Future Trends Archives

New Nanotechnology Development Could Change Manufacturing

Nanotechnology used to be the stuff of science fiction movies. Recent advances could turn it into a household word within just a few years. Cost has been the primary sticking point, but performance problems have also prevented industry from full scale adoption of nanotechnology. With the development of nano-graphene platelets (NGPs), nanotechnology has become both cost effective and relatively problem free, according to the March 19, 2009 article written by Dr. Bor Jang of Angstron Materials LLC for Manufacturing & Technology eJournal.

A better alternative to carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, nano-graphene platelets don’t have the performance issues of their predecessors which exhibited frustrating clumping problems and were difficult to form into composites. And NGPs finally bring nanotechnology down into an affordable price range for high volume manufacturing. You can read the Manufacturing & Technology eJournal article for Dr. Jang’s technical explanation of how NGPs are formed, but the bottom line is that NGPs provide “a much higher thermal conductivity and twice the specific surface areas” of their predecessors.

The flexibility of new NGPs, which can be combined with a wide range of materials and configured in a variety of forms, provides manufacturers with their first viable and accessible nanotechnology option. Potential applications include reinforcement of polymer materials, improved injection molding and extrusion techniques and products, ground and air lightning strike protection, aerospace thermal management and radio frequency interference protection, and battery and fuel cell innovations that could help spur large-scale transition from gas- to electric-powered vehicles in the U.S.

Dr. Jang lists a number of provocative features and benefits derived from current testing of NGPs and NGP nanocomposites, including:

Thermal conductivity five times greater than copper with faster dissipation.
Electrical conductivity similar to copper with a density four times lower.
Fifty times stronger than steel.
Very low weight, low density and small volume.
Chemical bonding to a range of resins.
High resistance to gas permeability.
Excellent corrosion resistance.
Able to remove heavy metals and radionucleides from wastewater and ground water.
High organic material absorption.
Exceptionally high intrinsic strength.
High specific surface area.
Ability to produce mass quantities in high volumes.

An innovative leader in the design and manufacture of ergonomic powered carts, DJ Products is always interested in new innovations in manufacturing. Development of NGPs puts cutting edge nanotechnology within the practical reach of U.S. manufacturers for the first time.

Avoiding the Number One Citation from OSHA

According to statistics released in publications for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the number one reason for citations in warehouses across America is the forklift. This makes perfect sense if you consider that more than 100 individuals die each year as a result of forklift related accidents and that nearly 100,000 people are injured in forklift incidents every single year.

If your employees, even ones that have been driving your forklift for a substantial period of time, don’t closely adhere to the proper safety guidelines when driving, they are putting themselves, other employees and your entire operation at risk. Forklifts can be a huge asset to the warehouse and material handling environment, but only if they are used in a consciously safe manner. Many forklifts are also loud and run on combustible fuels, which can add another element of risk to operation and storage.

Though forklifts have many potential benefits, if you run a warehouse or distribution center, there may be safer and easier alternatives to your material handling needs. Battery powered carts from DJ Products create no noise pollution and operate free of combustible fuels – they are powered by a long life battery that can easily handle an entire, fast paced shift on a single charge, making them much more efficient and much less expensive to operate than a traditional forklift.

Keeping your employees safe is integral to running a successful business and the battery powered carts from DJ Products are designed with employee safety in mind. All carts are ergonomically designed to prevent over use injuries and the overall operation is so simple that a single employee can transport heavy loads safely with very little physical effort. This gives your employees the power to perform work as quickly as they could with a forklift, without the potential hazards often associated with forklift operation. By trading in the biggest risk of employee injury for a much safer alternative you can greatly increase your company’s overall productivity while at the same time reducing risks to your valuable employees – that’s a winning situation for everyone.

Products to Help Your Business Go Forklift-Free

There’s a growing trend, particularly in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics environments to go forklift-free (see our June 11 & 13 posts). An increasing number of businesses are choosing to replace forklift trucks with safer, ergonomic material handling products that are cheaper to own and operate. As we noted, going forklift-free can result in considerable savings in production and maintenance costs while significantly decreasing worker accidents and injuries and their associated medical, insurance, workman’s compensation and lost man-hour expenses. DJ Products can help your business transition to a safer forklift-free work environment.

At DJ Products we manufacture a full line of electric cart pullers and motorized cart pushers and tugs. Our products are ergonomically designed to eliminate the pain and strain of manually pushing and pulling heavy carts and wheeled equipment. Smaller and more maneuverable than traditional equipment like forklift trucks, walkies and riding tugs, you’ll also find our products to be less costly to purchase and maintain. Implementing forklift-free solutions with DJ Products equipment offers multiple benefits, including:

Decreased operating costs, particularly equipment purchase and maintenance costs,
Decreased floor space needed to maneuver equipment,
Decreased worker injuries and attendant medical, insurance, workman’s compensation and lost man-hour costs,
Decreased liability,
Increased plant safety,
Increased worker morale, and
Increased efficiency and productivity.

DJ Products can help you plan your transition to a forklift-free environment. We specialize in solving ergonomic material handling applications with battery-powered, walk-behind tug and tugger solutions. Many of our motorized cart products can be custom configured for adaptation to almost every heavy cart pushing or pulling application. Click here to request a free brochure or video about DJ Products’ ergonomic solutions. We also offer a free demo trial program so you can try out a CartCaddy cart pusher at your facility before purchase. Our expert Sales Engineers can discuss the details of your particular application and suggest ergonomic products that will provide the appropriate solution. Click here to contact a DJ Products Sales Engineer and begin your transition to a safe, cost effective, forklift-free work environment today.

Learning to Think Sustainably

Supply Chain Sustainability and Green Sustainable Supply Chain are the coming watchwords in the material handling and logistics industries (see our July 7 post). A green sustainable supply chain is the process of using environmentally friendly resources to create products that when used — and also when eventually discarded at the end of their life cycle — break down into components that either benefit the environment or can be recycled to create new products without harming the environment.

“The whole idea of a sustainable supply chain is to reduce costs while helping the environment,” explained Patrick Penfield of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in a 2007 article for MHIA’s publication On the Mhove. To gauge the cost savings of a sustainable supply chain requires that businesses think in terms of the life cycle costs of a part, piece of equipment or process. It’s merely the next step in the evolution of cost analysis, argues Penfield. “In the past,” he says, “most companies were focused on reducing unit costs. Many companies later evolved into looking at total landed costs with the onset of global trade. Companies also started looking at the usage costs with a piece of equipment.” Figuring costs based on the total life cycle of a part, piece of equipment or process is simply taking an even broader view of cost analysis.

Approaching business and industry from the broad outlook of sustainability “could be a tremendous weapon for companies to reduce costs,” Penfield believes. “There are many facets of the supply chain that could be improved by looking at it from a sustainability standpoint.” Today, companies worldwide are reviewing design and production processes and redesigning those processes to use fewer resources and less energy. In one example, Interface Corporation, a leading maker of materials for commercial interiors, decreased the horsepower requirements of a pump system by 92% simply by using shorter, fatter pipes than originally called for. Their engineer’s redesigned system “cost less to build, involved no new technology and worked better in all respects,” Penfield points out.

Next time: Using sustainability to create a competitive edge

The Barcode Turns Forty What Will Replace It

Do you remember when barcode scanning was the new cutting-edge technology for distribution center operations? It’s hard to believe, but that was 40 years ago. As the industry considers new systems such as radio frequency that may take its place, it’s a good time to take a look at the current state of the barcode.

Barcodes brought automation to a task management process that had previously been done manually. Keeping records on paper is cumbersome and inaccurate, resulting in errors and inefficient operations. Despite these drawbacks, a recent study found that 27 percent of distribution centers are still using paper for many of their workflow procedures.

The barcode has been instrumental in streamlining basic warehouse functions such as receiving, picking and replenishing. The rise of direct-to-consumer operations has increased demand velocity, making rapid movement of merchandise through the facility even more imperative.

Food safety is another factor driving the importance of automated data capture. The Food Safety Modernization Act was instituted to compel growers, wholesalers and other members of the foodservice industry to follow more rigorous recall procedures. With consumer safety at stake, the precision of barcodes allows for more effective tracking of food items at every stage of the delivery process.

No matter what type of task management system you use, electric-powered tugs and tows from DJ Products remain a constant element of safe and efficient warehouse operations. Visit TeamCartCaddy.com and let one of our friendly Sales Engineers help you find the perfect solution for your material handling needs.

Using Sustainability to Create a Competitive Edge

Being eco-friendly is increasingly considered a social, political and economic advantage in U.S. business and industry — and, therefore, a competitive edge. Forward-thinking companies are using environmental initiatives and dedication to sustainability to create advantageous public opinion. Cutting edge, eco-friendly solutions gain customers. The extreme, sometimes almost rabid, level of dedicated customer loyalty, despite sometimes higher consumer costs, has been an unexpected benefit. An increasing number of ecologically-concerned Americans are willing to pay more for products and services that protect or sustain the environment. Interestingly, consumers view this as a way of partnering with industry to save the environment.

More industries are pursuing sustainability to reduce the life-cycle costs of parts, equipment and processes (see our July 9 post). “Anything not in a product is considered a cost; it’s a sign of poor quality,” say the authors of Green to Gold in explaining 3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays program. “As 3M execs see it, everything coming out of a plant is either product, by-product (which can be reused or sold), or waste. Why then should there be any waste?” As the authors point out, 3M views waste as unrecouped expenses and something to be avoided. The company’s goal is 100% sustainability.

Sustainability is not limited to the direct costs of business and industry. Savings can also be realized in indirect costs such as packing, transportation and other logistics considerations. Eco-friendly smart packages that reduce cardboard and filler save resources and money. Replacing gas-guzzling forklifts with energy-smart electric and motorized carts and tugs is another environmentally smart way to cut costs. Optimizing shipping loads and delivery strategies can result in significant cost savings given skyrocketing fuel prices.

Implementing a sustainable supply chain also eliminates or reduces the amount of money spent on disposal of harmful by-products, scrap and adherence to regulatory issues. In many instances, by-products previously disposed of as waste are now generating viable revenue sources for environmentally-conscious companies. Sustainability is already being used to competitive advantage by many companies who have found it a profitable way to grow market share in their industry.

Outsourcing Logistics Expected to Revolutionize Warehousing

A shift toward logistics outsourcing could spell revolutionary change for the warehousing industry that could result in leaner, more efficient business models. That was the conclusion of logistics industry experts speaking at the recent Warehouse Educational Research Council’s (WERC) annual conference in Chicago.

“In the 20th century the common business model was a large integrated company that owned, managed and directly controlled its assets,” Andy Dishner, senior director of client solutions for TMSi Logistics, told conference participants. “But in this new century we have seen a major cultural shift toward outsourcing many key functions. It really comes down to evaluating whether logistics is your core competency.”

Damian Burke, a principal with logistics consultancy Conveying Solutions Inc., joined Dishner in urging the warehousing industry to streamline logistics. Currently, companies are forced to split their resources by handling their own logistics, an area in which they may not have sufficient expertise. Burke said many companies are turning to third-party logistics providers (3PL) to solve their logistics problems. By outsourcing logistics, companies can concentrate on their primary business and leave the logistics to experts, thus streamlining their own operations.

While recommending the use of 3PLs to handle company logistics, both Burke and Dishner reminded conference participants that they could not afford to ignore logistics management. “We realize that a lot of manufacturers realize that it could be professional suicide if the choice [of a 3PL] doesn’t work out,” Dishner said. “Relationships and measurements are key,” Burke added. “We are certainly not advocating reckless investment in systems you don’t trust.”

Process Automation Key to Logistics Success

For logistics providers competing in a tight economy, process automation is an essential strategy. A MarketInsight study just released by Hubspan, Inc. surveyed more than 200 North American logistics companies with annual revenue between $30 million and $10 billion. Process automation to streamline shared processes, achieve operational efficiency and improve collaboration between customers, carriers and distributors were identified as the most critical challenges facing the logistics industry today.

“The logistics industry recorded strong growth over the past decade due to globalization and an increased demand for imported goods,” said Robert Pease, Vice President of marketing for Hubspan. “However, the industry shifted in early 2008 due to a slowing economy, rising fuel costs and a shortage of qualified personnel. This shift drives the need for logistics companies to apply efficiencies that automate processes and streamline operations to overcome current economic hurdles.”

Incompatible systems and difficulties in integrating systems were cited as the greatest challenge by a majority of survey respondents. “In an industry driven by efficiency, it is surprising that so few logistics providers are able to resolve core integration issues that impact on-time performance, process automation and customer service,” Pease said. “Increasing process automation and system compatibility illustrate two key opportunities for logistics providers looking to outperform the competition and thrive in today’s tough economic environment.”

Utilizing ergonomically designed powered carts and tugs to replace the manual transport of materials and products is one way logistics companies can increase automation and improve production efficiency. With the logistics industry facing a shortage of workers, ergonomic material handling solutions allow each worker to efficiently accomplish a greater workload while dramatically decreasing potential risk of injury. Replacing expensive, high-maintenance, fuel-guzzling forklifts and gas/diesel-powered equipment, with less costly, more maneuverable, electric-powered carts and tugs can result in a considerable savings in high fuel costs. These smaller, more maneuverable carts also provide more versatile solutions to material handling problems. For more information on ergonomic solutions to material handling problems, visit the DJ Products website.

Obama’s Mandate to Transform America

“The deepening recession creates the opportunity for federal intervention and government experimentation on a scale unseen since the New Deal,” wrote Charles Krauthammer in a column for the Washington Post Writers Group that was widely published last month. Krauthammer is one of many Beltway watchers who have been predicting “a domestic transformation as grand as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s” once President-elect Obama takes the oath of office barely a week and a half from now. Krauthammer believes that Obama’s statement, “This painful crisis also provides us with an opportunity to transform our economy to improve the lives of ordinary people,” presages what will become the key thrust of the new president’s administration: the transformation of America from the ground up.

It’s hard to argue with Krauthammer’s view, particularly given the details about the President-elect’s economic stimulus plan and jobs initiative that are beginning to trickle into the press. As Krauthammer points out, the current situation is a community organizer’s dream and that’s always been Obama’s self view. He sees himself as a world changer but it’s his own world he most wants to change. He’s got Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates on board to keep the dogs of war at bay so he can focus his energies on rebuilding America.

The economic meltdown and jobs crisis have given Obama the public mandate to foment massive changes in governmental policy. People are clamoring for help and looking to Obama to provide it. A definitive win in November and the healthy Democratic majorities that rode into the House and Senate on Obama’s coattails gave him the political mandate and clout to drive new policies through Congress. The massive bailout funds already approved, with another huge chunk of money on the way, put at Obama’s disposal what Krauthammer calls “the greatest pot of money in galactic history.” Combined, current social, economic and political forces would seem to give Obama almost unlimited power to effect change.

That change is certain to increase regulation, government oversight and red tape. Bush administration regulations that critics say weakened the EPA and OSHA at the expense of environmental responsibility and worker safety are expected to be rescinded by Obama’s team in favor of measures that place the burden of responsibility and expense of accountability back on the doorsteps of manufacturers and American business owners.

Next time: Rolling with the punches; taking a proactive approach to coming change.

How DJ Products Can Help You Be a Survivor

As we’ve said in this space before, it’s going to take a firm hand on expenses, the guts to embrace innovative ideas and products, and the flexibility to act quickly when opportunities present themselves to survive the current recession. DJ Products’ ergonomically-engineered carts, tugs and movers can help you get the jump on the competition and position your business to move boldly — and successfully — into the future.

Cost effectiveness, worker safety, healthcare issues, energy and environmental concerns, immigration and a changing workforce — these are among the most powerful issues that confront businesses owners today. Customers, workers, the public and the government will all be watching how we address these issues in the course of business. It’s no longer enough to produce a fine product. Today, we’re also graded on how we produce that product and the cost or benefit to our workers and the environment, not just our customers. Government oversight and a watchful press have added a few links to the food chain.

Here’s how DJ Products’ ergonomically-designed carts, tugs and movers can help you successfully meet these challenges:

Cost effectiveness is key when every penny counts. When DJ Products’ ergonomic carts and movers are integrated into your workplace or production operation, full return on investment is typically realized within the first year or two through increased production and worker efficiency and decreased healthcare, disability and workers’ compensation costs.
Worker safety is one of the issues at the top of President-elect Obama’s to-do list. Stricter OSHA regulations regarding ergonomic issues are expected early in his administration. During his campaign, Obama promised workers a safer work environment which industry experts predict will mean tougher ergonomic standards and increased government oversight. Implementing an ergonomic program built around DJ Products’ carts, tugs and movers will put you ahead of the game as regulations tighten up. Ergonomically designed to take the physical burden off your workers, DJ Products’ carts improve workplace safety significantly.
Healthcare issues will be another key thrust of the incoming administration. Many of the plans being discussed in the press will increase the already difficult healthcare burden on employers. Ergonomic equipment is a proven way to significantly — and immediately — decrease employee medical, insurance and disability costs.

To be continued on Friday

Tag: Future Trends