2023 | Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems - Part 2
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Buffers, Conveyors, Robotics and Automation: What Works, What Doesn’t

October 3, 2023

conveyor system with cartons accumulating as a buffer.

Most every manufacturing or distribution facility builds in storage and handling buffers – and for good reason. Buffers hold product or processes when work flow isn’t balanced. For instance, a conveyor buffer may exist between picking and packing operations. This allows picking to continue even if the packing, quality control or shipping departments are backed up. Buffers maintain balance between functions and ensure continuity.

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Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

Insights: Manufacturing Gender Gap, Automation Pitfalls to Avoid

September 26, 2023

Morning coffee with Cisco-Eagle photo

Where can automation cause issues? Intralox explores the pitfalls of downtime and the ways to address it below. We also examine issues relating to recruiting women to manufacturing careers, the need to reshore, Tennessee’s efforts to build a modern industrial workforce, and more.

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Posted in Industry Insights|

Ensure Smoother Operations with Pallet Dollies

September 21, 2023

Worker using pallet dolly in warehouse

The new age of material handling solutions is bringing many products once unheard of. Whether it’s an automated process designed to ease the burden on employees and improve throughput, or new safety features that increase awareness while removing danger, futuristic improvements are being adopted at an incredible rate.

There are, however, some tried and true methods of ferrying items from one area to another in a facility. Take the pallet dolly….a solution that’s been around forever and stood the test of time (and movement!).

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Posted in Material Handling|

Cisco-Eagle Names New Sales Directors

September 19, 2023

Cisco-Eagle recently promoted two sales directors to help us serve customers better in Central Texas and the Charlotte, North Carolina offices.

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Posted in ESOP & Company News|

Comparison: Conveyor Systems and Autonomous Mobile Robotics

September 12, 2023

Comparison: conveyor system vs AMRs

Conveyors and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are both used in logistics, manufacturing, and warehousing, but have critical differences in terms of functionality, flexibility, and applications. Neither system is inherently superior to the other based on the use case, situation, load and operational goals. When you need to build a product transport system, they can often work in tandem to create the best solution.

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Posted in Conveyor Optimization|

Order Picking, Accuracy and ROI for Industrial Automation

September 5, 2023

order picking line in action, with hand scanner.

You could write a short novel–maybe a long one–about ROI for industrial automation projects.

If you’ve engaged in large-scale distribution or manufacturing automation projects, you probably have a good start on that very thing. ROI is a complicated endeavor with moving parts and shifting priorities. Because investments are always competing with other concepts, it often comes down to this: what’s most important to your company, your business environment and your industry.

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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

Insights: Ergonomics Study, Automation’s Role in Site Selection

August 24, 2023

morning coffee with Cisco-Eagle

This month, we’re covering economic development and site selection factors based on comparing robotics and labor force development, a detailed ergonomics study on the impact of lifts and other work-positioning equipment on speed and injury rates, manufacturing construction and a bit more.

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Posted in Industry Insights|

Fall Protection Equipment – Harness Adjustment Guidelines

August 17, 2023

Worker in fall protection harness

If your operation requires workers to conduct some aspect from certain heights, then you know fall protection. Keeping your workers safe from falls isn’t just a top priority, it’s most likely the most top priority!

The numbers back this up, with yearly OSHA stats showing falls topping the lists time and time again. There’s even a yearly campaign to raise awareness for stopping falls with education, training and accountability. Combine all of this with protective gear designed to stop falls and protect workers, and you can have an effective fall safety program.

When considering the equipment needed, introducing the right fall arrest system featuring tie-offs, lanyards and harnesses is the lifeblood of this protection. But to ensure the person using them is truly safe, the harness has to fit right.

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

VLMs Vs. Vertical Carousels: Critical Specification Factors

August 8, 2023

Vertical carousels and vertical lift modules—VLMs for short—enhance organization, increase storage density, improve security and speed throughput. They serve components directly to pickers in waist-high ergonomic zones. 

While these systems are similar from a functional standpoint and look similar from the outside, they can have different use cases and application requirements. Kevin, a Cisco-Eagle Dallas account executive, zeroes in on the differences in this video. 

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Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

OSHA’s Warehouse Safety Emphasis Program: An Analysis

August 1, 2023

Illustration of an automated warehouse being inspected.

Warehousing grown for most of the last decade, with a 5-6% annual growth rate expected for the next 5 years. That level of expansion stresses labor availability and supply chains, but has another implication: safety. In July 2023, OSHA announced what it terms a “new national emphasis” for workplace hazards for warehouses, distribution centers and retail storage facilities. Since nearly 2 million people work in the industry, the agency is interested in reducing injuries across the board.

What are the implications of this emphasis?

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

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