Ðñïúüíôá ôïõ DJ, Á.Å.

ÓÞìåñá óõíå÷ßæïõìå ôç èÝóç ìáò óôéò ìåëëïíôéêÝò ôÜóåéò ðïõ èá ðñïêáëÝóïõí ôç âéïìç÷áíßá õëéêïý ÷åéñéóìïý. Ðáñáêáëþ äåßôå ôç èÝóç 6 Éïõíßïõ ìáò ãéá ôï ðñþôï ìÝñïò.

1. Åñãáóéáêüò ÷þñïò. Ï åñãáóéáêüò ÷þñïò áëëÜæåé Þäç ìå Ýíáí áõîáíüìåíï áñéèìü åñãáæïìÝíùí ðïõ åñãÜæïíôáé áðü áðüóôáóç êáé ðïõ åñãÜæïíôáé áðü ôï óðßôé. Ôï ðáñáäïóéáêü ãñáöåßï ôïýâëïõ êáé êïíéÜìáôïò äßíåé ôüðï óôá êéíçôÜ êáé åéêïíéêÜ ãñáöåßá. Ïé õðïëïãéóôÝò, ôá ôçëÝöùíá êõôôÜñùí, ôï óýóôçìá ôçëåóõíåäñéÜóåùí êáé ç ôçëåïðôéêÞ óýóêåøç åðéôñÝðïõí óôïõò áíèñþðïõò ãéá íá êÜíïõí åðé÷åéñÞóåéò ìå ôïõò ðåëÜôåò, ôïõò óõíáäÝëöïõò êáé ôïõò ðñïìçèåõôÝò óå üëï ôïí êüóìï áðü ïðïéáäÞðïôå èÝóç, óõìðåñéëáìâáíïìÝíïõ ôïõ ðßíáêá êïõæéíþí ôïõò. Ó÷åäüí 750.000 Üíèñùðïé æïõí Þäç êáé åðéëýïõí ôïõ RVs ôïõò. Ôï èüëùìá ôùí ïñßùí óðéôéþí êáé åñãáóßáò áñ÷ßæåé Þäç íá ðñïóêñïýåé óðþò åñãáæüìáóôå êáé ïé ðñïóäïêßåò ìáò ãéá ôçí åñãáóßá.
2. Âéïôå÷íïëïãßá. Ç ãåíåôéêÞ, ç âéïôå÷íïëïãßá êáé ç íáíïôå÷íïëïãßá åßíáé ôá ðáãêüóìéá íÝá âéïìç÷áíéêÜ óýíïñá. Ïé åðéóôÞìïíåò äçìéïõñãïýí ôùí ïñãáíéóìþí êáé ôùí åíþóåùí ðïõ îåóçêþíïõí ôïí êüóìï ìáò, êáé üëùí óôéò ðÜíôá ìéêñüôåñåò óõóêåõáóßåò. ÊÜèå Ýôïò öÝñíåé ôéò âáèéÝò áíáêáëýøåéò ðïõ èá ìáò áíáãêÜóïõí ãéá íá åðáíáðñïóäéïñßóïõí ôï ñüëï ôçò âéïìç÷áíßáò, ðþò ðáñÜãïõìå êáé ÷ñçóéìïðïéïýìå ôá õëéêÜ, êáé ôï ñüëï ôùí åñãáæïìÝíùí.
3. Ðáãêïóìéïðïßçóç. Ìéá óöáéñéêÞ ïéêïíïìßá åßíáé ìéá áõîáíüìåíç ðñáãìáôéêüôçôá. Ïé ðáãêüóìéåò áãïñÝò ãßíïíôáé üëï êáé ðåñéóóüôåñï äéáóõíäåìÝíåò. Ãéá íá åßíáé åðéôõ÷åßò, ïé åðé÷åéñÞóåéò èá ðñÝðåé íá êïéôÜîïõí ðÝñá áðü ôïõò ôïðéêïýò êáé ðåñéöåñåéáêïýò ðüñïõò ãéá íá åêìåôáëëåõôïýí ôéò åõêáéñßåò áãïñÜò óå üëç ôçí õäñüãåéï. ÄåäïìÝíïõ üôé áõôü åìöáíßæåôáé ç ðßåóç ôçò åðé÷åßñçóçò êáé ôçò âéïìç÷áíéêÞò áëëçëåîÜñôçóçò èá Ý÷åé ìéá åðéññïÞ óôá ðïëéôéêÜ, ïéêïíïìéêÜ êáé êïéíùíéêÜ æçôÞìáôá óå üëï ôïí êüóìï. Öáßíåôáé óßãïõñï üôé ïé åõêáéñßåò ãéá ôç óöáéñéêÝò åðéññïÞ êáé ôçí áëëáãÞ èá äçìéïõñãçèïýí. Ç ðñüêëçóç èá åßíáé íá äåé üôé åßíáé èåôéêïß.

Óôï æÞôçìá Éïõíßïõ ¶êñç MHEDA, Ï Steven Little, Ýíáò âáóéêüò ïìéëçôÞò óôçí ðñüóöáôç åôÞóéá óýìâáóç MHEDA, áíáêåöáëáßùóå Ýîé óçìáíôéêÝò ðáãêüóìéåò ôÜóåéò ðïõ áñ÷ßæïõí Þäç íá Ý÷ïõí åðéðôþóåéò óôç âéïìç÷áíßá õëéêïý ÷åéñéóìïý. ÌåñéêÝò ôÜóåéò åßíáé áêüìá óå Ýíá åìâñõéêü óôÜäéï ìå ôçí áíÜðôõîç ôùí åöáñìïãþí éêáíþí óôá Ýôç âéïìç÷áíßáò ìáò óôï ìÝëëïí. Others are already making their presence known and changing the way we do business today.

We agree with Mr. Little that the following six trends are poised to change the material handling industry. We have added our own thoughts about the challenges these trends will pose as we move toward the future. We invite your comments on how our industry can best meet these coming challenges.

1.  Demographics. The world¢s population is aging. The U.S. isn¢t the only country affected by the aging of post-WWII baby boomers. A quarter of Japan¢s population is older than 55. Half the population of Western Europe has passed the half-century mark. On the other end of the scale, the number of collegiates in the U.S. is slowly increasing, indicating a potentially better educated employee pool. Changing demographics influence social values, politics and business processes, forcing a rethinking and restructuring of the ideas and systems that drive society — and business.
2. Urbanization. Cities worldwide continue to grow larger. By 2000, 25 cities boasted populations greater than 10 million. By 2025, 62% of the world¢s population is expected to live in cities. The logistics of providing for the needs of these compacted populations will require new thinking and applications.
3. Immigration. Within a decade, Spanish will be the primary language spoken in 20% of U.S. homes. As with the 19th century influx of English-speaking immigrants — Irish, Scottish and British — Spanish-speaking immigrants are bringing a wealth of very diverse cultural differences and customs to our shores. America will again need to meet the challenge of assimilation, a process that always engenders significant change.

To be continued Monday.

In our last post we talked about the importance of wheel design in reducing friction. But why is that important? The answer is that any design element that decreases the force that must be exerted by the operator to manipulate a piece of equipment increases efficiency and decreases the risk of potential injury. The result is greater productivity. This is the goal of ergonomic design both in the design of equipment and the environment in which it will be used.

When a wheeled piece of equipment is used, the operator must first overcome inertia and friction. The initial force necessary to start an object in motion is far greater than the sustained force necessary to keep it moving. Once in motion, optimum sustained, or rolling, force is achieved when a steady, constant velocity is achieved. Any need to decrease or increase velocity requires increased force to combat inertia. This is particularly noticeable during turning and maneuvering when significant force must be applied to change direction. Stopping a piece of wheeled equipment requires the same high level of force as starting it. As when accelerating, the operator must overcome high levels of inertia and friction to decelerate.

The four physical elements required to move a piece of wheeled equipment — starting, rolling, turning and stopping — can place tremendous stress on the operator¢s musculoskeletal system. If performing these tasks manually, workers frequently overexert and strain muscles while applying the necessary force to start or stop a piece of equipment. Turning and positioning equipment can cause operators to assume asymmetric body postures during exertion which can cause musculoskeletal injury.

Ergonomically designed carts and tugs seek to achieve the optimal wheel size, type, placement and composition to decrease the force an operator must exert to move a piece of equipment.