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Hytrol E24i™ integrates the E24™ Motor and Card into a Single Unit

December 30, 2014

Hytrol E24i

Hytrol Conveyors was the first to widely use 24-volt roller motors in its conveyor systems. In fact, Cisco-Eagle helped roll out the product at Pack Expo in 2007, and have strongly advocated it for many of our clients since. E24 resolves issues such as heat dissipation, limited motor life span, lack of sufficient torque, and the inability to use 1-3/8″ rollers, which has significantly limited using motor-driven rollers in what are otherwise excellent applications. Now, Hytrol has further increased e24’s flexibility and usefulness by merging the motor and card into a single unit.

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Posted in Conveyor Optimization|

10 Ways to Keep Orders Moving During Your Busiest Season

December 23, 2014

I received a newsletter the other day that really hit home during this busy Christmas season. It was about keeping warehouse order pickers motivated in their work and I thought, “That’s really key during peak seasons when highly stressed workers can get burned out quickly.” So, how do you keep order pickers moving when they’re already under the gun?

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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

High Density Pallet Storage: Comparing Pushback vs. Drive-In

December 16, 2014

pallet flow rack system in a storage area

When comparing different methods of storing and accessing pallet loads on rack, the choices can be complex.

Do I go with Push-Back Rack using gravity feed to deliver loads to the front edge? What about the loss of vertical space? What if something gets hung up? How about Drive-In Rack? Do I trust my forklift drivers to maneuver carefully enough? What would a rack collapse cost me?

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Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Records Storage Warehouses: Questions to Ask

December 11, 2014

records storage facility

The year is coming to an end, and many operations need to address records storage. We see an influx of companies coming to work with us on their records storage and archive storage areas from October through April. With new healthcare and other regulations, companies must store an increasing amount of paper records. If you have enough of a records storage load, and lack either the space or the time to manage your archives, you may opt to use a third party records storage facility.

When you are specifying a vendor, here are some questions you should ask.

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Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|

Cluttered Receiving Areas: Problems and Solutions

December 4, 2014

receiving area forklift and pallets

Cluttered receiving docks seem to plague far too many industrial facilities. Part of the problem is that the way receiving affects the entire operation isn’t clearly understood. Also, receiving functions are sometimes seen as a low-value-add part of the operation. Either way, adequate focus isn’t always given to this vital function.  When you can’t effectively receive shipments, everything upstream is compromised.

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Posted in Docks & Shipping|

How Distribution Centers are Working to Reduce Costs

November 25, 2014

picking area at a distribution center

When it comes to those costs, the pressure is always on. Particularly in those unfortunate companies where the distribution center is considered just a cost, not a chance to add value. Even if you are hitting cost targets, you are probably interested in reducing operational costs without reducing effectiveness.

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Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|

Hand Trucks vs. Power Lift Hand Trucks

November 19, 2014

Hand truck compared to power hand truck

Hand trucks are great for moving heavy loads faster and easier than hauling them by hand from point to point, but don’t elevate them vertically. Can everyone working in your operation safely and easily lift the load to shelving or a work table?

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Posted in Material Handling|

Factors for Industrial Facility Size & Layout

November 13, 2014

 

warehouse-space

Facility layout is a complex and sometimes maddening process. You are often limited by budget, space, time, or schedule beyond your control. What factors should you consider when you allocate space, either in a new facility or a redesigned one?

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Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|

Order Picking Error Rates: What’s Acceptable?

November 5, 2014

order picking at a conveyor line

It’s easy to say that you’re striving for 100% accurate pick rates, but how realistic is that goal? And should it be the actual number you shoot for? Mis-picked orders, any number of them, are expensive. Incorrect orders are expensive to re-pick. They’re expensive to return and restock. Shipping dollars are lost both directions. Most importantly, mistakes are expensive because they can cost you customers.

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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

Questions to Ask: Carousel Picking Systems

October 28, 2014

horizontal carousels

Carousels are a high performance order picking technology option, but only if you match them to the right operational needs and applications. If you are considering a carousel system for your operation, it’s important to understand when these “goods to person” picking systems are appropriate, and where manual picking might still work better for you. The real issue is, can you make a carousel, or any automated solution, outperform a good manual system?

The answer is: not always. Let’s look at ways you can push your project in the right direction.

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Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

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