As energy costs continue to escalate, more than half of US companies are looking for new ways to invest in energy saving technologies, according to a recent survey commissioned by Schneider Electric. The survey, which was conducted by the firm Redshift Research during Schneider Electric’s 2013 Xperience Efficiency events held in Washington, D.C., and Dallas, … Read more
Wooden pallets may be inexpensive, durable and practical, but they are also flammable. Storing wooden pallets at your warehouse or manufacturing facility could be an invitation for disaster, as was illustrated by a series of destructive pallet fires recently: In December 2012, about 3,000 wooden pallets caught fire at a wood recycling plant in North … Read more
The typical chain is one of the most low-tech items widely used in industry today. It’s basic design hasn’t substantially changed since Leonardo daVinci drew a sketch of the first steel chain in the 16th Century. But while the ordinary chain may remain low-tech, there are now some specialty chains used in various industries that … Read more
Keeping track of inventory, parts and materials at the busy Bobcat manufacturing facility in Gwinner, North Dakota, used to involve manually tracking the more than 40 truckloads of inbound materials that arrived daily. But recently Bobcat – the maker of small but powerful front-end loaders, excavators and other landscaping, construction and manufacturing equipment — upgraded its … Read more
In the wake of the most recent economic downturn, many companies are looking for every opportunity to automate their processes. Robotics, automated systems and other high-tech solutions are being used to reduce labor costs on the factory floor, in warehouse aisles, even in the service industry. In fact, Starwood Hotel group has recently begun testing … Read more
The demand for materials handling products is expected to grow at least 5% per year through 2018, according to a new report issued by the Freedonia Group. According to the report, “World Material Handling Products,” some of the biggest gains will be seen in the sale of high-tech, cutting-edge materials handling technology, such as Automated … Read more
A $1.3 billion project to raise the Bayonne Bridge — which connects New Jersey with Staten Island — has been delayed at least six months as a result of last winter’s harsh weather, officials announced last week. The project will increase the height of the bridge’s road platform 215 feet above the Kill van Kull … Read more
Carriers that offer less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping have been among the hardest hit by the most recent economic downturn, with thousands of small companies filing for bankruptcy in the past few years. But many LTL carriers that have survived so far are betting that a new pricing strategy could save the industry. Until recently, most LTL … Read more
A reachstacker manufactured by the Swedish heavy equipment maker Kalmar recently set a new world’s record for load lifting. Nicknamed “Super Gloria”, the heavy duty reachstacker lifted a load of more than 220,000 pounds during a demonstration before a group of VIPs at the companies multi-assembly unit in Lidhult, Sweden, on Friday, September 12.. A reach … Read more
Not that long ago, people were talking about whether or not the US Postal Service would still be around in a few years. Now the postal service is making big moves to ensure not only that it will survive, but that it will claim a large part of the growing business-to-consumer delivery market. On August … Read more
