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Nissan Europe gets connected vehicle technologies – no news when Australia gets update

 
Nissan commercial fleet vehicles will be provided with next generation connected vehicle technologies in an agreement between Nissan Europe and Telogis, although it is not known if the agreement will flow through to Australian vehicles and fleets.
The application of the new technologies is expected to provide fleet owners, drivers and fleet customers with productivity gains and cost savings.
The new NissanConnect Fleet offering will connect customers’ vehicles, people and the work that is being done, helping to make drivers safer, providing higher levels of service, while improving sustainability and operational efficiency.
“The time has come for Nissan commercial customers to benefit from the visibility and operational intelligence they gain by connecting their business,” said Philippe Guerin-Boutaud, Corporate Vice President, Global LCV Business Unit, Nissan Motor Co. “From empowering workers on the road and in the field to help them be safer and more efficient, to optimising daily delivery routes, NissanConnect Fleet will have a transformational effect on the way Nissan customers do business.”
The introduction of the new NissanConnect Fleet service marks an important step in advancing Nissan’s connected services offering across Europe, and also forms part of the brand’s Intelligent Mobility strategy that is guiding Nissan’s product and technology development to create a safer and more sustainable future.
Utilising hardware that has been factory-fit or installed by a certified Nissan dealer, NissanConnect Fleet technologies connects the vehicle to the Telogis platform. The Telogis Mobile Resource Management (MRM) software platform receives and analyses proprietary Nissan data from each vehicle including driver and vehicle performance history, and turns it into actionable information to help companies of all sizes make more informed business decisions.
“Customers will experience near-immediate return on investment by utilising the built-in connection in their Nissan vehicles,” said Kevin Moore, vice president, global OEM automotive sales at Telogis. “Telogis delivers mission-critical applications that enable Nissan commercial customers in Europe to connect, optimise and automate their operations, improve the lives of their drivers and provide a higher level of service to their own customers.”
The NissanConnect Fleet powered by Telogis offering will be available in Europe this autumn supporting the following initial vehicles (with more to come):

  • All crossover range Qashqai, X-Trail and Juke
  • Medium-compact car Pulsar
  • New Navara One Ton Pick-up
  • NV200 light commercial vehicles (LCV)
  • Cabstar medium-duty vehicles
  • Nissan electric vehicles (EVs) – LEAF and e-NV200

 
 

Workplace ladders to prevent falls from height

United Forklift and Access Solutions have released the Elevah range of ladder systems and access equipment to prevent accidents and falls from low heights; one of the leading causes of serious workplace injuries.
The range includes the Elevah 40 Move, a self-propelled aluminium personal access lift with a four metre working height that has won the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Product of the Year award for low-level access.
The first vertical mast (access) and order picker (forklift) products to be distributed in Australia will also include the Elevah 40 Move Stock Picker for safe access to stored products, as well as the Elevah 51 Move Stock Picker with up to 5.1m working height and the Elevah 65 Move Stock Picker with a working height of up to 6.5 m, the largest lift height in its class.
Elevah products feature safe working platforms with built-in protection cages for operators enabling safe operation even in crowded or restricted spaces. The compact and versatile access machines each feature tight turning performance with a high turning radius that enables the machinery to turn virtually within its own footprint.
The range provide higher productivity than conventional ladder systems and have safety features including a side entrance with sensors which stop the cage opening; dual operator presence device; anti-tilting device; electronic slope monitoring; and overload monitoring.
In NSW between July 2011 and May 2016, 3168 workers were injured in falls from ladders, including two fatalities.
Nationally, in the eight years from July 2003 to June 2011, 37 workers died following a fall from a ladder.

NatRoad application for truck driver exemptions dismissed

Truck drivers are claiming a victory over industry lobby group NatRoad in the latter’s bid to pay drivers less by seeking an exemption from rules in NSW setting minimum pay rates.
The NSW Industrial Relations Commission this morning dismissed NatRoad’s application for an exemption, which was opposed by the Transport Workers’ Union and other industry representative bodies.
Owner driver Ray Childs said the ruling would clear up the confusion and fear that NatRoad had created with its application. “Drivers now know that the rules which have been in place since 1984 will continue to protect their rates but also their jobs,” he said.
“This is an important win for owner drivers in NSW. NatRoad do not represent owner drivers, they represent companies which want to rip them off,” said TWU NSW Branch Secretary Richard Olsen.
At the same time as seeking an exemption for rules setting minimum rates for owner drivers, NatRoad is also seeking to reduce wages and allowances for employee drivers in a review of the transport awards.
“NatRoad know there is a problem in this industry but instead of seeking to hold wealthy retailers and manufacturers to account for their low cost contracts, it is going after drivers’ wages and rates to make a buck for their members. This attack on drivers must end,” said TWU National Secretary Tony Sheldon.
In the award review, NatRoad and the Australian Industry Group are seeking changes that included:

  • The introduction of part-time work for long-distance truck drivers, aimed at reducing their take-home pay in comparison to full-time pay.
  • Changes to when paid meal break allowances kick in for truck drivers who work beyond their normal shift hours.
  • Changes so that employers pay less superannuation
  • Changes to the definition of loading and unloading to limit what they have to pay for when truck drivers are on the job.
  • To reduce the agreed distance and time it takes to travel between cities – to pay truck drivers less.

 
 

New tablet saves time for filling machine operators

Haver and Boecker’s product filling division, Feige Filling, has designed an industrial-grade tablet to enable the remote operation of Feige Filling machines, saving operators time.
By using the wifi-connected tablet, the operator can communicate with the machines’ installed touch panels from anywhere within the wifi range to carry out settings, tests and maintenance tasks. This means operators no longer have to cover long distances within the factory to perform the tasks on the machines themselves.
“We have responded to customers’ requests for a more efficient operating system,” says Haver and Boecker Australia’s Sales Manager for Packaging Technology, Alan Arbotante. “The new Feige Remote Panel type F-RP provides an additional mobile operating terminal with all the operating functionality of the installed touch panels, making the operation of the machines faster and easier. This means faster filling and, ultimately, improved factory productivity.”
The tablet tolerates temperatures from -20 to + 50°C and is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications. For areas with a potentially explosive atmosphere, the tablet is available in a zone 1 compatible version. The tablet comes with an Android operating system and battery runtime of eight hours.

Pioneers honoured at Logistics Hall Of Fame Awards

The founders of the postal system paved the way for a new era of communication, the inventors of barcode and conveyor belt revolutionised industry, and the pioneers of parcel and express logistics laid the foundation for globalisation and eCommerce.
The motto for the 2016 voting period for the Logistics Hall of Fame was “Historic Milestones of Logistics” and in total, 13 big names from the field of transport, intralogistics, IT and insurance will be welcomed to the pantheon of the world’s most famous logisticians this year.
“The new members complete the timeline of milestone achievements in logistics and illustrate how logistics has made life better and safer over the course of time”, is how Anita Würmser, Executive Jury Chairperson of the Logistics Hall of Fame.
The first logistics milestone goes back to the year 1490 and is well known, too. The new inductees include Franz von Taxis (Tasso) (*1459 †1517)   and his nephew Johann Baptista von Taxis (Tasso) (*1470 †1541). At the end of the 15th century, they created the first cross-border communication system, laying the foundation for the international postal system and the rise of the Thurn und Taxis family.
Henry Ford (*1863 †1947), founder of the Ford Motor Company, and Ransom Eli Olds (*1864 †1950), founder of Oldsmobile were inducted for the invention of conveyor belt production. In 1903, Olds developed a simple form of “flow production”, the so-called “progressive assembly line” for the Oldsmobile. Ten years later, Henry Ford introduced a system of automated conveyor belt production known as the “moving assembly line”. It then took just 93 minutes to build a “Model T”, and the car suddenly became affordable.
US entrepreneur James E. Casey (*1888 †1983) is joining the logistics pantheon as the inventor of parcel services. He founded the “American Messenger Company”, later to become “United Parcel Service” – UPS for short – in Seattle in 1907 with a start-up capital of 100 dollars.
US Americans Norman Joseph Woodland (*1921 †2012), George Laurer (*1925) and Bernard Silver (*1925 †1963) are being honoured for the invention of the barcode. It was Woodland who originally had the idea for this kind of striped marking to label products. Together with Silver he developed the predecessor technology of the barcode in 1949 – which became a success when retailers and manufacturers in the United States agreed on the Universal Product Code (UPC) designed by IBM engineer George Laurer. On June 26, 1974 a checkout assistant scanned the first product bearing this barcode at a supermarket checkout in Ohio – it was a ten-pack of chewing gum. The barcode has revolutionised logistics, and automatic shipment tracking, modern warehousing practices and many other logistics innovations would have been unthinkable without it.
Freight forwarder and IRU President Lothar Raucamp (*1905 †1985) is being honoured as one of the most important advocates of the cooperative idea in logistics. When he set up Kravag in 1950 as a mutual insurance association, he secured the future of thousands of transport companies.
Gerhard Schäfer (*1924 †2015) is the only intralogistics expert to join the ranks of the world’s most famous logisticians. The market launch and series production of the stackable “storage fix-box” developed jointly by the Schäfer brothers under the lead management of Gerhard Schäfer in 1953 is considered a milestone of intralogistics. The stackable boxes with a viewing hole at the front marked the beginning of modern storage container logistics.
Entrepreneur Horst Mosolf (*1928 †2015) will join the ranks as a pioneer of vehicle logistics and inventor of specialised automotive transport. Among other things, he commissioned the construction of the first double-decker wagon in 1959.
There is also a place in the logistics pantheon for Frederick W. Smith (*1944), founder and CEO of Fedex. He is considered the inventor of express services and of the goods hub in the field of air transport. According to an oft-repeated anecdote, he only founded the company in 1971 so that he could prove to his professors that it really was possible to reach any location in the world within the space of 24 hours.
Peer Witten (*1945) is being accepted as a pioneer of Internet trading and modern logistics. As Logistics Director at the Otto Group, he initiated a series of innovations that set the trend in the market and subsequently served as a benchmark for Internet trading. Alongside the early introduction of virtual information and service platforms as well as environmental management systems in warehousing, these innovations included new delivery services, such as delivery on all workdays, 24-hour delivery service or freely selectable time windows.
The official induction ceremony takes place during a gala dinner at the Federal Transport Ministry – this year on November 29 in Berlin.

How supply chain management affects a company’s risk management strategy

External volatilities and natural disasters such as hurricanes, extreme weather, and political unrest can cause significant disruption to businesses, often with devastating impact.
Consider environmental change as a factor: natural disasters have already caused major economic losses in vulnerable, developing regions such as Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and we estimate that by 2030 the annual global economic cost of natural disasters could be as much as AUD$479 billion.*
Terrorism, conflict, and political instability are other potential causes of supply chain disruption. The character of conflict is changing and is often unexpected, resulting in increased disruption. According to the DHL Resilience360 risk management platform, civil unrest is a major risk in more than 30 percent of all countries, while the number of incidents related to terrorism have increased by 59 percent (even outside the Middle East) compared to the first half of 2015.
Incidences of digital risk are also on the rise. While the world benefits from technological innovation and advancements, the by-product of this progress is cyber risk, which can come in the form of data breaches and hacker attacks.
So what role does the supply chain play in helping to manage these risks? Research from the World Economic Forum reveals that large disruption to the supply chain is likely to impact a company’s share price by 7 percent on average. Not only are there explicit financial losses caused as a direct result of supply chain disruption, but supply chain disruption also affects a company’s reputation, as confidence in the business is likely to decrease. There are a number of functions that must play a role in the development of a company’s risk management strategy, from enterprise risk management to cyber risk management. However, the supportive backbone in an overall risk management strategy will always be an effective, resilient and well-managed supply chain.
Getting ready to face disruption
For many large-scale engineering and manufacturing businesses, the supply chain plays a central role throughout operations. It must be protected, and each company should also prepare for the external factors that could negatively impact the supply chain. The current design paradigm of a longer, leaner supply chain could prove to be a burden in the future. Therefore, from the planning stage of any project, it is important to assess risks and prepare for them by implementing contingency plans. Equally important is the insistence that suppliers have appropriate contingency plans in place. Increasing supply chain visibility is a core element of this – visibility makes it easier to understand where products are, how shipments could be disrupted, and what must be done to mitigate for this.
Understanding and predicting supply chain risks
Supply chain risk management works best when companies have the earliest possible notice of potentially disruptive incidents. Data analysis is a key element. By analysing past data, E&M businesses can develop a better understanding of what risks they might face at any given time, and ensure they are protected in the future. Communication across business functions means that data can be centralised and analysed most effectively, helping companies to predict risk. Collaboration across business functions should always be encouraged. E&M companies should run simulations on their supply chain processes as well so they can identify pressure points and predict how these might have an impact in future.
Managing a crisis
Despite a company’s best efforts, sometimes it is inevitable that disruption will impact the supply chain. What is important now is that businesses put their planning into action. Employees need to react quickly but carefully, and the business must communicate clearly both internally and externally with its partners. If the business has prepared well and used robust data to predict the potential of risks in the supply chain, overall impact on operations will likely be reduced.
Ultimately, businesses will never completely avoid disruption but if they prepare they can potentially reap rewards. Companies that get supply chain risk management right have a strong foundation on which to develop their overall risk management strategy. With it, they can often gain advantage by filling the gaps left by their less-agile competitors. By investing in more resilient supply chains, E&M businesses will not only reduce the impact of disruptive events, they will also have the potential to boost overall business performance.
*DHL Engineering and Manufacturing 2025+): http://www.dhl.com/en/logistics/industry_sector_solutions/industrial_engineering_manufacturing_logistics/engineering_and_manufacturing_whitepaper_2025/white_paper_contact_form.html
 

CeBIT expanding drone showcase

CeBIT is expanding its drones showcase next year due to the proliferation drone technologies over the past 12 months.
In addition to the ‘Unmanned Systems & Solutions’ topic cluster, CeBIT will be showcasing the solutions that are necessary to develop and operate unmanned systems, as well as future application opportunities for them, including the Internet of Things, Big Data applications, Communi­cations and Infrastructure Solutions and Research & Development.
“The ‘Unmanned Systems & Solutions’ topic cluster will be a visitor magnet again in 2017,” commented Frese, adding that this year alone some 100,000 visitors displayed an interest in offerings involving unmanned flying objects.
To create growth opportunities for the newly expanded topic cluster, ‘Unmanned Systems & Solutions’ is being staged next year in Hall 17.. The core focus of the presentations will be on business applications for the economy, science and civil society. The relevant application areas extend from logistics and surveying technology to agriculture and forestry, police and fire prevention, retailing and medicine.
In designing the new topic cluster, Deutsche Messe is cooperating with several different partners, including the German BUVUS association for unmanned systems, which was established as a network and special interest group for the use of drones and other unmanned systems in the commercial sphere.
In the conference section of “Unmanned Systems & Solutions”, BUVUS will be discussing the latest legislative issues – of eminent importance, above all for transport and logistics applications. A further conference topic will consist of the use of sensory systems. BUVUS will also be presenting numerous best-practice examples, including from the areas of construction and real estate, police and firefighting and transport and logistics.

Cat develops new high torque longwall drive systems

Caterpillar has unveiled new longwall armoured face conveyor high-torque drive systems at MINExpo.
The Cat HTD4100 enables a higher level of automation for enhanced speed and torque control and real-time monitoring, while its modular design simplifies installation and maintenance,” claims the manufacturer.
It offers fast response and accurate control to cut conveyor chain wear or failures.
The drive system consists of two main parts – a variable frequency convertor and the motor-gearbox combination.
“In the new Cat system, a medium voltage converter-controlled torque motor replaces the AC induction motor, the control principle of the drive is Direct Torque Control—the most advanced AC-drive control technology available,” Cat said.
The converter-controlled torque motor operates at low speeds of between 0 and 300 rpm versus 1500 rpm for induction motors.
This lower speed reduces inertia acting on the output shaft by eight times, enabling the system to react quickly, translating to little or no damage to the gearbox and chain in the event of a conveyor blockage. The installed motor power of the modular drive system is 1250 kW) with maximum torque of 650000 Nm.
The torque motor design reduces the need for as many gear stages, which enables the entire system to be simplified. This in turns allows smaller dimensions while retaining the same torque capabilities as systems that are as much as 20 per cent larger.
The smaller size allows flexibility in laying out longwall entries.
The system also has a reduced number of parts, which enhances reliability, and the components are standardised to simplify support of the system.
In addition to its soft start and stop, the drive system provides fast acceleration, and is reportedly five per cent more efficient than conventional drives, which translates into lower energy consumption and reduced cooling requirements.
Caterpillar will be able to configure the High Torque Drive System for retrofitting to existing longwall face conveyors. Plans call for supplying a range of High Torque Drive Systems to handle voltages of 3.3 kV or 4.16 kV in a mechanical power range of 300 kW to 1600 kW.
Systems for additional applications, such as longwall plow systems and beam stage loaders, will follow.
The system will begin field trials next year.

Baird says container cap a “generous” decision

Despite the government initially denying there was a cap on container ships for the Port of Newcastle, it has tried to put a positive spin on the agreement by claiming it was a smart and generous decision.
Premier Mike Baird, who visited Newcastle this week, said the agreement was a sound one that married with the state government’s overall strategy when dealing with ports, according to the Newcastle Herald.
“There’s a massive requirement for infrastructure to support,” he said. “There’s rail and roads, which is a huge burden on taxpayers across the state. So it makes a lot of sense to be strategic in the allocation of capital.”
Baird believes investing in Port Kembla and Port Botany is more important than Newcastle because of the ‘logistic chain’ with regard to the former two ports.
“We have put a very generous capacity into the agreements they can continue here at the Newcastle and they can grow at 6 per cent a year,” he says. “The economy grows at about 3 per cent if it’s at trend [so] there’s double economic growth that can come in here in terms of containers.
Baird was also bullish stating that the Port of Newcastle’s time would come with regard to its capacity.
“In the not too distant future you’ll have a huge capacity for a container terminal here in addition to an economically sensible approach to investing in the infrastructure required to support containers full stop,” he says

Traceability of goods key to new partnership

A strategic partnership between Result Group and IDlocate brings together the printing expertise of Result and IDlocate’s consumer-facing authentication platform.
Both companies believe the partnership will allow them to deliver best practice traceability and anti-counterfeiting.
“It’s an exciting partnership” says Result Group GM Michael Dossor. “Consumers are demanding traceability as to the source of supply…this strategic partnership allows us to continue delivering best practice solutions for our clients with an off-the- shelf solution. Of upmost importance is ease of use and consumer engagement; these are ticked off better than any other solution we have seen.”
“Our partnership with IDlocate enables us to deliver our customers a complete turnkey solution from Coding and Marking equipment and control software, to print a unique QR code on every product that will read and engage with any consumer on any handheld platform,” says Michael Harrop, Result’s Business Unit Manager. “Whilst there are a few other options in the market, we haven’t seen anything that works so well from both the manufacturer and the consumer stand-point.”
IDlocate was founded in 2015 by two consumer behaviour specialists, who understood that the existing platforms were IT led, and they were not delivering what the consumer was demanding or what brands could deliver. It was great to have all the technology and tests, but when they aren’t communicated to the consumer in an easy to access platform, the consumers lose interest and don’t engage with brands.
The solution is built on an enhanced version of a platform that has been delivering  coding solutions for the last 15 plus years, and addresses all the issues and risk in printing a unique identifier in a manufacturing environment. More importantly, it allows a consumer to engage with the brand owner’s message without the need for a specific reader or to download a special app.
Everything is web deployed meaning it does not matter what smartphone or reader is used, or what social media application or code reader a consumer is using. There is no barrier for the consumer to participate. Research has shown that consumers are now demanding to know where their products are sourced from, so it makes sense to display this to them in a way that provides for easy to access content. This is addressed by a brand owner being able to build custom content relevant to their products and existing systems, and share this with consumers at the touch of a button.

About MHD Supply Chain News

MHD Supply Chain Solutions magazine is Australia’s leading logistics and supply chain management title. The printed magazine and bi-weekly e-newsletter is a vital resource tool for all people working in logistics, warehousing and supply chain.

Providing an in depth look at trends and developments across the entire supply chain, as well as the latest technology, equipment and services that logistics professionals rely upon, the MHD Supply Chain Solutions platform operates as an efficient sales generation tool and a solid platform for increasing brand equity.

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