Printing News serves the entire Printing Industry with targeted content for the large commercial print segment.
Issue link: https://foodlogistics.epubxp.com/i/98679
stationary, whereas a dynamic dimensioner measures and weighs items while they are in motion or moving on a conveyor line. Measuring small, irregular-shaped items, such as cans and bottles, is a function more frequently requested of cubing and weighing equipment. In order to accurately measure irregular-shaped items, Quantronix offers the static CubiScan 125, which uses built in infrared diodes to precisely measure irregularshaped items. It can analyze products up to 18 inches in length, 18 inches in width and 12 inches in height with a 50-pound limit. ���Our CubiScan 125 is our latest product advancement and the additional functionality of that machine is quite unique,��� says Neilson. ���It���s a portable cubing and weighing system that can be put on a mobile cart with a battery system in a warehouse to make it mobile.��� When Ecuador-based freight forwarder Siati Group experienced a growth in customers and employees, along with more freight, they turned to CubiScan���s equipment to streamline their operations. ���In December 2011, we were processing 2,500 warehouse receipts per day,��� stated Fernando Banderas, Siati Group���s general manager, in a case study. ���We worked all day, from 4 a.m. until 2 a.m. with 3 shifts of people every day. Trucks were lined up outside.��� Banderas said that while the company���s database handled the extra business fine, it was ���a wake-up call that we needed to improve our processes,��� he remarked. According to the case study, the expansion of Internet retailing has driven a lot of growth for Siati Group, but there are some challenges. For instance, the Ecuadorian Customs agency penalizes shipments if the weight is under or over five percent of the declared weight. In order to avoid these types of weight penalties, Siati Group installed three CubiScan products. ���After we installed the first scale about a year ago, we added the smaller scales a few months after that,��� said Banderas. ���The scales have paid for themselves many times over.��� The CubiScan 125 measures regularshaped boxes up to 24 inches in length, 24 inches in width and 36 inches in height and it can operate in temperature environments ranging between 32 to 104 F (0 to 40 C). Additionally, Mettler Toledo offers static and dynamic cubing and weighing systems. ���Our products are designed in a very hygienic way,��� says Andreas Wilmers, global sales manager of CargoScan at Mettler Toledo. ���We have all kinds of systems that guarantee the quality in the production process for the food and beverage industry.��� The Mettler Toledo CSN210 MassFlow measures boxes and irregular-shaped items on a conveyor belt and it provides sorting efficiency. It can handle items as small as 2 inches in length, 2 inches in width and 1 inch in height, and as large as 98 inches in length, 78 inches in width and 36 inches in height. Mettler Toledo���s CSN840 pallet dimensioner measures a large range of pallet shapes at approximately 200 objects per hour. The CSN840 measures pallets up to 72 inches in length, 72 inches in width, and 102 inches in height. Logistics provider Schenker Sweden managed their pallet measuring needs manually before switching to Mettler Toledo���s CSN840 equipment. One of the key advantages in using Mettler Toledo���s equipment was a noticeable boost in measurement accuracy. ���One of the biggest differences we notice with the results we get from the CSN840 is 100 percent data accuracy, which means that we have 100 percent correct invoicing,��� noted Christian Fabricius, development manager for goods at Schenker Sweden, in a case study. ���We notice now that customers were not always providing exact measurements. So most of the correcting we do is to make sure cus- tomers are not being under- or over-charged.��� Software solutions Software integration solutions are available for food and beverage managers in order to streamline warehouse efficiency. This allows for any dimension and weight data to be seamlessly integrated with other systems such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS) or warehouse load planning software. Mettler Toledo offers their OCTO DataCapture Software solution, which can be used on any of their dimensioning equipment. The OCTO software helps prevent damage claims by capturing a picture of each product or pallet. It also provides a sorting and tracking solution that creates full visibility in the warehouse. OCTO software can help assure that food and beverage products get to the correct location. ���We���re noticing some customers���that have load planning software���are using our data to populate into their load planning software to better mix their products when shipping on their own fleets,��� says Mettler Toledo���s Bobel. Additionally, historical data can be used in the planning process in order to prevent bottlenecks from occurring. Quantronix���s CubiScan also offers software integration tools called Qbit-DB. Qbit-DB software gathers, archives, and manages dimension, weight and product data obtained from the CubiScan equipment. ���We have a very good software team that has fine-tuned this data collection and transfer solution to make it as convenient as possible, and make it as cross-compatible to any software system as possible, right off the shelf, without having to do customization,��� says Quantronix���s Neilson. ���We have the ability to customize the interface to a customer���s software system and we have built some data integration to customers that are very customized for their needs.��� ��� Are Learn how the Food Safety Modernization Act is increasing the need FSMyou for Columbia Machine���s Load Transfer Stations com plia A > Category 3 safety compliant nt? > Cleaner and faster than load inverters > Prevents wood pallets and contamination from entering production areas Transfers from one pallet type to another 1-800-628-4065 w w w.loadtransfer.net www.foodlogistics.com FOOD LOGISTICS Follow us on twitter @colmac_inc Become our fan columbiamachineinc ��� NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 43