The Mheda Journal

While the attendance at ProMat 2011 seemed to be a bit ligther today, that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who were at the third day of the show. Exhibitors continued to rave about the number of quality leads they recieved at their booths. End-users from around the globe made the show worthwhile for a high number of MHEDA members who had their booths on display.

I spent the morning walking the show with Steve Guglielmo, visiting the distributors who had booths. We also took in a seminar about using lean practices to improve forklift operations.

One highlight of the afternoon was taking a few moments to wander the Automate 2011 show, which collocated with ProMat. There were several different kinds of robots on display, including ones that dealt blackjack, putted golf balls and drank from a water bottle. They were all pretty neat displays. Other, more-relevant-to-material-handling applications for the automated equipment were also shown off, including a robotic palletizer, high-speed scanning equipment and lots of cutting and welding uses. To be honest, I think a lot of the robot applciations, both in Automate and in ProMat, were more to show off what can be done with the technology rather than showcasing useful applications. One robotic truck we saw wouldn’t have eliminated any manpower, as it still required lift to place the itmes it picked on high shelves. Though, admittedly, it did look cool.

Regardless, though, if the booths at ProMat were any indication, automation and robotics will remain the waves of the future. As systems engineers continue to perfect these technologies, some unique products will surely be develoepd soon.

All in all, it was a productive show. I learned a lot, made a host of new contacts and re-connected with some members I’d met before. MHEDA Members, both suppliers and distributors, always have a lot of information to share. I’m glad I was there to soak it all in. See you in 2013!

As ProMat is one of the biggest industry events of the year, and it’s right around the corner, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about MHEDA’s Guide to ProMat. As you’re probably aware, from March 21-24, the material handling and logistics industry will gather at McCormick Place South in Chicago, Illinois, for the largest industry trade show of the year. As a build-up to the show, wikiMHEDA has created an online guide to ProMat. From now through the show, each of four industry equipment segments—general lines, engineered systems, storage & handling and industrial trucks—will be featured for a week on the wikiMHEDA site. Companies from each segment are being highlighted with spec sheets, white papers and videos on the home page for that week. General Lines week is underway now, with Engineered Systems slated to start next Monday. I urge you to check it out. Take a peek at these videos to let the newest industry sensations, Dan and Suzie, explain what’s going on more entertainingly than I can.

Also, here’s a link to the Wall Street Journal article that led to Dan and Suzie telling you about ProMat. It’s a pretty fun read, and maybe you’ll find a use for the technology at your company!

Hopefully, I’ll see you at ProMat either at MHEDA’s booth #1878 or at their reception, Monday night, March 21, from 4:30 to 6:00.  Looking forward to it!

As a 2001 graduate of The College of Wooster, I always get excited to see my small liberal arts college in the news. It’s even better when that news intersects with my work in material handling, albeit tangentially.

On Monday, September 20, The College signed a contract with Carbon Vision LLC to install a 20,000 sq. ft. solar roof atop the Scot Center, the new student recreation and facility currently under construction on campus. It will be the largest solar rooftop installation of any college facility in the country, generating 271,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power a residence hall for the year.

Granted, that has little to do with material handling. But it does remind me that the green movement is still in full force out there, and material handlers and warehouse integrators should still be aware of it. Many articles say that the higher cost of green projects will keep customers from going the more environmentally friendly route, but that is not necessarily the case. Sustainability is still important to many customers, and as the economy improves, they will be willing to pay for it. I’d love to hear any suggestions you have for taking advantage of the green movement in material handling, particularly as money remains tight. Thoughts?

Some of my favorite things to read about in material handling are all the creative applications people have come up with for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. No, it’s not just for tracking packages anymore. Some of the more unusual applications I’ve heard of include replacing credit cards, tracking prisoner/guard activity in penitentiaries and even ordering ice cream.

But today I read one that proves beyond all doubt just how pervasive RFID is. Apparently, the Australian sheep industry is in the middle of a controversy about whether or not to track the animals using electronic radio means or stick with the current paper-based system. The Victorian government and local saleyards are supportive of the introduction of electronic tagging of sheep. However, the Sheepmeat Council of Australia and the national saleyards body maintain the current paper-based sheep identification system is adequate.

A PriceWaterhouseCoopers report earlier this year indicated “a number of faults” with the current system, but change is slow to come. Sheepmeat Council of Australia President Kate Joseph, on the other hand, points to “the current high implementation and ongoing costs” of widespread use of RFID devices. So it’s a standstill at the moment.

I’d say “I’ll keep you posted,” but I doubt many of you have the means to capitalize on the burgeoning RFID market in Australian sheep. But it’s certainly an interesting application.

I wonder what the sheep would have to say?

By now, you’ve probably received your print copy of the Third Quarter issue of The MHEDA Journal. If so, I’m hoping that you also noticed a new feature that we implemented in this issue. I always feel a little uncomfortable tooting our own horn, but I’ll admit that it’s pretty cool.

Bar codes are pretty ubiquitous these days, and the latest trend in bar codes is the QR code, or “quick response” code. These can be placed on papers, posters and the like and anyone with an up-to-date mobile phone can read them. Throughout the 3rd quarter issue, you’ll notice a handful of ads with a QR code. If you have a smartphone, you can use a phone app to scan the code and be directed to the advertiser’s website. It’s the first way I know of to totally integrate print ads with online. See page 12 of the magazine  for instructions to make the QR codes work with each type of smartphone. Some tips are below.

• BlackBerry Messenger: You must have version 5.0 or later. If it’s not already installed, you can download it from the BlackBerry App World.
• Android: There are multiple apps that scan barcodes. Go to the Market and search for “QR code reader” to find one.
• iPhone: Again, several apps work. Go to the App Store and search for “QR code reader” to find one.

Happy scanning!

I’ve been hyping up the Third Quarter 2010 issue of The MHEDA Journal for a while now, and the wait is almost over. The new issue will be published in just over two weeks, on July 15. There’s a very important change in the works too and I’m pretty excited about it.

In addition to a flurry of great articles all about MHEDA distributors who were able to acheive Top Dealer status in 2009, this issue will be the first to be presented online at a new and improved website. The website for The MHEDA Journal will now be more than just a place to archive that quarter’s magazine—we are going to be updating frequently and encouraging reader feedback. Video will play a prominent role, too.

The new site is a long time in the making, and I can’t wait for you to see it. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks, and we’ll have more to share. Let me know if you have any tips for what you’d like to see on the site!

It’s Friday, so there may be a few of you headed out to Happy Hour for a cold one with the gang after work. Those of you in the Atlanta area can do so without straying too far from the material handling field, one of the few places I know of where it’s OK to have a beer on the job.

All right, that’s probably a bit of a stretch, but there is a restaurant in suburban Atlanta that has incorporated RFID technology into its offerings. According to an article I found in Wireless Week, “a restauranteur in suburban Atlanta has introduced connectivity to a Wall of Beer, incorporating connected flow meters on the beer taps and a pair of NFC card readers next to the taps.”

Unfortunately, the article does not name the bar, but here’s how the system works. Bar patrons who are members of the establishment’s “beer club” can go to the Wall of Beer, log into the system with a card and serve themselves. The system records which beer was tapped and how much, and charges the member’s account accordingly. Sensors in the taps detect the flow, pressure and temperature to monitor the product.

For the consumer, the benefit is convenience and a feel of exclusivity. For the restaurant, the benefit is much more accurate tracking of beer dispensing. (According to the article, a restaurant typically only gets paid for 75% percent of the beer it dispenses, due to spillage, bartenders who give away free drinks and other factors.) You may notice that each of those outcomes positively benefits the restaurant’s bottom line. Satisfied customers buy more beer, and the bar is not turning its inventory quite so quickly. Win-win.

The article notes that this isn’t legal in all states; there are 16 that do not have an alcohol self-service provision. But the sensors can still be used for tracking purposes. At the very least, it’s another innovative use of RFID capabilities. Who knows, the next time you’re tipping back a pint at the local pub, you may be in the middle of your next sales opportunity.

Remember those days when getting Legos for Christmas was about the most exciting thing in the world? Well, for some elementary school students in Minnesota, legos under the tree this year would be even more of a bonus. You see, these students are participating in the Lego robotics competition, trying to design a robotic forklift made of legos to meet the competition’s parameters.

Read the article in the Stillwater Gazette for an article and video with more deatils.

I’ve mentioned it before, but after attending David Nour’s very informative Twitter webinar today that MHEDA co-sponsored, just wanted to send a quick reminder out to readers that The MHEDA Journal can be found on social networks Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. Brand new links to all these sites are now available in the left-hand column of the magazine homepage at www.themhedajournal.org.

Follow us on Twitter: @liftmoveandstor

Become a fan of the magazine on Facebook.

Become my contact on LinkedIn by visiting this page.

Go to our YouTube page to see material handling videos.

I look forward to hearing from you and interacting with you on these social networks. If you’re not out there yet, what are you waiting for?

A recent article on emarketer.com outlines, with plenty of helpful charts and graphs, the penetration of different social media within Inc. 500 companies. The results were pretty fascinating. According to the article, “Adoption and awareness continue to trend upward, with 91% of firms using at least one social media tool in 2009 and three-quarters describing as ‘very familiar’ with social networking.” More than one-half, 52%, of companies report using Twitter in 2009, a phenomenal growth rate.

The survey results discussed in the article suggest that new media like blogs, wikis, social networking, video and podcasting are not merely fads. These are trends and are here to stay. I’ll admit that I was one who was a holdout from getting too excited about sites like MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter over the last few years. But the numbers are hard to ignore.

There are lots of MHEDA Members already using these social media sites already, but there are a lot more who aren’t. If you’re not there yet, you should be.

Read the emarketing.com article and charts in their entirety here.