlycame the ability to view inventoryacross the business, as well as in transit, thisbeing made significantly easier by theexceedingly low IT resource requirements,both in terms of physical hardware and personnel.Such has been the success of theproject, Huhtamaki are now employing theSnapfulfil system within other areas of theoperation to deliver complete inventory controland visibility across the entire business.Financial SavingsGary Owen, UK Warehouse &Distribution Manager for Huhtamaki carriedout a post-implementation review oncethe Snapfulfil system had been “Live” for 6months.This review highlighted the followingareas where savings had been realised:• Headcount Reduction• Stock Items No Longer ‘Lost’• Overtime Reduced• Reduced Error Rates• Stock Obsolescence Removed• Hardware Repairs RemovedAnd• Paperwork production andAdministration almost eliminatedThese areas of saving delivered Net savingsto the business of over £80,000 inyear one, with more expected in years 2+SummaryHuhtamaki’s warehouse and distributionoperation has benefitted enormously fromimplementing Snapfulfil, Gary Owen stated,“Snapfulfil has helped us to realise significantimprovements across the operationand save money at the same time. Really, awinning combination.”SAAS WMS - DELIVERING ON THE 2010 EXECUTIVE AGENDAhere is no question that 2010 is a transitionComing out of the recession unprepared for growth capital to a future stream of benefits in the hope theyear for most businesses. After a year or could lose market share and slow your recovery. Over investment produces an adequate return. A second riskTmore of aggressive cost cutting and negative investing in growth that does not develop could be just as involves the ability of the significant implementationgrowth the business environment is changing. Thefinancial crisis has abated, government sponsoredstimulus programs are beginning to have an impact,stocks have rebounded and consumers are taking hesitantsteps towards demonstrating confidence in theeconomy. However, with unemployment continuing tohover at record heights and with distressed homeprices in most markets there is still a long way to go.Executives are walking a tight-rope balancing risk andgrowth.bad.While the CEO/MD leads the executive agenda setting,each functional Director has their own unique set ofstrategic challenges or opportunities. With the level ofmarket uncertainty so high it is more important than everthat strategies are aligned and investments prioritised fortheir impact across the organisation. WarehouseManagement Systems (WMS) offered through theSoftware as a Service (SaaS) commercial model are wellpositioned to work within the context of this 2010 reality.expense to be managed on time and on budget. A thirdrisk involves the ability of the solution to be strategicallyrelevant over time as business conditions change. Theserisks make effective purchasing practices absolutely necessary.The down side of this rigor is the cost of thepurchasing process and the length of time it takes.Ultimately it lengthens the time between a recognisedbusiness need and the realization of benefits from fulfillingthe need.Software as a Service is different….They align across the Director’s strategic objectives andnear term goals.THE 2010 EXECUTIVE AGENDAThe pace of the economic recovery is the key point ofuncertainty. How fast will consumer confidence return?How fast will the unemployment rate drop? If you are amiddle manager you just keep your head down and grindout the work with fewer people and perhaps more overtime.However, executives have to make strategic bets onthe future despite uncertainty.RETHINKING HOW TO PURCHASEWarehouse Management Software (WMS)The saying goes in the software industry that the differencebetween selling and lying is six months. Withinsix months a solution provider might be able to developthe capabilities promised, if the customer buys. Thenagain, an enterprising implementation leader talking to aconfused customer may sell a promised change as amodification, increasing service revenue. The warehousemanagement segment of the software industry has seenmore than its share of this behaviour.The counter to these common sales shenanigans hasbeen the appropriate development of rigorous purchasingprocesses. These processes include: Requestsfor Information, Requests for Proposals, Proof of ConceptPilots, and multiple “Out” clauses in contracts. Buyersmay also engage consultants that specialise in evaluatingsoftware or be advised by software industry analysts. Allof these purchasing steps make sense in a business relationshipwhere most of the risk is on the buyer.The risks buyers face with traditional solutionproviders include justifying the upfront commitment ofSAAS WMSChanging the Rules in the Tier-One MarketSoftware as a Service Warehouse ManagementSystems (SaaS WMS) represents an innovation in thetier-one WMS market. This innovation is changing therules of the game for success. SaaS WMS solutions arereducing customers’ business risks while offering thesame benefits as traditional tier-one competitors. SaaSWMS solution providers are reducing costs as theyassume new responsibility for costs traditionally borneby the customer. These reduced costs involve the cost ofinfrastructure, solution support, and implementation.The efficiencies solution providers gain as they managethese services allow them to achieve respectable profitmargins while providing customers with a much lowertotal cost of ownership. The net result of reducing customerrisk and lowering the total cost of ownership isthat the WMS market expands as WMS solutionsbecome more affordable.SaaS WMS solutions will both grow the tier-one WMSmarket and take market share from traditional WMSsolution providers. Traditional WMS solutions providerswill be challenged by the need to shift their businessmodel and address the necessary technology changes forcompetitive SaaS performance. Shifting the businessmodel requires a multi-year transition for revenue recognitionpractices to realign. Technology changes mayrequire reengineering the solution to reduce the performancelatency potential that adding hardware alone can’taddress. This massive business restructuring will impactprofitability in the short term and will provide limitedvalue to existing customers paying maintenance.This white paper will explore the economic changes inthe WMS marketplace driven by SaaS innovators. It willaddress the reality of delivering tier-one capabilities byaddressing the necessary changes in the technical applicationarchitecture, services function, support function,and risk management.Other articles include:• Special Report on SaaS by Manufacturing andLogistics IT Magazine• Total Cost of Ownership• SaaS WMS Embracing Distribution ComplexityGo to our knowledgebase for the full copies of all of thesearticle and more. www.snapfulfil.com/knowledgbase.SYNERGY LOGISTICS LTD TEL: 0845 463 7627 WWW.SNAPFULFIL.COM

IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010 Page 23Tel: 01923 272960THE INTERVIEW - SNAPFULFILEmail: warehouse@flame1.comSNAPFULFILBREAKING NEW GROUND IN WMS SOLUTIONSSnapfulfil, the latest award-winningsolution in SynergyLogistics’ family of WarehouseManagement Systems (WMS), is abreakthrough in WMS affordabilitywhich pays for itself the moment it is upand running and continues to generatenet positive benefits every day it isused. A unique combination ofadvanced technology, functionalstrength and a customer-centric businessmodel, Snapfulfil is acomprehensive Software as a Service(SaaS) solution, which is conceptuallyinnovative and is delivered to yourdesktop and operation using the latestweb technologies and “Real Time”Radio Frequency (RF) control.Established in 1972, Synergy Logisticsis a UK-based software company thatfocuses on delivering effective WMS forclients ranging from SME’s to globalorganisations including Coca Cola, SCA,White Arrow and Vodafone. Significantand continuous R&D investment hasensured Synergy remains at the forefrontof advances in WMS technology withSnapfulfil and other innovative solutions,whilst maintaining rock solid reliability.Synergy’s dedication to customer satisfactionand the delivery of effectivesolutions to its valued clients hasresulted in numerous business awardsfrom their peers. Their latest accolade isthe Best Warehouse ManagementSoftware of the Year 2010, awarded byThe Institute of Transport Management.Gavin Clark, Commercial Director, spoketo Warehouse & Logistics News.Warehouse & Logistics News - Firstof all, Gavin, what does your role asCommercial Director involve? Are youpersonally involved in developing solutionsfor clients?The role of Commercial Director isvaried, which is just how I would want itto be. Being face to face with clients andprospective ones too, means that I getinstant feedback on the real needs of themodern warehouse and how people areusing Snapfulfil in different ways to meettheir own particular requirements. AsSnapfulfil is a Rules Based system, thesame software is being effectivelydeployed across diverse market verticalssuch as E-Commerce, Manufacturing,3PL and Distribution environments. Myrole allows me to contribute to theunderstanding of how we are currentlyhelping these types of client, ensuringwe maximise the benefits to prospectiveclients and to feed back to the businesswhere the system could be enhanced toour clients benefit. This understandingalso helps me in other aspects of therole, including marketing and communications,to tailor our messages andknowledge base to address the issuesthat are most current.WLN - Who were the founders ofSynergy Logistics? Are they stillinvolved in the business?Synergy was set up in 1972, and ourcurrent Chairman, Hugh Stevens wasinstrumental right from the very beginning.Hugh is still involved on aday-to-day basis and is instrumental inboth the R&D and future development ofthe business as a whole.WLN - How big is Synergy Logistics inturnover in the UK, and globally? Howfast are you growing as a company?Synergy is still what many would considerto be a small business, in terms ofturnover, but with our latest officeopened up in Charleston, South Carolinaand our client base including companiessuch as Coca-Cola, SCA, Vax andVodafone/UTL, we might be consideredto be a much larger entity. Companygrowth has been substantial since thelaunch of Snapfulfil, with the number ofrecent contract wins demonstrating thepower of the Snapfulfil offering. The economicclimate and lack of availablecapital spend has been very challengingfor many traditional software businesses,used to charging significant‘upfront’ costs for software licences andimplementation services. We believe thismodel to be an outdated legacy and itsdays are numbered, we are proud to beoffering a sophisticated solution for themodern warehouse, but with no CapitalExpenditure required. We see it as “ puttingour money, where our mouth is!”How many companies out there offer todo all of the work, without asking for asingle penny? That demonstrates ourconfidence in both the product and theway in which we implement it.WLN – How important is the UK as amarket for your technologies?The UK market is extremely sophisticatedand advanced and this is key to us,both as a business and as an environmentto understand and keep up withthe latest advances in logistics.WLN – Where is Synergy Logisticsbased in the UK? Do you have anyoffices in other countries?Synergy is centrally positioned in theUK, based in Loughborough,Leicestershire our bespoke 10,000square feet gives us the perfect environment.Our head office contains all of thedevelopment, support andtraining for our clientshere in the UK and ouroffice in Charleston,South Carolina looksafter our US clients.WLN – Your latest WMSsolution is Snapfulfil. Whatactually is Snapfulfil?Snapfulfil is an advanced,proven, award-winning ‘Tier 1’WMS solution that enablesour clients to improve theirwarehouse operationswithout investingcapital. It is fullyRF-driven andincludes all theessential scanninghardware and RF infrastructure.Snapfulfil is provided on asimple monthly subscription, and can bedelivered as a Software-as-a-Service(SaaS) solution to their desktop. What'smore, our fixed monthly subscriptionincludes dual dedicated Internet connectivity,implementation, training andsupport for the rugged RF terminals andinfrastructure.WLN – How does Snapfulfil work?Snapfulfil SaaS WMS is hosted on a"SAS 70" certified multi-site environment,with a resilient and redundantdata network to protect your businesscritical data. Its advanced 'Cloud' computingpower ensures high availabilityand security to the most exacting standards.We even ensure the client has twopoints of internet access to the hostingenvironment for resilience.WLN – What functionality does itinclude?Snapfulfil offers all of the functionalitythat you expect from a ‘Tier 1’ WMS,controlling all aspects of receiving, putaway, audit, inventory control, pickingand despatch, all in ‘Real Time’ via theinclusive Radio Frequency controlled,hand held computer or if required‘Voice’. Additionally, we also control allof the resources required to drive yourwarehouse, reporting their performanceand efficiency to management, alongwith extra topic features, such as Dockand Yard Management, PI/CI andLoading. The real strength of Snapfulfil isits ‘rules based’ architecture, this meansthat the most diverse warehouse environmentscan be managed by the samecore software with little system modificationor associated cost.WLN - For the uninitiated, what isthe difference between ‘Software as aService’ and a Fully Managed Service?Like many such phases, they will oftenmean different things to each individual.Some consider the definition of SaaS tobe software that is Multi-tenanted,meaning multiple clients on one databaseand a single instance of thesoftware for all clients. We hostSnapfulfil as a Single-tenanted solutionwhich means that each Snapfulfil clienthas its own database and its owninstance of the software, therebyensuring maximum resilience. TheSnapfulfil SaaS solution has also beendesigned and developed from the outsetto embrace the latest in available Webtechnologies and is not just a ‘Scrape’ ofa legacy solution delivered via TerminalServices or Citrix for example, which isoften the position taken by the ‘ManagedService’ vendors.So, in reality it matters little what it iscalled, it is what is behind it that matters.WLN – How does Snapfulfil fit intoyour portfolio?Snapfulfil is key, in that we believeSaaS solutions are the future of softwareand as a specialist WMS vendor,Snapfulfil significantly adds to thebreadth of offerings we have to meetour clients demands. We of coursehave a number of customers onour more traditional Client/Serversolutions, utilising ‘mature’ softwarethat continue to underpinbusiness critical operations, butI have to say Snapfulfil issweeping all before it and allcurrent enquiries are forSnapfulfil.WLN – What is the commercialmodel forSnapfulfil?We offer Snapfulfil ascost effective, no Capexbusiness model,involving no up-frontcapital or softwarecosts and no expensivecomputer infrastructureor IT overheads.Snapfulfil requires only a 12-month minimum contract, and in returnyou get a high performance system thatwould typically cost anything from£30,000 to £300,000 from a traditionalvendor. As a 'Software as a Service'(SaaS WMS) model, Snapfulfil will payfor itself the moment it is up and running,and will continue to generate netpositive benefits every day it is used.Remember with Snapfulfil you onlypay when you go live.WLN – What does the Snapfulfilpackage include?The full package includes all theessential scanning hardware and RFinfrastructure, real-time RF or voice terminalswith bar code scanning, onsiteinstallation, specification and softwareconfiguration as well as comprehensivetraining with a dedicated, user focusedsupport service. All of this within themonthly user fee.WLN - What business improvementsdoes Snapfulfil deliver?With Snapfulfil warehouse managementsoftware (WMS), picking anddespatch efficiency will typicallyimprove by 30%, order fulfilment timewill be dramatically reduced, and youraccuracy and customer service will besignificantly enhanced. You can achieveall this, whilst maximising your inventoryand resources at a monthly chargewhich, based on the returns you get, iseffectively 'self-funding'.WLN – Can customers modify theirSnapfulfil solutions as their businessgrows?Future proofing is standard withSnapfulfil. Due to its SaaS nature, allsoftware development and upgrades areautomatically deployed to all users. Anyclient specific work can be switchedon/off through configuration and shoulda particular client need something out ofthe ordinary, then our UK developmentteam will specify, test and deploy thesolution in to the clients ‘Test’ environment,for them to approve in quickly andefficiently. One of our clients needed tochange their picking methodology, andSnapfulfil specified, tested and deployedthis brand new approach in just 24hours!WLN - What is Snapfulfil like to use?The best judges of this are our clients,the feedback that we get from our usersis very positive, even enthusiastic. Builtto be web deployed from Day One, it’sarchitected to make the best use of thebrowser. As many people are used tousing the web for their day-to-day lives,picking up Snapfulfil is almost secondnature.WLN – Which people within anorganisation is it aimed at? Is there alimit to the amount of users in an organisation?The core of the Snapfulfil system isaimed at the people who need it and useit, operational members of theWarehouse. The board like the savingsand lack of capital required to deploy,but it’s the users that we really wroteSnapfulfil for. For interested partiesexternal to the warehouse we haveReports, Management Dashboards andmany different Portals to meet the informationdemands of the business. Theonly limit to the users is the licence.Snapfulfil is licensed on the number ofusers required, so if a business needsmore users, they simply order morelicences.WLN – How soon can you deliver thesystem to customers?We can have it up and running in 30working days. People often look at us asif we are mad when we tell them this, butthe proven methodology is there, Wehave deployed Snapfulfil in less time, butGavin Clark, Commercial Director.this is entirely down to the client. If theyare ready to move quickly, then so arewe. If they have work to do and want totake longer, than our project is configuredto suit.WLN – What existing IT resources doyou need to run Snapfulfil?Very little. One of the key features ofthe process is the very low impact onalready over-stretched IT resources.Many of our clients do not have their ownIT department at all, or if they do, it issomeone with other roles to fulfil and notime at all to invest in a major softwareimplementation. All we require issomeone who understand the warehouseand some time to invest in working withour project team, we do the rest.WLN – How quickly will you seethese returns?With many Snapfulfil clients, theyhave gone live in 6-8 weeks and haveseen a return from the very moment theyGo-Live!WLN – When did you launchSnapfulfil? How has it been received sofar? Who are the confirmed customersto date?Snapfulfil was launched in mid 2007,with our first clients live in early 2008.Since then we have taken nearly 20clients live, many of which we are stillunder NDA and unable to discuss withyour good selves, but the diversity ofclient has been incredible, with clients inretail, manufacturing, Third PartyLogistics, distribution and e-commerce,with turnovers from £250,000, to €2Bnand shipping from 20 orders a day, to80,000!WLN – How are you going aboutselling Snapfulfil? Are you selling itdirect, or through resellers?All of our Snapfulfil sales are direct.We are in discussions with prospectiveresellers in the Far East and Australia,but our focus has been the European andUS markets and we prefer a direct relationshipwith our clients, if at allpossible.WLN - How big is the potentialmarket for Snapfulfil in the UK?I don’t have the precise numbers, butif anyone has a warehouse that has morethan 3-4 operatives picking, packing andshipping items around the world, thenwe have a solution that can save youmoney.WLN – What awards has Snapfulfilwon? Have you won any awards for yourother products?Our most recent award was bestWarehouse Management Software 2010,from the ITM, beating off stiff competitionfrom some of the major players inthe WMS market today. Synergy haswon a number of awards over the years,but our greatest award is when a clientrenews their contract. Snapfulfil isoffered on a 12 month contract, furtherdemonstrating our confidence in thesystem and when we know that a clientis so happy with their solution, that theyrenew, that is real praise from the peoplethat count.WLN – Finally, where do you seeSnapfulfil going from here? Have youplans for more WMS solutions like this?Well, you don’treally expect me togive away our secretsto you, do you? Butrest assured, we haveplans for much moreand all I can say is“watch this space.” STAND: 20E120SYNERGY LOGISTICS LTD TEL: 0845 463 7627 WWW.SNAPFULFIL.COM

Page 24 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960SAMUK TO HIGHLIGHTEXPLOSION PROOF THREE-WHEELER AT IMHXSamuk Lift Trucks Limited will beshowing a comprehensive range of 17different trucks on the company’s standat this year’s IMHX. Exhibits will includemany different models and sizes from 2tonne HT tow tractors to the 12 tonneBY120D counterbalance truck.One of the star attractions on the Samukstand will be the HJ15AC three-wheeled electriclift truck featuring Pyroban Zone 1Explosion Proofing for use in potentially hazardousenvironments. This truck is one oftwo J Series 1-1.5 tonne, 24v electric, steerwheel drive, compact trucks to be introducedat the show and will be followed by an officiallaunch early next year. Other models highlightedwill include the R55D 5.5 tonnecapacity diesel counterbalance truck. Thistruck will be displayed fitted with a B&Btriple pallet handling attachment.Visitors to the stand will also be introducedto the new 3 tonne diesel B30Dfeaturing very heavy duty transmission, oilimmersed disc brakes and separate radiatorsto prevent overheating. Also on displaywill be the 2.5 tonne LP Gas-powered B25Lfitted with a Cascade 180° layer attachment.The Samuk range of lift trucks and warehousetrucks is designed and manufacturedby Hangcha, the biggest lift truck company inChina. Hangha products are targeted at thehighest-volume market sectors and are supportedby the most extensive research anddevelopment programme within theindustry. In July 2009, Hangha opened thedoors to a brand new factory occupying animpressive 250 hectares.The factory has thecapacity to produce80,000 trucks per year onsingle shift working,making it one of thelargest lift truck factories STAND: 20F25in the world.The company’s KISS - Keep It SimpleSpecification - theme will be promotedthroughout this year’s show. Samuk pridesitself on its straightforward trucks whichare ‘laptop-free’ meaning they can be easilyserviced by any qualified mechanic withoutthe need for laptops or other special electronicequipment.Commenting on Samuk’s participation atthe show, Chairman, Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw, says, “We are confident that this will bea great show for us and we look forward towelcoming visitors to our stand. They will beintroduced to some of the best quality forktrucks within the industry along with ourgenuine Samuk spare parts department.Visitors will also have the opportunity to supportthe Army Benevolent Fund under theumbrella of the show organisers’ chosencharity Help for Heroes.”Samuk Lift Trucks LimitedSir Neville Bowman-ShawTel: 01733 567000www.samuk.netVANRIET UK LIMITEDAPPOINT NEW SALES MANAGERVanriet UKLimited, specialistsin the design,manufacture andinstallation ofautomated conveyorsystemsSTAND: 18P30and robotic palletising solutions,has announced the appointmentof Martin Battersby as their newSales Manager. Commenting onthe move Martin said “I amlooking forward to joining VanrietUK Limited, and relish theprospect of working alongside thecurrent team in promoting thecompany to new & existingclients”Vanriet UK Limited, an independentfamily ownedmanufacturing business and ABBRobotics partner, bring together over60 years of manufacturing experienceand system design expertise.Martin will be based at the companiesUK manufacturing facility inTamworth, Staffordshire and beresponsible for all UK sales activities.Vanriet UK LtdPaul FarmeryTel: 07809 656189WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

IMHX FLOOR PLANCOME AND VISIT THE TEAM ON STAND: 19J149STAND NO: 19K135 & 130STAND NO: 20B18STAND NO: 19J150STAND NO: 18N158 STAND NO: 20F80STAND NO: 20D125STAND NO: 20D30STAND NO: 19L100 & 142STAND NO: 20F70

Page 26 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960KÄRCHER UNVEILSNEW ANTHRACITE COLOUR TO UK MARKETIn response to customer requests and followingworldwide research, several Kärcherprofessional machines have changed fromtheir traditional yellow to a new colour -anthracite. This dark grey colour offers severaladvantages over yellow for certainmarket sectors, where end-users want a morediscreet, less conspicuous colour for use inpublic-facing environments. The anthracitecolour is easier to keep clean, and takeslonger to show dirt than yellow. Anthracitemachines will maintain a professional imagethroughout their lives, and will bemore discreet, less obtrusive andless conspicuous in public thanyellow. Of course the same levels ofperformance and product qualityremain, but the new colour schemealso offers more functionality.Operating controls on anthracitemachines will now be yellow, andservice parts like filter covers andbrush mountings will now be in lightgrey, making these parts easier tolocate. Several professionalmachines are changing toanthracite, Professional high pressurecleaners and all Home &Garden and Industrial machines areunaffected.As well as showcasing the new lookand functionality of the anthracitemachines, the company unveiled fivenew machines - the MC 50 Sweeper;the most innovative and modern multipurposecleaner on the market, notonly a sweeper but also doubles as agrass cutter and snow mover; the AP100/50 M touchless cleaningmachine, which combines two Kärcherstrengths - pressure cleaning andvacuum cleaning - in one machine forhygiene-critical daily cleaning; and thegroundbreaking portable hot waterpressure washer, HDS 5/11 U - thesmallest professional hot water pressurecleaner the company has everoffered; and two new scrubber driers;the innovative BD 40/12 C scrubberdrier, which combines battery powerwith highly compact dimensions; theaward-winning BD 50/40 RSscrubber drier, which uses Kärcher’shighly successful and efficient step-ondesign in a package the size of a smallwalk-behind machine.During October 1st - December 31st2010 Kärcher are offering a free KM70/20 C Sweeper worth £399.00 exVAT with every Kärcher ScrubberDrier*To find out how Kärcher can make adifference to you and for more informationcall 01295 752142,email: sweeper@karcher.co.uk quotingWHLNov or visit www.karcher.co.ukWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010 Page 27Tel: 01923 272960Daifuku have been involved indeveloping automated materialshandling systems for over 73 yearsand throughout this time haveremained at the forefront of technologicalinnovations. Their latestproducts testify to this such asDuosys, an ultra high speed miniload,which is beinghighlighted byDaifuku on theirstand at IMHX thisyear.This highly resilientSTAND: 19L125AS/RS technology canoperate two cranes independently athigh speed in the same aisle and toallow them to pass each other givingaccess to all locations. Recent significantorders for this productdemonstrate its potential benefits topharmaceutical and food industry sectors,but Daifuku predict a wide rangeof applications will quickly adopt thisrevolutionary technology.Daifuku now has some 5,400 staffoperating in over 20 countriesaround the world giving it anunprecedented access to currentAutomation concepts from all ofIMHX 2010DAIFUKU AT THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONSthese markets and making them atruly global integrator.Jervis B Webb has been associatedwith Daifuku almost since its inceptionand they became a whollyowned subsidiary company in 2007.This has brought significant synergiesto the combined organisationand added exciting new products tothe Daifuku range. One of example ofthis can also be seen at IMHX thisyear where the Webb range of smartcart AGV solutions is being profiled.Smart Cart is a cost effective flexiblesystem of guided vehicles whichcan be highly customised to provide aperfect delivery system to line side oreven automatically load vehicles. Acontrol system which is easy to configureand simple to modify brings theopportunity to automate within inreach of even the most modest ofoperations.Daifuku & Webb believe that theyhave now successfully navigated thechoppy waters of the recent recessionand are once again set fair on acourse of strong organic growth.This confidence is based on agrowing order books and their focusEmail: warehouse@flame1.comon incorporating energy saving andpower regeneration technologies inall major product ranges. With innovationssuch as counterbalancesystems built into crane masts andregenerative motors as standard,customers can look to reducedutility costs as they justify theirinvestments in these straightenedtimes.DAIFUKU EuropeTel: 01604 595700www.daifukueurope.comSSI SCHAEFERBACKS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT10,000 miles, 20 countries inunder 13 days - Land RoverDiscovery London to Cape TownRecord Attempt in support ofHelp for Heroes.A team of three drivers in a LandRover Discovery 2 led by adventurerMac Mackenny has set off (17thOctober) to attempt to beat the worldrecord for driving from London toCape Town, South Africa. The currentrecord stands at 13 days, 8 hours and48 minutes set by Eric Jackson in aFord Cortina GT in 1963. The originalrecord was established back in 1939.The London to Cape Town attempt,supported by SSI Schaefer, is one of themost challenging overland expeditions,driving through some of the mostinhospitable areas and difficult roadconditions in the world which will testto the extreme both men and machine.SSI Schaefer were approached byMac Mackenny of Max Adventures,specialists in adventure and expeditionlogistics, to donate 30 heavy dutysecurity plastic containers in which tostore essential kit, food, spares andclothing for the journey. Currentlyholding the Ministry of Defence triservicecontract, SSI Schaefer weredelighted to support the recordattempt in aid of Help for Heroes.Mac Mackenny is joined by navigatorChris Rawlings and mechanicSteve Mackenny. The team startedtheir journey at the RAC Club in PallMall and will arrive at the AAbuilding in the centre of Cape Townto stop the clock on what is hopedwill be a new world record.The attempt has received enthusiasticsupport from a variety of sourcesand the attempt’s patron is Sir StirlingMoss OBE and the honorary patron isSir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, no strangerto challenging expeditions.SSI Schaefer is the UK and world’sleading supplier of logistics andmaterial flow systems with aproduct offering ranging from plasticstorage and transit containers tohigh bay warehousing systems andalmost everything and anything inbetween - all of its own manufacture.SSI Schaefer’s unrivalled in-houseexpertise in the design and installationof major - and often bespoke -turnkey materials handling andstorage projects has resulted in manysuccessful automatedpicking andhigh bay warehousingschemesfor leading bluechipcompaniesand internationalSTAND: 18N100organisations.SSI SchaeferTel: 01264 386600Email: solutions@ssi-schaefer.co.ukwww.ssi-schaefer.co.ukWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 28 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960PYROBAN TO LAUNCHNEW ‘ZONE 2’ EX FORKLIFT SOLUTIONS AT IMHX 2010Safety specialist PyrobanGroup has announced the officiallaunch of a new generation of‘Zone 2’ explosion proof forkliftoped for the growing Zone 2 marketwhich is present in a wide range ofmanufacturing and logistics operationsworldwide” explains Malcolmergonomics” Malcolm explains.“System 6000 compliments thelatest technologies seen in engineand battery electric truck designindustries are handling a widerange of products.Infrared technology is particularlysuited to operation inconversions. System 6000 will be Davis of Pyroban Ltd. “It supersedes particularly VNA, pallet, picking and distilleries and handling ofshown for the first time at 12pm our award winning system 5000 reach truck designs. It was also aerosols. “We know that manyon the opening day of IMHX 2010.Pyroban is a specialist engineeringcompany that convertsstandard forklift trucks and similarmobile equipment so that theycannot cause a fire or explosionwhen used within industries thatprocess, store and distribute flammablematerials. Ex conversionrequirements vary, but the mostcommon need is to protect equipmentfor operation within Zone 2classified areas where flammablewith new software, new hardwareand most importantly with infraredand pellistor gas sensing options, sothat virtually all material handlingapplications where there could be agas or vapour hazard can be managedwith the most appropriateZone 2 technology. The System 6000gas detection system will also beoffered with IECEx certification toIEC 60079 standards”.Visitors to IMHX are invited tothe official launch of System 6000 atdeveloped to work with other typesof mobile equipment such ascleaning machines, cranes andaccess platforms”.DETECTING FLAMMABLE GASAND VAPOURSWhen a mixture of flammable gasor vapour in air is detected, System6000 gives an audible and visualwarning at 10% Lower ExplosiveLimit (LEL) propane in air and at25% LEL it shuts down the protectedindustries may benefit through theuse of Zone 2 systems with infraredtechnology but used in the wrongapplication the truck user could be“blind” to the presence of a flammableatmosphere and therefore atconsiderable risk.System 6000 allows users toselect and interchange the technologythat is best suited to theirapplication and without having tochange the whole Zone 2 protectionsystem”. Pyroban experts can helpaerosols indus-liquids, bottled gases and aerosols 12pm on the opening day of theequipment automatically and support users in their undertries.Systemare present.At the IMHX exhibition inNovember on stand 18M140,Pyroban will officially launch itsnew solution for Zone 2 classifiedhazardous areas, System 6000.System 6000 is suitable for all typesof diesel and electric mobile equipment,and incorporates intelligentgas detection to continuously monitorthe direct environment aroundthe protected equipment and toautomatically shut down the equipmentwhenever necessary.“System 6000 has been devel-show on the Pyroban stand in Hall18. System 6000 Zone 2 protectioncombines gas detection with variousexplosion protection methodssuch as restricted breathing enclosures,stainless steel cladding offorks and surface temperaturecooling to ensure the engine,motors, brakes, electrics and othercomponents remain below the autoignitiontemperatures of flammablematerials.“Forklift technology has becomeincreasingly complex with a focuson energy consumption andeliminating the risk of an explosion.“System 6000 is a unique gasdetection system as it can now beselected with either pellistor orinfrared gas sensing technology” headds. Previously Ex trucks could beoffered with either pellistor basedor infrared gas sensing systems butneither system suited all Zone 2applications.standing of which type of gasdetection technology best meetstheir needs rather than leaving suchdecisions in the hands of sometimesinexperienced salesmen selling tosometimes poorly informed buyers”.6000 can be seenfor the first timeat IMHX 2010 atthe NEC, 16th-19th NovemberSTAND: 18M140APPLICATION SPECIFICTECHNOLOGYSystem 6000 gives users theoption of selecting the gas sensingsystem best suited to their specificneeds. For example, pellistor basedsystems may not be suitable if siliconesare present in theenvironment. However, the pellistorsystem would detect 95% of hydrocarbonsand is therefore the mostversatile system when users in thechemicals and paints/coatingAUTOCALIBRATION ANDSELFTESTSystem 6000 is ATEX 94/9/EC*compliant in line with EN1775:2000+A1:2009. The systemauto-calibrates and self-tests the gashead at start up to ensure it isworking correctly, an essentialsafety requirement when complyingwith the harmonised Europeanstandard for the explosion protectionof industrial trucks. Theauto-calibration function obviatesthe need for periodic and costly sitevisits by engineers having to recalibratethe gas detection system asrequired by other systems on themarket. It also removes the risk thatthe gas detection system could beoperating out of calibration for significantperiods of operation.Certifying the System 6000 gasdetection system to IECEx and witha new ambient limit of 50°C enablesthe system to be specified by internationalcompanies as part of theircorporate safety standard.“We have worked with the globalforklift brands to ensure System6000 can retain almost all the originalperformance characteristics oftheir trucks” Malcolm adds,explaining that one of the biggestchallenges over the last few yearshas been ensuring Pyroban systemscan operate with trucks fitted withturbo charged engines and increasinglycomplex electronic truckmanagement and control systems.System 6000 with infraredsensing is already operating innumerous field trials with great success,particularly in the whisky andon stand 18M140. Pyroban will alsobe promoting its DSEAR/ATEX consultingand training services to helpbusinesses manage their explosionrisk cost effectively. The company’sEnvironmental Division, Envirosafe,will also have a presence at IMHXshowcasing systems that controlexhaust emissions.*ATEX - The legal framework forcontrolling explosive atmospheresand standards of equipment andprotective systems used in themFor more information, visitwww.pyroban.com,tel: +44(0)1273 466200 oremail: info@pyroban.comWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 30 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960BENDI TO STORM IMHXWITH FIVE INDUSTRY FIRSTSTranslift Bendi chooses landmarkindustry event to unveilfive new products to the logisticsmarketVisitors at the InternationalMaterials Handling Exhibition(IMHX) this month will not be disappointedwhen they stop at theTranslift Bendi stand (19K100); thearticulated truck specialist is usingthe exhibition as a major platformto launch five brand new products,bringing the total Translift Bendiproduct range to 17.Translift Bendi has beendesigning and manufacturingground breaking, space savingforklift trucks since 1964, and theExhibition will give potential customersthe opportunity to see livedemonstrations of how the newBendi products can help theirbusiness for themselves.The new additions are the outcomeof an intensive R&Dprogramme which is unprecedentedin the company’s historyand comprise:MINI BENDIThe Mini Bendi pedestrianarticulated forklift truck is animpressive feat of design ingenuity.Considered an industry first,the truck offers superior levels ofsafety and functionality previouslyconsidered unattainable in thewarehousing and logistics sector.Following customer feedback,which is a regular process andlynchpin for product at the company,Bendi responded to the needfor a smaller, lighter machine. TheMini Bendi does not require thespeed or reach of a normal Bendibut is still able to accommodate theUK-style perimeter based pallets.BENDI B420 AC & B420 HLHIGHLIFTHaving successfully taken theoriginal Bendi B420 model to newheights with the B420 AC whichmore than 20 customer-drivenenhancements Bendi is particularlyimpressed with the resultsand has replicated these changesonto the new Flagship High Lift:“Our engineering know-how intandem with input through clientfeedback has transformed the 420AC model and, as a result, we’vealso been able to incorporate thoseenhancements into our marketleading B420 AC HL High Lift ."Designed to give optimal aisleperformance and greater spacesavingover conventionalcounterbalance and reach trucks,the B420 AC HL has been completelyre-shaped to offer evengreater performance and drivercomfort. With an added 10%residual capacity, a 20% improvementin speed and energy efficiencyand a simplified system of batteryremoval, the B420HL is likely tobecome one of the stars of theBendi stand at the IHMX Exhibition.BENDI EUROPEAN TRUCKTwo years in the making, theBendi European Truck is a hybrid ofthe original Bendi and the traditionalsupport arm stacker truckwhich is already widely used inEuropean and around the world.Bendi’s European Truck is set toprovide all that a support armstacker truck can but reinforcedwith a Bendi twist. Designed to giveBendi aisle performance whilstretaining many of the featureswhich have made the award winningBendi the first choice inarticulated forklift trucks, the newEuropean model has a patentedarticulated steering system uniqueto this truck. This crucially improvesthe lateral, forward and backwardstability of the traditional supportstacker format, allowing mastheights of 7m +. This new designalso dramatically improves itsability to travel across uneven floorslending it to be capable of someexternal as well as internal duties ascan a Bendi. The Euro stacker modelis far lighter, allowing Bendi todeliver the new range at extremelycompetitive prices and will be availableas a pedestrian, stand-on andeventually as a ride-on model -offering complete flexibility to theEuropean market.ARCTIC BENDIDrawing on over 20 years ofindustry expertise and knowledgeto develop a full cold store cab, coldstorage companies can now, for thefirst time, benefit from the superior1.6m aisle performance thatTranslift Bendi and its solutionshave become synonymous with.Often remarked as the mostexpensive form of storage, themanagement of cold stores has, upuntil now, been limited to usingonly reach trucks or very narrowaisle (VNA) solutions.“We do have an impressivefoothold in the retail and FMCGmarkets,” explains BendiManaging Director, Simon Brown.“However, this latest addition tothe Bendi portfolio will enable usto make greater inroads into anarea that has forced to strugglewith compromise.”According to Brown: “Theimpracticalities of these trucks in acold storage environment are relativelyobvious; reach trucksrequire much larger aisles so truestorage efficiencies aren’t achievablewhilst traditional VNAsolutions can cause other issuessuch as wire guidance problems.”The new Arctic Bendi, whichhas been specifically adapted forthe cold store environment, willhelp to reduce the cost of coldstorage. With its 1.6m aisle performance,the Arctic Bendi offersgreat space and time savings, in acomfortable, heated, enclosed cab.H a v i n gbrought Bendi’ssignature featuresto the coldstore environment,thecompany anticipatessignificantSTAND: 19K100sales, based on pre-launch interestfrom potential customers.Translift Bendi Ltdwww.bendi.co.ukCUT UNNECESSARY COSTSIN THE SHIPPING CASE THROUGH PACKAGING AUTOMATIONWhen revenues are staggering,executives start searching for newhidden costs in their business. Butin the modern era of lean organizations,large scale outsourcing,and fine tuned financial analysis,cost nuggets are scarce. Businessdifficulties motivate managers tolook in new directions where theynever looked before, where forsure they are not comfortable. Forretailers, packaging is such anunfamiliar direction because itsits at the crossroads of all thecompany departments.Certainly a shipping case is a basicthing, but it has been worked out formonths by warehousing managers todecide the box sizes. It has been testedfor weeks by logistics people checkingthat packages resist the journeythrough the supply chain. It has gonethrough the regulatory specialists whomake sure that the package is compliantwith all regulations. All theabove has been squeezed by commoditypurchasers in search of a gooddeal for packaging materials. Materialhandling specialists have designedmultimillion pounds systems based ona very precise box definition. Last,most probably marketing people wentthrough several meetings to decidethe final box layout. Who would bebrave enough to investigate potentialsaving in the packaging function ?However, as the package concernsmany departments in thecompany it has many functions, andas such it concentrates numerouscosts elements. The beauty of costcutting approach on the package isthat there is not only one cost towork on but many. All may not providesignificant savings but allcombined most certainly would.First cost to address is the boxitself. The taped Fefco 0201 casehas become popular worldwide andis now the only offering from suppliers.However, it has lowresistance performances, it runspoorly on conveyors and looks ugly.The glued tray + lid only supportedby automation addresses all theseissues. And cost wise, for equivalentresistance it requires lower corrugatedgrade and thus costs less.Protection of the product with traditionalvoid fill materials such as airbags, bubble wrap, wrapped paper, orpeanuts costs usually approximatelyas much as 50% the cost of the boxitself, and protection performance isstill unpredictable as it depends onthe operator who inserts the void filland the time he/she has to do it.Packaging automation like Ultipack®from B+ Equipment cuts void fillmaterial cost by two and providesSTAND: 18M178reliable product protection whateverthe product shape and weight, andwhatever the box filling ratio.Security is another concern withtaped boxes. Here also the gluedpackage provided by automated solutionsmakes it impossible to pilferwithout leaving visual evidence.Void in transit packages is nowblamed by consumers and begins tobe worth significant money as carriersapply dim weighting chargeseven for ground transport. In thesame time, multiple box sizes arenot the solution because they are anightmare to manage in the warehouse.Packaging automation likeI-Pack® from B+ Equipmentreduces boxes to the exact height ofthe products. This is a high speedon-the-fly process. Furthermore,such cube reduction process makesit possible to completely suppressall void fill for non fragile items.Last, packing labour remains oneof the major cost elements in thewarehouse. When volumes exceed athousand boxes per day, manualpacking becomes the bottleneck.Here also packaging automation isthe adequate answer with typicalspeed of 700 boxes per hour andper line offering a payback shorterthan 18 months.Besides, packaging automationprovides secondary benefits likereduced floor space, automatedend-of-line functions, and marketingopportunities.B+ EquipmentBernard DominiciEmail: b.dominici@bplus-equip.fr.www.bplus-equip.comWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010 Page 31Tel: 01923 272960BELGRAVIUM AND CLYDEBUILT SOLUTIONSLAUNCH NEW WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT IT SOLUTIONS WEBSITEA dedicated ‘one stop shop’ forall warehouse management ITsolutions.Further to the recent announcementof their exclusive Gold Status partnershipagreement, Bradford basedBelgravium Ltd and Paisley basedClydebuilt Solutions has now launchedan entirely new dedicated website -www.warehouse-managementsystems.comThe Belgravium and ClydebuiltWarehouse Management ITSolution brings together two of themost respected solution providerswithin the mobile computing andlogistics and warehouse managementindustry. The solution brings abounty of benefits to the companiesthat use it, and coupled with theyears of experience in deliveringsuch solutions; end users will enjoya fully efficient, effective, accurateand paper freewarehouse.The new websitefeatures auser friendlyoverview of allSTAND: 18M181 elements of thejoint offering, with the ability todrill down for specific productinformation, specifications, casestudies and quick contact links tomake accessing the right informationquicker and easier than ever.Specifically developed to highlightthe key features of their jointwarehouse management IT solution,the new website identifies howwarehouse functions within manufacturing,3PL or distributionenvironments can benefit from theefficiencies, accuracy and cost benefitsderived from the real timesolution.Belgravium LtdKaren Fotherby, Marketing ExecutiveTel: 01274 741860E mail: karen.fotherby@belgravium.comFLTA-INNOVATION AWARD WINNINGthe weighingsystem can beinstalled onto anyforklift truck in amatter of min-IFORKS EXHIBITED ON IMHX 2010Earlier this year RAVAS iForks,a completely wireless fork scalefor forklifts, won the BritishFLTA-Innovation Award. 'TheInnovation Award is perhaps themost prized of the Pick of theYear. It signifies that the winnerhas an ability to create somethingunique, powerful and a little bitspecial,' says John Chappell, CEOof the FLTA.Since the FLTA Award, RAVAS haslaunched data handling software foriForks. At the IMHX 2010 RAVASwill give a live demonstration of therevolutionary iForks in combinationwith online-data communication viaUniMobile software on a handheld terminal.Through a number of customercases we will show you how considerablecost reductions can be realisedusing iForks and UniMobile softwareutes: plug & weigh! From that momenton, every load lifted by the truck isinstantly and accurately weighed.RAVAS develops, produces anddistributes mobile weighing systemsfor forklift trucks, warehouse trucksand hand pallet trucks. Mobileweighing systems improve the efficiencyof a company’s internallogistics and realise immediate costsavings. Want to know more? Go towww.ravas.co.uk or contact:on your forklift trucks for rationalisingmaterial flows and for processing theresulting information flows.iForks and UniMobile softwareon the RAVAS standRAVAS offers a complete package:iForks in combination with anadvanced and universal data capturesystem, on-line or stand alone. Thispackage allows the capturing ofweights and additional data on aPDA that communicates with iForks viaBluetooth, and transfer of this data, onlineor off-line, to a WMS or ERP system.Resulting in cost efficient managementof inbound and outbound goods,as well as in-house material flows.At the IMHX RAVAS will alsoshow hand pallet truck scales, scalesintegrated in warehouse trucks, andhydraulic scales for forklift trucks.You will find RAVAS at the IMHX inhall 020, stand number B70. TheIMHX will be held from 16th - 19thNovember at the National ExhibitionCentre in Birmingham.For further information pleasevisit our web site: www.ravas.co.uk.iForks: completely wireless andeasy to install on any forklift truckiForks are the first completely wirelessscale forks for forklift trucks,reach trucks and narrow aisle trucks.Since all components are fully integratedin the forks, the iForks have noexternal cablingwhatsoever andSTAND: 20B70IMHX 2010RAVAS UKNicola Whittlenicola.whittle@ravas.comTel.: +44 1628 673524Email: nicola.whittle@ravas.comX2 LAUNCHESNEW RANGE OF HANDHELD COMPUTERSFOR RETAIL AND POINT OF SERVICE APPLICATIONSX2, one of the UK’s fastestgrowing providers of mobilecomputing solutions, hasannounced the immediateavailability of a new range ofhandheld computers. The X2410and X2415 will deliver improvedwork flow and enhanced productivityin a wide range of retail andpoint of service applications suchas mobile order-taking, ticketscanning, payment processingand inventory management.These new Point-of-Service handhelds providethe highest level of usabilityand feature a 3.5” resistivetouch, outdoor-viewabledisplay. These are thefirst handheld devices toinclude a fully-integratedMSR, RFID reader andbarcode scanner tospeed up the dataentry process. Theywill enable organisationsto improve customerservice and reduce costs bystreamlining business processes.According to Francis Davis,Sales Director of X2. “Thesepowerful new handheld deviceswill enable customer service organisationsto deliver on-the-spot ordertaking, payment processing andticket scanning. They will enhancethe way customers on the premisescan be provided with a wide rangeof services and real-time informationwhilst helpingto increasesales throughinstant upsellingandcross-sellingSTAND: 20B53 opportunities.”Email: warehouse@flame1.comX2 new handheld devices arealso the only handheld POSdevices that include remote managementsoftware. This simplifiesthe management of multipledevices and is especially usefulfor large deployments such asin retail, restaurants, hotels andentertainment locations. Theyalso offer full compatibility withterminal services as well as thenew generation of server-basedapplications in an increasinglycloud computing-basedenvironment.The X2410 andX2415 have a unique,rugged design withan IP54 rating forliquid and dust resistancemaking them idealfor use in commercial,outdoor/field, warehousing,healthcare andhospitality environments.The X2410 features a fullyintegratedmagnetic stripereader (MSR) and RFID readerwhilst the X2415 also includes abarcode scanner which significantlyenhances ease-of-use and reliability.Both models feature hot-swappablebatteries that support up toeight hours of use. Other featuresinclude programmable buttons,wireless networking and Bluetoothconnectivity, as well as LEDpaging alert capability. Supportfor Microsoft® Windows® CEand Mobile 6 ensures compatibilitywith many third party applications.X2 Computing LtdTel: 01386 830082www.x2mc.co.ukNEW BATTERY RENTAL SERVICE FROM EXIDEExide Technologies has launched a new tractionbattery rental solution; ‘Power Gap’ offers managersof materials handling equipment fleets the opportunityto bridge any gap they may have in their energyrequirements without a majorinvestment in capitalequipment.Power Gap is designed for certain peak times of theyear, such as the run up to Christmas, when customersneed to increase their battery fleet. Alternatively, theymay have reached the end of a long term lease contractbut do not wish to take on the commitment of anotherlong term contract at that point in time. In suchinstances Power Gap can provide the ideal flexiblesolution.Power Gap gives customers the reassurancethat they are getting a reliable product supportedby the backup of the UK’s largest motive batteryprovider. A package can be tailored to the customer’sexact requirements who is then charged afixed weekly cost - helping with planning and cashflow as assets are not tied up in capital equipment.An Exide technician will provide a professionalevaluation of the client’s requirements and apackage recommended which will include regularon-site inspections and maintenance calls as well asany required replacements at no additional cost. 24hour standby maintenance offers additional reassuranceto maximise uptime. Should power needs change,Power Gap can be adjusted accordingly.STAND: 19L120Further information is available from Exide Technologies onTel: (01204) 661460.WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

Page 32 IMHX 2010 - 16th-19th November 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com IMHX 2010Tel: 01923 272960CIMCORP AT IMHXEstablished in 1975 Cimcorp is a privatelyowned Finnish automationcompany with around 150 employees,100 of whom are engineers. The headoffice and factory is in Finland but thecompany has a global presence. All of thedesign and build, both software andhardware, is sourced in-house usingCimcorp’s own staff forboth design and support.Cimcorp has over5,000 robots in 1,500automation systemsspread over 30 countries.Cimcorp’s STAND: 19J140experience results in a company theclient can trust.The main business area is logisticsautomation for• Food and Beverage manufacturers andretailers• The international tyre industry• Mail and postal servicesCimcorp’s systems provide dynamicstorage and easy access to products, verydifferent from the days of the inflexibleautomated warehouses of the 80’s and 90’s.Many of Cimcorp’s customers are in theBRIC countries where customers realisethat there are far greater benefits from theuses of robots than simply replacing labour.For example, the use of automation in asupply chain provides accurate traceability.In retail situations, the use of “automationislands” in an RDC or NDC can enableerror-free picking of fast moving and heavylines of produce, bakery or dairy goods toshorten order lead times and thus improvefreshness. Robots can eliminate the heavyrepetitive work producing increased job satisfactionfor the warehouse staff whilst atthe same time improving customer satisfactionand traceability and reducing waste.There are installations that have beenworking for years in bakeries, dairies, breweriesand postal services in mainlandEurope that could be used for referencevisits by prior agreement.In July this year Cimcorp bought RMTRobotics Ltd a Canadian company basedaround Toronto. Both companies have specializedin gantry robotic technology andrelated controls. RMT has also developed aflexible AGV system called ADAM, which isgaining a growing foothold in the NorthAmerican market.Cimcorp’s latest innovation, theCimcorp+ robot, features an advanced controlsystem, developed in partnership withthe world-leading controls and drives specialist,Bosch Rexroth. This new generationof robots offer 30% higher productivity, yet40% lower energy consumption as the newcontroller regenerates and feeds backbraking energy to the power network,thereby decreasing the heat generation andpower consumption of the drives.Cimcorp, www.cimcorp.com, isrepresented the UK by LogisticsPlanning Ltd based in Wiltshire.www.logisticsplanning.co.uk.For further details contact Graham Jones ongraham@logisticsplanning.co.ukTWO BRAND NEW PRODUCTSONE IMHX STANDLeading manufacturerofpallet stretchwrap,bpi.films isgoing all out tomark its inauguralappearanceSTAND: 18P5at this year’s IMHX in style. Inrecently revealed plans, the businesshas disclosed it will use itsstand (Stand 18P5, Hall 18) tolaunch not one, but two brand newproducts.“Our stand at is definitely going tobe worth a visit,” explains Louise Aplin,Marketing Manager at bpi.films.“Considering the event’s popularitywith users of pallet stretchwrap, we’vechosen it as the platform to launch twonew and particularly innovative products.WrapsmartMax and SupremeRIX12 both represent major advancesin film technology and allow users ofstandard stretchwrapping machines toboost their green credentials, reducecosts and improve efficiency.”Part of a new generation of downgaugedfilms, WrapsmartMax(WSmax) offers the performance of aconventional machine stretchwrap butfrom a thinner film profile. This abilityto deliver the same protection, stabilityand security of thicker films but from athinner gauge allows users of WSmaxto wrap pallets with less film byweight, in turn creating less waste.The other new product is SupremeRIX12. This highly versatile, multilayercast stretchfilm also employsthe very latest in downgauging technologyto provide all the strength,loading holding characteristics andperformance levels of a conventional17micron stretchwrap - but from afilm profile that’s only 12 micron.WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK

NVQ - Sixty years in the waiting, ten years in the making…an amazing achievement!For many years now the industry of industrial storage equipment has been missing an essential key element when itcomes to training its workforce. Never before has the industry had a National Qualification. Installers have been leftunskilled and vulnerable with no clear career path. With the introduction of the NVQ this is no longer the case, installershave the opportunity to gain a recognized qualification and further better their career opportunities. As a customer youcan be confident that you are getting a higher skilled workforce, providing you with increased confidence in them andthe job they are doing. The development of staff is crucial to a successful company as it ensures that they have the rightskills, tools and behaviour which are pivotal to organizational success and growth.The Rack Group always strives to be pioneers, coming up with new innovative ideas on how to better improve theindustry. Over ten years of hard work has gone into creating the qualification, facing obstacles along the way, even in theheart of a global recession The Rack Group still maintained and battled to achieve their end goal, a qualified workforce.The initial idea of the NVQ started with Simon Lee, Director of Installations at The Rack Group. Simon had been thechairman of trade associations whose aim was to push the industry forward in regards to training. However, due to thelack of movement in the development of an NVQ he was left with no alternative but to resign in 2003 and subsequentlythe association was dissolved. Simon’s resignation letter included the statement that he would continue to pursue theNVQ qualification with organizations that would take industry training seriously. He achieved this goal with theassistance of a newly formed working group in association with Construction Skills.“The NVQ has been a massive achievement for The Rack Group and for the industry. Phil Maxwell-Smith theManaging Director of The Rack Group said “I am very proud of what the company and my colleagues have achievedover the years, we will continue to develop ideas for the industry further with emphasis on training people in theindustry and also our customers”. The one job The Rack Group have to do now is to let the rest of the industry knowabout what we have achieved so that they themselves can be trained and achieve a national qualification.Rack Training Ltd - the newest member of our group set up tofacilitate the delivery of the new NVQ along with relevantindustry training.Rack Training Ltd was set up predominately to deliver the NVQ. Whilst we were developing the NVQ we realised thatthere was a specific need for training on pallet racking inspections.Pallet Racking is classed as work equipment and therefore falls under the remit of the Health and Safety at Work Act1974 to include The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. HSG76 Section 646 states: “A technicallycompetent person should carry out inspections at regular intervals of not more than 12 months. A written report shouldbe submitted to the person responsible for racking safety with observations and proposals for any action necessary”The Rack Group were one of the first companies to carry out racking inspections and have vast experience in thisfield. We therefore recognise that various factors should be considered when determining the frequency of inspections;such as the level of use and throughput. Some systems would benefit from a daily inspection but it would not bereasonably practicable for the customer to employ the services of independent inspectors on a daily basis.As we pride ourselves on giving added value we came up with the idea of training customers’ own personnel toinspect their own racking.This training was championed and developed by our Director of Installations, Simon Lee, who has 18 years experiencewithin this industry. He also drew on the many years’ knowledge and experience of other employees and producedthree different training courses designed to meet the different needs of our customers.These training courses allow your employees to gain practical and theory based training. This is backed up bydocumentation and a certified course completion certificate. These courses range from:1. Basic Awareness2. One day Damage and Inspection Training (Basic)3. Two day Damage and Inspection training (Competent Person)These courses are delivered by our Training Manager, Tim Smith, who also has vast practical and theoreticalexperience in this field. He has worked within this industry for over 20 years both for independent companies and majormanufacturers.We would still recommend that companies commission an annual independent safety inspection as this wouldcompliment the internal inspections by offering an unbiased, impartial view whilst providing up to date information onmanufacturers specifications along with any new initiatives within the industry.Rack Armour - Fast becoming the worlds favourite pallet rackingprotector, manufactured on three continents and sold in thirtythree countries worldwide.Rack Armour is designed to instantaneously reduce damage to your pallet racking. Rack Armour has become one ofthe world’s leading racking protection products. It has won major contracts with some of the biggest names in theindustry such as ASDA, DHL, Superdrug, B&Q, Cat, FedEx, Poundland, Nestle and Toyota to name but a few, all of whohave been very impressed with the product.The Rack Armour product is fitted throughout ASDA stores and distribution centre’s who have been very impressedwith the service The Rack Group have offered them, saying “The continual work partnership between ASDA - Walmartand The Rack Group has proven to be an essential part of ASDA’s commitment to reduce maintenance and repair costswhilst ensuring a safe working environment for its colleagues. The combination of regular safety inspections to palletracking, the reduced costs of spare parts, time saving maintenance skills, are proving to be a winning combination onthe never ending battle of repair costs”.Rack Armour, with its unique properties has revolutionized the pallet racking protection industry, and has provenanother huge success for The Rack Group. Jenny Charlton a Director of Rack Armour said “since Rack Armour wasestablished in 2004 it has grown year after year. We’ve all been amazed with the popularity of the product and where itis in the current market. We distribute the product to thirty three countries around the world, and our customers arealways delighted with the savings they make from using Rack Armours in their warehouse. We love having a provenproduct which we know saves our customers money, and keeps them coming back for more”. Try it for yourself you’ll beamazed with the result.

Page 34 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com THE INTERVIEW - QTSTel: 01923 272960QUBE TRANSPORTATION SUPPLIESFIRST FOR FLEXIBLE WAREHOUSE SOLUTIONSAfter seven years of successfultrading QTS, the independentlyowned warehouse equipmentprovider, has won itself an envied reputationfor its flexibility as a supplier of rollcages, wire mesh decking and anti-collapsesystems to the UK warehouse andtransport industry. QTS works with someof the best-known names in retail and distribution,providing a flexible andinnovative product range, backed up byfirst-class service.Founded in 2003, QTS started outselling roll cages to end users, which it stilldoes, but now it also sells racking accessoriesand a growing number of otherstorage-related products both direct to endusers and through distributors. In recentmonths, QTS has been investing in developingadditional new products, increasingits production capacity in China andopening a new warehouse in the UK whichwill enable it to hold a larger stock of newand existing products, reduce lead times formajor orders and capture a wider audience.Bringing the story up to date, Novembersees QTS making its debut as an exhibitorat IMHX 2010. Shaun Ingram, ManagingDirector of QTS, spoke to Warehouse &Logistics News.Warehouse & Logistics News – First ofall, Shaun, what do the initials ‘QTS’stand for?QTS stands for Qube TransportationSupplies Limited, the formal name of ourholding company. We use QTS as thetrading device. ‘Qube’ refers to how ourequipment helps users to maximise use ofspace - the cube - in the warehouse and inthe supply chain. The transportation elementof our name comes from the initialproducts, which were generally centred onroll cages.WLN - Who were the founders ofQTS??I founded QTS in 2003, with a businesspartner. In 2007 I took the daunting stepsof buying out the partner as part of ourpush into new products and markets. QTSremains privately owned by myself.WLN - What were you doing beforethat?I had previously worked in the officeinterior business until the late 1990’s, afterwhich I got involved in the storage industry,utilising my knowledge of low cost engineeringproducts coming from EasternEurope and the Far East and bringing themto the UK market.WLN - What does your role as MDinvolve?My role as MD differs daily, if not by thehour. Ultimately along with my managementteam here in the UK and in China weare constantly looking at areas to improveour offer to the customer and develop QTSinto a worldwide brand.WLN - Who else is in the senior managementteam?Abi Owen has recently been appointedGeneral Manager for the UK, and is aname many of our customers will recognise.Abi and her team have a greatunderstanding of the requirements of thecustomers, and aim to offer a first classservice as well as a first class product.Abi’s promotion now allows me to spend alittle more time on developing our manufacturingfacilities in China, in readinessfor future growth.WLN - Where is your UK headquarters?QTS’ UK headquarters is now based inHinckley. We have moved from our traditionalbase in Lutterworth, as we took thedecision to undertake our own warehousingas opposed to using third party storage aspart of our development.WLN - How fast are yougrowing?QTS, like most in the industry, had setbacksduring the recession. However, whatis pleasing for me is that our flexibility hasallowed us to continue our plans for growth.With the new products we are launching atIMHX, we expect 2010-2011 to be the bestyear ever. Directly through our Chineseoperation, our products are now becomingestablished in Australia, North America andSouth America.WLN - You’ve come a long way since2003, when you started out selling rollcages to end users. It’s a great successstory. Can you talk us though it?Our success has been down to goodhonest business practices, with good customerservice at the forefront ofeverything we do. The main ingredientfor me is the people I haveemployed who share my visionand enjoy coming to work, as thiscan be seen in our day-to-daydealings with customers. Wehave a low cost supply base inChina, and I am convincedthat our customers appreciatethis, coupled with ourservice culture. We have gone onestep further than most by investing inChina with our trading office in Shanghaiand factory in Nanjing, which gives usgreater control over quality and leadtimes.WLN – You’ve also got ISO9001:2008accreditation. What difference does thatmake?We gained the ISO9001 in 2007 underthe old 2003 version and in 2008updated this to the new version, alongwith many of our procedures. It is animportant part of our business, as wehave encountered the “oh is it made inChina?” scenario, but once people reallyunderstand our quality control proceduresand network in China, they arequickly assured that the products wesupply will meet their requirements andin many cases exceed them.WLN - Can you talk us through yourcurrent product range? Which are yourbiggest selling products?QTS has generally been seen as a meshbasedmanufacturer, and as such ourlargest sellers are the Easyshelf, a highquality wire mesh deck system and our Qsystem Anti-Collapse mesh. Roll Cages ofcourse are a big seller, but generally we onlysell these on a project by project basis, notday to day like our other products. Our newranges of upright protectors and barriersare developing well, and we expect ourlongspan system to be as successful in theUK as it has been in Australia andSouth America.WLN – Do you also make ‘special’ productsto meet specific customerrequirements?Yes, we do. Our customers have oftenasked us what other products we make. Wesee ourselves as supporting the rackingindustry and have good relationships withmany of the European manufacturers ofracking. Our aim is to support these manufacturersand their distributors withancillary items vital for a successful projectwhich are expensive to produce here in theUK. Such products include our Easyshelfand Q System, along with our new rangeof racking protection in the form of barriersand upright protection. When developingnew products we try to design them with allthe major racking manufacturers in mind,and as such our products are then availableto a wider range of customers. In additionto our own range of products we welcomevolume enquiries for Original EquipmentManufacturer (OEM) products to matchspecific requirements.We pride ourselves on our flexibility. Itwas once said to us that a shelf is a shelf,and to us that is like saying a car is a car. Ofcourse we have stock product available fromour warehouse for general requirements,however we believe our products have littleabout them that is “standard”, as it is alldown to how they will be used and wedesign these products accordingly.WLN – What are the minimum orderquantities for specials? What are the leadtimes?We don’t have a minimum order requirement,having our own factory. Our lead timeis generally anywhere between six to eightweeks for specific manufactured productsand one week for stock items.WLN – Do you sell your productsdirect, through distributors or both? Canpeople order your standard products online?Our products cross over all saleschannels. For instance 99% of our rollcage sales have gone direct to the customer,as the market is socompetitive and technically specificthere is little room for a distributor tooperate. For our racking accessoriessuch as the Easyshelf and Q system,we recognise that these will form just oneelement in an overall project, so they aregenerally sold through distributors. Weare working on a new website at themoment which will have the ability forsome online trading, but this will befor small volume requirements, as wefeel our customers get the best valueby talking to us so as we can thenspecify exactly the right product for theapplication, and not just an off the shelfproduct.WLN – Do you supply your equipmenton long-term hire?We try to avoid long term hire of ourequipment as we have seen and heard ofhorror stories where a customer has hired200 cages, only to return 100 after oneyear’s rental, and then being charged fullmarket rate for the lost 100. We understandthe commercial reasons for suppliers to dothis, but we feel such situations candamage a long-term relationship.WLN - Do you supply your equipmentwith tags of any kind, so it can be trackedand traced?All our products are distinguishable byour own in-house systems: each order istracked from manufacture through todelivery and the items are traceable in theevent that the customer has any questions.We are careful with our branding so as tonot affect our distributors’ relationshipswith their clients.WLN - Do you offer a maintenanceand repair service?We do offer a repair and maintenanceservice on our roll cages, and also on othermanufacturers’ equipment if required. Thelevel of service is dependent on individualcustomers’ working environment andrequirements, but we can generally suggesta cost effective workable solution.WLN - Where are your productsdesigned? Where are they made?Our products are designed in the UKusing up to date AutoCad and Solidworksdesign programs. Our products are thenmade in our own facilities in China, with thewhole process being managed from the UK.WLN - When did you open your Chinafactory?We originally started sourcing productfrom China in 2004 and like most peopledid this through a Chinese-based agent.Although we had success with thismethod it took a lot of management timeto achieve the results we wanted. I tookthe decision in 2007 to begin the processof opening up a new company registeredin China - an interesting experience initself - to represent QTS and provide supportin managing our orders from thirdparty factories. As our demands for manufacturedproduct grew, we realised thatagain we need more management time tocontrol this. We therefore took the nextstage and invested in our own plantwhich serves QTS here in the UK andnominated distributors in other areas ofthe world.WLN - You’ve also just opened a newUK warehouse. Can you tell us about it –where is it? What previous facility does itreplace?As our product range developed, wefound that our third party warehouse, whichhad served us well over the last five years,would find it difficult to accommodate theincrease in stock, as well as the increasein tasks. Without moving too far wefound a modern warehouse withoffice facilities in Hinckley,Leicestershire, which now housesall our stock.WLN - What difference will thenew warehouse make for you and yourcustomers?The new facility allows us to hold morestock of our existing range to serve morecustomers on our one week lead time, aswell as to house the new products we arelaunching, such as barriers and uprightprotectors. We have also allocated somespace in our warehouse for assembly andpacking. This allows us to assemblelongspan frames before delivery, if ourcustomer wishes.Shaun Ingram, Managing Director of QTS.WLN - How do you sum up the QTS propositionas it now stands? What sets you apartfrom other warehouse equipment companies?QTS is a service driven company who arepassionate about getting it right first time,every time. If we do not meet our customers’expectations for any reason, we never walkaway, and I believe this distinguishes us fromother suppliers in the industry. QTS is a rapidlydeveloping company. The products beingoffered to existing customers is increasing at thesame time as new markets become available.QTS has embraced the low cost manufacturingfacilities that China can offer byinvesting in facilities and people to ensurethe service driven culture we have is maintained.I know other companies use Chinafor manufacturing, but I do not know of anyin our industry that have gone as far as wehave in having our own setup in China,which brings greater flexibility and controlof product and lead times to our customers.WLN – What effect has the recession hadon your business? Is business picking up now?We have been affected by the recession,as we saw the larger projects we were workingon being put onto the back burner. The goodnews is that these projects are now appearingon the radar again, so we are very optimisticfor the future. Other areas such as Australiawere less affected by the recession at the sametime as us but have subsequently found thingstougher as things here have started to pickup, so all in all our strategies have helped usover the worst and well positioned to push on.WLN – You’re exhibiting at IMHX 2010.This is your first time at the show. Is thispart of stepping up your marketing activity?This is the first time at the IMHX asexhibitors for QTS, and it has been an eyeopener for us with all the organising. Wefelt it was the right time for us to beexhibiting, given our expanded range ofproducts, which I am sure will be wellreceived by our customers new and old.WLN - What are you exhibiting on yourstand at IMHX? What are you hoping forfrom the show?We will of course be showing our regularproducts such as the Easyshelf and the QSystem, but with a twist! We will also beshowcasing some of our new product rangessuch as the new longspan system, uprightprotectors and barriers. I am looking forwardto welcoming our customers onto ourstand, and using the show as a springboardto build upon our success to date.WLN – Finally, where do you see QTSgoing from here?We have a five-year plan for steadygrowth. The areas of growth we are lookingfor are in areas that we have yet to becomeestablished, such as mainland Europe. I amalso expecting some good growth of the newproducts into our existing markets, andhopefully we will be at all future IMHX’s withmore new products and stories of success.STAND: 19L137QTS TEL: 01455 203 201 WWW.QTS-LTD.CO.UK

November 1st 2010 Page 35Tel: 01923 272960LOGISTICS NEWSEmail: warehouse@flame1.comMEACHERS GLOBAL LOGISTICSINVESTS £500K IN NEW TRAILER FLEETMeachers Global Logistics, one ofthe UK’s leading independentproviders of logistics services hasannounced the purchase of 20 newtrailers at a price tag of almost £500,000.The significant investment by theSouthampton based business, willprovide the Company with capacity tomove 250,000 tonnes of freight peryear by road. Meachers GlobalLogistics operates a modern substantialfleet of over 70 vehicles.The purchase follows MeachersGlobal Logistics recently announcingtwo high profile contracts. In July thisyear it entered into an agreement withRed Funnel Distribution, to supportthe company with its UK collections.The Company also recently announcedsigning a trunking deal with internationalbusiness-to-business expressdelivery provider TNT to trunk freightovernight from TNT’s regional facilityin Southampton to its national sortinghub based in the Midlands.Commenting on the acquisition,Gary Whittle, Meachers GlobalLogistics, Commercial Director said:“The acquisition programme for newtrailers comes at a time whenMeachers Global Logistics hasannounced a series of significant newcontracts and has experienced astrong period of growth.Meachers Global Logistics is one ofthe UK’s leading independentproviders of logistics services. Forover 50 years, the company has builtan enviable reputation by providingcustomers with complete solutions totheir Freight Forwarding, SupplyChain Management, Warehousing,Distribution, Logistics and ContractManagement, Training and Advisoryrequirements.Meachers Global Logisticswww.meachersglobal.co.ukEURO 5 FUSO CANTER TAKES THE HIGHFIELD ROADDevon-based Highfield Garageruns six Canter-based recoverytrucks but the latest is its first cleaner‘greener’ Euro 5 model.Like all new Fuso Canters, itsengine and exhaust system meets notonly the latest mandatory emissionsstandard, but also the voluntary, andeven more stringent, EEV (EnhancedEnvironmentally-friendly Vehicle)limit.The 7.5-tonner is powered by arange-topping 175hp (130kW) versionof the new, 3.0-litre engine thatpowers all Euro 5 Canters. This drivesthrough a six-speed transmissionwhich is also new - it retains thespace-saving, dashboard-mountedgearstick, but the previous ‘dog-leg’first gear arrangement has now beendropped and replaced with a conventionallayout.As a Canter 7C18D model,Highfield Garage’s latest truck alsocame with a factory-built Double cab,capable of carrying a driver and fivepassengers.The vehicle was supplied byTewkesbury-based Mercedes-Benzdealer Mudie-Bond - the Germanmanufacturer’s dealer network is alsoresponsible for sales and servicing ofthe popular Canter light truck rangein the UK.It underwent conversion byrecovery systems specialist RogerDyson Group, of Droitwich,Worcestershire, which fitted thechassis with its Enforcer 2 roadsiderescue lifting equipment. Thehydraulic tilting ‘spectacle’ system hasa lifting capacity of 2,500kg and isfully radio controlled for simple andsafe single-operator use.Highfield Garage’s five otherCanters are all fitted with RogerDyson bodies - some have ‘spectacle’lifts, others are transporters withHydraloader slideback platforms.The Highfield fleet comprises 14recovery trucks with payloads of upto seven tonnes, as well as three roadsiderepair vans.Highfield Garage proprietor JonCox said: “The Canter is ideal for thisjob. Its relatively compact dimensionsare a key attribute, because they allowthe vehicle to get into and out of areasthat others in the same weight categorymight struggle to access.“Payload and towing ability arealso very good, while we’ve alsofound our Canters to be superbly reliable.The new engine is particularlyimpressive too - the power rating isunchanged but our new Canter seemsto have a lot more ‘get up and go’than the truck it has replaced.”He continues: “The fact that theCanter is backed by the Mercedes-Benz dealer network only adds to ourpeace of mind.”MASTERNAUT LAUNCHESWORLD’S FIRST ALL-IN-ONE VEHICLE TELEMATICS SYSTEMMasternaut has launched theworld's first vehicle tracking systembased around a single intelligentmobile communication unit. Thesystem comprises a MobileCommunication Centre (MCC) combiningvehicle tracking, GPS satellitenavigation, hands-free mobile communicationsand real-time job schedulingand messaging in a single unit.Masternaut already has 150,000telematics units installed across Europewith over 65,000 subscribers in the UK.The new all-in-one unit eliminates theneed for separate Sat-Nav, mobilephones and hands-free equipment. Italso integrates with Masternaut’s ThreeX mobile workforce applications, as wellas Microsoft Outlook and MicrosoftCRM providing a wireless link to importantbusiness data while on the move.As well as breaking new ground insystem design and user ergonomics,the MCC is believed to be the mostcost-effective in-vehicle solution onthe market. The unit is designed forquick and easy installation reducingvehicle downtime. There is no softwareto install as the MCC links to theweb-based Masternaut service, whichupdates instantly and wirelesslywithout disrupting the user.The system is available withMasternaut’s optional CANbus enginemanagement application. This monitorsdriving behaviour and detailed engineactivity in real time, including rpm, fuelusage, vehicle speed, journey distancebetween stops and duration, andbraking as well as acceleration levels.Two sizes of touchscreen displayare available - standard 3.5 inch and a6.5 inch version suitable for HGVapplications. The MCC uses the highlysecure and virtually indestructibleMasternaut mobile collection unit; thisis the brain of the MCC and continuesto track the vehicle even if the touchscreenis damaged or stolen. Thetouchscreens are replaced easily in theevent of accidental damage or loss.The system also includes its ownspeaker so that drivers can continue tocommunicate with their HQs in theevent of an accident and loss of vehiclepower. The handy button pad includesthe microphone for hands-free telephonyand it also has a privacy button allowingdrivers to switch between personal useand business use for mileage recording.For mobile workforce management,the MCC provides seamlesswireless job scheduling and reportingusing Masternaut’s web-based schedulingsoftware. Jobs are scheduledand updated and sent in real-time tothe unit. As jobs progress, mobileworkers update the system using thetouchscreen to keep back office systemsconsistently up to date.“The new Mobile CommunicationCentre is a breakthrough in in-vehicletechnology. It gives fleet operatorseverything they could possibly need in asingle cost-effective unit. As a fully integratedsystem, it reduces cost ofownership removing the need for extraequipment, installations and maintenance.Drivers - the users - will alsoappreciate that they only have to use asingle device and will prefer the familiarlook and use of the touchscreen,” saysMartin Port, MD Masternaut Three X.Masternaut Three XMartin PortTel: 0113 281 4000Email: media@masternaut.co.ukwww.masternaut.co.ukYODEL OPENSNEW SORT CENTRE TO SUPPORT GROWTH AMBITIONYodel, the fresh new brand inparcel delivery, has acquired the freeholdto a purpose built distributioncentre to meet the needs of ambitiousgrowth plans for the company.Ideally located at a prime site inWednesbury, West Midlands, it combinesan excellent UK location foroperational and transport requirements.The facility, in association withYodel’s other sort centres will supportnetwork capacity for the coming years.When complete, the premises willprovide an intelligent, state of the artsystems platform, with machineryinstalled by a world class industryleading supplier to optimise benefitsfrom improved parcel handlingprocesses to linehaul optimisation.

Page 36 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com ARROW INDUSTRIAL GROUP LIMITEDTel: 01923 272960ARROW INDUSTRIAL GROUP LIMITEDGET SET FOR ENERGY SAVINGS THROUGHOUT WINTER 2010Whilst summer sunshineis still on everyone’smind, people can oftenforget the chilling British winter willsoon be upon us. In these tough economictimes this could potentially beprecarious. With fuel and energycosts set to continue to rise againthis winter and all companies lookingfor ways to reduce their carbon footprint,organisations are faced withthe tough challenge of not onlyreducing emissions but also conservingenergy.Arrow Industrial Group Ltd ishoping to alleviate some of theheadache that this imperative issuewill cause.AIGL are the UK’s leading providerof instant seal door systems. They areat the forefront in product specification;providing clients with the abilityto maximise energy management.Arrow Group achieve this byinstalling sets of systems that interlinkelectronically, meaning as onedoor seals, the next door begins itsopening cycle. These systems providethe best energy management possibleand as a progressive and innovativecompany, AIGL are urging all businesseswith door systems to thinkabout energy management thiswinter.Managing Director Neil Oliver said:“The cold weather season proves anexpensive time for all companies interms of increased energy bills. Nowmore than ever companies must protectproduct to reduce shrinkage aswell as looking at the overarchingissue of energy management. We areurging all companies with door systemsto understand the huge benefitsa Rapid Roll solution can offer.”KEY FACTSARROW INDUSTRIAL GROUP LIMITED• Arrow Industrial Group Limited operate from theirhead office in Hull, Yorkshire• AIGL began trading in 1986• AIGL operate nationally for some of the biggest FMGCcompanies and work symbiotically alongside all theirclients to produce a cost effective and suitable results• Offer a fully integrated, bespoke range of products tosuit any budget, building and organisation• Have an expert term able to advise and guide peoplethrough the process of product selection andinstallation• Have gained IS900 statusAIGL are synonymous for deliveringcutting edge innovation and productdevelopment. ArrowRapid roll doorsystems are ideal for areas of highactivity, with a curtain operatingspeed of up to 3 metres per second. Itoffers greater protection to externalfactors and environments for products,as the time taken to close thedoor system is almost instantaneousmeaning weather, temperaturechange and external environmentalconditions do not affect production.The system also provides thehighest possible level of staff healthand safety, as in the case of the doorsystem closing on a staff member orforklift, the cleverly designed curtain,which is made of a patented protectedmaterial, causes no injury and simplyresets itself. Added to that the systemis completely resealed in a matter ofmoments offering the best energyconservation on the market.An ArrowRapid roll door solutionprovides a robust door system for anyforward thinking, cost conscious company.The financial benefits of energyconservation make this the onlychoice for any organisation trying todrive down energy costs. In a recentstudy done by one of AIGL’s largeFMGC companies the following wasfound:A door opening of 3m x 3m wasstudied with average outside temperaturesof 17C in spring and autumn and4C in winter with an inside buildingtemperature of 18C.The average cost to a company interms of energy loss due to “opentime on a door” would be £29,750 peryear. However the average cost savingof an ArrowRapid Roll door was amassive £8673 per year! (based on nodoor being in situ at all.)Managing Director Neil Oliver andhis team are delighted to be workingwith so many big names in theindustry and want to work with asmany companies as possible to helpcombat the energy managementissue. Neil said:“To help prepare businesses for thebig freeze, we are offering all newenquires a streamlined, no obligationprocess for quoting, survey and installation.We realise that this is a keytime of year and are hoping to workwith the industry to help protect companiesfrom a dramatic rise in energybills as well as a significant improvementon wastage, productdegradation and staff illness.“All these factors have such a largeoverall impact on the workflow andrunning of an organisation, we feelnow more than ever as we faceanother winter of economic uncertainty,companies must look tocontinue cost savings and above allreduce their carbon footprint.“Smaller changes can also help. Wehave seen many customers increasetheir PVC curtain orders. This is tohelp control heat loss. Small steps docontribute towards the larger overallreduction in energy loss. Our expertSTAND: 19L116team are able to provide advice andsupport to any organisation findingthe best, most cost effective and timeconscious solution available.”Whilst the AIGL system is proven tobe self funding in a short space of time,grants are available for companieslooking to reduce their carbon footprintand the AIGL door system can beincluded as part of that grant application.AIGL are also able to help guidecompanies through the process ofapplication.FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT AIGL ON 01482 228 202

November 1st 2010 Page 37Tel: 01923 272960PACKAGINGEmail: warehouse@flame1.comPA'S ECLIPSE RANGECUTS IT FINE FOR FOOD MANUFACTURERSPackaging Automation Ltd's (PA)revolutionary Eclipse range of highspeed tray heat sealing machinerycombines the company's unrivalledengineering experience with cuttingedge technology to raise thebar for cost-effective and versatiletray heat sealing machines.Specifically designed for ruggedreliability and high performance, theEclipse machines pack at impressivelyhigh speeds of up to 180 packs perminute in the TL6 twin lane formatand 90 packs per minute in the SL6single lane. All of this is achieved by atray sealer with ultimate flexibilityand reliability and the smallest footprintin the industry for such a highlevel of throughput.PA is acutely aware of the need tosupply versatile equipment thatenables manufacturers to rapidlyswitch between different recipes ortray shapes and sizes with littledowntime. The Eclipse range includesan inbuilt tool loading system which,when combined with the lightest toolsin the market, allows manual toolchanges and accurate docking of electricaland gas connectors, removingthe need for a mobile loading jig andallowing two minute toolchangeovers.Further efficiency savings can bemade as a result of other key toolingfeatures including redesigned heatermats with an integrated thermocouple.Manufactured from a newwaterproof material, these mats heatup to 30 percent faster and have asignificantly longer life than materialspreviously used.To save on critical downtime, aPack Crush Protection system preventssmashed packs when incomingtrays are not orientated properly andthe top tool comprises single impressionremovable cartridges to enablecontinued operation during repairsand routine maintenance. Quickrelease cutting blades on these allowfor replacement in seconds and sparecartridges can be supplied to enablefull capacity operation at all times.Simplified operation is demonstratedby a Minimal OperatorInterface that eliminates operatorerrors and improves efficiency by presettingall machine parameters,including tool recipe settings andpack handling, at the touch of abutton. Eclipse also offers modifiedatmosphere with gas flushing forlonger shelf life and, for the fresh producesector, clip-on lids can bereplaced by pre-punched filmallowing pack contents to breathe.LOADHOG TO SHOW OFF AT IMHX 2010WITH A COMPLETE ALTERNATIVE TO CAGES AND A BULK TRANSIT SOLUTIONLoadhog, the returnablepacking innovator, will bemaking a show of itself at theIMHX 2010, not only with thecompany's ground-breakingPally & Lid System Lid but alsoa revolutionary bulk transitsolution, Hogbox.The Pally & Lid System, createdand patented by theSheffield-based returnable packaginginnovator, Loadhog, offersa complete and common-sensealternative to roll cages, palletsand stretch wrap.Even though the system occupiesthe same usable footprint asa roll cage, the lid eliminates theneed for metal sides and one-tripsecuring materials, such as wrapor banding, and increases loadsecurity.Equipment weight is reduced by60 per cent; up to 64 loaded Pallyscan be carried per vehicle, asopposed by 45 cages, delivering a42 per cent increase in vehicle utilisationto move the same quantityof product; and freeing up almost80 per cent of the space currentlyrequired for storage.Pally is a patented combination ofa pallet and wheeled dolly in one800x600mm design, developed to meetthe requirements of one of the country'slargest grocery retailers. A simple footpress on a pedal at either end of theunit transfers up to 500kg load frompallet bearers to wheels or visa versa,making Pally stable immediately orSTAND: 18M142mobile on demand. This makesPally the ideal platform to movegoods quickly and efficientlybetween supply chain processes- from supplier to shelf or withina manufacturing process -without the need for forklifts orpump trucks.Designed to nest with plasticcrates or cardboard boxes, thePally is stackable when emptyand can be used as a systemwith a half euro Loadhog Lid,with its integrated andretractable straps clamping theload to Pally.The lightweight, high impactpolypropylene, 190 litre capacityHogbox was invented to satisfythe demands of a major UK homefurnishings and improvementsretailer. With built-in pallet feet;handles; attached lockable lids anda 100kg load capacity, the handmovedproduct eliminates thewasteful use of cardboard boxes orplastic packaging. It is also stackableand compatible withmechanical handling equipment,including forklifts, and providestamper proof product protection instorage and transit.For more information abouteither the Pally & Lid System orHogbox visit Stand No. 18M142at IMHX 2010, contacte.fanshawe@loadhog.co.uk orcall 0114 280 0800.FIBRE DRUMS LIMITEDSHOWS ITS FIBRE IN 40 YEARS IN BUSINESSIn 1969, the throwaway societywas at its height: it was a carefreeworld where no one cared aboutusing up the world’s finite resources,or even considered it.It was in this throwaway worldthat two men started a business thatseemed to go against the grain ofeverything the times stood for -Manufacturing fibre drums.In 1970, the company leased itsfirst premises in Jackson Street, St.Helens, and so Fibre Drums Limited,with its wholly recyclable packagingsolution, was born into a world ofprofligate consumer waste.LITTLE GUYS, LITTLE PRICESDuring the 1970s Fibre Drums sawan opportunity in offering an alternativesupply source for the customersto tap into. While the introduction ofthe 3-day-week in 1975 pushed evenmore customers towards the smaller,nimbler suppliers.The company grew, and grew, tosuch an extent, in fact, that it achieved£1 million turnover in 1985 and movedto much larger premises at its currentlocation in Haydock just a year later.KEEPING EVERYTHING INSTOCK SO YOU DON’T HAVE TOThese days, FDL provides singleresourcing solutions to meet all mannerof requirements across its incrediblydiverse client base, ranging from thedelicate small specialist containersused in laboratories to large bottles anddrums for the safe transportation andstorage of all manner of substancesincluding hazardous materials.SAVING ITS CUSTOMERS APACKETTaking into account reduced warehousing,transport, processing andother associated administration costs,FDL Packaging believes the averagecompany can reduce its annual packagingbill by a remarkable 25%.While, just as importantly, removingthe packaging imperative from theprocurement department’s day-todayworkload can produce greaterefficiencies elsewhere.WHAT DOES THE FUTUREHOLD FOR PACKAGING? WHATWILL PACKAGING HOLD IN THEFUTURE?As we have seen, today FDL packagingsolutions are designed toaccommodate a truly vast array ofmaterials, from the safest and easiest tohandle to the most dangerous and difficult.But what will the future hold? Andeven more importantly what will FDLpackaging be holding in that future?This we do not know, but what wedo know is that, as in the past, whateverthe future brings FDL will beready.Already plans are afoot to expandthe Haydock site’s mid section with aplanned extra 5-6,000 feet of warehousingspace. The FDL PackagingGroup has come a long way in the past40 years, and predictions are that it willgo even further in the 40 years to come.WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/FEATURES

Page 38 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com WAREHOUSE I.T.Tel: 01923 272960NEXT GENERATION COGNEX DATAMAN HANDHELD ID READEROFFERS INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET AND AUTOFOCUSCognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) has announced its next-generationDataMan® handheldindustrial ID scanner, the DataMan8000 Series. The rugged DataMan8000 Series is designed for the factoryfloor and offers the industry’s mostadvanced code reading technologyusing patented IDMax® technologyfor reading 1D and 2D codes regardlessof size, quality, printing methodor surface. The DataMan 8000 Seriesalso offers two new innovations foran industrial handheld code reader:modular communications (includingEthernet) and liquid lens variablefocus technology.“The DataMan 8000 Series representsa true breakthrough forindustrial handheld readers,” saidCarl Gerst, Business Unit Manager forID Products. “In addition to its powerfulcode reading capability andrugged design, the DataMan 8000Series communicates easily with factorynetworks and ERP systems forreal time traceability, and the automaticvariable focus enables operatorsto use the system close up for verysmall 2D Data Matrix direct partmarks and at a distance to read longer1D barcodes.”The DataMan 8000 Series featuresCognex superior code reading capabilitieswith two powerful algorithms,1DMax and 2DMax, that providethe most advanced decoding availablefor reading virtually every type ofcode, every time, with unsurpassedread rates.The DataMan 8000 Series is the firstindustrial handheld reader to offerintegrated liquid lens technology. Theadjustable focus of the liquid lensgives the maximum depth of field flexibilityfor an image-based handheldreader. This proven new technology,already integrated into Cognex fixedmountreaders, allows a user for thefirst time to read small 2D direct partmarks as well as long linear bar codeswith a single reader.The DataMan 8000 Series also supportsboth RS-232/USB and IndustrialEthernet communication. The system’sunique modular communicationdesign allows users to easily upgradefrom RS-232/USB to IndustrialEthernet with field exchangeable interfacemodules. This flexibility enablesusers to modify their initial readerinstallation to meet future communicationrequirements.The DataMan 8000 Series is availablein two models:DataMan 8500 - The DataMan 8500readers incorporate patentedUltraLight® technology from Cognexfor superior image formation on anymark type and surface. The UltraLightprovides dark field, bright field anddiffuse lighting all in one electronicallycontrolled light.DataMan 8100 - The DataMan 8100includes all of the features of theDataMan 8500 readers, with brightfield illumination. The DataMan 8100readers are ideal for applications thatrequire superior code reading performancewithout specialty lighting.For more information about theDataMan 8000 Series handheldreaders, visitwww.cognex.com/8000.PRINTWARE HUNTSNEW VERTICAL MARKETS WITH DASCOM GBDASCOM-GB, developer, manufacturerand provider of enterpriseprinting solutions, has announced anew partnership with online retailerPrintware, the UK's largest independentsupplier of printers andconsumables. The deal sees Printwarejoin DASCOM-GB’s Activ8 resellerprogramme, offering Tally andTallyDASCOM printers and consumableswith a complete service package.“Printware has got a new andcompelling offering: we’re reallyexcited to expand our product portfoliointo big new vertical markets,”explained Printware’s ManagingDirector, Cameron Mitchell. “Tallyand TallyDASCOM line and serialdot matrix printers allow us to targetdemand for mission critical industrialprinting for the first time. DASCOMGB’s product line-up and supportgives us a focus on industrial line andserial printing that other partnershipsjust can’t match.”Printware pursues 1,000 sales leadsevery day with a business modelbased on an online and telesales operation.However, this aggressive moveinto the industrial line and serial dotmatrix printing markets represents anew focus for the business - one that isalready proving lucrative. As a result,Mitchell says he is “very happy” withthe new relationship that is alreadywinning sales teams regular pointsunder DASCOM GB’s Activ8 resellerprogramme. Customers are, he says,“crying out for these devices.”“Tally’s back - and our objective isto be the number one reseller ofDASCOM GB’s industrial printers,”Mitchell concluded.

November 1st 2010 Page 39Tel: 01923 272960JDL LOGISTICS' DELTAWMS WAREHOUSE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMUP AND RUNNING IN ONE WEEKSpeedy solution handles seasonal Suitable for both single- and multisiteusers, DeltaWMS:Third Party flagship single- and multi-site systemsinnovator. The company's 'DeltaWMS'3PL demand spike; provides flexiblefoundation for longer-term growthLogistics has an open database and are open-database, feature a unique,Bedford-based JDL Logistics, a third can be quickly and cost-effectively user friendly interactive warehouseparty logistics (3PL) storage and distributioncompany with over 6,000 smaller business to deliver immediate be quickly and easily integrated intointegrated within any enterprise or management 'graphical map' and cansquare metres of warehouse space and bottom line benefits and a faster return any ERP enterprise or smaller businessa fleet of 15 vehicles has responded to on investment, say Delta Software.environment.seasonal business demand and alsoDelta Software deploys its solutionsmet its longer-term warehouse performanceobjectives by investing in a Founded in 1990 and headquar-Europe, on-time and to-budget, pro-Delta Software:throughout the UK and continentalDeltaWMS:Third Party Logistics tered in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Delta viding rigorous fixed-price guarantees.system. Delta Software successfully Software (www.deltawms.co.uk) is theconfigured, user-trained and went live UK's fastest-growing supplier of interactivewarehouse managementwww.deltawms.co.ukDelta Softwarewith the system in one week with"low-to-no" disruption to operations, systems and a just-in-time technologyaccording to JDL, which plans to integrateDeltaWMS with its existingtransport management and financesystems. JDL services includereworking and relabelling for industriessuch as drinks and toys. Otherindustries serviced by JDL includeplastics, packaging and building supplies."There's very little you need to do toget the DeltaWMS system going.Achieving go-live in one week wasimpressive" says JDL LogisticsManaging Director Lesley O'Neill,who is also a former IT consultant."Our previous software couldn't supportour immediate seasonal andlonger-term business objectives.DeltaWMS can - very cost-effectively.Our warehouse put-away and pickingprocesses are already more streamlined,delivering substantialperformance improvements as weoperate more quickly in our complex,customised 3PL environment and wehave access to better managementinformation. All stock movements aredisplayed on a digital warehouse map,in real time. We can produce accurateand detailed, right-first-time invoices,electronically. And our third party customerscan input, edit and monitor theprogress of their orders online, usingthe DeltaWMS web module," LesleyO'Neill says."We can do for almost any logisticscompany what we have just done forJDL" says Delta Software OperationsDirector Lance Bennett. "The speed ofour systems deployment is down to acombination of smart, highly flexibletechnology deployed by experiencedproject management teams."DeltaWMS:Third Party Logistics(3PL) systemThe DeltaWMS:Third PartyLogistics (3PL) best-in-class warehousemanagement solution has been developedto meet the competitive andcomplex multiple-customer, just-intimeservice needs of the 3PL marketwith customer-by-customer stockaccounting, labelling, inventory managementand online customerreporting. The system can also be integratedwith the external 3PLcustomer's IT environment.DeltaWMS:Third Party Logistics issuitable for shared user and sole-contractenvironments; control parametersallow the user to configure the systemfor each contract customer. DeltaSoftware's tailored, contract-specificsystem services include label design,client EDI interfaces and stationery.The system's Internet web browsermodule allows both user and customerto directly manage stock and ordersfrom anywhere in the world, 24/7 andin real-time, improving customerservice and reducing administration.For paper-based put-away andpicking, barcode scanning or fullyfunctional radio frequency (RF) warehouseenvironments the DeltaWMSsystem is designed to improve stocklocation accuracy, reduce labour costsand enhance customer service levels.DeltaWMS enables full stock traceability- from point of receipt to pointof dispatch - for every item that movesthrough the warehouse.WAREHOUSE I.T.Email: warehouse@flame1.com

Page 40 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com THE LOADING BAYTel: 01923 272960RESEARCH PAYS OFF AS STERTIL STOKVIS PROVES RIGHT CHOICEStertil Stokvis has completed a major loading and type of pit construction, as well as ensuringbay project for Scottish logistics firm John G the equipment’s long term suitability.Russell Transport with the installation of six Stertil Stokvis, in turn, undertook a detaileddock levellers, plus accessories, at the company’s survey of the client’s operation, including on-siteCoatbridge site near Glasgow.manual handling equipment and types of vehiclesKeen to make the right purchasing decision, the to be accommodated, so that it was able confidentlyto specify and recommend the appropriateteam at John G Russell spent time researching andcollating information from different suppliers to loading bay equipment.make sure they achieved the correct specification Six SP3020 eight-tonne capacity dock levellerswere installed, with Stertil Stokvis also constructingthe pits to house them. The popular SSeries dock leveller incorporates a robust hingedlip and smooth operation of each leveller is controlledby a single push button that not only raisesand lowers the platform but also extends the lip.“We had very specific requirements and StertilStokvis worked with us to satisfy these,” saysDavid Wallace, John G Russell’s PurchasingManager. “They’ve been very professionalthrough every stage of the project includingsupply, installation and commissioning. Also,everything has been done as promised and ontime. After-sales back-up has been impressive tooand, if the products continue to perform well, wecan see this being a long-term relationship.”To complete the new installation, DavidWallace added a number of loading bay accessoriesincluding dock bumpers, wheel guides,traffic lights and door in-fills. All six bays werehanded over and are now in use and the reliabilityof the Stertil Stokvis equipment will becarefully monitored, as further development ofloading bays at Coatbridge and John G Russell’sother sites is intended in the future.Stertil Stokvis is a market leader with over 50years’ experience in loading bays and dock areas andhas an international reputation as a specialist in itsfield. The company focuses on quality, both in designand production, to ensure years of trouble-free operation.Stertil Stokvis recommends consultation at anearly stage in dock planning, to ensure products arecorrectly selected, both for size and suitability.Stertil UK LimitedAndrew GeorgiouTel: 0870 770 0471Email:ageorgiou@stertiluk.comwww.stertiluk.comIT PAYS TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK IN THE LOADING BAYJohn Meale, MD of market-leading loading & unloadingequipment specialists, Thorworld Industries Ltd, saysspending time to choose well designed and properly manufacturedquality loading bay and materials handlingequipment can pay dividends in making the goods in/outprocess more efficient, more cost-effective and even safer.The loading bay is a vital link in the production and distributionchain. If the loading system fails, goods cannot bedespatched or received, causing knock-on delays in the production/distributioncycle. Choosing the right supplier andequipment is therefore crucially important in ensuringtrouble free operation - minimising costly downtime andmaximising productivity.So what do you need to considerwhen looking for loading andunloading equipment? The followingpointers should serve as a helpfulguide to choosing the right loadingbay and materials handling equipment,accessories and safety aids.Talk to well-known and establishedsuppliers whose experienced sales engineersshould fully understand yourneeds and who will help you achieve acontinuing drive for increased efficiencyby supplying products whichfully meet your specific requirements.It's also worth checking if they aremembers of an appropriate trade orindustry association. My own companyis an active member of the Associationof Loading & Elevating EquipmentManufacturers (ALEM), which itselfoperates under the auspices of the BritishMaterials Handling Federation (BMHF).After the sales engineer has suggesteda specific product or group ofproducts, ask for details of existingusers. You can then talk to them direct,or possibly visit one with the potentialsupplier to see the equipment and tocheck customer satisfaction levels.It's often worth considering asingle-source supplier, such asThorworld, who can provide all yourmain loading and unloading equipmentrequirements, together with thenecessary accessories - particularly ifthey have the relevant experience anda proven track record in the sector.Make sure all the equipment suggestedby suppliers or manufacturersis produced under strict quality controlsthat ensure the highest Europeanhealth and safety standards.It's worth remembering that anestimated 25 per cent of factory andwarehouse accidents occur in andaround the loading bay. High levelsof personnel and mechanical traffic,often combined with a low appreciationof the risks involved, mean thatloading bays can, potentially, beextremely hazardous places in whichto work.

November 1st 2010 Page 41Tel: 01923 272960THE LOADING BAYEmail: warehouse@flame1.comTHORWORLD STAND FIRSTFOR EXPERT LOADING BAY EQUIPMENT ADVICE AT IMHX 2010If you’re visiting IMHX 2010 Thorworld is(NEC, Birmingham 16 - 19 November2010) and want to enhance safety,firmly establishedas one of the foremostFor further information, visitthe Thorworld stand 20B111increase efficiency and lower operatingdesigners,(Hall 20) at IMHX 2010.costs within the loading bayarea, then make sure the Thorworldstand 20B111 (Hall 20) is top of yourmanufacturers andsuppliers to theloading bay and STAND: 20B111Alternatively, telephone01246 260981 to request a copyof the latest Thorworld productlist.The loading and unloading specialists’team of qualified staff will beon-hand throughout the four dayevent to provide expert advice andinformation about the UK’s largestselection of loading bay equipment,safety aids and accessories from asingle source.Thorworld will be showcasingproducts from across its comprehensiveone-stop shop product range andunveiling its new DVD presentationfor the first time. This will providevisitors with a brief insight intoThorworld’s business philosophy, itsin-depth experience, and the high calibredesign and engineering that goesinto the company’s products, as wellas the chance to get further informationmaterials handling sectors and isrecognised as both a market leaderand innovator in the supply of qualityengineered equipment.range catalogue, emailinfo@thorworld.co.uk or visitwww.thorworld.co.uk.Thorworld offers a comprehensive range of loading and unloading equipment, safety aids and accessoriesdesigned to help increase efficiency, improve safety and cut costs in the loading bay area.about its manufacturingprocesses.Visitors will also be able to find outmore about Thorworld’s extensivechoice of materials handling products,which are all designed specifically toincrease safety, enhance efficiency andcut costs in the loading bay.For those without a dedicatedloading bay area or raised loadingdock, the company offers standardand bespoke modular loading docks,mobile yardramps (available for purchaseor rental on a sale or returnbasis through the company’sRentARamp division), together withthe Truckloada mobile yardlift and theDockloada scissor lift platform.These are complemented by arange of loading bay equipment,accessories and safety aids, such asdock seals and shelters, dock levellers,dock plates and boards, as well asdock and vehicle bumpers, wheelchocks, vehicle restraints, traffic lights,personnel access ramps, wheel guidesand alignment curbs."The loading bay is an extremelyhazardous area, so we offer a widerange of products designed not onlyto make loading and unloading safer,but also to make the process muchmore efficient, thus helping to savecompanies money," said John Meale,Managing Director of Thorworld."IMHX is a hugely popular showand we are looking forward to theopportunity to meet with bothexisting and potential customers - ourexpert staff will be availablethroughout the four day event toadvise them on exactly the right solutionsto meet their individual needs,"he concluded.TURN TO THORWORLDFOR UNBEATABLE YARDRAMP SOLUTIONSIf you don’t have a dedicated,raised loading bay area and want toincrease efficiency, enhance safety andsave money during vehicle loadingand unloading, then you need lookno further than Thorworld Industries.The Midlands-based loading andunloading specialist offers the most comprehensiverange of mobile yardrampsspecifically designed for the fast andefficient loading and unloading of vehiclesand containers by forklift truck.There are three main Thorworld mobileyardramp ranges available, includingSuper Deluxe, Deluxe and Standardmodels, which have all been developedby the company’s design engineersand manufactured using up-to-the-minuteproduction equipment and techniques.

Page 42 November 1st 2010Email: warehouse@flame1.com PRODUCT AND EQUIPMENT NEWSTel: 01923 272960NEWS IN BRIEFPRODUCT NEWSANIMAL BEDDING PACKING SYSTEMSUPPLIEDChronos BTH Limited has recentlycompleted the installation andcommissioning of a new turnkey packingsystem for R.A. & C.E. Platt Ltd’s facilitynear Wrexham. The company is aleading supplier of wood shavings andsawdust for use as animal bedding forhorses, cattle and other livestock; theirproducts provide cost-effectivesolutions for enhanced animal welfare.DASCOM GB INTRODUCES NEWTHERMAL PRINTERSDASCOM GB, has announced newadditions to its printer range, with theintroduction of three thermal printers inthe upper speed range, TallyDASCOM7010, 7106 and 7206. The printers havebeen specifically designed to providereliability, robustness and high printingspeeds in retail and manufacturingenvironments, and are very user-friendly,thanks to the new "Easy System".TROAX PARTITIONING CREATES NEWOFFICE FOR M & J DRILLINGTroax’s modular, double skin, steelpartitioning system, Excalibur, has beenused to create new office and storagefacilities at M & J Drilling’s premises inDudley. The company is a specialistcontractor in the investigation andstabilisation of shallow mineworkingsand provides state-of-the-art drillingrigs and associated equipment.MASCOT - BEST IN EUROPEFrost & Sullivan has recently presentedawards to some of the 300 industrieswhich are continuously monitored. Inthe market of Workwear, MASCOTInternational A/S was presented withthe Customer Value EnhancementAward from more than 700 Europeanmanufacturers of workwear. It was theonly award, which was presented to themarket of workwear.FORKLIFT ATTACHMENTMEANS MORE CASH FOR SCOTTISH CASH & CARRY WAREHOUSESterlinghshire-based M9 Cash &Carry is, as its name suggests, a cashand carry wholesaler. ServingScotland’s central belt, the companysupplies a range of snack foods, drinks,cigarettes, confectionery and over thecounter medicines to independentretailers from Glasgow to Aberdeen.The company’s warehouse facilitydoubles up as a store and a retail areawhere M9’s clients are free to wanderand select and collect their goods.Within the warehouse, pallet loadsof products are either stored within acompact racked storage area or blockstacked on the floor. For additionalbulk storage M9 keeps a number ofcontainers within its yard area.When some stock items are runninglow, palletised loads are takenfrom the containers to the warehouseusing a counterbalanced truck andstock is replenished directly from thepallet to the picking area before theremainder is returned - still on thepallet - to the container.The company had been experiencingstock losses due to damagecaused by the forklift trucks as theyunloaded incoming orders and pickedup and transferred pallet loads ofproduct around the site.In an attempt to stop the wastagethe company added Jayline Products’innovative load protection pads to thecarriages of the counterbalanced andreach trucks that operate at the site.Made in the UK from heavy dutymoulded rubber, the Patented protectorsfit to the rear face of a forklifttruck’s forks and provide a cushionedbarrier between the load and the forks.As the pallet is picked up, the protectorprevents the load from hitting the forksor the fork carriage with sufficient forceto cause damage to the load.Since introducing the load protectors,damage to goods as they areunloaded from incoming trailers andmoved around M9’s site has been allbut eliminated.“Damage to stock caused by theforklifts has dropped significantlysince the introduction of the load protectors.These days what stockdamage we do suffer is largely causedby negligence and not the forkliftsthemselves,” says Omar Hanif, M9Cash & Carry’s general manager.Available in a choice of sizes to fit4” (105mm), 5” (130mm), 6” (160mm)and 8” (200mm) forks, the Jayline protectorsare suitable for use with awide range of materials handlingequipment, including counterbalancedand warehouse trucks.The load protectors are quickly fittedusing a simple yet robust strappingsystem and their slim profile means thata fork truck’s load handling capacity isnot compromised by their use.Jayline Products LtdPeter KimberleyTel: 01386 854912peter.kimberley@btinternet.comwww.jaylineproducts.co.ukDENTAL DIRECTORYTURNS TO I -S SOLUTIONS U.K. LTDDental Directory, the U.K.’sleading distributor of dental healthcareproducts turned to I-S SolutionsU.K. Ltd, a market leader in automatedmaterial handling systems tohelp with a large expansion to itsorder picking and stock replenishmentsystem at its 50,000 square footdistribution centre in Witham, Essex.After seeing first hand the capabilitiesand high quality, I-S Solutionstogether with Dental Directory chosethe highly respected UNI-XU rangeof conveyors from the U.K.’s largestconveyor manufacturer, ConveyorUnits Ltd.The system involved switchingfrom the existing conveyor system andre-routing orders to a newly developedunit, incorporating ten pickstations over two levels, which incorporateda newly built mezzanine floor.The system was designed to handleboth standard plastic totes and cardboardboxes with weights rangingfrom empty up to a maximum of25Kgs., based on a 1500 product perhour throughput.In order to eliminate total line pressure,the system was designed using24 volt roller and Micro-V belt rollertechnology, offering the customer alow maintenance and energy savingsolution, as the 24 volt rollers operateonly when a tote/box is in its zone.The system was built within fiveworking weeks from order placement atConveyor Units’ large conveyor manufacturingunit in Stourport-on-Severn,Worcestershire, which employs in excessof one hundred people. I-S Solutionscompleted the mechanical install, interfacingwith the existing system and allelectrical control work within sixworking weeks from conveyor delivery.Paul Clarke, Operations Director atDental Directory commented, “Fromthe out-set at enquiry stage, I-SSolutions have proved to be a very professionalcompany. We quickly formedan excellent working relationship, withI-S Solutions offering us many differentoptions, all of which would enable ourrequirements and objectives to be met.At all times we were kept constantlyup to date with all project developments.The main body of conveyors, (inexcess of 300 metres), were installed inapproximately twenty working days.Within a further ten days, these conveyorswere operational in terms of fullproduct testing and commissioning,which made the eventual integrationinto the existing system over oneweekend, go extremely smoothly andwithout problems. We are alsoabsolutely delighted with the highquality of the conveyor equipmentchosen and used on the project. Everysection arrived fully built and testedand from a maintenance point of view,is extremely user friendly as the quantityof spare parts we need to carry forthis system is very low in comparisonto other conventional conveyor types.We were absolutelydelighted to receivea system of suchhigh quality that isactually manufacturedtotally in theU.K.”STAND: 20D80Conveyor Unitswww.conveyor-units.co.ukGOPLASTICBOXES.COMDRIVES DOWN THE COST OF EURO BOXESManufacturers and suppliers in theautomotive industry can achieve significantcost savings when purchasing theEuro container range fromGoplasticboxes.com.Russell Smith, Business DevelopmentManager for Goplasticboxes.com, commented:“Close links with our manufacturingpartners in Belgium and a greater understandingof the automotive supply chainhave enabled us to price our Euro box rangevery competitively. In some cases our Euroboxes retail up to 50% cheaper than thosefrom more traditional UK suppliers.”Goplasticboxes.com introduced its rangeof strong, durable and robust Euro containersin March. The comprehensive Euro rangenow consists of 35 different styles, availablein both solid and perforated versions.All containers in the Euro range are stackable,offeringstability intransit. TheGroup of boxesfrom the Eurorange.consistent internal dimensions of the boxesmake it easier to fit vacuum formed trays,foam inserts or welded dividers that protectvaluable components during transportationfrom manufacturing cell to lineside. Toenhance identification, Goplasticboxes.com’sEuro containers can be manufactured in avariety of colour options and printed with acompany logo or message. Ticket clips andlabel holders are also available.The Euro range of containers can betransported using the GoBox Pallet & Lidsystem which secures containers and isavailable in both 1,200 (L) x 1,000 (W) mmand 1,200 (L) x 800 (W) mm footprints.Goplasticboxes.com is a division of AllPallets Ltd and together withGoplasticpallets.com, the company offersthe most comprehensive range of plasticcontainers, pallets, trays and crates fromstock in the UK.GoBox Pallet& Lid system.PURE YELLOW PALLET UNVEILED ATIMHXIf you are attending this year’s IMHXexhibition at the NEC in Birmingham,November 16-19, make sure you visitGoplasticpallets.com’s stand 19K127 wherethe company will be unveiling its pureyellow hygienic plastic pallet to illustratethe high quality colour matches it achievesworking with Belgian manufacturer, IPS.Jim Hardisty, Managing Director ofGoplasticpallets.com, said: “Pure yellow isa colour that many pallet manufacturersstruggle to achieve, and sadly brown/greytints have become an industry standard.Since we introduced the first hygienicpallet to our range, we have been workingclosely with IPS to develop the design andcolour options. The pure yellow hygienicpallet is the latest addition to our range.”The IPS hygienic pallet is manufacturedusing the finest quality food gradevirgin HDPE (high-density polyethylene)and has totally smooth, sealed surfaces.It can therefore be easily cleaned, manuallyor with an automated system.The pallet is available from stock intwo styles – a 1200mm (L) x 800mm (W)Non Perimeter version and a 1200mm (L)x 1000mm Full Perimeter version - and sevensingle colour options including blue, green,red, white, grey, beige and black. Businessescan now also order the pallet in pureyellow, and for orders in excess of 500 units,they can have their pallets coloured in anycolour of their choice or choose from one ofGoplasticpallets.com’s 84 two-colour options.Two-colour hygienic pallet.The IPS hygienic pallet is particularlypopular with the food service industry.Goplasticpallets.com has received ordersfor the IPS Hygienic pallet from a number ofmajor food manufacturers, including NestléUK, which recently ordered a total of 2,350hygienic pallets for handling raw materialsin pre-production areas. Chocolate giantCadbury has also ordered 300 hygienic palletsfor its manufacturing plant in Kenya,and Goplasticpallets.com has taken furtherorders from Kellogg’s and Vion Food.Jim, added: “You only have to look atrecent incidents with wooden pallets in thefood and pharmaceutical industries torecognise the importance of maintaining agood level of hygiene when handling andstoring goods. For example, in May, theNational Consumers League in the UnitedSTAND: 19K127States put in question the safety of woodenpallets for transporting food following anexamination in which wooden palletstested positive for food-borne pathogens,including E. coli and Listeria. Similar incidentshave also recently occurred in thepharmaceutical industry where a numberof major medicine manufacturers havebeen forced to recall products because ofcontamination caused by a chemical usedto treat wooden pallets.”Hygienic pallets won’t be the onlyproduct on display onGoplasticpallets.com’s stand. Productsfrom IPS will feature strongly, but also onshow will be a selection of versatile poolpallets, pallets suitable for export and avariety of different containers from theGoBox range.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GOPLASTICBOXES.COM OR CALL 01323 744057

WAREHOUSE & LOGISTICS NEWS CLASSIFIEDS - NOVEMBER 1ST 2010WELCOME TO THE NEW-LOOK WAREHOUSE & LOGISTICS NEWS CLASSIFIED SECTIONWEBSITE INDEXCAROUSELSAMH Group www.amhgroup.co.ukUK Installation Services Ltd www.carouselsuk.co.ukCOLLAPSIBLE BOXESStakrak Ltd www.stakrak.co.ukCONVEYORS AND CONVEYOR SYSTEMSOwens Conveyor Company www.ocon.co.ukConveyor Units www.conveyor-units.co.ukNewland Conveyors www.newland-conveyors.comMonk Conveyors www.monk-conveyors.comCSi UK www.csiuk.co.ukVanriet UK Ltd www.vanriet.co.ukCONVEYOR ROLLERSAlwayse Engineering Ltd www.alwayse.comDATA SOLUTIONSProgress Data Solutions www.progressdatasolutions.comLaser Data Systems Ltd www.ldsystems.co.ukFORK TRUCK ATTACHMENTSRentaclamp (Coventry) Ltd www.rentaclamp-coventry.co.ukFORK TRUCKSJayline Products Ltd www.jaylineproducts.co.ukFORKLIFT HIREBluewater www.bluewaterforklift.co.ukLIGHTINGLutterworth Electrical www.lutterworthelectrical.co.ukLOADING & UNLOADING EQUIPMENTThorworld www.thorworld.co.ukMATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENTRollStore www.rollstore.co.ukMEZZANINE FLOORINGPalmer Timber Ltd www.palmertimber.comFalcon Panel Products www.falconpp.co.ukPACKAGINGExsup Co www.exsup.co.ukPALLET & EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENTB&M Associates www.bmpallets.comPALLET INVERTERSPremier Pallet Inverters www.premierpal.co.ukPaynes pallet Inverters Ltd www.paynepalletinverters.co.ukAirflow Pallet Inverters www.airflowspacers.co.ukPALLETS AND STILLAGESAvatan Handling Equipment www.avatan.co.ukPalletower www.palletower.comSmiths of the Forest Dean www.smdd.co.ukPALLET WRAPPING EQUIPMENT AND SERVICESFraser’s Repairs and Services www.fras.uk.comProtective Packaging Co www.theprotectivepackagingcompany.co.ukPLASTIC PALLETSGoPlasticPallets www.goplasticpallets.comBeecraft www.beecraft.co.ukPROTECTORS: CORNER & EDGEVeeboard www.veeboard.co.ukRACKING AND SHELVINGAddgards www.addgards.comAlser UK Ltd www.alser.co.ukDJB UK www.djbuk.co.ukSAFETY BARRIERSA-Safe www.asafe.comSOFTWAREMapMechanics www.mapmechanics.comTRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTRTITB www.rtitb.co.ukWAREHOUSE AUTOMATIONVanDerLande www.vanderlande.comWAREHOUSE CHARITYTransaid www.transaid.orgWORKWEAR AND SAFETY FOOTWEARMascot Workwear www.mascot.dkAs you can see, we’ve re-designed this important part of theindustry’s only fortnightly title, to make it clearer and easier for youto find the products and services you’re looking for.As requested by our readers (the buyers in the industry), we’vealso replaced the previous Showcase section at the start of theClassifieds with a website index of the leading suppliers under eachcategory.If you’d like to be included in theWarehouse & Logistics News Classifieds pleasecall James Surridge on 01923 272965 oremail warehouse@flame1.com.CAROUSELSCOLLAPSIBLE BOXESADVERTISE INCLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COMVISIT: WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKCONVEYORS AND CONVEYOR SYSTEMSADVERTISE INCLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COMVISIT: WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKIMPROVING PERFORMANCECSi UK1 King's Buildings, King Street,Chester, Cheshire CH1 2AJTel +44 (0)1244 341298Fax +44 (0)1244 342058Email philgriffiths@csiweb.nlWeb www.csiuk.co.uk• Fully Automated Conveyingand Sortation Systems• Picking Systems• Layer Palletisers• Robotic PalletisersINTELLIGENCE IN MATERIAL HANDLINGWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS

CONVEYORS AND CONVEYOR SYSTEMSVanriet Rohaco is an established UK manufacturer of qualityconveyor systems and end of line robot palletising solutions.Moving into the futureUK Manufactured Equipment•••Centrally located in the West Midlands, we are recognised by bothtrade and end user clients for innovative design, quality build andour competitive price structure.•ConveyorsGravity, Powered Roller, Belt, Pallet,Vehicle LoadersSortationCartons, Totes, Books, DVD’s, CD’s, Videos,Polywrapped Items, Mail DocumentsRobot PalletisingMulti Axis Arm Robots, Multi Axis Gantry Robots24/7 Service SupportControls and SoftwareVANRIET UK LIMITED,Tamworth,StaffordshireTel: 01827 288871sales@vanriet.co.ukwww.vanriet.co.ukCONVEYOR ROLLERSDATA SOLUTIONSFORK TRUCK ATTACHMENTSDATA SOLUTIONSFORK TRUCKSFORKLIFT HIRELIGHTINGADVERTISE IN THE WAREHOUSE & LOGISTICS NEWS CLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960 I EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COM I WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS

LOADING & UNLOADING EQUIPMENTMEZZANINE FLOORINGPALLET & EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENTPALLET INVERTERSESTABLISHED 20 YEARSPALLET & EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTSIf you are looking for a personal, professional service that offers:Best Practice Recommendations & AdviceAssessment, Analysis & Audit of Current Working PracticesNoticeable and Measurable Cost SavingsDetailed, Bespoke ReportingPALLETS AND STILLAGESPREMIER PALLETSYSTEMS LTDGressenhall, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4DTTel: +44 (01362) 861066Fax: +44 (01362) 861160Email: sales@premierpal.co.ukWebsite: www.premierpal.co.uk/wlnMore than 20 Years Experience in Equipment ManagementThen let us help you take away the problems of managing an owned or hired equipment pool.T: 01664 823600 W: www.bmpallets.com E: enquiries@bmpallets.comPLASTIC PALLETSPAYNES PALLETINVERTERS LTD.DEREHAM ROADBEESTON, KINGS LYNNNORFOLK PE 32 2NQTELEPHONE:+44 (01328) 700138FAX:+44 (01328) 701879www.paynepalletinverters.co.ukPALLET WRAPPINGEQUIPMENTAND SERVICESPACKAGINGEXSUP COPlastic Packing SuppliesCheapest Prices for qualityExpandable CornerProtectorsEdge ProtectorsBucklesAlso Bag Clips & Multi Clipssales@exsup.co.uk01886 888392PROTECTORS:CORNER & EDGESMITHS OF THEFOREST OF DEANNew HDPE Clamp Top DrumsNew & Recycled Steel DrumsADVERTISE INCLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COMVISIT: WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKFraser'sRepairsAndServicesSpecialising in shrinkand semi-automaticstretch wrappingmachinerywww.fras.uk.comTel: 01767 225246Mob: 07890 383612PALLET WRAPPINGEQUIPMENTAND SERVICESthe protective packaging company“protecting your products”• SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRWe sell pallet wrappingmachines.We will repair and service allmakes of pallet wrappingmachines.For further detailsplease contact us andwe will be happy to help.The Protective Packaging CompanyTel: 01279 776031www.theprotectivepackagingcompany.co.ukMATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENTWaste Oil TanksNew and Recycled IBCswww.smdd.co.ukTel: 01594 833308For Fuel and Water Tanks, Drums, Bunds, Barrels and CratesADVERTISE IN CLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960 I EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COM I WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS

SOFTWARERACKING AND SHELVINGADVERTISE INCLASSIFIEDSCALL: 01923 272960EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COMVISIT: WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKSAFETY BARRIERSTRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTWAREHOUSE CHARITYSTORAGE AND HANDLING EQUIPMENTADVERTISE INCLASSIFIEDSWORKWEAR & SAFETY FOOTWEARCALL: 01923 272960EMAIL: WAREHOUSE@FLAME1.COMVISIT: WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UKWAREHOUSE AUTOMATION, BAGGAGE HANDLING AND END-TO-END SORTATION SYSTEMS FOR THE PARCEL AND POSTAL MARKETWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS

November 1st 2010 Page 47Tel: 01923 272960INDUSTRY DATESNovember 3rd - SEIRS Course.Supervisors Course. www.sema.org.ukNovember 3rd - The Freight TransportAssociation’s Transport Manager 2010,Durham. www.fta.co.ukNovember 5th - SEMA Rack SafetyAwareness Course. www.sema.org.ukNovember 10th - The FTA’s TransportManager 2010, Dunblane. www.fta.co.ukNovember 11th - SESS Ltd Roadshow,London, Bloomsbury. Tel: 01670 736444November 12th - SEMA Managing RackMaintenance. www.sema.org.ukNovember 16th - SEIRS Course. SkillsCourse. www.sema.org.ukNovember 16th-19th - IMHX 2010 Asthe UK’s foremost authority on fork lifttrucks the FLTA will use IMHX todemonstrate to truck owners andoperators some of the many benefitsfrom dealing exclusively with membersof the Association. Visit www.imhx.biz/to book your place.November 17th - The FTA’s TransportManager 2010, Sheffield. www.fta.co.ukOTHER DATESNov 2-3 FOOTBALL - Champions League group matchesNov 4 FOOTBALL - Europa League group matchesNov 5-6 RACING - Breeders' Cup, Churchill DownsNov 6-7 TENNIS - Fed Cup finalNov 7 FORMULA ONE - Brazilian GP, InterlagosNov 7 MOTORCYCLING - MotoGP, ValenciaNov 8-14 TENNIS - ATP BNP Paribas Masters, ParisNov 10-14 RALLYING - Rally of Great BritainNov 12-14 RACING - Open Meeting, CheltenhamCROSSWORDAcross1. Longing to take part? (5-6)8. Frank about the future? (11)11. Surrounded by a number in support (4)12. Every variety of ache (4)13. Austere conditions for aircraftmechanics, we hear (7)15. Traveller allowed key is satisfied (7)16. What the horse did when I went inthe stable, perhaps (5)17. A conservative leader about to giveground (4)18. Vera is involved in a wild party (4)19. The art of spelling (5)21. Warn off Henry - it may have atusk! (7)22. Transport I catch to this meeting ofgovernors (7)23. Women of habits (4)26. Stake for backing a mount (4)27. Giving one a ring, then elopingperhaps (11)28. Informal description of apromotional competition? (4-3-4)Difficulty Level:November 19th - SEIRS Course.Refresher Course. www.sema.org.ukNovember 24th - The Freight TransportAssociation’s Transport Manager 2010,Birmingham. www.fta.co.ukDecember 1st - The FTA’s TransportManager 2010, Yeovil. www.fta.co.ukDown2. Put one’s foot down in theintroduction (4)3. Collects the rags for recycling (7)4. Dismiss through drink (4)5. Having made a withdrawal go intored (7)6. It tastes sweet, but schoolboys don’tlike it (4)7. Be careful on the dodgems, forexample? (4,7)8. An offhand impression! (11)9. It threatens us with blows (4,7)10. It’s designed to last (4,7)14. Fish in shallow water (5)15. Priest in church demonstrates holymemento (5)19. Man receiving setback is kind ofcross (7)20. Red hot stuff (7)24. He’s not blind to the future (4)25. A command to avoid (4)26. Hill dwellers noted for industry (4)THE FINAL WORDDON’T MISS OUR ONLINE EVENTS CALENDAR, WHICH LISTS ALL THEFORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS, CONFERENCES AND OTHER INDUSTRYFIXTURES. GO TO WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK/EVENTSDecember 8th - The FTA’s TransportManager 2010, Ascot. www.fta.co.ukDecember 10th - SEMA Managing RackMaintenance. www.sema.org.ukFebruary 12th - FLTA Awards 2011 - Theprestigious and fiercely competitiveAwards are back. www.fork-truck.org.ukThe Rules: To complete the Sudoku puzzles you simply need to fill in all the empty squares in the grid with the digits 1 to 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 boxshould contain the digits 1 to 9. - To solve the puzzles, go to www.sudokusolver.co.uk.7438 619549772 8551426 7821739317Nov 13 RUGBY UNION - England v Australia, TwickenhamNov 13-21 DARTS - Grand Slam of Darts, WolverhamptonNov 14 FORMULA ONE - Abu Dhabi GP, Yas MarinaNov 17 FOOTBALL - International friendly dateNov 20 RUGBY UNION - England v Samoa, TwickenhamNov 21-28 TENNIS - Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, LondonNov 21 MOTOR RACING - World Touring Car Championship, MacauNov 23-24 FOOTBALL - Champions League group matchesNov 25-27 RACING - Newbury Hennessy Meeting111323 247681 2 382728185438974 5 62519315384927512121826789 10OCTOBER 15TH SOLUTIONS - ACROSS: 1. Sunbeam 5. Flotsam 9. Repel 10. Cartesian 11. Wordsworth 12. Cede 14. Impersonated 18. Advantageous21. Oink 22. Competitor 25. Stonewall 26. Inapt 27. Legatee 28. Essence DOWN: 1. Shrewd 2. Napery 3. Enlistment 4. Macho 5. Foretaste 6. OPen 7. Stiletto8. Minuends 13. Industries 15. Elaborate 16. Carousel 17. Evensong 19. Strain 20. Writhe 23. Pulse 24. KentSUDOKUDifficulty Level:1717212714 1624Difficulty Level:1914222320629Email: warehouse@flame1.comQUOTE UNQUOTEANDY WILLIAMS, MD, EUROPEAN HANDLING EQUIPMENT LIMITEDEUROPEAN HANDLINGEQUIPMENT LTDEuropean Handling EquipmentLtd is a leading UK supplier ofpremium grade importedmaterials handling equipment.Products include theSTAND: 19J162WARRIOR brand of handpallet trucks, powered stackers. Scissor lift tables,reach trucks and Artison forklift trucks. Ourexperienced team of dedicated staff and dealersensure that all aspects of materials handling arecovered offering maximum return on investment.WHAT'S THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?The daily challenges that arise from the constantly changing market we operate in.One day we can be discussing supply of 500 hand pallet trucks and the next daywe can be discussing how to alleviate a clients particular handling problem offeringa “bespoke solution.”IF YOU WERE AN ITEM IN A WAREHOUSE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?That’s easy, a humble hand pallet truck, “large enough to cope, small enough tocare!” Handling would be more difficult without me!WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS INDUSTRY?A long, long time ago, 1983 to be exact, I started with a broom and a pair ofoveralls in a small factory watching handling equipment being made. I thought itlooked interesting and after I passed my driving test began pacing the streets ofBirmingham (and other cities) looking for customers to buy the handlingequipment I saw being made… I really never looked back.IF YOU HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT?Hindsight is a wonderful thing and there are many small adjustments which if I hada crystal ball we probably would have implemented prior to an event, but I don’t soI didn’t. However, the whole objective is to “make it as easy as possible for theclient to solve a problem using our equipment which in turn save them time andmoney” so what I would do now IS PUT IT UP IN BIG LETTERS JUST TO GET THEMESSAGE OUT THERE!!WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PASTIME?Last year I finally obtained my private pilots licence andwhen time permits I love to go flying.DO YOU HAVE ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?Closet DJ.WHO WOULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE PARTY GUEST?Lord Sugar - Gritty, determined and entertaining.WHAT IS THE GREATEST LUXURY IN YOUR LIFE?My Family, they cost a fortune but give me great pleasure.IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?I would become a philanthropist.WHO OR WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?My friends and colleagues make me laugh. Whatever I do or try I always look onthe positive side with a humorous overview. You can’t go through life beingmiserable. You can be serious and happy or even seriously happy.DO YOU HAVE ANY SECRET AMBITIONS?It’s a secret, but we’re getting there!WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION?Maldives, nowhere else comes close.WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC ALBUM?I like a cross section, but particularly like Travis, Keane, & Robbie. Todays pick hasto be the original Cee Lo Green “Forget You” (Its sublime you know!)WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE?Saving Grace… British Comedy at its best.WHO OR WHAT DO YOU DETEST THE MOST?You know who you are!!WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT COMINGINTO THE INDUSTRY (APART FROM "DON'T DO IT")?Know your product and your market. Know your stuff, Know your customer.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PART IN THIS FEATURE CALL 01923 272960WE HAVE SPACES AVAILABLE, TO GET INVOLVED CALL TODAY!CONTACT DETAILSAndrew Williams, ManagingDirector, European HandlingEquipment Limited.Lord Sugar, Andy’spreferred party guest.Published by Grandflame Limited 12 Kings Park, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire,WD4 8ST. Telephone - 01923 272960 Fax - 01923 270760 - ISSN Number - 1355-5928Publishing Editor - James Surridge Tel: 01923 272965 Email: warehouse@flame1.comMagazine Advertising - John Chalkwright Tel: 01923 272902 Email: john@flame1.comMagazine Advertising - Graeme Walker Tel: 0208 441 7148 Email: walker@flame1.comWebsite Advertising - James Surridge Tel: 01923 272965 Email: warehouse@flame1.comInterviews - Charles Smith Tel: 01923 272962 Email: charles@flame1.comClassifieds - James Surridge Tel: 01923 272965 Email: warehouse@flame1.comSubscriptions - Brian McAdam Tel: 01923 272998 Email: brian@flame1.comProduction - Andy Page Tel: 01923 272932 Email: andypage@flame1.comAccounts - Nancy Newberry Tel: 01923 272998Warehouse News is published 21 times a year by Grandflame Ltd. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of materialpublished in Warehouse & Logistics News, Grandflame Ltd and their Agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors,manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material published in this journal remains with Grandflame Ltd and their Agents. © Grandflame Ltd. 2008WWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK