Study: Plastic Pallets Better for Environment
An independent study comparing the environmental impacts of iGPS’ all-plastic pallet and the typical pooled multi-use wood pallet has documented that iGPS’ pallet has a significantly lower environmental impact.

The analysis, conducted by Environmental Resources Management, is the first study to measure the total life cycle impact of both iGPS’ plastic pallet and the typical multi-use wood pallet.

The study measured environmental impacts, taking into account pallet durability and useful life, material composition, trip distances and weight. The ranges of environmental impact differences between iGPS’ pallet and the typical multi-use wood pallet, using conservative and more realistic assumptions for the impact categories studied, were:

• Abiotic depletion: 25% - 35% less impact
• Global warming: 65% - 70% less impact
• Ozone Layer Depletion: 91% - 92% less impact
• Photochemical oxidation: 60% - 65% less impact
• Acidification: 60% - 65% less impact
• Eutrophication: 75% - 80% less impact
• Aquatic ecotoxicity: 50% to 55% less impact
• Terrestrial ecotoxicity: 90% to 92% less impact

Material Handling Equipments

Material handling equipment and the materials to be handled are the essential factors related to engineering. It is equipment that specially designed for handling packaged or bulky items that is generally in a production, shipping or storage facility. There are various material handling equipments that are used for handling of materials and there are some range of products such as belt conveyor, bucket elevator, bin activator, bag dump station, dust collectors, diverter values, lump breakers, screw conveyor, silo/hopper manufacturers and many others comes under the category of material handling equipments.

Material handling equipment is used to transport, stack, recover and feed bulk materials and the manufacturers can design and manufacture all kinds of equipments related to Pneumatic Conveying System and Material Handling Equipments. Bulk tankers are used for transporting a wide variety of products like cement / fly ash, soda ash, alumina etc. and also the bulk tankers are available in mild steel and stainless steel to suit application.

Using Bulk material handling system, it can increase your production while decreasing your labor and energy cost. Heavy machinery handling is a task that would require specially designed equipment. Heavy machinery like pneumatic conveyors, milling machines and more are used in the places like engineering, farms and construction.

PCEM is a company dedicated to the manufacture of innovative products and services with continuous improvement of Pneumatic Conveying and Material Handling Systems. We are well capable to meet the growing demands of bulk handling industries’ equipped with modern machinery and manned by experienced technical personnel in the field of Pneumatic Conveying System. For more details about our company please view: http://www.pcemengg.com

Reportbuyer: New Report: Produce Packaging Demand to Reach $4.7 Billion in 2012

Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report providing an in-depth overview of the produce packaging industry in the US.

The report “Produce Packaging: US industry forecasts for 2012 & 2017″, available at http://www.reportbuyer.com/go/FED00209 expects the demand for produce packaging to approach $4.7 billion in 2012. The growing demand will be stimulated by a number of trends including increased produce production, favourable demographic trends, growth in consumer spending, and a rising quest for fresh-cut produce as a result of the rising awareness of healthier eating among consumers.

Authors of the report expect corrugated boxes to remain the leading produce packaging product type through 2012. While box demand will increase at a slower than average pace, advances will be driven by the expanded prevalence of more costly box types such as modular boxes, white-top liner-board boxes and moisture-resistant recyclable boxes. Plastic containers will experience the fastest gains, resulting from continued favourable increases in berry production and expanding applications for clamshells, bowls and other plastic containers in other produce uses.

Bag and liner demand is expected to increase nearly in line with the overall produce packaging average, decelerating from the 2002-2007 pace as the salad market becomes more mature and plastic material price increases become more moderate. Bag and liner demand is expected to increase nearly in line with the overall produce packaging average, decelerating from the 2002-2007 pace as the salad market becomes more mature and plastic material price increases become more moderate, whilst demand for mesh, and paper and textile bags will climb more slowly due to greater maturity and competition from plastic bags.

Furthermore, the report projects that reusable plastic containers (RPCs) will log above-average growth, though advances will level off from the 2002- 2007 pace based on the increased supply of existing RPCs. Moderating gains will be the well-established position of corrugated containers and the reluctance of retailers to make the capital investment required to accommodate RPCs.

“Produce Packaging: US industry forecasts for 2012 & 2017″ presents historical demand data (1997, 2002 and 2007) plus forecasts for fresh produce packaging through 2012 and 2017 by packaging product type, application and end user. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 40+ industry competitors, including Bemis, Georgia-Pacific and International Paper.

Economic Forecast: Patches of light amidst scattered gloom for materials handling
Some industries will prosper, others will continue to struggle into the year ahead
Tom Andel — Logistics Management, 8/19/2008
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in early summer, following four months of contraction. In fact, the overall economy grew for the 80th consecutive month, according to a recent Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.
The report noted that manufacturers’ inventories increased in June as the Inventories Index registered 51.2%, which is 3.2 percentage points higher than the 48% reported in May. This was the first month of inventory expansion following 25 consecutive months of inventory liquidation. An Inventories Index greater than 42.4%, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
Among the nine industries reporting growth are:
·     paper products

·     computer and electronic products

·     petroleum and coal products

·     food, beverage and tobacco products

·     chemical products

·     primary metals

·     furniture and related products, and

·     fabricated metal products.

The industries reporting contraction are: wood products; electrical equipment, appliances and components; transportation equipment; machinery; nonmetallic mineral products; apparel, leather and allied products; and plastics and rubber products.
Do these numbers constitute any kind of long-term trend?
“I think it’s safe to say the petroleum industry won’t be going into recession in 2008, nor will chemical, and food and beverage,” says Norbert J. Ore, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. “Electronics and electrical equipment are good and materials handling is getting some of what these people are getting. There’s still a lot of industrial capital expansion taking place in power plants, refineries and energy making facilities.”
However, Ore adds, until we see those industries that are on the bottom start to pick up, the economy probably won’t change much.
Indeed, the latest Material Handling Equipment Manufacturers (MHEM) Forecast released by MHIA last month reports that prospects for 2009 have changed for the worse from this time last year. Instead of a rebound, it now appears that the contraction forecasted for 2008 will continue into 2009. For this we can thank the housing market contraction, oil price impact, reduction in corporate profits, and flagging consumer and investment confidence.
“Not one of our leading indicators clearly predict a turn in 2008 or 2009,” MHIA sources noted.
MHIA’s outlook for 2008 and 2009 calls for a mild market contraction. MHEM New Orders grew 8.3% in 2007. MHIA’s forecast is for modest growth in 2008 leading to a contraction in the 5% to 7% range continuing in 2009 with a possible recovery in late 2009 or early 2010.
MHEM Shipments expanded 8.9% in 2007. Buoyed by a currently healthy backlog, Shipments will continue to grow at healthy rates in 2008 and contract 5% to 7% in 2009 and 2010.

MHEM Consumption grew 5.3% in 2007. MHIA forecasts that Consumption or Domestic Demand (shipment plus imports less exports) will grow slightly in 2008 and contract 2009. Exports grew 23% in 2007 and are forecasted to grow 18% in 2008 and slow modestly in 2009.

Evolution by acquisition
A rash of M&A announcements begs the question: why is materials handling so hot all of a sudden?

JDA Software Group Inc. announces plans to acquire i2 Technologies. Nova-Tech announces it will assume most of Transbotics’ assets. IBM announced plans to acquire ILOG.  These recent acquisition announcements have one thing in common: materials handling.

Materials handling is key to a healthy supply chain, and investors are bringing new visibility to that fact. Of course, the strategic importance of our field is nothing new to us, but after seeing this rash of acquisitions hit the wires, I wanted to find out if the business world at large is suddenly seeing materials handling in a new light.

“Private equity groups are identifying materials handling as a very interesting area,” acknowledges Jim Lavelle, managing director and co-head of the Industrial & Environmental Technologies group for the investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey.  “We’re seeing flows of capital into this sector, a lot of innovation, and competition among the players to be relevant again with their customer base. When we worked on the sale of JB Webb to Daifuku, they saw Webb as being extremely important for their growth because the Japanese marketplace is not long term expected to be a very good growth market with its declining population.”

At one time materials handling was seen as nothing more than a way to lift and transfer products with hooks and chains. Now even the Columbus McKinnons of the world are diversifying into more sophisticated offerings. The company’s Solutions segment has taken the company beyond hoists to more integrated workstation and facility-wide material handling systems. Eugene Bazemore, senior vice president in Lavelle’s group, agrees that materials handling is evolving to meet higher expectations.

“There’s a convergence of automation with controls that were traditionally embedded into the control room on the process side for a plant,” he told me. “As they start to be used for supply chain management you’re seeing higher technologies being employed including on the AGV side. Even in conveyors it’s not just chain any more, it’s power and free and automated movement, with higher end tracking technologies such as RFID. There’s more precision in the sensors used on the plant floor. As these technologies converge we’re seeing a lot of the materials handling players, with their knowledge of the plant floor and of material flow, being more successful than others in performing the integration needed in each of these vertical industry silos.”

It will be interesting to watch how these mergers and acquisitions shape materials handling state of the art on a global scale. We’ve already seen a growing European influence with the Mecalux acquisition of Interlake, and Daifuku’s Asian technology knowhow is sure to shape the Webb product line going forward. Have you noticed a difference in the products and services you’re getting from materials handling vendors? Tell me how. Either post a blog entry or e-mail me at tom.andel@reedbusiness.com.

Hoisting Equipment Remains an Important Part of Material Handling Systems
Hand Hoists and Electric Hoists Available From A Plus Warehouse

LYNN, MA–(Marketwire - October 7, 2008) - Hoists are an essential part of any material handling system, but many people find them confusing to order. A Plus Warehouse, a national material handling dealer, can help with most all phases of your overhead material handling needs.

“Our expertise in hoisting and lifting starts at the loading dock,” said Ed Stairman, president of A Plus Warehouse. “Trucks are held in place with our wheel chocks, and are then unloaded using our dock plates and dock boards. From this point a conveyor or hand truck can move the items into the warehouse where they are then picked up by a chain hoist, and then stored in our shelving or industrial racks.”

Hoists come in two options: hand chain hoists or electric hoists. Hand hoists tend to require a lot of effort to lift, or it takes a lot of hand motion to produce a small amount of lift. A Plus Warehouse suggests powered hoists for capacities over 2000 pounds.

“An electric hoist may seem like a daunting item to order, but we make it easy,” said Stairman. “We show electric hoists in single and three phase arrangements to match the power supplied at your plant. Where ever possible, we suggest three phase, as there is much less current drawn than single phase, allowing the motor to run cooler and last longer. Single phase is available for electric hoists, but capacity is limited. We also offer constant speed as well as dual speed for your convenience.”

Other material handling equipment you may need to order for your hoist includes trolleys, gantry or jib cranes and hook devices. These are exceptionally easy to order and A Plus Warehouse will not let you order an item that is not compatible with your hoist order. Their sales people are highly trained, and ready to help with any questions you may have regarding your order.

Natural Products Expo East Brings Its Green to ‘Beantown’
Plans in place for environmentally responsible practices 

BOULDER, Colo., Aug 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products Expo-BioFach America ( www.expoeast.com), to be held October 15-18 in Boston, Mass., will make a lighter impact on the environment this year by implementing several sustainable practices. More than 1,200 exhibitors and 25,000 overall expected attendees of the East Coast’s largest natural, organic and healthy products trade show will experience, and take part in, choices that honor the environmental commitment of the industry.
“Natural Products Expo East is creating a green event that has a broad and thoughtful array of environmentally friendly practices,” said Dan Ruben, executive director of Boston Green Tourism. “By doing so, they are demonstrating the kinds of practices that are very important to our future.”
This year, show organizers are implementing a comprehensive greening plan that includes the following:
– A program that encourages and recognizes exhibiting companies to reduce their environmental impact at the show through trash diversion, travel offset and sustainable booth design.
– The use of recyclable, biodegradable and sustainable materials whenever possible, including jute attendee bags and signage created from 90 percent recycled and fully recyclable materials.
– Utilization of bulk containers and reusable or compostable service ware and cups for all food service.
– 32,000 compostable badge holders instead of the plastic standard, which will divert about 810 pounds of plastic from the landfill — the equivalent of 16,200 plastic bottles.
– An extended onsite recycling program that includes traditional recycling, shipping material recycling and composting.
– The “Travel Green and Save Green” program, which will fund travel for up to 1,000 people traveling 300 miles on public transportation. The program will reduce 884 tons of carbon emissions (see BEF Carbon Calculator: http://www.b-e-f.org).
– A renewable energy sponsorship that, through the purchase of Green Tags, will provide 122,780 kWh of clean, renewable energy credits to offset the energy used during the show
– A paperless press room
“By partnering with the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, our trade show vendors and our exhibitors, this year’s show will prove to be our greenest yet, and will set the standard for improvement in the years to come,” said Erica Stone, show manager for Natural Products Expo East, produced by New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton Media.
Reducing environmental impact is a major initiative for the trade show industry as a whole, and a joint project between major meeting organizers including New Hope Natural Media and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working to define an industry standard for green meetings.
“Green Guru” recycling and renewable energy initiatives are produced in partnership with Nordic Naturals and WhiteWave Foods. For more information about Natural Products Expo East, including green initiatives, visit www.expoeast.com and click on ‘Green Efforts.’
Members of the media who provide editorial content may attend the show free of charge. Register online at www.expoeast.com/media. This show is open to a professional audience of manufacturers, buyers, retailers, media and service providers. It is NOT open to the general public.
New Hope Natural Media ( www.newhope.com), a division of the Penton Media Inc., is the leading media resource and information provider for the natural, organic and healthy products industry, with print, in-person/event, and e-business products and services. Penton Media is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than 6 million business professionals every month. The company’s market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.

Ridg-U-Rak, Inc.

Ridg-U-Rak Offers Guide to Simplify Rack Selection
North East, PA - August 2008 - Equipping a facility with a new storage rack system or adding new capacity to an existing setup can be a problematic and time consuming task. Ridg-U-Rak has a storage rack guide available to clarify options and to help simplify the selection of the system or systems that best fit the needs of the facility.

The Ridg-U-Rak Storage Rack Systems Selection Guide provides information and specifications on each type of rack system. It also describes the customer-centric engineering and design process, while detailing the safety features and innovations that Ridg-U-Rak has brought to the storage rack industry.

Features & Benefits
Illustrations of the systems, typical applications and options available are also presented in the selection guide, along with many features and benefits for every type of storage rack system.

Additionally, the guide highlights the manufacturing process, the powder-coat paint system used on all products, and Ridg-U-Rak’s highly skilled, full service installation teams that keep a project on time and on budget.

For more information on Ridg-U-Rak’s systems, contact Dave Olson toll free at 866-479-7225 or email: sales@ridgurak.com.

RIDG-U-RAK, a leading manufacturer of storage rack systems for distribution centers, industrial warehouses and retail shopping facilities, is a member of RMI, the Rack Manufacturers Institute, MHIA, the Material Handling Institute of America, and MHEDA, the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association. Customers include most large-scale distribution, retail, and home improvement centers, in addition to industrial warehouse operations.

MHIA funds OSU ergonomic research
The Material Handling Industry of America announces its first-ever direct funding of materials handling and logistics research.
By Staff — Modern Materials Handling, 8/15/2008
MHIA will support Ohio State University (OSU) researchers toward the creation of a research center focused on distribution ergonomics. The $50,000 research grant is provided by MHIA through its College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE).

Caroline Sommerich and Stephen Lavender of OSU were awarded the grant for their research proposal titled, “Developing a Distribution Ergonomics Research Center.”

The specific aims of the proposal are:

Create a research center that develops and evaluates ergonomic methods, tools and processes that will allow distribution center workers to work more safely and efficiently

Develop partnerships between regional DCs and materials handling equipment manufacturers to assist the DCs in becoming “workplaces of excellence” with the proper use of ergonomics and lean engineering.

“MHIA is proud to support this important research, which will contribute significantly to the body of knowledge on ways to improve the safety and productivity of warehouses and distribution centers,” says Daniel Quinn, Material Handling Industry vice chairman of education planning and professional development. “Going forward, MHIA is anxious to support research such as this which will benefit the safety and productivity of factories and warehouses in the United States.”
MHIA anticipates increasing its funding for materials handling and facility logistics research in 2009. A call for those proposals is scheduled to go out in late 2008.