Efficient packaging solutions are Antalis Packaging’s main focus for those in the transport, logistics and supply chain management sectors at Multimodal 2016, Stand 819, 10-12 May, NEC Birmingham. Creating bespoke solutions for individual business requirements is core to the offering, helping to improve operational efficiency through packaging automation. Antalis Packaging provide end-to-end automated solutions from void fill and case erectors/closers, through to pallet wrappers, weighing machines and stretch films.

Dust, debris, dirt – the deadly 3Ds for those working environments where cleanliness is most certainly next to godliness. In food and drink factories, cosmetics manufacturing, health-focused facilities or pharmaceutical environments, the constant drive for improved hygiene goes right alongside ever-better product purity and quality. Which means every product application within that working environment must adhere – and contribute to – the strictest demands of hygiene.

Advanced logistics operator, Arcese, has chosen a tailor made loading bay solution, designed and installed by industry leader Thorworld Industries, for its new facility in Daventry (UK). The Arcese Group, one of the leading private logistics operators in Europe, runs hubs throughout the UK and has recently expanded its operation with the acquisition of its new depot.

Plans have been submitted for a distribution centre in South Gloucestershire (UK) for international parcel delivery company DPD. The decision to open a new distribution centre at Vertex Park, Emersons Green near Bristol follows a period of growth in the UK for DPD, which it says is largely due to the success of its unique Predict service. Predict notifies customers of their one hour delivery slot in advance, so that they don’t have to wait in all day for a parcel.

Wood has maintained its dominant share of the pallet market in the UK in spite of challenging conditions in the last few years.
John Dye, President of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) says: “This has been one of the most challenging periods for our sector on record. We’ve seen price pressure, supply issues, a competitive market and a sustained campaign by manufacturers who use other materials, but the wooden packaging and pallet industry has shown its resilience and wood has maintained its share of more than 90 per cent of the pallet market.

The first question we have for this month is how best to calculate the load capacity of a mezzanine floor. Our second question also involves calculation, this time the SWL of bespoke racking that has been installed by a “friend of a friend”. Load capacity of a mezzanine floor Q. I have been tasked with finding out the loading capacity of an area of Mezzanine flooring which was already installed within our premises.

Port Salford National Import Centre, the UK’s first Tri-modal logistics facility, has opened with the Culina Group as its first occupier. Great Bear Distribution, now the ambient division of the Culina Group after its acquisition last month, will be managing warehousing and distribution of a range of ambient brands from the showpiece 280,000sq ft. facility.

Fruits and vegetables have a very short shelf life after harvest. In order to prevent post-harvest losses, they have to be processed immediately or stored under refrigerated conditions. Cold Storages and Cold Chain are essential for extending the shelf life, period of marketing, avoiding glut, post-harvest losses reducing transport bottlenecks during peak period of production and maintenance of quality of produce.  It is, therefore, necessary that cold storages are to be constructed in major producing as well as consuming centres.  

Technology has an enormous impact on warehouse productivity. But, short of a complete robotic environment, it still comes down to people understanding how to use the technology to do it faster, better and cheaper. That’s why warehouse training for new technology implementations is so important. Recently, we had a Q&A session with Fred Kimball, a veteran warehouse design consultant and principal at Distribution Design, about how companies should (and shouldn’t) introduce new technology on the warehouse floor.  

At a time when rental costs for warehousing in Ireland are being predicted to increase by a further 20% over the next 12 months, businesses are being pointed to a new solution in order to solve the shortage of space in the country – temporary buildings.