As companies seek to cash in on the trend for e-commerce which has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the rental costs of facilities are skyrocketing. This means digital technology has become crucial to optimising premium fulfilment centre space. Technology helps companies meet more demand, stay competitive, manage labour efficiency and increase productivity. Given the move from wholesale to individual order dispatch and space being at a premium, it is vital for warehouse management systems to be capable of supporting thousands of smaller orders.
This article was first published in the March 15th 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
SICK has added the Flexi Compact to its portfolio of safety controllers, featuring a modular, compact and scalable design that focuses on space saving, responsive performance and ease of use. The SICK Flexi Compact safety controller has been conceived with simplicity in mind, while enabling exceptionally responsive machine operation and real-time diagnostics, suitable for most common machine safety applications. With rapid response cycle times of up to 4 ms, the SICK Flexi Compact can help to ensure space-saving machine designs with shortest possible safety distances.
Holding excess inventory can be a costly strategy but now, because of the pandemic, Brexit and general economic uncertainty, the practice is becoming more widespread, says Eric Carter, Solutions Architect at Indigo Software. Using a best of breed warehouse management system can help to improve stock management significantly when warehouse space is tight. There are multiple ways a WMS can automate putaway, by identifying the best place to store items based on available spaces, monitoring how frequently the items will be picked and where they should be placed in the warehouse and whether items need special storage considerations.
Leuze is expanding its portfolio of stationary bar code readers with the introduction of the BCL 200i. This latest addition to Leuze’s BCL range of bar code readers is particularly suited to the detection of 1D codes on trays and containers regardless of whether the bar code is printed vertically or horizontally. The new device also incorporates automatic reflector activation (autoReflAct), enabling activation without an additional trigger sensor.
Cambium Networks’ wireless technology is entirely cloud-managed enabling rapid deployment, configuration and troubleshooting. Redway Networks has deployed Cambium in single and multiple sites to replace legacy WiFi with quick installations and seamless projects that don’t interrupt operations. Redway specialises in warehouse WiFi design with all its engineers being accredited wireless professionals and Ekahau certified, so warehouse operators can be reassured that their new wireless solution will be a safe investment for their business.
Leading zipper manufacturer YKK has been using the EPG | LFS warehouse management system since 2014. The software from EPG (Ehrhardt + Partner Group) is growing with the company. It now manages a total of four sites in Europe and ensures maximum accuracy for the inventory of the zipper manufacturer’s very wide range of items and variants.
It is uplifting to hear how the IT firms are constantly giving the logistics industry the tools to keep moving.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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