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Technology is Changing Warehouse Operations

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Now that vaccine distribution has become more widespread and restrictions throughout the country are being lifted, businesses that made the decision to operate remotely are reopening office buildings. However, many companies have realized that their employees don’t need to be in the office to complete daily tasks. Some are having employees return to the office full-time, others are taking a hybrid approach and many are closing offices altogether.

Hybrid business models are a combination of what many companies had before the pandemic and the remote work that employees have become used to. By creating a combination of the two, businesses can ensure there’s enough space for everyone in their buildings and ease employees back into commuting to the office.

Of course, a remote or hybrid business model is not feasible for all parts of the supply chain. Warehouses require an extensive amount of organization and management that is traditionally manual. This made the past year especially difficult for companies dealing with an increase in demand and a limited amount of on-premise staff. However, recent developments in technology are making it possible for logistics professionals to effectively manage warehouses from home.

Technology’s Evolving Role in Warehouses

While warehouses are still a ways away from being completely autonomous, aspects of their daily operations can be handled remotely. The creation of RFID tags has played a big part in reducing the number of people needed to be physically present in the warehouse. Supply chain and operations managers have been able to gather data and insights, often in real-time, about warehouses even if they aren’t physically there for a while. Recent advancements in technology are making it possible for some grounding operations within the warehouse or at the loading dock to be done remotely. Here are a few examples of companies working to create this technology:

Zebra Technologies

Zebra Technologies’ SmartPack Trailer uses video and 3D sensing with analytics to collect information about trailers being loaded and unloaded at a dock. Logistics professionals can optimize tasks in real-time, take detailed records of each of their shipments and use data to generate actionable analytics. 

Phantom Auto

Founded in 2018, Phantom Auto has been working on warehouse technology that allows professionals to work remotely. Autonomous forklifts and other vehicles work well in a controlled environment, but the movement and unpredictability in actual warehouses makes them too difficult to apply. Phantom Auto has created a system that allows logistics professionals to control forklifts, yard trucks or other vehicles remotely.

Their technology branches off into two different types – the remote control of one specific vehicle and the remote control of multiple autonomous vehicles at once. In the first case, the driver operates a single vehicle remotely – it is exactly like they are driving around the warehouse without actually being there. Since autonomous vehicles operate independently, warehouse employees can remotely supervise more than one at a time. The vehicle does most of the work, they just have to step in and help if it gets stuck or bumps into something. The vehicles involved in both of these methods have video and two-way audio so that remote drivers can see and hear other employees in the warehouse to make the experience even more like physically being there.

Logistics automation has become especially important this past year. The demand for technology with advanced capabilities has grown as companies look for ways to overcome spikes in order volume without having to search for additional workers. Mobile robots and other supply chain technologies have helped boost output and efficiency in these scenarios. It will be interesting to see how these advanced technologies continue to evolve and positively impact supply chains!

Packaging Automation is Becoming a Reality for Supply Chains

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The development of technology within supply chains has accelerated significantly in the last year. The pandemic presented businesses of all industries with challenges regarding inventory, transportation and health and safety standards that have been difficult to overcome. As a result, supply chains have started looking into automating a number of traditionally manual processes.

Automated technology in supply chains exists in a number of forms, but one that has been top of mind for logistics industry innovators is packaging automation. Companies who relied heavily on labor to complete mundane and repetitive tasks associated with packaging felt an especially heavy strain when Covid-19 forced most companies to cut back on in-person labor. It was a turning point for packaging automation as it went from being a possibility to a necessity to keep up with other industry leaders. Packaging operations are adopting new forms of automation as a way to reduce labor costs while creating a safer work environment and improving their efficiency and cost of goods.

The term “secondary packaging” refers to the packaging on the exterior of a product which has the biggest need for automation. Applying this layer to products is usually continuous and repetitive. Companies looking to cut back on labor are finding that secondary packaging is significantly slowing their operations down. A report on secondary packaging trends by PMMI revealed that 85% of manufacturers are looking to expand their current portfolio of automated solutions when it comes to their secondary packaging process. 

How Packaging Automation Works

In general, packaging automation does a traditionally manual and repetitive task at a faster pace and eliminates the risk of human error. While the initial implementation of the technology can be costly, it pays for itself with the number of benefits it brings to logistics operations. 

One of the most efficient examples of packaging automation is a long-travel cartesian robot with custom end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) and advanced sensing capabilities. These robots can replace a variety of packaging machines and perform manual tasks like feeding carton and tray making machines and separating nested cardboard containers for use on conveyor lines. Cartesian robots can even handle palletizing and de-palletizing orders.

A long-travel cartesian transfer robot. | Photo Credit: Bell Everman

By using a single long-travel cartesian transfer robot like the one pictured above, logistics professionals can tend multiple packaging machines without needing to rearrange them for the convenience of the robot.

What the Future Holds for Packaging Automation in Supply Chains

It’s clear that packaging automation has gone from being a want to a need for logistics operations looking to move forward and jump any hurdles caused by the pandemic on the way. As innovations like the cartesian robot become readily available, you can expect automation to have a hand in packaging the products you pick off of store shelves every day!

Green Supply Chain Fuel Types Kuebix TMS

5 Alternative Fuels that Will Reenergize the Transportation Industry

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The transportation industry relies heavily on diesel to help it successfully transport products from manufacturers to consumers via trucks worldwide. Technology has been instrumental in reducing the number of empty miles driven, and finding an alternative fuel source is the next step for eco-conscious companies.  As concerns about the longevity of fossil fuels grow, the search for a more sustainable fuel is intensifying.

There are more than 222 million licensed drivers in the U.S. today and the amount of fuel needed to power their vehicles is astronomical. The transportation of people and goods accounts for about 25% of all energy consumption worldwide. Gasoline is a byproduct of fossil fuels, of which the earth has a limited supply. The discovery of an alternative to gasoline is vital to preserving our modern way of life and avoid running out of fuel altogether.

Fortunately, scientists and engineers are already tackling this problem. The switch toward alternative forms of fuel is still in its infancy, but researchers are working tirelessly to create cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. Below are just five potential forms of less harmful and more sustainable fuel that have the potential to replace gasoline and introduce a new wave of cleaner, more efficient vehicles:

Electric

There are currently three types of electric cars: battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). According to The Guardian, there are already over 3 million electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the road today. Electric cars are known to be environmentally and economically friendly as they drastically reduce harmful emissions and save users all of the money they would have spent on fuel.

However, electric vehicles are restricted to a specific number of miles they can drive before they need a recharge (the average is about 100 miles). Outside of major cities charging stations are difficult to come by, making electric vehicles less than ideal for lengthier trips. In order for electric trucks to become a viable option for the supply chain, a solution to the limited range needs to be found. Once electric vehicles are able to carry heavy loads for longer stretches of road, the logistics industry will have a new, viable option for shipping.

Ethanol

Ethanol fuel consists of the same alcohol that is in most cocktails. It originates from plant matter including algae, trees and corn. Ethanol fuel is renewable and much better for the environment than gasoline as it produces less carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions.

The production of ethanol can support farmers and create agricultural job opportunities. Ethanol production can also be domestic, which helps reduce dependence on foreign oil. Gasoline is often blended with a high percentage of ethanol to create a cleaner-burning fuel because of its higher octane levels.

A transition to fuel made only of ethanol would be simpler than other options because newer trucks are consistently manufactured with the ability to burn ethanol-mixed gas and wouldn’t have a problem burning pure ethanol. Since many gas stations are already selling a blend of gas with ethanol in it, potential infrastructure problems are not as likely if the industry ever makes the switch.

The point of concern with transitioning shipping entirely to ethanol fuel is the effect it would have on crop prices. Utilizing crops as fuel rather than as food would drastically increase the price of corn and other produce. In order to have ethanol completely replace gasoline, a significant amount of the world’s forests and free spaces would have to be dedicated to farmland.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from vegetable oils and animal fats and can be used before cooking or recycled even after use in cooking. It is non-toxic, biodegradable and emits less harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Biodiesel can work in any diesel engine, making for an easy integration into the transportation industry.

Although there are many positives to biodiesel fuel, it still presents its fair share of challenges. For one, it is much less powerful than regular diesel and gasoline fuels. Biodiesel is reportedly 10% weaker than traditionally used fuel types. The storage of biodiesel fuel can also cause some major problems over time. When it’s stationary for an extended period of time, biodiesel tends to thicken which can clog filters and create corrosion.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a popular and highly innovative alternative to gasoline. Fuel cell vehicles are technically considered electric vehicles, but they rely on a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity rather than a traditional battery. These cars are similar to gasoline and diesel vehicles as they are refueled in the same conventional manner and share the same long-distance driving range, allowing them to drive further and faster than battery-powered electric vehicles.

A vehicle with a fuel cell and electric motor running on hydrogen can be two to three times more efficient than gasoline. These vehicles discharge zero harmful emissions, only water. Hydrogen fuel can be produced domestically from nuclear power, natural gas, biomass and renewable powers like wind and solar energy.

The biggest problem associated with hydrogen fuel is cost. The fuel cells required to power hydrogen-fueled cars are very expensive, and there are very few gas stations that currently offer hydrogen as fuel. Should the transportation industry ever decide to make the switch to hydrogen-powered trucks, the eventual ROI could make it worth it.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel mostly comprised of methane. This alternative to traditional fuels can be produced domestically and is less expensive than gasoline. Natural gas could cut back on greenhouse gas emissions by 10% as well.

The reason natural gas hasn’t supplanted gasoline as the preferred fuel type is because of the limited number of vehicles on the market with the capability to utilize it. Making trucks natural gas-friendly would be a very costly investment for the trucking industry. There are very few fueling stations that provide natural gas and it provides fewer miles-per-tank than vehicles running on gasoline or diesel.

92% of the U.S. transportation sector uses petroleum products such as gasoline or diesel for fuel. These resources won’t last forever and soon we will have to find a new way to fuel our cars, trucks, boats and airplanes. Our economies are powered by supply chains, and whatever fuel becomes the fuel of choice in the future will have to work for the supply chain industry, not only for personal drivers. While some alternative fuels are already being implemented, research is still being done to develop a fuel that is truly sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

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