Logistics & Materials Handling September 2014

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inside VOL44 ISS4 SEPTEMBER 2014 Warehousing Equipment Automation Transport and Logistics Bulk Handling Safety

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*AITA Statistics Ytd December 2013. #Source: Logistik Magazine 2013. Pictures are for illustration purposes only. Actual colour of products may differ from picture displayed.

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S O L U T I O N S

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This issue September 2014

Transport & logistics Cat trucks eastern state roadshow

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logisticsmagazine.com.au

inside VOL44 ISS4 SEPTEMBER 2014 Warehousing Equipment Automation Transport and Logistics Bulk Handling Safety

contents 04 Bulletinboard Brisbane forklift championship Environmentally friendly bubble wrap Regional robotics hub in Southeast Asia 06 Warehousing

Equipment

Voice comms for distribution facilities 12 Automation Robots on the breadline Let’s face it. Most operations have gotten used to the limitations associated with today’s reach trucks. But warehouse managers want more – trucks that go higher and can handle more weight at any height. The exclusive MonoLift™ mast offers the best in operator performance and visibility. A clear window of visibility at height, eye and ground level allows operators to move loads efficiently while reducing the risk of damage to product, racks and trucks.

Contact Crown today to book your free demonstration of the Crown RM Series.

Call 1300 909 827 or visit crown.com

14 Transport and Logistics DHLs export barometer Keeping quality in truck suspension Stress-free freight forwarding 22 Bulk Handling Railway hoists in the Pilbara Automatic palletising 26 Safety Keeping injury rates down

Warehousing equipment Warehouse navigation solution

10

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Martin Sinclair e martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR: Ben Hagemann t 02 8484 0884 e ben.hagemann@cirrusmedia.com.au PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR: Mary Copland t 02 8484 0737 e mary.copland@cirrusmedia.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Jacqui Lindsay t 0408 275 474 e jax_lindsay@hotmail.com, Dave Ashley t 02 8484 0710 e david.ashley@cirrusmedia.com.au KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER: Tim Richards t 02 8484 0829 e tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au QLD ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sharon Amos t 07 3261 8857 m 0417 072 625 f 07 3261 8347 e sharon.amos@cirrusmedia.com.au PO Box 3136, Bracken Ridge, Qld 4017 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

ISSN 1832-5513 Copyright Cirrus Media. Published by Cirrus Media. (ABN 80 132 719 861) Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Locked Bag 4700 t 02 8484 0888 f 02 8484 0633. Printed five times a year, Logistics & Materials Handling is inserted in the February, April, July, September and November 2014 issues of Manufacturers’ Monthly, FEN, Australian Mining, Food, and PACE magazines with a distribution of 14,950.

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September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 3

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bulletinboard LOGISTICS AND MATERIALS HANDLING NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE WORLD

Hunt for the forklift champ will be a penalty of 3 points to

WORK. As part of this push there

set to find out who is Australia’s best

The 2014 Forklift championship is

the competition contestant as an

are more compliance checks by

forklift driver in November.

example. Could your workers benefit

Inspectors. The current assessment

from participating and testing their

tools to obtain a forklift are very

skills?

different to the past and include

The Australian Warehousing Association will host a number of companies and individual operators

Every year the number of female

WHS legislation, calculations and

to compete for the coveted title in

forklift contestants grows. The

wide and varied forklift theory and

Brisbane.

judges have been very impressed

practical operation. Gone are the

with the quality of driving with only

“old days” where a wink and a nod

is focused on safety and safe

a few points’ variation between the

got a licence.

operation in a small area where

top male and female. The number of

If you want to test your forklift

eye and hand skill coordination are

female of warehouse managers has

operational skills or your workers

tested to the max. Every contestant

increased significantly, in what was

against the best drivers based on

starts with a score of zero and

“male dominated” in the past.

the national standard conditions,

The Forklift championship

points are added when an error is made. Not wearing a seat belt

Forklift operation is now classed

register by emailing AusWA on

by the government as HIGH RISK

admin@auswa.asn.au.

ABB opens new regional robotics packaging hub to drive productivity in Southeast Asia REINFORCING ABB’s position in robotics in Southeast Asia, the new hub provides value-added engineering solutions in industrial manufacturing processes tailored for the Asia market. The centre

Get Packed launches new sustainable EnviroBubble bubble wrap

will function as a platform to develop novel robotics manufacturing solutions in hardware and software to benefit growing industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, consumer electronics, and solar photovoltaics.

The new hub will serve as a live learning and collaborative environment through research and problem-solving from real industrial cases. ABB will also collaborate with training industry partners and educational institutions to help develop highly competent engineering talents to serve the region, accelerating the growth of technical competencies locally and regionally.

GET Packed introduces Envirobubble, set up in 2010, the new 600m² workshop features demo units

a new range of bubble wrap packaging

for picking, packing and palletising processes. The facility will

material manufactured in Australia using up

Rashid explains that robotics automation is revolutionising the face

allow end customers, channel partners and ABB to run trials with

to 40% recycled content.

of manufacturing. ABB looks forward to sharing its know-how and

actual products, assemble robotics systems and conduct factory

helping companies become even more cost competitive while

acceptance tests before delivery.

ABB’s head in Singapore and the South Asia region, Haider

meeting the highest standards of productivity and quality.

ABB’s contactless robotics technology allows a high degree

Designed to protect products against damage in an environment-friendly way, EnviroBubble bubble wrap is available in a

According to Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director at

of hygiene, accuracy and consistency in manufacturing. The

range of widths, lengths, bubble profiles as

the Singapore Economic Development Board, Singapore’s Future

robots’ speed and flexibility allow fast changeover in products

well as twin skin, antistatic and Alfoil backed

of Manufacturing initiative aims to position the country as the

to meet customisation demands, while installation in hazardous

options.

leading advanced manufacturing hub in the region. The Board is

environments without lighting, heating or air-conditioning enables

therefore encouraging the manufacturing sector to co-create and

businesses to be more efficient in their energy usage, also

EnviroBubble is 1.5m in width and available

implement future manufacturing solutions in Singapore, leveraging

reducing employee exposure to potential hazards and risks.

in 100m or 200m in length. The 1.5m tall

technologies such as advanced robotics and automation, additive

A world-leading manufacturer of industrial robots and robot

The standard industrial roll of

roll is available in a range of slit widths – 300mm, 500mm and 750mm.

manufacturing and ICT solutions. By setting up its Regional

systems, ABB has the market’s widest range of robot-based

Robotics Packaging Application Hub, ABB has given a major

packaging automation, including specialised robots for picking,

boost to the country’s advanced manufacturing ambitions.

packing and palletising to meet the demands of most packaging

Packed, has been recently updated by its

industry applications.

manufacturer and is now available in white/

An extension of ABB’s Robotics Application Center that was

EnviroBubble, supplied by Get

clear instead of the familiar green colour.

4 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

logisticsmagazine.com.au

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/Yaleasiapacific

@Yale_AP

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warehousingequipment

Voice communication reaching all corners of distribution facilities *Paul Phillips presents the business case for supply chain businesses applying voice solutions in warehousing facilities.

W

hen voice technology was introduced to the supply chain two decades ago, it found its first home in order picking and selection warehousing applications.

Distribution operations are now taking their voice system beyond its traditional role and deploying it as the centrepiece technology offering high performance and cost savings facility-wide.

The major catalyst for the expansion of voice has been increasing pressures to reduce operating costs and improve overall efficiencies, against a backdrop of customers expecting perfect orders (including more small internet orders), rising regulatory requirements, and evolving global competition.

In recent years industry-leading businesses have addressed these pressures using voice-enabled workflows across entire distribution centres (DCs).

They rely on the real-time snapshots of all operations voice can provide, as what happens in one area of a facility can quickly impact other parts in a cascading manner.

For instance order picking cannot run smoothly if slots haven’t been replenished and this can cause delays in packing and shipment.

With one real-time information source, managers can respond quickly to bottlenecks by diverting workers (who are all trained on one common voice solution) to where they are needed most to keep product flowing and efficiencies at optimal levels.

The biggest gains are achieved when voice is coupled with process optimisation in all areas of a facility in order to reduce time per task, combine tasks between workflows and interleave tasks to eliminate unnecessary dead-time between tasks.

Is voice the right fit?

To assess whether a voice solution has merit, consider some of the key challenges that 6 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

Using voice-based communication systems can eliminate dead time between tasks.

voice can improve upon, including high-cost, perishable or regulated merchandise; high error rates; forklifts idle or traveling without loads; workers who move between workflows; overloaded or disorganised loading or receiving areas; work demanding heavy labour; processes are not interleaved; bottlenecks or flat productivity improvement in picking; relatively short travel distances and/or dense picking; clustered and idle workers; high number of quality auditors; and workers looking at paper, screens, and keyboards.

Allowing your voice to reach all corners of the distribution centre Once businesses have realised the benefits of voice in picking, they are ready to take voice into other areas of the DC.

Paul Phillips

logisticsmagazine.com.au

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warehousingequipment

A natural step for further deployment is in ‘receiving’, which typically involves inspection, counting, and other manual operations.

These deployment tasks can be performed more efficiently if the worker’s hands and eyes are free to perform tasks rather than manipulating paper or scanners.

Using voice systems, a worker can immediately read into the system an identifying code that alerts the warehousing management system (WMS) of shipment arrival.

Voice also has the flexibility to gather additional information about the product to assist operations further downstream; lot codes, for instance, may need to be recorded for track-and-trace purposes.

This information is required in many parts of the world for products such as foods and pharmaceuticals, data which voice can easily relay to the WMS. Additionally voice can prompt workers to measure the temperatures of incoming products or refrigerated truck beds, which is recorded in the WMS to ensure that nothing has been spoiled or damaged during transit.

Voice can also record dimension and weight to be used for slotting, cubing, weight verification to help picking, loading, and invoicing.

The second complementary section of the facility to deploy voice is in ‘put-away’.

This is because once information is gathered on the designated vshipment, the voice system will typically direct a different worker to pick up and put-away the load using a fork-lift mounted with a voice device.

The device communicates with a head-set wirelessly so the worker can leave the vehicle without a tether.

The system can direct products to be put-away in several destinations – reserve storage racks, automated storage or directly to pick faces if the WMS determines a slot is currently low.

With voice, the driver can now both receive instruction and provide confirmation while driving, which is safer and faster compared to manipulating a scanner and/or viewing a vehicle-mounted screen.

Accuracy also is improved because a voice system won’t allow users to move to the next task until the goods have been put in the appropriate location.

In self-directed DCs, voice directs the user to identify the location for the system, preventing lost pallets.

The third logical area to move voice into is ‘replenishment’ where processes 8 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

A wireless headset lets forklift drivers lead the vehicle without a tether, and keeps them up to date so there’s no need to travel without a load.

begin with voice directing a worker to the location where the needed pallet is stored.

In optimised designs, the WMS will assign the closest driver available to the storage rack.

Once there the driver confirms the right amount of product is being collected from the right location.

While pulling the product, the worker is instructed on the destination of the load, which is confirmed when deposited.

Quantifying the improvement An operation can expect to see a 20 per cent improvement over paper in staff productivity for put-away and replenishment while also increasing accuracy up to 80 per cent.

Compared to using handheld devices, voice systems often show a 35 per cent increase in productivity. Additionally, there is as much as a 50 per cent reduction in training time in using voice for these functions compared to other methods.

Facilities also can save greatly in capital expenditures by deploying voice terminals instead of other technologies.

Many DCs also see a dramatic flow-on improvement in picking productivity: the WMS can direct replenishment workers to stock slots that are running low on inventory before the pickers arrive, which reduces their downtime.

It makes sense to introduce voice in other DC workflows as well, such as ‘cycle-counting/inventory control’.

This process can be made much faster, easier and more accurate using voice, as worker’s hands and eyes are free to count products.

They do not have to fumble with paper or a scanner in their tasks, and can easily verify any discrepancies by talking to the voice system via their headsets.

The voice system can direct workers to report the amount of a product left after a pick, or this count also can be asked when the slot is restocked. It also can ask for a recount if levels don’t match.

Additional facility functions that benefit from the integration of voice include being able to eliminate periodic inventory audits because of the accuracy of cycle-counts.

Others are using it to record product data for tracking purposes or to weigh grocery products for correct billing, as well as using it for value-adding functions such as directing clothing to be placed on to hangers or folded.

The costly problem of re-shipping pallets left behind is common at facilities with more complicated loading docks, such as those with different loading locations for refrigerated and ambient-temperature pallets. Voice can help by verifying loads are placed on the correct vehicle.

Rapid or slow approach to Voice build-up?

Voice technology in the DC provides the transformational change needed to address today’s key business challenges cost-effectively while enabling growth.

As we have seen, voice can be used for a wide number of applications within a DC, but the real value is seen when it is used for all or many of these functions.

It creates huge gains in accuracy, assures high levels of productivity, reduces overall training time, and promotes safety, all at an attractive return on investment that is typically achieved in less than a year. *Paul Phillips is the Australia and New Zealand regional manager for Vocollect by Honeywell. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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Another ColbyRACK advantage.

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warehousingequipment

The path to a new solution for significant savings and energy conservation Pacific Brands distribution warehouse in Victoria recently adopted the Pathfinder solution from the Jungheinrich Warehouse Navigation System, with narrow-aisle stackers and vertical order pickers automatically guided to the right storage location, for significant time savings and energy conservation.

I

n 2013 the Pacific Brands distribution centre underwent commissioning of a forklift navigation system, an overhaul which saw the facility equipped with all new Jungheinrich EKX5 series turret stackers, and EKS3 series vertical order pickers.

Pacific Brands had a great amount of business consolidation and process implementation to establish in the new facility, and after some months of bedding in, the Jungheinrich Warehouse Navigation and automatic rack approach technology for order picker/trilateral stackers was brought online.

Pacific Brands said the results were virtually immediate with improved picking rates being the most obvious improvement.

The RFID Warehouse Navigation system it implemented is an intelligent forklift management package, one which has not been emulated by any other supplier.

It enables the stackers to communicate not only with the floor as before, but also with the Warehouse Management System, with data flowing directly into the forklift control systems.

Stacking instruction transmitted via Wi-Fi The warehouse management system transmits stacking instructions via wi-fi to the logistics interface of the vehicle terminal, which then forwards it to the EKX 515 forklift control system.

When arriving at the location a positioning light automatically turns on for the correct side of the racking and the operator simply scans in the barcode on the pallet or carton.

The vehicle terminal then displays the product, quantity and pallet type.

The system guides the EKX 515 on the shortest route The stacker operator inputs an incremental stock management number, and the warehouse management system specifies the required stacking location, selected according to the “dynamic” storage principle.

The operator can then pick the pallet up with the swivel fork of the EKX 515, confirm 10 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

the stacking instruction, and steer the vehicle into the appropriate aisle.

The warehouse navigation system automatically guides the EKX 5 on the shortest route, at the optimum speed and with minimum energy input, to the required location.

20 per cent productivity increase The efficiency is further boosted by special diagonal speed profiles (lifting whilst driving).

Using a combination of the mapped floor topology and ‘RFID floor control’ modules, the speed profiles of a stackers can be adapted according to the floor conditions at various points in a narrow-aisle warehouse, such as zones with poor floor quality or when working with fragile cargo.

The vehicle control system operates on the basis of continuous travel distance measurements and aisle location transponders, which combine as a redundant system to provide an extremely high level of reliability, more accurate than a GPS.

Flexibility from RFID technology The floor topology and consequent speed adjustments can be saved in the memory of a master vehicle and then transferred via a USB flash drive to each of the forklifts operating in the narrow-aisle areas.

The RFID floor control system provides even greater flexibility for the EKX 515 in terms of its switching and safety functions, including aisle end overrun protection and lift and driving cut-offs.

But over and above the benefits of the Warehouse Navigation system, the EKX 5 series offers high productivity, dynamic movement response and lower energy consumption, thanks to its 80 volt, three-phase AC technology.

The high torque of these vehicles results in powerful acceleration, fast lift and responsive ancillary movements.

The EKS 3 series vertical order pickers offer the same performance skills and attributes.

Another feature is the ability to raise and lower the main and additional lift simultaneously.

The efficiency of the EKX 5 series induction-powered stackers operated by Pacific Brands in its forty-plus narrow aisles, each approximately 90 metres long, is further boosted by special diagonal speed profiles defined according to travel direction and height.

A single battery charge good for two shifts At times of peak demand Pacific Brands needs its high-bay stackers to handle several hundred stacking and retrieval movements a day.

Even when the vehicle has been constantly in use from early morning to night, the two shifts can be completed on a single battery charge.

This is due to extremely efficient AC energy and drive systems, the dual energy recovery process, from regenerative braking on the one hand and lowering loads on the other, along with an active energy and battery management system, used to optimise energy flows in advance and avoid energy overload peaks. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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automation

Robots taking their place on the bread line Small-scale automated materials handling is a boon for food manufacturers, with many small operators turning to robotics to ensure consistency on the production line, for picking and packing. *Shermione Gotfredsen writes.

N

ext generation automated technology is providing an innovative solution to critical issues facing many small food manufacturers, while also streamlining the production cycle to boost safety and efficiency.

A new generation of lightweight robots means small manufacturers in Australia can now enjoy the benefits of automation, previously only available to larger organisations.

Many small businesses are turning to robotic technology to transform the entire

12 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

lifecycle of the food manufacturing process.

In fact, the recent interest by small food manufacturers has pushed Australian robotic purchases to record highs.

Through the implementation of new lightweight and compact robots, food manufacturers are now able to build a modern manufacturing workplace – automating industrial processes and upgrading the labour force to operate machines instead of having staff perform monotonous and repetitive manual tasks.

Man or machine Industrial robots have long excelled at the kind of manually repetitive tasks that employees can find undesirable. Indeed, large food manufacturers in Australia have long used robotics in food processing throughout the production system.

More recently, small manufacturers have turned to more affordable robots to help free up staff from unstimulating or labour-intensive roles.

In small manufacturing facilities even skilled workers can spend more than 32 hours per week on repetitive activities such as picking or packaging. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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automation

Lightweight robot packing technology is becoming more accessible and affordable to small businesses.

Lightweight industrial robots can take over these activities while also significantly slashing the time taken to complete each of these repetitive actions.

For example, in a small bottling plant a single robot is able to complete the packaging process more than 35 per cent faster than manual handling.

The robot is used to pick up two or three bottles simultaneously from the production line every 2.5 seconds, orienting them, and placing them in the packing machine.

Such a set-up can enable organisations to utilise staff more effectively - freeing them up to perform more skilled activities, such as operating machinery.

A move to modularity Today’s emerging manufacturing technologies are extremely adaptable – both in terms of function and the way they integrate into the overall production process.

The highly configurable new technologies can significantly improve throughout time – particularly in the areas of preparation and set-up, as well as reducing inspection and put-away time.

For industrial robots, the push for lightweight machines means they can be mounted on the wall or shifted from one location to another, adding flexibility to the manufacturing process, thereby saving money on valuable real estate costs.

This is a significant advantage for manufacturers when they choose to expand, move, or grow their production line. logisticsmagazine.com.au

Also, small batch and seasonal productions are no longer stumbling blocks for businesses as the robots can be relocated with ease without the need to overhaul the floor layout, and can be assigned to carry out different tasks in accordance with demand.

One of the most appealing aspects of the new generation of industrial robotics to small businesses is that they no longer require specialist knowledge to operate.

Modern machines can now be completely reconfigured and deployed for any number of tasks in a matter of hours by almost any employee, instead of relying on engineers, therefore avoiding high fees.

Lightweight robots now use a drag and drop interface more commonly found on consumer devices. Programming can be done via a teach pendant whereby the user-friendly interface allows the programmer to drag and drop the routines to do their programming.

This functionality is very similar to an iPad, allowing manufacturers to take full advantage of all the production benefits of a dedicated production line.

Safety and cost Of course there are many other considerations when investing in new technology – including the wellbeing of employees and ROI. Manufacturing roles often consist of labourintensive manual tasks.

These are potentially highly dangerous activities, yet the reality is that for many employees this will constitute a large part of their working week.

Injuries related to both repetitive manual handling tasks and workplace accidents cost the Australian economy millions of dollars every year.

Packing and production lines in small operations are particularly risky.

However, in contrast to traditional industrial robots in the market, small and lightweight robots can work more collaboratively with staff.

Collaborative robots, or “co-bots” don’t usually require safety shielding, enabling staff to work side-by-side with the robots.

Of course, the business benefit of industrial robotics goes well beyond just safety, with affordability also being one of the main business considerations.

During the past few years industrial robots have become increasingly cost-effective.

In most instances the investment in a lightweight industrial robot can be recouped in just over a year, and the total initial ownership cost is very low compared to many traditional robots.

The ease of programming, integration, and after sales maintenance means manufacturers save about 30 to 40 per cent in integration costs compared to other traditional industrial robots in the market.

Lightweight robot technology is helping small food manufacturers transform their production lines, while retaining skilled workers and creating a safe workplace environment where employees can work sideby-side with a robotic counterpart. *Shermine Gotfredsen is business development manager at Universal Asia Pacific.

September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 13

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transport&logistics

Cat trucks hit the highways on an eastern state roadshow Two of the most dynamic new trucks to hit the Australian market in 2014 are the centrepiece of an exciting roadshow set to tour major Queensland freight routes throughout August and September.

One of the new additions to the Cat Trucks line-up - The CT630SC

C

at Trucks Queensland dealer Hastings Deering is embarking on an expansive road show to provide truck owners and drivers from SE QLD through to Cairns with a first-hand introduction to the new Cat CT630S and CT630SC models coupled to B-double combinations.

Designed and engineered specifically for Australian B-double applications, yet with the inherent attributes to easily cope with a multitude of heavy-duty tasks including B-triple and roadtrain double configurations, the CT630S and CT630SC will be on show at designated truck stops along much

14 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

of Queensland’s eastern seaboard.

The second stage will start on Tuesday, September 9 and head from Richlands into Far North Queensland, stopping at Caboolture, Maryborough, Childers, Rockhampton, Emerald, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville and Cairns. The return leg will follow a similar route but include stops at Gin Gin, Apple Tree Creek and Kybong before concluding at Hastings Deering Richlands on Friday, September 19.

Hastings Deering Cat Trucks manager (On-Highway Trucks) Gary Johnson said a great deal of thought and planning has gone into this event.

“Taking the trucks on the road highlights our immense confidence in the CT630S and the CT630SC,” Johnson said.

“The existing models in our range, from the flagship CT630LS to the hugely versatile CT610 continue to do a great job in their various vocations, but there’s no question the ‘S’ and the ‘SC’ are vital additions to the Cat Trucks line-up, in particular for our QLD customers,” he added.

“B-doubles are such a dominant part of the road transport business these days and these new models provide us with the perfect opportunity to go on the road and

show truck owners and drivers the reasons for our confidence.

“It’s also our way of demonstrating why we believe the ‘S’ and the ‘SC’ are not only ideal for B-doubles, B-triples and roadtrain doubles, but highlight why we are absolutely certain these models will be a major force in the Australian market.”

Both the CT630S and the CT630SC are the result of Cat Trucks engineers in Australia and the US purposefully setting out to develop models that are easily capable of accommodating 34 pallet B-double combinations within the regulated overall length envelope of 26 metres. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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transport&logistics

This goal was achieved by raising the cab around 50 mm and moving it forward approximately 250 mm to produce a model which in non-sleeper form has a bumper to back-of-cab (BBC) dimension of just 2845 mm, or 112 inches.

Yet apart from the obvious dimensional attributes for B-double duties, the shortened hood and raised cab of the ‘S’ and ‘SC’ also provide an improved line of sight from the driver’s seat to the road ahead as well as a smoother passage of air underneath the cab to further enhance an already high level of cooling efficiency.

Meanwhile the manoeuvrability, which is a notable feature of the Cat Trucks design, is similarly improved with the shorter BBC of the ‘S’ and the ‘SC’.

Critically both models also retain the smooth, rounded lines L M 0 are 2 1a4major _ 0 0factor 0 _ B in OS 1 which the -

has helped Cat Trucks gain a widespread reputation for frugal fuel consumption.

While the CT630S is available as a day cab or with an integral extended sleeper cab, the CT630SC is equipped with a dedicated 40-inch mid-rise sleeper designed and built in Australia to Cat Trucks’ exact guidelines.

Critically, the ‘SC’ sleeper provides a generous 2250 mm of C15 engine internal width and a full 1975 mm of standing room, meaning that clearances between the rear of the even drivers well over six feet tall cab and the trailer. will still have plenty of space to However, whether it’s the stand and stretch. non-sleeper day cab, the functional In standard form the sleeper integral sleeper or the 40 inch comes with a 711 mm (28 inch) sleeper of the ‘SC’, all versions are wide fully-sprung mattress while configured to haul 34 pallets within other important inclusions are the 26 metre B-double length limit. large toolbox lockers on both Furthermore, like all CT630 sides with external and internal models, the ‘S’ and ‘SC’ carry a access, a similarly spacious storage gross combination mass rating of area under the bunk which also 90 tonnes and are powered by the 2 0 1 4 - 0 1an- optional 0 7 T 1 fridge, 6 : 1 0 : 2 proven 6 + 1 1strength : 0 0 of Cat’s tenacious accommodates

aerodynamic efficiency which

and a scalloped rear wall to optimise

logisticsmagazine.com.au

C15 engine, dispensing peak

power of 550 hp (410 kW) at 1800 rpm and top torque of 1850 lb ft (2508 Nm) at 1200 rpm.

The C15’s outputs feed through an Eaton ‘Solo’ clutch into the industry standard of Eaton’s RTLO-20918 18-speed overdrive transmission offered in manual form or the optional Ultrashift-Plus automated version featuring the added advantage of a ‘Hill Start Assist’ function.

Cat’s formidable C15 is the only engine in Australia’s heavy-duty truck market to meet the ADR 80-03 emissions standard without the cost and complexity of an EGR or SCR emissions system.

The keys to the C15’s emissions compliance are the innovative dual diesel particulate filters (DPF) mounted horizontally between the chassis rails, leaving external chassis space uncluttered for the optional fitment of long range fuel tanks, and the trucks’ hydraulic oil tanks for tippers.

September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 15

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transport&logistics

Confidence on the increase, according to DHL The DHL Export Barometer shows exporters gaining confidence while learning to manage strong dollar, international competition and rising raw material costs.

T

he 2014 DHL Export Barometer has revealed that Australian exporters are continuing to gain confidence while learning to manage a strong Australian dollar, international competition and rising raw material costs.

Exporters are also diversifying their export markets beyond China into the rest of Asia as well as the Middle East; while the shift away from over-dependence on the mining sector has seen stronger results from the services and agriculture industries over the last twelve months.

Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President, DHL Express Oceania, is encouraged to see that exporter confidence continues to grow.

“The DHL Export Barometer has shown that exporter confidence has steadily increased since the lows of 2012,” he said.

“61 per cent of exporters surveyed expect orders to increase in the coming year, up on last year’s 58 per cent order forecast.

“Exporters are also more confident about company profitability, with 50 per cent expecting an increase in shipments.

“However, only 37 per cent of exporters intend to increase staff numbers in the coming 12 months and only 48 per cent of exporters 16 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

achieved an increase in orders over the past 12 months.

“These results are representative of the cautious market that we have witnessed over the past twelve months,” he said.

“However, all indicators point to overall strength of the Australian economy and the contribution that the exporter community makes to Australia’s prosperity.”

Export destinations Tim Harcourt, J.W. Nevile Fellow in Economics at UNSW, provided context to the Barometer results on export destinations.

“Whilst media reports imply that we are putting all the export eggs in the China basket, the Barometer clearly shows an overall diversity in our export destinations,” Harcourt explained.

“In 2014, the Middle East (54 per cent) is considered the most promising market, ahead of North America and China (51 per cent).

“Indeed, many Australian companies use Dubai increasingly as a hub for their Middle East operations and with all this commercial interest, there is naturally a large number of Australian expatriates already living in the region.

“We already have 250 Australian registered businesses in the UAE

and around 16,000 Australian expatriates there.

“The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has a population of just under 400 million, and is a $7.1 billion market for Australia’s merchandise exports, advanced services, research collaboration and technology.”

Compared to last year, the UK and Taiwan have increased the fastest of all regions (up 10 per cent and 11 per cent on 2013 respectively) and overall the results show parity between export growth in both advanced and emerging economies.

Industry breakdown The Barometer found that services exporters (70 per cent) are the most confident they will increase their export orders over the next 12 months, followed by agricultural exporters (64 per cent) then manufacturers (60 per cent) and miners (39 per cent).

The same cannot be said for the mining sector, which sees increasing orders over the past 12 months by just 25 per cent, with rising fuel costs cited as the biggest negative impact and increasing orders at almost half the pace of those in agriculture (48 per cent), manufacturing (50 per cent) and services (48 per cent).

“There are now clear signs the exporter community represents

a more diverse group of industry sectors,” Harcourt said.

“Some might say we’ve gone from the mining boom to the dining boom with the services exporters most confident they will increase their export orders in the next twelve months ahead.”

Challenges The strong dollar is still considered to have had the greatest negative impact on sales but that has reduced 7 per cent since 2013 (53 per cent), as has the impact of international competition.

The number of exporters challenged by international competition (34 per cent, down 5 per cent) and domestic economic conditions (20 per cent, down 8 per cent) has declined, however, the cost of raw materials (29 per cent, up 3 per cent) and regulatory constraints (18 per cent, up 6 per cent) have both become more prevalent.

Edstein commented: “The DHL Barometer revealed that for those companies new to exporting a major challenge is transport and logistics (37 per cent).

“This highlights the importance of exporters working with suppliers who are interested in their business and see them not just as a customer, but as a business partner. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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transport&logistics

“Exporters should find out about the support services a logistics company provides and understand how flexible they are prepared to be in their product or service offering.”

When looking at international threats, China was regarded as the biggest competitive threat (55 per cent) followed by USA (31 per cent), India (15 per cent), New Zealand (11 per cent) and Indonesia (11 per cent).

Free Trade Agreements Of potential Free Trade An increasing amount of export business is generated through social Agreements, 61 per cent of media, with Facebook the most popular provider. exporters thought a China – Australia FTA would benefit their Of the exporters who viewed it Online and social business, 31 per cent said it would favourably, 59 per cent said it would For the first time, the Barometer have no effect and only 8 per cent assist them to increase their exports asked how exporters used social said it would be negative. to Japan and 38 per cent said they media to generate export orders This was the most supported would start exporting to Japan. or enquiries. potential agreement.

5 per cent of exporters said Overall, 37 per cent of 35 per cent of exporters said an FTA with Japan would have a exporters used social media, anA FTA with would per D_ L O GJapan S I MO C T _have 0 9 a . p d negative f P a geffect e 1with 9 /602per 2 / cent 0 9 , 4 with : 0 724 P M cent using positive impact. viewing it impartially.

Facebook, 14 per cent LinkedIn,

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11 per cent Google+ and 9 per cent on Twitter.

While most exporters provide product and/or service information on their website, many do not provide pricing and shipping information and online booking and payment functionality.

Edstein said exporters have a great opportunity to enhance the online user experience and therefore increase orders and enquiries.

“Particularly when you consider that exporters who appear more effective at generating orders through online commerce and those who provide a better user experience tend to be the more nimble, very small businesses (1-4 employees) and businesses that have commenced exporting in the past five years,” he said.

“These same businesses are also expecting more export orders (65 per cent) than those that don’t use online commerce (59 per cent).”

September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 17

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transport&logistics

Keeping the quality without compromise As economic slowdowns begin to bite on suppliers to Australia’s major industries, safety can often be the first casualty of cutbacks to operating costs.

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n very price-sensitive industries, such as transport and logistics, cutbacks can lead to contractors turning to non-OEM parts for systems vital to road safety and on-time performance of vehicles.

But the apparent savings on offer from non-genuine parts are often illusory for operators involved in safety-aware industries, such as mining and energy, quarrying, oil and gas, manufacturing, food and agriculture production and processing, construction and infrastructure engineering.

Look-alike parts produce only minor and temporary gains in the short term but introduce major and ongoing risk of breakdown, accident and downtime, say major suppliers to the light, medium and heavy vehicle industry.

Air Springs Supply, the Australian distributor for Firestone, claims that usually as prices go down with non-OEM parts, the margin for safety and reliability sinks with them. Such products are not generally as good as the originals they imitate and typically they struggle to offer the lifespan and safety margin of genuine parts.

Of all the trucks on the road today with air suspensions, more than half are equipped with Firestone Airide air springs. Airide air springs are sold directly to original equipment truck, trailer, and suspension manufacturers.

Air Springs Supply Sales Manager Russell Chown explained that operators buying look-alike products are seldom making any real saving at all.

“They are just selling their risk management cheaply,” he said.

“Any small savings on products that don’t offer the same quality, performance and reliability as the genuine original can be wiped out

18 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

in an instant by a single accident of downtime incident that puts a million-dollar truck off the road.”

Similar views are voiced by one of Australia’s most experienced specialist heavy brake companies, Australian Brake Controls (ABC) which produces transport, off-highway and industrial machinery braking systems engineered for optimum reliability and safety.

ABC is also known for engineering systems for hydraulically braking of light and medium trucks so they can tow air-braked trailers.

“We know it is tough out there for transport and off-highway equipment operators and we are sharing the pain with them. But cutting corners with lower-quality parts is no way to extend the value and life of vehicles and machinery costing hundreds and thousands and sometimes millions of dollars,” says ABC Engineer, Gerry Lewis.

Towing a heavy trailer around worksites can be a potentially hazardous, high maintenance undertaking – especially where vehicles have to cope with the slopes, loads, roads and surfaces encountered around mines, quarries, infrastructure and landscaping sites as well as farms.

Trucks, tractors and specialised machinery can be subjected to loads that will place unusual stresses on standard components, including high demands on suspensions and braking systems in situations where operators need to selectively and powerfully apply stopping and holding power.

“Such demanding situations are no place for compromised performance,” Lewis said.

“If you are going to do it at all, you have got to do it properly.

Safety-wise too much is riding on a vehicle’s suspension and brakes to cut corners.”

ABC engineer Gerry Lewis shows off the Firestone Airide air spring.

Suspension and braking risks also exist for lighter vehicles, says All Air Suspension, which specialises in air helper suspensions for vehicles such as 4WD, utes, vans, and other machinery used for on and off-highway jobs and for towing.

Vehicles without the right suspension components and setups for varying loads (such as a tank being progressively emptied in spraying operations), unevenly distributed loads or for towing can immediately experience a host of problems that compromise safety immediately and can ultimately wreck the vehicle involved.

All Air Suspension Sales Manager James Maslin said it’s not only steering and braking that can be compromised by poor load distribution, but also the chassis and tyres are placed under immense pressure by loading distortions.

“Unevenly loaded vehicles can be subject to increased sway because of lateral forces, while trailerimposed ball weight will cause headlights to shine up into the trees or blind other drivers,” he said.

“A perfectly good familiar vehicle can become a safety nightmare if its suspension is not properly set up to tow or cope with varying loads.”

Operating in conjunction with national air suspension specialist

Airbag Man, All Air addresses these challenges with Ride-Rite, Coil-Rite and full air conversion kits manufactured in Australia incorporating high quality Firestone airbags identical in construction to the tough Firestone airbags used in the suspensions of Australian trucks and semi-trailers.

“A key to the integrity of these kits is the use of quality engineering and quality airbags, which are vital to safety and reliability where vehicles are subject to widely varying conditions,” Maslin said.

All Air Suspension and ABC source their air springs from Air Springs Supply, which has more than 30 years of experience as a supplier of Firestone air springs and associated pneumatic technology for the transport sector, including heavy duty Firestone Airide rolling sleeve and convoluted airbags.

The stud braze technique used on Firestone Air Springs provides a continuous seal while non-genuine parts may show irregular welds and potential leak points.

The brazed fitting creates a more reliable seal, while welded fittings create a weak spots which can affect the integrity of the seal around the fitting joint, causing leaks. logisticsmagazine.com.au

LM0914_000_BIG

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transport&logistics

Stress-free and successful freight forwarding *Peter Townley discusses five of the key factors for ensuring your major project logistics run smoothly and successfully.

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oving freight can be a stressful time for any mining or resources operation – especially when it comes to major projects involving the transportation of capital equipment worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Therefore, it’s not only important to partner with a professional freight forwarder; it’s also essential that both parties collaborate and communicate to achieve the goal of moving freight on time and on budget and free of injury and damage to freight, property and equipment.

Here are five key factors to a stress free and successful freight forwarding project:

1. Meet the team Apart from the obvious thing of getting to know people, meeting each team is essential to understanding each stakeholders’ perceptions about what’s involved in moving freight.

In my experience there’s often a large void between the client or end user and the freight forwarder on what has to happen.

When engineering companies are buying from a fabrication company they meet with those teams and discuss everything to the nth degree such as the angles and the weight of the steel.

But if the freight forwarder never meets the client or only meets an individual that doesn’t know the full scope of what’s required then things can very easily go wrong.

All stakeholders need to understand the full scope of the project and need to be involved right from the outset – especially the financial controller.

The key thing here is to see the freight forwarder as an integral part of YOUR team.

20 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

The other key reason for stakeholders to meet is to discuss potential risks and hazards.

Safety is paramount and the sooner potential risks and hazards are identified then the better for all concerned in the task.

If the relevant stakeholders don’t meet potential risks and hazards can easily be overlooked.

This could result in not just additional costs and delays, but potentially serious injury or fatality.

Damage to public and private property could also land your company in hot water with authorities – notwithstanding the legal ramifications.

Avoid these nightmares by ensuring all relevant stakeholders meet as early as possible.

Good forward planning means great execution; piss poor planning equals piss poor performance.

2. Define roles of forwarder and client One of the biggest mistakes that stakeholders in a freight forwarding project can make is not clarifying roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.

This can create confusion, tension and frustration between both parties that can easily boil over into conflict.

In many instances end users of freight forwarding services expect that the forwarder’s going to do something and vice versa.

A professional freight forwarder will sit with your team and ask questions about the scope of work and constraints so they fully understand what’s required and who is responsible for each task.

Ask question such as: Does the freight forwarder need to provide cranes, labour, quarantine inspection et cetera?

A key piece of advice I would impart to anyone requiring freight forwarding services is that if you don’t understand something – ask the freight forwarder. This will avoid any ambiguity.

A professional freight forwarder should also have a check sheet that serves as a pro forma to guide both parties through the freight forwarding process. This will assist in clarifying roles and responsibilities.

The check sheet should have an export check sheet as well as an import check sheet.

A professional freight forwarder will review the scope of works for the project as well as determine whether or not they need to provide lashings, customs clearance or pre inspections among many other things.

If the freight forwarder has all that information not only will you get clear and accurate pricing

An accurate work statement is essential to ensuring adequate planning for a successful project.

logisticsmagazine.com.au

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transport&logistics

3. Develop an accurate work statement A work statement is a document that basically says what the project will entail and who will provide what, breaking down responsibility.

The work statement should be developed collaboratively between the freight forwarder and the end user from the start.

It doesn’t have to be a lengthy, long-winded document, but it does need to clarify each step of the freight forwarding process and who is responsible for each task or requirement.

A work statement may involve in more detail such as a transport method statement, a crane method statement or a safety method statement.

It’s important to give due care and consideration to the work statement, as it will also specify responsibilities and accountabilities.

4. Agree and sign off on freight charges well in advance Freight charges, such as the customs clearance rate, terminal rates, cartage rates and labour rates should be agreed and signed off by both parties before proceeding with any freight forwarding project. logisticsmagazine.com.au

For any unforseen freight charges, the freight forwarder should stipulate in advance a set rate at the cost price of the unforseen charge plus a fixed percentage.

The freight forwarder may agree for instance to provide their client with three quotes for the unforseen service charge then add their fixed percentage to the quote accepted by the client. This is an easy, smart and transparent measure to account for any unforseen costs.

The key message though is that a professional freight forwarder should save you money providing there is agreement and sign off on freight charges in advance.

Once the freight forwarder has an agreement and sign off they can then fix freight charges at lower rates.

5. Clear lines of communication Without clear lines of communication there is the potential for all sorts of mixed messages.

A professional freight forwarder should appoint a project team leader and all communication should be funnelled through that appointed person.

Conversely, the client or end user must nominate a defined project team leader.

Having multiple people communicating will crate havoc and confusion, so it’s essential that only the freight forwarder’s team

team and the other party will just exacerbate the problem.

When things go wrong finger pointing from either party will just create conflict and division and won’t solve the problem. *Peter Townley is the managing director and founder of Townley Group International, and has more than 23 years experience in the project forwarding and transport industry.

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on the job, you’ll get a full and detailed program of what’s involved including who will do X and who will do Y.

leader and the end user’s team leader communicate and collaborate to achieve the project outcomes.

Having a 2IC under each project team leader is also a prudent measure for communication.

Ideally, each project leader should have very good oral and written communication skills and the maturity to take responsibility and accountability for all tasks under their remit.

Contact between both team leaders should only pertain to what is essential and appropriate and third party personnel only brought in if circumstances require.Importantly, keep information factual and if something is unclear don’t assume that the other party is clear about it or aware of it.

What’s equally important is declaring any problems to the other party as quickly as possible. Things don’t always M H 0 4 1 to 4 plan _ 0 0and 0 _ hiding PRI go Laccording problems or mistakes from your

1300 134 223 storemasta.com.au September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 21

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bulkhandling

Driving on through extreme weather, Bellingham’s Bonfiglioli gear units help power Rio rail expansion Compact but powerful Bonfiglioli helical bevel gear units are helping to power rail hoists for Rio Tinto’s Rail Capacity Enhancement Project in Karratha.

Bellingham Engineering’s monorails with 8t hoists powered by Bonfiglioli Gear Units

T

he Bonfiglioli A series drives were specified by Bellingham Engineering for the major project that is part of Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s plan to expand its iron ore export capacity to 280 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).

Bellingham Engineering was contracted to design and construct a Long Welded Rail Crane for the new 8 mile Flash Butt Welding Facility in Karratha, for which they needed a high quality gearbox that could withstand adverse weather conditions such as high heat and cyclonic weather.

They chose the rugged and durable Bonfiglioli A 05 2 and A 90 4 Helical Bevel Gear Units, which provide 1.1 and 7.5kW of power respectively to traverse hoists, which allows Rio Tinto to lift up to four pieces of railway at once, greatly increasing their operational efficiency.

Bellingham Engineering Project engineer Mat Bates said the Bonfiglioli motors are good quality, with a good gearbox, a nice paint finish resistance to rust.

“We’ve selected Bonfiglioli in the past and again on this project because they are far more reliable than some of the other major companies,” he said.

The Bonfiglioli A Series Helical Bevel Gear Units provide lightweight construction, while maintaining strength and durability.

22 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

The Karratha project began over three years ago, and was an all-in-one job, involving designing the systems, fabricating and installing the components, and now further expansion work is being done.

The project involved an extension of a rail welding facility with a long-welded rail crane consisting of 27 monorails, each with an 8t hoist and specialised rail grab unit.

All 27 hoists are able to operate simultaneously, with the whole crane capable of picking up 400 metres of rail at once, which can either be taken to storage bays, or loaded onto trains for transportation, often to provide new railways for mines.

Bates said Bonfiglioli engineers were efficient and reliable when it came to installation and delivery.

“The Bonfiglioli engineers are just as reliable as their technology – they always turn up on time. I’ve never had any issues with them, or the drives they supply,” Bates said.

Bonfiglioli, which is this year celebrating 25 years service in Australia, prides itself on engineering services including those provided by its Drive Service Centre (DSC).

The DSC – operating throughout Australasia – combines local engineering skills with the global resources required to tailor larger, sophisticated and efficient drives to the needs of individual customers.

The A Series units selected for the Karratha project have a wide ratio range (with up to four reduction stages), allowing one gear unit to be used where previously two were needed, saving Rio Tinto space and cost.

Operating efficiencies are enhanced by high performance helical bevel gear pairs, which also give the units significant energy savings.

They are also innovatively designed for lower noise levels by locating the bevel gear pair on the second reduction stage of the gear motors. In addition to this, the monobloc universal housing offers optimum sizing and perfect gear alignment, which adds to the total noise reductions of the units.

The A series units are functionally designed with a large ratio range of 1700 to 1 in a single gearbox with up to four reduction stages.

Depending which A Series unit is used, power outputs range from 0.09–55kW, with torques from 150-14,000.

Bonfiglioli Transmission (Australia) is part of the international Bonfiglioli group, with 2500 employees worldwide. The full Australian branch is part of a global network of 14 full branches and eight production plants supported by nearly 80 national distributors and an Australasian network of distributors complemented by offices in Australian States and New Zealand. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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bulkhandling

Automatic palletising for the future The issue of achieving fast, stable and safe stacking is key in palletised materials handling, but technological developments are making this easier all the time.

T

he BEUMER Group, a single-source provider for filling, palletising and packaging technologies has developed the Robotpac, a space-saving, fully automatic, articulated robot which solves complex palletising and de-palletising challenges, and is able to stack bundles such as bags, cardboard boxes, crates, canisters or trays safely and economically.

BEUMER has also developed fully automatic gripping systems that are easily exchangeable and suitable for each item to be packed, thanks to extensive expertise in the design of grippers and control technology.

Different grippers for different tasks The fork gripper was designed for palletising bagged goods and cardboard boxes.

It picks up the packaged item from a take-away roller conveyor and secures it using a holding-down device during transport.

Once the target position on the pallet has been reached, the gripper opens with a horizontal movement and the push-off plate pushes the packaged item off the fork.

The fork gripper features gentle product handling and precise placement of the packaged items.

The double fork gripper was also designed for palletising bagged goods and cardboard boxes and is able to pick up two bags simultaneously from a double take-away roller conveyor.

Once the packaged item is placed on the pallet, the fork is quickly raised and the tool 24 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

approaches the target position for the second packaged item.

The placement occurs consistently with the first fork’s stacking process. Once both forks have placed the packaged items, the tool returns to the pick-up position.

The finger gripper has been developed for palletising bagged goods. It takes the bags from hoist equipment on the take-away roller conveyor and carries it to the previously set target position.

The fingers open while the slide plates remain in a closed position, to ensure that the bag is guided along the sides during the stacking process. The double finger gripper is a high-performance tool designed for maximum palletising capacity.

Parallel and suction grippers, combination and special tools The parallel gripper is a special tool for palletising cardboard boxes

and other dimensionally stable containers with parallel side walls.

The essential components are a fixed plate that functions as a limit stop and a pneumatically activated clamping device that pushes the cardboard box horizontally against the fixed plate.

The suction gripper is fundamentally able to handle all goods with ‘suctionable’ surfaces.

Bagged goods belong to the most frequently palletised products. The suction gripper places its suction head above the product and then lowers the suction head tightly against the product surface. The vacuum pump starts and creates a vacuum in the suction head.

Then the bag is picked up and transported to the target position.

Air is released into the suction head and the bag is placed.

The suction gripper is used for low palletising capacities.

In addition to these gripping systems, there are a large number of specialty grippers and combination tools.

Special tools enable simultaneous processing of secondary tasks, including sheet or empty pallet placement on the conveying systems or barcode reading.

Should the needs of the user be so specific that none of the standard grippers is suitable, BEUMER can design a system specifically for such unique requirements, meaning virtually all products can be palletised with a robot.

High availability and gentle handling The Robotpac distinguishes itself logisticsmagazine.com.au

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bulkhandling

Machine Interface (HMI), an operator panel with an optimised user interface and optimised navigation, which creates easily understandable and intuitive interaction, enabling the user to define efficient working sequences. The operator can control the machine safely, independently of prior skills, training and capabilities, this saving time and money which ensures high economic efficiency.

Regulated by complex control mechanisms, the Robotpac can stack packaged goods of System and control from variable dimensions on one one source pallet. Individual programmes The control systems do not cover all packing patterns, so require special robot-related that complicated and tedious expertise due to their useradjustments become a thing of friendly design. To enable the past. The switch to another operators to operate the BEUMER programme with the BEUMER robotpac easily and quickly, robotpac requires a mere push the intralogistics specialist has of a button. Thereby, the 1 equipped 2 0 1 4 it - with 0 1 - the 1 0Human T 0 8 : 0 4 : 4 BEUMER 1 + 1 1 : robotpac 0 0 optimises through its remarkable precision and availability, as well as through its gentle product handling.

An ultrasonic system provides accurate measures of the stacking height, making it possible to calculate the exact placing position of the packaged items and stack these precisely and carefully. This precision guarantees an optimal stack configuration.

The latter not only serves as a mark of quality for your customer, it also ensures high stability during shipping and storage.

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the material flow quickly and easily adapting itself to products of different sizes and characteristics.

Robust and empirically tested machine components, together with state-of-theart geared motors, guarantee smooth operation. Therefore, the BEUMER robotpac is not only easy to maintain, but also extremely quiet. The performance can be enhanced cost-effectively.

Equipped with an additional drive axle and an integrated motor connected to the control system, the BEUMER robotpac is freely movable on a guide rail.

Consequently, it can be used in distribution centres for order picking tasks.

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September 2014 Logistics&MaterialsHandling | 25

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safety

OHS figures don’t lie Workplace safety rarely makes the headlines today, but that’s not to say manufacturing is a completely safe occupation. Alan Johnson reports.

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uch work has been done in the past decade or so to prevent injuries in the workplace and reduce worker compensation claims, but there are still too many workers being admitted to hospital with serious injuries, or even worse.

Everyone who goes to work, expects to come home at the end of the day, unfortunately that is not always the case.

Safe Work Australia’s recent publication “Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Booklet 2014” reveals that Australia’s manufacturing industry is not as safe as many would have us believe.

Data in the report shows that in 2011/12 (the most recent currently figures available) manufacturing was the second most hazardous industry in Australia, with an overall incidence rate of 20.9 serious workers compensation claims per 1000 employees.

But while the manufacturing industry still has relatively high rates of injury, a decade or so ago the figures were far more shocking.

The report reveals that injury rates have decreased by 26 per cent over the eleven year period from 2000/1 to 2010/11, from 29.5 serious claims per 1000 employees to 21.7 respectively.

However, over the five year period from 2007/8 to 2011/12, 113 manufacturing workers died from work-related injuries, at a rate of 2.21 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

26 | Logistics&MaterialsHandling September 2014

The most common causes of death over the five-year period were being hit by falling objects (22 fatalities); vehicle incidents (21 fatalities) and being trapped by machinery or between stationary and moving objects (17 fatalities); falls from a height (14 fatalities) and being hit by falling objects (13 fatalities).

Over the same period, body stressing was the most common cause of injury and accounted for 41 per cent of serious claims, followed by being hit by moving objects (18 per cent), and falls, trips and slips of a person (15 per cent).

Reducing injuries Len Neist, executive director of Health and Safety with Victoria’s WorkCover Authority says teamwork is the key to reducing the number of injuries in the workplace.

“Our main message for all workplaces, including manufacturers, is for employers and employees to work together to reduce the opportunity for injury and the occurrence of injuries,” he said.

Neist said employers and employees working together as a team can have a significant impact on reducing workplace injuries.

“While a significant number of these injuries are back related, the data shows that these types of claims are reducing,” he said.

Neist explained that Victoria has seen a gradual decrease in back injuries in the manufacturing sector from 998 claims in 2009 down to 848 claims in 2013.

And while the Safe Work Australia report shows the rates of serious workers’ compensation claims increase with employee age, Neist pointed out older workers have tremendous work experience and ideas, and with their insight can play a key role in creating safer workplaces in future.

Lower premiums Neist says a safer workplace is not only of benefit to employees, but employers will also see a benefit as they are hit with lower workers compensation claims.

“Employers in Victoria for example, with assessed employee remuneration above $200,000, can reduce their payable premiums by pro-actively identifying and remediating potential hazards in the workplace and ensuring a good safety record.

“Plus, all employers, regardless of their size, who pay their premiums early are able to receive early payment discounts,” Neist said.

John Watson, General Manager of NSW WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, admits work-related injuries are expensive, “be it lost time, increased workers compensation premiums or the human costs”. logisticsmagazine.com.au

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safety

“We all want manufacturing businesses to be productive, but in a safe environment.

“Recent reductions in workers compensation premiums go some way to helping NSW businesses bring down costs but the key to keeping costs low is reducing the number of injuries across the industry and getting injured people back to work,” Watson said.

injuries and illnesses and improve overall injury management procedures.”

Watson explained that the Industry Action Plan addressed five issues, including manual tasks at the workshop and manual tasks at client sites.

“A number of manual handling risks were identified in these workplaces, including poorly designed delivery and despatch areas, working at the wrong height while manufacturing and Manual handling assembling products, and manually moving According to Watson, manual handling in NSW timber and products through the workshop.” is the cause of almost double any other type of Despite the risks, Watson says manual handling workplace injury. injuries are preventable and businesses can do “While this is no surprise, there are many more to create safer workplaces. things businesses and workers can do to create “When moving loads in the workplace, for a safer workplace,” Watson said. example, there are a number of things that must He said that some sectors of the manufacturing be considered, including how the load is to be industry have been identified by WorkCover moved, the distance to be moved, the duration NSW as high risk. and frequency of the move, the characteristics of “Through our Focus on Industry Program, is the load, and the working posture of the lifter.” working with them to make their workplaces He says businesses should also take into more productive, healthy and safe. account the age, skill and experience of workers “For example, we recently completed a when assessing on site manual handling risks. project with the wood products manufacturing “In the event of a manual handling injury, industry which included the implementation businesses must have adequate return to work plans M 0Industry 9 1 4 _ Action 0 0 0 _Plan L E to N reduce 1 workplace 2 0 1 4 - 0for 8 injured - 1 1 Tworkers 1 5 : 2 2 : 5 getting 8 + 1 0back : 0to0 work ofLan because

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quickly is the best outcome for an injured worker.”

Watson also said it was important for injured workers, employers and the case managers to work together holistically to ensure sustainable return-to-work results.

Future Safe Work Australia is confident the number of injuries and/or fatalities in the workplace will continue to fall over the next decade.

To this end, the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022 has an overall target of a 20 per cent reduction in the number of worker fatalities due to injury, and a 30 per cent reduction in the overall rate of compensation claims resulting in one or more weeks off work by 2022.

A spokesperson for Safe Work Australia said the manufacturing industry has been identified as a ‘priority’ industry because of the high numbers and rates of injury and/or fatalities.

The spokesperson pointed out that the industry has already achieved a 26 per cent reduction in serious compensation claims from 2000/1 to 2010/11, and says further reductions should be possible though improved work practices and better industrial design.

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