All operators who use pallet trucks and double stackers in at least two-shift operation and keep replacement batteries in stock should be considering the benefits of lithium-ion batteries. That’s the view of according German giants Linde, at least – the Aschaffenburg-based company says the time is now right to do so, having expanded its product range with two new warehouse trucks equipped with this forward-looking battery technology: the Linde T16L ION pallet truck with ergonomic hub and the Linde D08 ION double stacker. Both these warehouse trucks feature a mast. In the coming months, Linde will also be adding pallet stackers to its lithium-ion product family.

Over the course of 2016 Swedish company Gränges has taken delivery of no fewer than nine brand-new Konecranes forklift trucks; seven SMV 10-1200 C and two SMV 16-1200 C. All equipped with the order-winning cabin OPTIMA and Konecranes TRUCONNECT® remote monitoring.

Work to create 180,000 sq ft of new, cross-dock distribution warehousing and office space at DP World London Gateway LogisticsPark is under way. This is the second and final phase of the DP World London Gateway Logistics Centre. Phase One is 207,000sq ft of warehouse and office space and was completed in early 2015. The two separate developments total 387,000 sq ft at the centre.

Industry 4.0 – the industry digitalization initiative spearheaded by the German government – raises the bar for businesses in the logistics sector. That’s according to an expert paper published by IT service provider AXIT, which predicts that the “fourth industrial revolution” will usher in highly personalized supply chain processes. “Highly personalized products – manufactured in processes not planned over long periods but optimized (autonomously) on demand – must go hand in hand with a personalized supply chain,” according to the paper, which offers a detailed examination of the effects of self-monitoring smart production.

GAC Dubai has further boosted the efficiency, hygiene and accuracy of its handling of sweet treats for the world’s largest chocolate and confectionery manufacturer with the addition of an automated bagging machine at one of its Contract Logistics food grade clean rooms in Jebel Ali Free Zone.

The UK’s Fork Lift Truck Association has recognised not one, but two, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks products in its annual Awards for Excellence shortlist. As a Finalist in the Safety and Innovation categories for two of its newest products, EDiA EX 80 volt electric and the SENSiA reach truck cold store cabin, Mitsubishi will compete among many of the industry’s leading names for a highly prized Archie statuette.

German supermarket Lidl, which has been growing fast in the UK, is setting up a distribution facility at DP World London Gateway. Lidl UK will begin operating out of the 187,000sq ft distribution facility from February next year.

The concept of the smart factory – featuring intelligent, integrated and connected processes – is at the heart of Industry 4.0 and the manufacturing world, so it made sense for automotive manufacturer Audi to host a TechDay on the theme of the smart factory at its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.

German company Sick has developed an all-in-one, simple-to-use solution that integrates Dimensioning, Weighing and Scanning (DWS) for automated track and trace of goods in transit through storage, materials handling and distribution operations.The Sick Master Data Analyzer enables easy real-time management of work flow by combining barcode reading, full dimensioning, visual profiling and accurate weighing in a single unit.

CaroTrans, a global NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carrier) and ocean freight consolidator, is to begin the first direct, weekly LCL service between Poland and New York. The transit time from Gdynia to New York is 22 days, and the first sailing is December 12th.