AisleCop® forklift safety systems are used by  many companies concerned with the safety of pedestrians who work near forklifts in warehousing, manufacturing and other operations. The system relies on a series of gates, sensors and intelligent controls to manage dangerous, high-traffic, or limited visibility areas. Aside from general traffic applications, AisleCop® is also utilized in innovative ways to guard work cells and other areas where people and traffic interact.

In a major product upgrade, new pedestrian gate systems have been introduced to increase the visibility and versatility of the system.

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Often we think of hazardous chemicals storage in light of EPA and other regulatory requirements – what will I get cited for if I don’t comply? Forget citations – isn’t the real reason the safety of your workers and your facility? Let’s discuss safety measures that don’t require a large effort, but may help prevent significant issues.

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As your business grows, the flow of materials tends to bog down as demand increases, forced through the same channels and processes. Throughput grinding slowly down is a story as old as warehousing itself.

Frequently the operations that lag behind the rest of the process are in the picking, packing and shipping areas of your facility. What’s difficult is that these inefficiencies evolve over time, where they can almost be hidden from an analytical view. It seems that no matter how many people you throw at the problem, they never catch up, and error rates escalate. Often the solution is in simple steps toward organizing your packing areas and putting supplies conveniently at hand.

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Industrial traffic is a danger, particularly to pedestrians. The injury and fatality numbers are so frightening that any operation that mixes vehicles should consider options above and beyond simple training when it comes to these issues. There are plenty of options that help increase visibility, warn drivers and help protect pedestrians. One versatile option is the ZoneSafe proximity and warning alert system.

It’s now represented in North America by Cisco-Eagle. Let’s talk about what makes it different.

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In any warehouse or distribution facility, there are two critical—and usually very limited—commodities: time and space.

Warehouses and DC’s are limited by these two constraints – you basically have your square footage, your people, and 24 hours in a day—or less, if you aren’t running three shifts. These constraints drive us to refine processes and optimize performance. Let’s discuss a type of equipment that can save time and slash the need for space: spiral conveyors.

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When you deploy automated equipment and systems like conveyor sortation, picking, packing, and order consolidation, you may think that getting the equipment to do its basic job is the goal. That optimal production and worker performance had been gained. There’s a digital element that you may not have considered, though – a warehouse control system.

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From throughput requirements to building expansions, you want to be ready for your company’s future. Sometimes these changes take place over longer periods of time, and sometimes they’re lightning-fast—your products and throughput can change from season to season based on shifting customer demands, market conditions, explosive growth, and other factors outside your control.

Sometimes conveyors are incorrectly called inflexible since they are often installed on a floor level, but their benefits can ultimately create greater versatility by optimizing an operation and creating more efficient material flow. Let’s look at 3 ways conveyors increase operational flexibility: Read the rest of this entry »