This month’s insights focuses on the “four pillars” of American manufacturing strength, along with an analysis of a 2024 panel on the robotics and automation picture. Because we are the start of a very hot summer, we included an analysis of how you should approach any HVLS warehouse fan implementations as well.
Insights: The 4 Pillars of American Manufacturing, Warehouse Heat and More
June 27, 2024
by Scott Stone
Posted in Industry Insights|
It’s Critical: Pallet Rack Load and Application Drawings
June 18, 2024
by Scott Stone
It’s a fact of life: companies need to adapt to new business, and that means the warehouse.
Your customer base might change. Your company’s inventory strategy could differ from year to year, which means new loads and shifting layouts. You may need to move racks from one place to another or supplement them with new components or replace damaged ones. To be sure your warehouse is safe, you should have load and application drawings.
Tags: warehouse design, facility safety
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
May 2024 Insights: Supply Chain Academy, Robots & Safety
May 28, 2024
by Scott Stone
This month, we delve into the Oklahoma Manufacturing Supply Chain Summit, the confluence of safety & automation, a dive into American manufacturing productivity and more.
Posted in Industry Insights|
Cisco-Eagle Awards 2023-2024 Top Vendor Partners
May 16, 2024
by Scott Stone
Because we believe that great customer service is impossible without great vendor partners, Cisco-Eagle awards its top partners every fiscal year. We award our top five by purchase volume. This year, we have added a category for Most Valuable Partner outside of that top five. That award is given to a vendor who exemplifies partnership in its service, commitment to our customers and great outcomes.
Tags: service, Partnership
Posted in ESOP & Company News|
Palletizers: Robotic vs. Conventional
May 7, 2024
by Scott Stone
Palletizers are great for higher-volume operations. They increase palletizing speed, increase safety, and build solid, consistent pallets without human intervention. In today’s tough labor market, palletizing is one of the best places to automate and reduce manual involvement. Fully-automated systems come in two basic varieties: conventional and robotic, either of which could be the right fit for your operation.
Tags: Palletizers, Safety & Ergonomics
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Scissor Lift Platform Options for Improved Productivity & Ergonomics
April 4, 2024
by Scott Stone
Building a more ergonomic material handling operation almost always equates to building a more efficient one. People who don’t need to bend, strain or lift as often are usually more effective, faster and less prone to injury. If it takes energy or time to turn, lift or maneuver a load, it’s this simple: you’re losing productivity. Many companies use scissor lift tables to help them lift heavy and bulky loads and can make the process even better by understanding what happens when that load reaches its desired height.
Tags: Conveyor, ergonomics, facility safety
Posted in Lifting & Lift Systems|
Vertical Conveyors Loading and Unloading Integration
March 21, 2024
by Scott Stone
There are many ways to transport products vertically in a warehouse or manufacturing operation, each with its distinctive advantages and limitations. These methods can range from extremely basic – a forklift and a pallet – to fully-integrated, automated systems. Vertical conveyors are one of the most common methods for certain loads and situations. What are some of the integration factors for these conveyors, and how can you handle them?
Tags: conveyors, mezzanine, work platforms
Posted in Lifting & Lift Systems|
Stress and The Warehouse Worker: What are the Issues?
February 27, 2024
by Scott Stone
This month, we delve into the stresses faced by warehouse workers, and how that may play into the sector’s competitiveness for labor as the available pool continues to contract. Also: detailed data on manufacturing output, ROI for industrial capital spending, and a bit more.
Tags: Automation, Manufacturing, labor
Posted in Industry Insights|
How to Convey Heavy, Fragile Cartons
February 22, 2024
by Scott Stone
Beverage handling systems have always been challenging. Cartons of expensive wine and liquor are heavy – and dense. And prone to damage. Sometimes these loads can be perishable and need to move fast through a system from picking to packing. The need to serve both retail and ecommerce customers from the same facility also complicates these design challenges.
Tags: product damage, ergonomics, order fulfilment, warehousing
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
Warehouse Ergonomics and Productivity: an Inseparable Relationship
February 6, 2024
by Scott Stone
Improving the ergonomics of any warehouse operation may be the single easiest way to improve productivity – and that’s aside from the obvious safety and labor force protection aspects. Consider all the ways people move and work every day, every week, every year. Those repetitive motions take a toll both on the people doing the work and overall productivity. Ergonomics and productivity are not only related: they’re essential to each other.
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|