Plastic Container Blog

After reading this article I learned that the material handling market is expected to reach $104 billion in sales by 2010.  You can read the entire article here.

Material Handling Market to Reach $104 Billion by 2010

Edited by: MHM Staff

SAN JOSE, Calif.—The global material handling market is expected to reach $104 billion in sales by 2010, according to a new report by Global Industry Analysts Inc.

The research firm noted several trends affecting growth of material handling equipment and software, including the tendency toward integration of material handling systems with procurement systems, manufacturing management systems and shipping operations; increasing demand for equipment to handle small packages from the electronic retail sector; and innovation, ergonomics, safety and environmental concerns. In addition, the research firm indicated that emerging trends in the lift truck market, along with innovations, continue to redefine the material handling business.

“Globalization has set the trend for outsourcing and ongoing industrialization in developing nations, thereby resulting in emergence of new low-cost equipment manufacturers, particularly in Asian nations,” according to Global Industry Analysts. The Asia-Pacific region is projected to record sales of $25 billion in 2009.

However, the research firm projects that Europe and the U.S. will be leading regional markets for material handling equipment, capturing about 55% of the worldwide sales by 2010. Demand for industrial trucks and lifts, in particular, is expected to exceed $7 billion by 2010 in the U.S.

“Advanced and automated equipment such as automated guided vehicles, robots; and software and other services such as project management and system design are expected drive growth and sales in the overall market,” according to Global Industry Analysts. “Apart from enhancing productivity, such equipment can be easily integrated into automated factory and warehouse environments.”

The report, entitled “Material Handling Equipment: A Global Strategic Business Report” analyzes recent past, current and future market data and analytics from 2001 to 2010, historical data (1991-2000) and long-term projections (2011-2015). Demand patterns are quantified across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America.

The research reviews major players in the material handling equipment market and analyzes the markets for conveying equipment; industrial trucks and lifts; hoists, cranes and monorails; and automated material handling equipment.

For more details, visit http://www.strategyr.com/Material_Handling_Equipment_Market_Report.asp

Aircraft components can be used for 8 different things.  You can find the article here.

Landing gear for aircraft constructed with extruded fluted plastic sheet

Document Type and Number:
United States Patent 5573204

Link to this page:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5573204.html

Abstract:
Aircraft components utilize flexible fluted extruded twin wall plastic sheet to form aileron hinges, horizontal staibilizers and elevators, vertical stabilizers and rudders, compound landing gear, struts, and control systems which are lighter in weight and lower in cost than previously available structures. The landing gear has damping characteristics superior to previous gear. The invention is particularly well suited to remotely controlled flying model aircraft.

After reading this article here, you will know if the Material Handling Industry is right for you.

Reading, writing and materials handling

March 13, 2008

In the summer of 2006, an article in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye. The thrust of the piece was that the biggest challenge facing American industry wasn’t a lack of jobs. It was finding enough workers with the right combination of book smarts and skills for today’s automated, computerized and quality-focused plants, especially in the South where more and more factories are relocating.

As I started talking to materials handling equipment manufacturers, their customers, and educators, I discovered a new reality cutting across manufacturing: Gone are the days when a kid who knew how to turn a wrench could walk out of high school and into the factory down the block. Today, that same kid needs to understand PLCs, lean principles and continuous improvement. At the same time, the number of skilled workers retiring from the workforce far exceeds the number of young workers with the skills to replace them.

According to Allan Howie, director of continuing education and professional development for the Material Handling Industry of America, that same phenomenon is at work in the distribution center, where a good man (and woman) is getting hard to find (my apologies to Flannery O’Connor).

So what’s going on?

Howie tells me two phenomena are at work. First, all spectrums of the materials handling industry are evolving. “The OEMs tells us they need skilled personnel to design, manufacture and integrate their equipment,” says Howie. “And as systems become more complex and automated, the end users tell us they need employees who can operate and maintain the systems.”

Meanwhile, our industry has an image problem when it comes to attracting young people with that kind of know-how: Too many people think we’re still about back-breaking physical labor.

“We really need to make it clear to folks who are contemplating entering the industry that we’re about more than moving boxes and pallets manually,” says Howie. “If they’re adaptable and want to learn the business, there is a real career path here.”

For that reason, MHIA is working with business, guidance counselors and educators to develop the curriculum and talent the materials handling industry will need in the future.

One of the first programs to bear fruit is taking place in four high schools in the Chicago area. Launched three years ago with a sophomore class, the kids learn the reading, writing and arithmetic skills they’ll need to compete today. As they get closer to graduation, they move into a work-study environment, working on the job with a mentor who can show them the ropes.

“The student gets a chance to see what the industry is like on a day-to-day basis, and the employer providing the mentoring opportunity can see if these are students they want to hire after graduation,” says Howie.

In addition to the schools in Chicago, MHIA is talking to high schools in Miami and Long Beach, California, about implementing programs.

Will it work?

Howie says we’ll soon see, as the first senior class is about to graduate in Chicago. He has high hopes, both for these kids and what they represent. “We want to provide skilled people to our members and the user public,” he says. “That’s our education mission.”

This is an issue, by the way, that I think is important and plan to explore each month through the rest of the year. So, help me out and let me know if your company running into a skill shortage on the job? If so, post a comment below and tell me how you’re coping with employment education issues. 

After reading this article, I wonder how many other bottling companies will follow suit and switch from glass to plastic containers?  You can read the article in entirety here.

Bottling company invests in recyclable materials

Friday March 14 2008
by Precious Mills

In this modern day and age, technology is ever-growing and the St. Kitts Bottling Company Ltd has recognised the trend of advanced innovations. In January, the manufacturing firm announced and carried out its decision to bottle its beverages in plastic containers, departing from over fifty years of using glass.

The SUN visited the manufacturing organisation where an interview session was held with Chief Executive Officer Ancel Sookhai, Mobile sales Supervisor Cleopatra Lake and Marketing Manager Keithly Phillip. In addition, the visit included a tour of the modern assembly line of the newly plastic bottled beverages.    

Sookhai explained that the switch from glass to plastic comes at as a need when the company has to compete effectively in the market. He said the new bottle containers change the way the products are presented to consumers.

In addition, he praised the national identity of the products, highlighting the St. Kitts/Nevis national flag on the bottles.

The SUN understands that keeping up with the technology trend interweaves with the benefit of the employees and overall success of the St. Kitts Bottling Company. According to Sookhai, the company had to ensure that it took the step for the secured future of the company and employees to “the best of our ability.”

Sookhai told the SUN that the bottling company now has greater export advantage. He said there are no returned products and export is cheaper. He said that the new change benefits the Federation on a whole since the company will be able to generate more foreign exchange.

The company observed that glass bottled drinks are prohibited at certain public functions, since the containers could be used in violent attacks. This influenced its decision to change from bottle to glass. The SUN inquired about the marketability of the drinks in plastic opposed to glass.

The chief executive officer outlined that the glass bottles are indeed dangerous, noting that the company had refused to ever distribute the drinks in schools, for the safety of the children. He did acknowledge that marketability is one of the advantages of the plastic bottled beverages.

The marketing manger said drinking from plastic bottles is much safer. He said the bottles can be recapped for a sanitised storage of the beverages. He said the re-sealable containers uphold the integrity of the firm.

He added that the locally bottled beverages are of an international standard and the company adheres to world class quality, complying with the total Coco Cola quality regulations. He said the bottling firm has adopted the standards for other drinks as well.

Newly plastic drinks include Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta and Sparkle (Soda and Tonic Water). The Aquavita water was always bottled in plastic. St. Kitts Bottling Company Ltd is located at Buckley’s Site.

After reading this article, one will understand why plastic is the future of shipping platforms.  The entire article can be found here.

From Bob Moore’s point of view, plastic is the future of shipping platforms.

The Orlando entrepreneur, who was once the head of another, larger pallet rental-and-tracking company based in Orlando, says wooden pallets are old news.

He left the other company, CHEP, about five years ago to form iGPS, which focuses on durable-plastic pallets. Now he sees himself in a “David and Goliath” battle with his former company.

The impetus for the current squabble: a series of tests that CHEP performed last year on iGPS pallets.

The nine pallets were returned to iGPS mangled and broken after a stay at CHEP’s research-and-development center in southwest Orlando.

CHEP admits to having put the iGPS pallets under the microscope but says that’s part of the normal competitive environment. Company officials say they have offered to compensate iGPS for the damage.

“Like Coke and Pepsi, it is common practice for competitors to test each other’s products,” said Brian Beattie, a spokesman for CHEP, which is part of an Australian conglomerate. In the normal course of business, thousands of iGPS’ pallets end up in CHEP depots, awaiting retrieval, he said.

“We tested less than a dozen iGPS pallets to understand performance and safety issues in general and, importantly, to ensure a safe working environment for our employees and third-party service providers.”

But iGPS considers CHEP’s actions illegal — it says it has filed a police report about the theft — and part of a larger pattern of anti-competitive behavior.

“We know of no ’standard industry practice’ which condones the theft and destruction of a competitor’s product,” iGPS’ lawyer, Stephen Baldini, wrote last month in a letter to CHEP. “We intend to hold CHEP responsible for the full measure of damages related to its illegal and anti-competitive actions.”

Each company portrays its product as the most environmentally friendly option, and says the other is wasting natural resources. In short, they disagree on the future of plastic versus wooden pallets.

IGPS, which has 2 million plastic pallets in circulation, says climate change is pushing demand for plastic pallets, which can be recycled into new pallets if they break. It alleges that the wood in conventional pallets can harbor bacteria and bugs.

CHEP, which has 80 million pallets in the U.S. alone, says it refurbishes its wooden pallets when they break and plants two trees for every one it harvests. Plastic, it points out, is made from non-renewable resources.

“Up to this point, the best ratio of strength, durability and supply-chain cost continues to be the wood solution,” Beattie said.

CHEP does have about 400,000 plastic pallets circulating in the U.S. but said they are a “niche market.” Currently, about 87 percent of the goods shipped worldwide ride to their destination on wooden pallets, according to Bruce Scholnick, president of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association, an industry trade group.

In China, where wood is scarce, all of CHEP’s pallets are made of plastic. They also use plastic to create collapsible produce boxes and other containers. But in general, “good ol’ Mother Nature” has provided the best solution, Beattie said.

“We’ve got thousands of competitors,” he said. “There’s plenty of opportunity for all of us to compete every day.”

After reading this article found here, I learned why Shuttlelift is referred to as “premier” when it comes to material handling equipment.  Their superior customer service combine with their level of engineering sets them apart from the rest.

Shuttlelift Gantry Services

Shuttlelift has grown over the last 20 years now delivering the premier line in the material handling equipment. Their gantry cranes provide state-of-the-art Industrial Lift solutions for every field including wind power industries and the marine industry. The reason they’re called premier is because their engineering is unmatched and customer satisfaction is guaranteed with custom design changes for the industry. Apart from the 1-year warranty they provide with their products, you get an additional 5-year structural warranty. Not that you’ll need it. It’s just to assure you that you have a product you know you can count on Shuttlelift is huge. You can catch them at trade shows, including Windpower 2008 in Texas this year.

 I learned how you can help make your work place more “green” and it starts by buying more plastic bins.  You can find additional ways by reading the article found here.

Green is good for business

You’re likely doing everything you can at home to reduce, recycle and reuse, but what about at work? With these simple measures your business could do a lot to protect the environment.

• Buy more bins. Make it easy for your employees to recycle paper and plastic by simply placing an extra bin near their workstation. Put a large bin for electronic waste (such as old fax machines or computers) in a central spot and contact a recycling company to empty it regularly.
• Appoint a ‘Green Leader.’ Ask one of your employees to lead your company’s recycling efforts. Make it part of his or her job to assess current recycling practices, make recommendations, implement new measures and to encourage other employees to support your green mission.
• Do little things. Going green shouldn’t take a lot of time or effort. Little things like turning off the lights at night, lowering the thermostat or taking public transit will reduce your carbon footprint.
• Turn green into sales. Tell your customers what your business is doing to protect the environment by adding a “Green Policy” page to your website, a paragraph in your next newsletter or a line in your promotional materials. It will give your customers one more reason to buy from you.

The basic cart as well as the self dumping hopper are two material handling products that add to the ergonomically friendly work environment.  And ergonomics has become very important in the workplace today by cutting down on worker fatigue and injuries.  The equipment used in the workplace has come a long way in being user friendly.  You can learn more by reading this article in it’s entirety here.

Material Handling Equipment In A World Of Ergonomics

Ergonomics has become very important in the workplace today. Cutting down on worker fatigue and injuries is a vital part of the profit of every company. The equipment used in the workplace has come a long way in being user friendly.

Carts are one of the most basic tools that are widely used in material handling. You can now get all types of carts that have taken very important factors into consideration in there design. Some of these include cart height, handle design, caster size, and capacities. One great industrial example of an ergonomic work cart is made by Topper. You can follow the link below to view this cart. Parts and supplies used to be delivered to where they needed to be used by cart then a worker had to move them onto the work table, or they were left on the cart requiring the user to continually bend over to pick up the next needed item.

This cart is probably one of the most ergonomically advanced carts. It allows items to be loaded onto it and pushed as a standard cart, then it can be elevated and tilted if needed to create a very ergonomic work environment. Carts can go from the previous advanced cart to a basic ergo handle shelf cart. There are many options in carts that can be ergo friendly, choosing one is really dependent on your specific application.

Another material handling product that adds to an ergonomic friendly work place is the self-dumping hopper. These hoppers are often used as a collection point for trash and other debris. When full they can be picked up by a forklift and simply by pulling a release from the seat of the forklift the hopper will dump and then return to the locked position. This alleviates the fatigue of using a standard tilt truck. Self-dumping hoppers can also come with casters so that a forklift is not needed to move the hopper and it dumps by the user simply pulling a lever and once dumped it will return to the upright locked position.

Another area where ergonomics have began to play a roll in design is the hand dolly. Dollies are not simple two upright handles and two wheels anymore. There are now dollies that have three wheels on each side designed for use on stairs. The wheels rotate around while going up or down stairs to relieve the fatigue workers have by bending over and using heavy force to pull the loaded dolly. Appliance dollies have also come out with ergo designs by adding small wheels that extend out the back of the dolly when it is loaded with an appliance to help the user not strain to support the weight of the appliance.

There are so many types of material handling equipment that serve about every application in the industrial and commercial fields it is impossible to cover them all. I hope this has given you a little insight as to all the possibilities that are out there. The best thing to do is talk to a material handling expert and get their knowledge on the equipment that will best suit your needs.

IBCs (generally referred to as intermediate bulk containers) are often relied on by manufacturers and distributors of a wide variety of liquid products because of the tanks’ uniform size and shape.  The IBCs help maximize efficiency and cost savings.  You can read the entire article here.

Metano forecasts IBC rental hike

PERRINEVILLE, NEW JERSEY   March 10, 2008   Economic News

(PRLEAP.COM) As leading economic indicators continue their descent, more and more companies will turn to rental agreements to help keep costs in check, predicts Tom Wilkins, president of Metano IBC Services, Inc.

“When the economy dips, stainless steel tank rentals always increase,” he said, adding that the reasons are clear.

“With the economy becoming increasingly uncertain, our customers appreciate the greater budgeting flexibility they achieve by renting IBCs,” Wilkins said.

Manufacturers and distributors of a wide variety of liquid products rely on intermediate bulk containers, commonly referred to as IBCs, because the tanks’ uniform size and shape help maximize efficiency and cost savings.

But fewer companies are willing to purchase stainless steel tanks outright, when they don’t know how quickly they can recoup their investment in new equipment.

“IBC providers also are willing to structure longer rental terms to accommodate certain customer needs,” Wilkins said. “This allows the customer to acquire more IBC containers, if needed, or to use the cost-savings in other areas of their business.”

Wilkins’ recently published article on ezinearticles.com details further benefits of renting intermediate bulk containers, a trend that will only continue to grow if the economy worsens.

Based in New Jeresy, Metano IBC Services, Inc., is a long-time leader in the stainless steel IBC rental and services market.

Wilkins can be contacted via phone (800.634.4128).

 SLR Technology Solutions will launch the innovative new Smartflow pallet track and trace system at CeBit Hanover, the world’s largest trade fair for digital solutions.  You can read the entire article here.

New RIFD plastic pallet with SLR Technology Solutions launch

By Subscriber

New RIFD plastic pallet by Smartflow with SLR Technology Solutions on show at CeBit

Liverpool’s (S.L.R. Technology solutions/http:slr-solutions.eu) will launch the innovative new Smartflow pallet track and trace system at CeBit Hanover, the world’s largest trade fair for digital solutions which takes place from the 4th-9th March. The system already installed at German packaging manufacturer Heuchemer Verpackung GmbH & Co will be demonstrated. It will follow the journey of the reusable plastic RFID Smartflow pallet from manufacturer to distribution depot, to carriage of goods and back to distribution depot. The demonstration shows screen views of how various organisation and logistics chain functions, can see on screen and control, track and trace pallet and goods, invoicing, revenue generation and more.

Christoph Heuchemer MD of Heuchemer Verpackungen (Germany) said, “We are the first company in our industry to use this innovative and very economical combination of a novel multiway plastic-pallet and a stable tracking and tracing solution. We chose the Smartflow S.L.R. system because the relevant information on tracking and tracing links directly with our ERP system. We have a well established logistics system and the pre-installed. S.L.R. Tracking and Tracing Software fits almost seamlessly into our established systems. Interfaces between the delivery note and palett are visible which allows the customer to monitor his supply chain performance online with one glance. It also reduces the cash flow on palettes as you only pay for what you have in stock or are currently using.”

Stephan Willigens MD of S.L.R. Technology solutions said, “The Smartflow pallet is bundled with S.L.R.’S passive RFID track and trace software meaning that it is always traceable by both owner and user. It is light weight at Below 10kg reducing transport costs, it offers the robustness of wood and carries up to 1,200 kg in a high rack environment, and it can be used many times over so it is less demanding on the environment and more economical than wooden pallets.

Janet Butler from (Liverpool Ventures/http://liverpoolventures.com) a Merseyside company supporting innovation said, “ S.L.R. Is fast growing company because it meets key corporate demands for driving down production and transport costs and increasing competitiveness through use of innovation.”

S.L.R. Track and Trace software – Smart Flow pallets demonstration is on stand C20, Hall 7 Auto ID/RFID area. CeBit