Dock door security cages are used to control access to warehouse facilities, docks and receiving areas where drivers, service workers and others enter a building. They are typically 2 or 3-sided and cover a dock’s personnel access door while allowing truck drivers and other visitors to enter the facility, but not the warehouse and general storage or production areas. This lets you admit visitors (or not) as your security and safety rules dictate.
How to Specify and Design Dock Door Security Cages
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
Pallet Racks, Sprinkler Systems and Warehouse Fire Precautions
All warehouses have fire risks, ranging in severity. Facilities flammable loads like paper, aerosols, liquors or fiber are at higher risk than others, but any load on wood or plastic pallets can catch fire. For instance, manufacturing facilities with airborne debris are at more risk than those storing ceramics or steel components. While storage racks are not among leading causes of warehouse fires, (or even a cause, except for their loads) they can play an important part in reducing spread and damage.
Tags: Safety & Ergonomics
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Warehouse Bins & Containers Specification
Most warehouses use bins, cartons or containers as bulk product shipments are broken into “eaches” or smaller quantities for putaway, storage and eventual picking. This is also largely true of assembly and manufacturing lines where components are transported between workstations and work is progressively done. While they don’t exactly break the bank given their costs, specifying the wrong container can result in a less efficient, less ergonomic operation.
Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|
Cisco-Eagle Wins National ESOP Award
Cisco-Eagle recently won a first-place national award for Communications Excellence for Printed Materials for 2020 according to the ESOP Association. These awards were established to identify companies that excel at communicating with employee-owners and the larger community about ESOPs. We were runners-up for this award in 2017.
Posted in ESOP & Company News|
Tips for Better Drive-In Rack Specifications, Operations and Safety
When you need exceptionally high-density pallet storage, drive-in racks deliver space savings by eliminating forklift access lanes. They’re last-in, first-out storage ideal for stock that doesn’t need active inventory rotation and will be picked and used in a relatively fast manner. There are challenges to any storage system, of course. This guide should help you find ways to reduce the problems and operate your drive-in rack system more efficiently and safely.
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Putaway is Critical for Distribution Success
Above: workers in a distribution center putaway aisle with flow and bulk storage accessibility. Picking aisles are left clear as the system is replenished. Photo credit: Unex Manufacturing.
Putaway, which is the methods and processes that occur between receiving inventory and that inventory resting in storage positions in a warehouse, may have more impact on the performance of order fulfillment or warehousing operation than most anything else.
Tags: Third Party Logistics, ecommerce, 3PL
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
Our 2020 Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Every year, we summarize and publish the results of our ongoing customer satisfaction survey. The survey is short, but allows plenty of room for customer comments, complaints and compliments. 2020 is perhaps the most “different” year in my 31 years at Cisco-Eagle, but we have been blessed with great customers who have been willing to spend some of their valuable time providing feedback for us. This is the 2020 summary.
Posted in ESOP & Company News|
How to Use Dockboards & Dockplates Safely and Effectively
Dock boards and dock plates are built to transition forklifts, pallet jacks, carts, people and other transportation methods between trailers and your warehouse dock area or staging floor. How can you be sure the transition between truck trailers and your dock is safe?
Tags: Safety & Ergonomics, ergonomics
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
How Simulation Adds Value to Material Handling Systems Specification
As we’ve discussed automating anything as complex as a large scale material handling process has risks, but there are ways understand the outcome better in advance and reduce any risks. It’s always good to have more data, and simulation plays into that scenario by giving you a view of what key systems, technology and process will interact in your system, with your loads.
Tags: Factory Automation, ROI, data, simulation
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Fifty Years of Cisco-Eagle
Cisco-Eagle was founded in November, 1970 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Warren Gandall. November 1, 2020 marks our 50th year of operation. It’s a good time to reflect on what’s happened since that first year and where we are headed as an organization.
Posted in ESOP & Company News|