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C O V E R says Chuck Fuerst, director of product strategy, ���especially the safety equipment audit app,��� he told Food Logistics during a brief stop at HighJump���s booth at ProMat 2013. Honeywell continues to make improvements to its product offerings, too. The company recently rolled out the Thor VM2, its tenth generation vehicle-mount computer (VMC) targeted at the mobile workforce. A company press release states that the newly designed unit features a field-replaceable front panel, which ���integrates the two most damage-prone device components���the keyboard and touchscreen���into a user-replaceable part. As a result, users can repair the most common forms of vehicle-mount computer malfunctions on the go, reducing maintenance cost and spare parts capital cost.��� Workforce and sustainability considerations Labor is an essential component in the warehouse. No matter how automated the operations, there will always be a human element, and this is particularly true in the food and beverage sector. However, labor is costly when it comes to wages, training, injuries and low productivity. Schaefer Systems International recognizes its customers��� desire to reduce labor costs while simultaneously minimizing a facility���s footprint. Furthermore, the days of ���throwing labor��� at a problem are over, at least in industrialized nations. And warehouse operators share the same difficulty as trucking companies when it comes to attracting new entrants to the workforce, i.e. existing workers are getting older and new ones are seeking employment in other areas. One of the solutions that Schaefer recently unveiled is its patented S T O R Y Goods-to-Person workstation under the brand-name ergonomics@ work!, which promises up to 70 percent higher picking efficiency and over 1,000 picks per hour. The spherical design increases picking frequency and gives the operator a better overview. ���Ergonomics is certainly more than just going easy on joints and muscles,��� points out Dr. Max Winkler in a recent Schaefer blog. ���It is also about logic, easy to follow work steps and stress-free processes. In relation to a distribution center, this means, for example, optimizing search and orientation tasks.��� He remarks that ergonomics not only contributes to a worker���s well being, but also brings measurable and distinct advantages in productivity. Meanwhile, maintaining a modest footprint is one of the goals Witron will adhere to for a new project it will undertake for Coop, the second-largest food retailer in Norway. The retailer plans to build a new distribution center with multiple temperature zones near the capital city of Oslo. Coop���s executives were impressed with Witron���s design plans regarding cost efficiency, energy efficiency, ergonomics and flexibility���all of which are extremely important in high-priced labor and real estate markets found throughout many European countries. Sustainability and energy efficiency were also key consideration for Europe���s Oberalp Group, a manufacturer of alpine sporting goods, which tapped TGW Systems to automate a new logistics center in Bolzano, Italy. Conveyor equipment fitted with energy efficient drives and stacker cranes that boast ���energy recuperation��� features helped TGW meet Oberalp���s ���highly developed sense for sustainability,��� says TGW���s IT project manager, Albert Fischlmayr. A Few Take-aways From the Trade Show Floor I t was bitter cold in Chicago during Promat 2013, but on the trade show floor, attendees and exhibitors were fired up about a lot of things. The willingness of customers to continue making investments in warehouse automation was one of them. Early signs of economic rejuvenation were evident at last year���s Modex show and the momentum is still there it seems. It���s not just big-ticket items that are getting attention either. There was a lot of interest in keeping food facilities clean and energy efficient. Rytec was exhibiting its Powerhouse maintenance-free and rubber door, touted to deliver the lowest total cost of ownership of any rubber door ever built. ITW Muller���s Octopus rotary ring stretch wrapper was also in action at the show. The machine wraps up to 100 loads per hour, can accommodate a wide range of pallet load sizes, and is especially well-suited for food and beverage applications 22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 because the ring technology avoids oil dripping down on the product from an overhead arm. A few aisles over, Keeahna Twomey, logistics manager of the Oklahoma Food Bank, was in Voxware���s booth discussing the success the organization has had with Voxware VMS. The forklift manufacturers were eager to talk about the latest enhancements to their products, which continue to set new stan- ��� FOOD LOGISTICS dards for driver safety, ergonomics, reliability and energy efficiency. Jungheinrich���s booth team said its developments in battery technology allow for two shifts to work on a single charge, which they described as ���unprecedented��� in the industry. In addition, the company���s forklifts can be fitted with a cab to give operators more comfort in freezer environments. During a meeting with Food Logistics in the press room, Crown���s Tim Quellhorst, senior vice president, emphasized the company���s ongoing commitment to operator safety. The QuickPick Remote Advance is a prime example. Described as a ���game-changing innovation in low-level order picking��� when it was introduced two years ago, the technology allows the order selector to remotely advance the truck to the next pick location, while he or she remains at a safe distance. Marty Boyd, vice president of marketing, product planning and training for Toyota Material Handling USA echoed the focus on operator safety. He also talked about the fundamental importance of ���listening to the customer.��� But his best comment came when he was talking about Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs): ���We used to view them as a threat. Now we are embracing it.��� Boyd personifies the attitude of the leaders in our industry who see competition and challenge as an opportunity to innovate. www.foodlogistics.com