MODEX 2012: Technology and Talent Plot Their Future

George Prest’s taking the helm of The Material Handling Industry of America is one of many fresh starts delivered with the New Year 2012. MODEX, MHIA’s new supply chain show and conference, is another—and during its February 6th through 9th run, other new opportunities with great economic potential for supply chain professionals and their customers will be shown and discussed. People who have been regular ProMat attendees will have an opportunity to network with professionals they might never have met before.

“We’re looking to a much broader audience with MODEX,” Prest says. “We have 19 co-located educational partners and we have the Georgia Logistics Conference going on at the same time.”

Even Prest, during the planning phases leading up to this event, has added new connections to his network. Many of them are involved in another event representing great opportunity for international shippers: the expansion of the Panama Canal.

“I was giving a presentation to the Atlanta Chamber and the people who were there said they got approval from the EPA for expansion of the Port of Savannah,” Prest says. “That was a big deal, because with the expansion of the Panama Canal, capacity will grow from 4500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per ship to 12,000. According to Jones Lang LaSalle [a financial and real estate services firm] that means about 25% of the goods and services that go into the west coast and are transported across country will now come into those east coast ports.”

And that could mean faster service and lower cost for shippers. The estimated $300 per TEU savings by using the Canal, multiplied by 8,000 TEUs per ship, is expected to cause rapid infrastructure development around east coast ports—including construction of distribution centers and implementation of new material handling and logistics technology.

But if that technology is to return to users what they spent on it, those users and the professionals supporting them will need strong supply chain smarts. Rick Blasgen, one of the keynote speakers at MODEX, will address the talent issue during his talk. He’s president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and he told MH&L that MODEX is coming at a time when the logistics and supply chain disciplines are coming into their own.

“There are now chief supply chain officers and we’re no longer viewed just as a necessary evil,” he says. “We should be talking about moving from a cost center to a revenue generating engine for our companies and the economies we serve. The kids coming out of universities today are so much better prepared. Now we just need to get them involved with the folks who built the logistics industry so we don’t lose that historical knowledge. They need to know about things like transportation deregulation and consolidation, all the things that made us more efficient over the years. Once they understand those things they can build on them.”

The technology to be displayed at MODEX will provide a good base upon which supply chain professionals can develop their business visions. The following pages offer highlights of what will be on hand.

Stacking Shelf Bins with Dividers

Quantum Storage Systems’ 900 Series of polypropylene Stacking Shelf Bins store large, heavy, and bulky items. When used with dividers they can be stacked to make better use of storage space. Available in blue, ivory, yellow and clear, the bins are manufactured in the U.S.A.

Quantum Storage Systems
Booth 2013
Circle 155 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-155

Sustainable Paper Void Fill

Sealed Air’s new paper void fill system FasFil EZ is designed to fit in a work cell packaging environment. It uses an advanced crimping system to deliver efficient, sustainable paper packaging solutions. The system operates by activating a simple footswitch, which allows the operator to dispense a continuous length of paper void-fill material. Operators also have the option of using a programmed length output mode that sets a timer to stop the paper flow, eliminating excess paper usage per pack.

A built-in cutting mechanism allows for desired lengths of paper material to be dispensed without the risk of repetitive motion injuries sometimes associated with tearing paper by hand.

The100 percent recycled crimped paper pads ensure durable protection and significantly decrease the risk of product shifting during the shipping cycle.

Sealed Air
Booth 2709
Circle 156 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-156

High-volume Picking

Dematic’s RapidPick System for high performance split case order fulfillment uses a goods-to-person design to deliver items to an operator. Users can achieve pick rates of up to 1,000 line items per operator, per hour.

Dematic
Booth 2300
Circle 157 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-157

Shuttle for Storage and Transport

Swisslog Warehouse & Distribution Solutions’ SmartCarrier is its newest generation shuttle system for the storage and transport of items in totes and trays. SmartCarrier consolidates and releases product at high rates in required sequences. Goods are presented at ergonomic goods-to-person picking stations either directly by shuttle vehicles or connecting conveyors. The light weight, autonomously operating shuttles deliver an excellent weight/payload ratio for rapid and efficient movement of goods.

Swisslog
Booth 3105
Circle 158 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-158

Faster Safer Truck Unloading

Engineered Lifting Systems will demonstrate a destuffing platform that addresses several issues associated with manual unloading of un-palletized product (boxes, bags, totes, etc.). Destuffing platforms are designed to make container & trailer unloading significantly faster, safer and more efficient. They integrate with common telescopic and flexible conveyor systems, to increase in-bound shipping dock efficiencies.

Workers stand on an adjustable height platform that improves position in relation to changing height of product being unloaded. They position the pivoting conveyor belt adjacent to the items being unloaded, thus reducing lifting and carrying effort.

Engineered Lifting Systems
Booth 4420
Circle 159 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-159

Safety at Heights

Wildeck, Inc. will feature safety products from Ladder Industries, the company it acquired in August. A rolling ladder will be displayed, which enables employees to perform maintenance and parts retrieval at height.

Wildeck products to be displayed include EdgeGard Dock Gates, which help protect personnel and equipment from falling off wide truck pits and loading docks. The gates are designed with a smooth cantilever that allows for easy operation and long service life. When raised, the gate completely clears the opening, offering unimpeded traffic flow and maximum accessibility.

Wildeck and Ladder Industries
Booth 3709
Circle 160 or go to www.mhlnews.hotims.com/40816-160