The two-day event from the organisers of Logistics Link Live takes place at Solar, a ground-breaking, eco-friendly warehouse developed by Gazeley at Magna Park, Lutterworth, on 21 and 22 May in response to the appetite from visitors for more live demonstrations.
More than 100 exhibitors are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to show off their products in a real working environment. Exhibits and demonstrations will cover product areas such as lift trucks, product identification and marking equipment, packaging, storage, warehouse automation, scissor lifts, fleet management and telematics systems, palletised distribution and wireless data systems.
Some of the demos lined up so far include conveyor systems from Diamond Phoenix, automated control systems from MacDonald Humfrey, Kardex carousels, a live stacking demonstration from Translift Bendi, voice picking from Psion Teklogix, cleaning displays from Hako and, from Combilift, a lift truck driving competition.
In the field of automated picking, MacDonald Humfrey will be demonstrating its MachPick pick-to-light product and MachSense shop-floor integration products, bringing together tracking location with pick-to-light and pick-to-voice in an integrated system. While Psion Teklogix is running a live ‘Pick Olympics’ event putting voice picking head-to-head with paper and terminal picking.
And forklift manufacturer Combilift is holding the Midland Heat of its 2008 Driver of the Year Competition at the show. Contestants will pick up and carry large and bulky loads around a tricky course against the clock – with penalties for unsafe operation.
Automated materials handling system specialist Diamond Phoenix will give visitors an ‘up close and personal’ insight into a wide range of conveyor technologies, and explain how to apply and justify automated storage and retrieval systems as part of the Logistics Showroom seminar programme. Graham Boner, sales director at Diamond Phoenix UK, says that the demonstration potential of the Logistics Showroom provides a real benefit for visitors.
“We are delighted to be exhibiting as it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the true benefits that an automated storage and retrieval system can bring. By having a sizeable demonstration area, we have the means to provide prospective customers with a more personal one-to-one demo.”
With the event taking place at the heart of one of Europe’s most successful distribution developments, many of the exhibitors also have major installations on the Logistics Showroom’s doorstep.
SSI Schaefer, for example, has a large pallet racking and multi-level shelving installation at Nissan Renault’s Magna Park site, while the Nissan Renault site and three ASDA facilities on the Park depend on safety services provided by The Rack Group. SDI Greenstone installed the nearby TNT Primark Distribution Centre and one exhibitor, Twintec, helped to create the venue for the show by producing the floor of the Solar warehouse.
Solar is a 275,000 sq ft speculative development on Magna Park in the ‘golden triangle’ bounded by the M1, M6 and M69 motorways. The unit is an eco friendly building with reduced running costs. It is a joint venture between Gazeley and MetLife Real Estate Investments.
It systems
IT systems are also well represented at the exhibition. Red Prairie will be running warehouse management and financial management system demonstrations throughout both days of the show. RedPrairie will be highlighting its E2e suite of retail and supply chain systems.
DeltaWMS, is releasing four specialist-market versions of its software, and will be demonstrating these at the Logistics Showroom. First up is the DeltaWMS Bond system, developed with users and HM Revenue & Customs, it focuses on the bonded warehouse market. The remaining three range across the third party logistics, distribution and manufacturing market
Minster Logistics will be exhibiting its latest software system which comprises an end-to-end voice enabled warehouse management system. The software has been designed to help ease warehousing operations such as: goods receipts; put-away; replenishment; picking; cross-docking; marshalling; loading; full stock takes; and perpetual inventory.
Agility Systems provides supply chain modules that can bolt on to an ERP system’s core to extend its overall functionality. At the show, visitors will have the chance to see an example of this with the Agile Logistics System.
OBS will be exhibiting its Calidus warehouse and transport management systems at the show.
Proteus Software will use the event to showcase its developments in warehouse management and supply chain software. Visitors will be able to view various warehouse management systems, including the real-time graphical warehouse dashboard and van sales systems.
Communications technology will also be on display. The Communications Group, which supplies communication systems for big-name clients such as Asda, Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and logistics provider DHL Exel Supply Chain, will be showing its latest advances in two-way digital radio technology.
Psion Teklogix will use the Logistics Showroom to demonstrate its range of data capture and voice picking solutions. Among the products on show will be the recently launched iKôn – a rugged personal digital assistant.
Zetes will also have various hardware options, from voice recognition hardware to barcode scanners and printers. It will also provide live demonstrations on the hour, every hour, showcasing the differences between paper-based picking, picking using barcode scanners and voice technology.
And Belgravium will be showcasing its Remote Terminal Administration software, designed to help centralise management of mobile devices and networks. The software will enable users to manage their mobile devices from a central location wherever they may be.
Flooring
Visitors will only have to look down to see Twintec Industrial Flooring’s product, as the event is being staged on it. The 24,000 sq m steel fibre, reinforced, jointless floor, which was completed in 2006, has been laid to a special FM2 special flatness tolerance.
The CoGri Group, a consortium of international companies which comprises industrial floor specialists Concrete Grinding, Face Consultants, and CG Flooring Systems, will be showcasing its FACE Digital Profileograph. This motorised level-sensing instrument is designed to record the regularity of a warehouse floor as a fork lift truck would experience it, and is used for surveying defined movement areas such as very narrow aisles.
ASG Services, the warehouse identification and floor marking specialist, will be using the event to showcase a new, durable anti-slip, self-adhesive panel, designed to make internal fire exit marking a quicker, simpler process.
Specialist industrial door supplier Ro-Dor, will be performing demonstrations of three types of doors: the hygienic PVCu roller shutter door; the rapid roll door, which has a lightweight curtain and knockout facility with automatic re-insertion system; and a sectional door which has high insulation properties.
Keeping the warehouse clean is a challenging task and Hako Machines will be exhibiting and demonstrating its range of environmentally friendly cleaning machines. The company has developed cassette filter systems, with a filter surface area of five square metres to ensure the cleanliness of the exhaust air from its vacuum sweepers.
Storax Racking Systems will be presenting a range of warehouse storage systems designed to meet the needs of modern logistics systems. The fast pace of logistics and demand for speedy materials handling operations, mixed with the increased demand to preserve land throughout the world, means more pressure is being placed on maximising warehouse space.
Kasto will be exhibiting several types of compact storage systems in scaled down versions, one of which, the KastoLift, is new to the UK. This can store bars, plates, tools and boxes, half-finished products and finished goods.
Packaging
Packaging is an area where environmental pressures are mounting rapidly and exhibitors at Logistics Link will be showcasing some innovative solutions.
Easypack will be demonstrating its eco-friendly Epsilon system, which produces flexible, shock absorbing void fill and protective cushions from 300 metre rolls of single ply, 100 per cent recycled paper.
Mil-Tek has launched an ECOdrive system, which has been designed to help companies reduce their waste costs by 80 per cent. The company promises that with this system, the amount of energy consumption on baling can be cut by up to 60 per cent.
Aetna UK will be exhibiting a Rotoplat 506PFS stretch pallet wrapper at its stand. The suppliers of high speed shrink-wrapping, case packing, and pallet stretch wrapping, promises there is a Robopac wrapping system for every application and every budget.
George Utz, which designs and manufactures reusable plastic containers, component holders and pallets for storage and transport, will be displaying several specialised systems for the automotive, electronic, retail, logistics, pharmaceutical and food industries. It will also show the Utz KLAPA (foldable pallet box), a variant of which the French Post recently ordered 150,000 pieces.
Recruitment
Encore specialises in the supply of workers through three divisions – industrial, driving and engineering and three supporting operations on-site, overseas and permanent vacancies.
Materials handling
A wide range of materials handling equipment will be on display. Diamond Phoenix will be highlighting a range of conveyor technologies designed for the transport and sortation of cartons and totes. A demonstrations will feature technologies including under belt drive, lineshaft, motorised roller and the v-belt drive.
Narrow Aisle will be demonstrating its range of very narrow aisle trucks, which include man-down and man-up trucks, order pickers and reach trucks. Recent design innovations include the Flexi GAS and the Flexi HiMAX.
Abex will be showing a range of forklift trucks including a Nissan PLL Pallet Truck, Nissan OP Order Picker, Nissan TX with Roll out Battery. It will also be showing the Magaziner EK order picking and narrow aisle trucks.
Diamond Phoenix
The demonstration will feature multiple conveyor technologies that include Under Belt Drive, Lineshaft, Motorised Roller and the revolutionary V-Belt Drive.
Combilift
Combilift, the manufacturer of the versatile range of 4-way forklifts will be holding the Midland Heat of its 2008 Driver of the Year Competition on the first day of the exhibition. Visitors will be able to test the forklifts by competing on a challenging course which involves picking up and carrying large and bulky loads around obstacles, tight corners and backwards and forwards through a figure of eight – all against the clock.
MacDonald Humfrey
MacDonald Humfrey will be demonstrating their MachPick pick-to-light product and their MachSense shop-floor integration product.The new MachSense products brings together our tracking location platform, MachPick (Pick-to-Light) and MachVoice (Pick-to-Voice) and MORE into one integrated package.
Zetes
The software company will also provide live demonstrations on the hour, every hour, showcasing the differences between paper-based picking, picking using barcode scanners and voice technology.
