Sales of material handling equipment is expected to grow steadily in the coming years thanks to increased demand from developing economics and a resurgence in global manufacturing, according to a new report from a leading industry watchdog. As many countries ramp up their industrialization, logistics and materials handling processes are increasingly being outsourced to Asia-Pacific, … Read more
Just a few years ago, in the early 2000s, it seemed like everybody was talking about radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and how it was going to change the face of retail, manufacturing and many other industries. Now, more than a decade later, RFID is widely used in an enormous amount of applications, but has … Read more
Simple robots — such as the six-axis arm robotics used in automobile assembly lines and elsewhere — have been a common part of the workplace landscape since at least the 1970s. But ever since their first introduction, robots have always been viewed with suspicion by their human co-workers who fear they might one day be … Read more
Boston Dynamics is an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon that can run faster than 40 mph. Big Dog is a company that makes a four-legged robot that can climb hills and travel easily through snow. Schaft is an award-winning Japanese robot design firm has built a robot that walks … Read more
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has relied on delivery services such as United Parcel Service and the US Postal Service to get its millions of packages to its customers … until now. The web-based retailing giant is not testing its own network of “last mile” delivery services in San Francisco and plans to launch … Read more
About $200 billion is spent globally for illuminating work spaces, homes and businesses, about half of which comes from commercial buildings. Yet much of that energy is wasted. Lights are left on when they aren’t needed, areas are bathed in too much light. By employing effective lighting strategies to use only the light you need … Read more
Congress is expected to consider a new $302 billion transportation bill that was submitted by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The mammoth, four-year bill was dubbed GROW AMERICA, an acronym for “Generating Renewal, Opportunity and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America.” It is being submitted ahead of the … Read more
The National Retail Federation has called for negotiators on both sides of pending West Coast dock workers’ contract talks to reach an agreement as quickly as possible, but the leader of a national agriculture trade group said he’s preparing for the worst. The contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the coalition of … Read more
One of the simplest ways to organize any work area is to use insertable plastic label holders. Although these versatile clip-on devices have been used in warehouses, offices and other business environments since they were developed by Aigner Label Holder more than 50 years ago, their ability to easily categorize different shelf or work zones … Read more
Because retailers want more products more quickly, distribution centers and warehouses are being forced to change their fulfillment processes, according to the new white paper, “Big Picture: The Evolution of the Traditional WMS/WCS Roles” issued by Forte Industries. Picking and order fulfillment has become more complex thanks to an increased demand for smaller pack sizes … Read more
