The Material Handling Blog

The Art of Project Management

Blake Bearden — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:02:51 +0000

Project management is more or less the art of making things happen, or moving a project forward to completion. Sounds simple enough, right? We all wish that were the case anyway! Even simple projects can quickly turn complex with delays in supplier shipments, installing a system during a customer's operating hours, sourcing miscellaneous hardware in an unfamiliar area, handling issues with working dynamics between multiple sub-contractors, etc. I have been involved in multiple projects, which I felt would go smoothly, only to quickly find out that the proverbial "Murphy" decided to step in, mix things up, and make things more interesting. It's during times like these that one's project management skills are put to the test. Continue Reading >>

Automation in the Retail Space: Is It Closer Than We Think?

Kevin Darby — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:08:13 +0000

I often joke with my wife about what it would look like if I took my two passions in life--designing and building warehouse automation systems and cooking--and combined them into one enterprise, an automation café. All the food would be delivered automatically, and the wait staff would be in the form of some fun type of HMI (Human Machine Interface) screen. Over the years, I have had fun dreaming of how something like this might look and function. Would the conveyors used to deliver the food be placed over top of the tables or come up from under the floor? I like to envision the waiter on the HMI screen being a Max Headroom-like character, but perhaps the entire restaurant would be run by robots delivering food like Rosie in the Jetsons. Read More >>

Help Me, Help You — A Project Engineer’s Take on RFPs

Ahmed Arif — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:58:20 +0000

End users... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. We love our customers. They keep us in business. More importantly, they make the world go round. BUT, we do need to talk. In this day and age, it's absolutely crucial to develop a sound request for proposal, or RFP. There are several key advantages to taking the time and effort to do so, but this isn't a how-to on on RFPs. Instead, it is key information that you should think about as it relates to your projects. Read More >>

Feed Your Web Face

Ric Starost — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:17:31 +0000

Your website is your company's face. It is most likely the first place a new customer will learn about you. It represents who you are, what you do, where you are located, when you were founded and why you are better than everyone else. You need to feed it with content. Read More >>

Vectura ASRS Stacker Crane Offers System Flexibility

Johan Källvik — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:50:53 +0000

Imagine a warehouse in which rows of full pallets could be stacked up to 165 feet in the air, one on top of another, on top of another. Then, with the ease and grace of a high quality machine, one of those pallets--weighing as much as 6,600 lbs--is gently lifted from its storage space and quickly brought to a worker at ground level. This is the amazing world of automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). These automated systems have been perfected through the use of Swisslog stacker cranes. These cranes swiftly transfer pallets, containers, and even cars from storage slots within the ASRS to a pickup station outside the system... Read More >>

Does Santa Claus need a Material Handling System?

Robin Kochis — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:35:42 +0000

When I first read through the sales coordinator job description at Bastian Solutions, a material handling system integrator, I didn't fully understand what this company did. Someone on the outside might ask what exactly a material handling system (MHS) is. While the CAD drawings (computer aided design drawings) look like they were drawn by a rocket scientist, an MHS very simply moves (handles) something (material) from point A to point B; an item is going from here to there. As I learned more about material handling systems, I thought--a silly thought I admit--that even Santa Claus would be more efficient with a conveyor system... Read More >>

How a Controls Engineer Does Christmas Lights

Tim Maynard — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:17:44 +0000

So there I was three Christmases ago opening a present from my mother-in-law, and to my surprise, she bought me a Mr. Christmas's, "The Lights and Sounds of Christmas." I've always put up a lot of lights for Christmas, so the gift made sense, but basically, it's a box that syncs music to Christmas lights. That first year I synced some of my Christmas lights to music but found the Mr. Christmas box to be a bit limited since there were only six outputs. So, as a typical controls engineer, I knew I could do this better! Why not treat it as a machine... Read More >>

20 Awesome Gifts to Get an Engineer This Holiday Season

Stefanie Keffaber — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:40:19 +0000

If you're anything like me, you've probably procrastinated on this year's holiday shopping. And if you're really like me, you have an engineer on your shopping list, and you're struggling to find him or her the perfect gift. Well, you're in luck because I've spent the last week digging around the Internet to find some ideal gifts, ranging from humorous to down right practical... Read More >>

Why You Should Care About the Price of Non-Compliance

Greg McGiffney — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:18:22 +0000

Most engineers and operators in the manufacturing and production world understand the need for quality in their processes. The inherent value of "zero-defect" delivery of goods and services to a customer or end user reduces many of the headaches associated with repairs, returns, and reworks. All of these issues point to added time and expense for a supplier, as well as reduced customer satisfaction. But those having a deeper understanding of the reasons behind these issues and metrics understand that the cost of quality is a factor that cannot be avoided... Read More >>

The Power of Hopes and Dreams

Bill Bastian II — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:38:24 +0000

As a child, I was very fortunate to have a great family that encouraged me to work hard, do my best, and go after my dreams. I was also blessed throughout school with great friends, coaches, and teachers that helped build my character, knowledge, and imagination. Unfortunately, many young people have not been given this same level of encouragement, but as adults, it is our responsibility to encourage our youth and teach them to go after their dreams... Read More >>