April 14, 2016

By Cherie Shepard, Director of Material Handling, DRI

My team and I returned from Modex very excited about the many people we met, our visit with current clients, seeing the latest equipment on display, and learning the sizzle of what is happening in our industry.

Our feet can tell you that we covered thousands of square footage and covered hundreds of exhibits. It’s no wonder the show is considered "the Greatest Supply Chain Show on Earth!”

Modex is such a great opportunity for companies to debut their newest products to the market and talk about the latest news including that Automation is moving forward. As states increase minimum wage, the need to automate becomes a greater reality. This increase along with the growing e-commerce market continues to make Supply Chain Automation a growing industry.

According to eMarketer, US e-retail sales will nearly double to just over half a trillion dollars by 2019.  With the need for automation and the increasing need for warehouse and distribution facilities comes a need for new skills in the workplace.

We talked to several companies who brought new technology to the show. Here is a sampling of our conversations.

SSI SCHAEFER 

WAMAS – Warehouse Management, Warehouse Control and Material Flow System – This software, exclusively developed by SSI SCHAEFER, works within the warehouse to offer value added services, stock management, picking enhancement, material flow and inventory tracking within a facility. The continuous development and enhancement of WAMAS brings state of the art technology to the client.

CUBY is SSI SCHAEFER’s new one-level shuttle system. This system can work with bins and cartons and allows for optimization of space and can be customized for height variances. Along with the space efficiencies it offers a quick return on investment.

SSI SCHAEFER also introduced a new Vertical Lift Module, LogiMat®. This latest edition does not require chains or belt drives. This large cabinet system allows for storage and picking of small parts.

Gorbel

Road Ranger is the mobile system that meets the OSHA fall protection codes.      It can adjust to heights from 18’, 20’ or 22’ and has a 310 lbs. capacity. It is rated for highway towing up to 65 mph. The Road Ranger is used with a full body harness and self-retracting lanyard to stop a fall when a worker is working above the 4’ OSHA maximum working height.
 

Bizerba

Bizerba celebrates its 150 years in business and brings a 5-year warranty on logistical scales and new batch of high-speed terminals. Bizerba provides weighing and labeling equipment that can meet the requirements found in manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

Forte

Forte a Swisslog company is focused on optimizing distribution centers with its warehouse automation and warehouse execution software, WES.

Swisslog as a part of Kuka attracts growth markets like warehouse logistics and the healthcare sector. At Modex they are together demonstrating the interaction of the systems.

On display is the “worker friendly Kuka Robot” AIP, Automated Item Pick” that works with people and can sense their interaction which assists with picking processes and safety.

The CycloneCarrier, which provides hourly throughput of up to 1000 infeeds and outfeeds per aisle was also on display. This shuttle can work in the retail, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries,

The newest member of the Swisslog family was also discussed on the Modex floor. Swisslog acquired PAS, Power Automation Systems, bringing this leader of pallet shuttle ASRS to the team.

Seeing our clients and meeting with a variety of specialists in the industry is a key to assisting with the growth of the market. Skilled candidates are busy and in most cases, happy with their current situations. However, we always want to be able to share the buzz of the industry with our clients and potential candidates to make the opportunities we present enticing and “worth a listen”. The education we receive from shows like Modex, is imperative to that success.