Reel & Roll Handling Regular maintenance key to business performance
Packaging businesses should undertake preventative maintenance between regular equipment servicing to maximise operational productivity and lengthen equipment life, says Ulma Packaging
packaging line, especially in harsh operating environments, or those working with high volume batch sizes. Ulma Packaging UK is encouraging companies to adopt best practice in maintenance by not only taking out Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) plans, but by regularly checking and cleaning core mechanical parts throughout the year. Taking the time to routinely check key operational parameters such as the positioning, pressure and condition of rollers and jaws outside of planned maintenance can easily prevent problems with sealing, cutting and other minor malfunctions; and ensure the highest quality standards are maintained between services. Likewise, making the time to ensure that
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sealing, roller and jaw temperatures are appropriately set and maintained; and that the film reel is correctly centred, will also help to maximise operational performance. Dave Berriman, technical manager at
Ulma Packaging UK, comments: “It goes without saying that prevention is always better than the cure, and those customers
nplanned downtime can have pronounced financial, logistical and operational implications on a
who have taken out planned service and maintenance contracts will naturally reduce the volume of production downtime due to unforeseen breakdowns. “However, just as you would undertake
basic maintenance tasks on a car in between planned services and MOTs, so too should you apply this thinking to industrial process equipment, including packaging machines. “By routinely checking simple things such as the security of key wired connections, as well as whether rollers and cutters are correctly cleaned and calibrated, you can keep your equipment running at maximum operational capacity for longer.” He continues: “Ulma’s service technicians
have a wealth of knowledge accrued over many years within the packaging industry, and regularly travel the length and breadth of the country as part of planned maintenance visits to keep our customers’ machinery operating at maximum capacity. However, going that extra mile to keep on top of smaller jobs between visits could prove to be invaluable in not only limiting downtime, but also ensuring quality is maintained throughout the year.”
ulmapackaging.co.uk
have a significant impact on the future of warehousing. With a notable increase in shoppers using both digital and physical stores when researching, comparing, and purchasing products, the company predicts that store- based distribution and fulfilment centres will become equally as important as warehouses. Indeed, one of the biggest and perhaps most surprising of retail trends that has been seen over the past few years is the shift from either ecommerce or brick-and- mortar stores to a combination of the two. With a belief that online purchasing has killed the traditional shopping experience and the act of discovery, even the world’s most successful ecommerce retailers have recently chosen to expand into the physical world. Amazon, for example, now boasts almost 600 physical locations in the US when its partnership with WholeFoods is taken into account; more than Costco.
32 February 2020
Shedding insight on the warehouse of tomorrow M
idland Pallet Trucks, a UK equipment handling firm, believes that the rise of the omnichannel customer is set to
It is highly anticipated that the growing
trend for online retailers to expand into the physical space will naturally result in an increase in brick-and-mortar stores used in a warehouse capacity, with more ‘ship from store’ options available to customers. The existing warehouse space challenge, which has only been intensified by Brexit preparations and stockpiling, supports this idea. But what does this mean for stores? “We have long been advocates for the continuation of brick-and-mortar stores alongside an online presence for UK retailers, and believe that as customer expectations evolve, physical stores are becoming increasingly important for meeting buyer needs” says Midland Pallet Trucks managing director Phil Chesworth. “But we are also keen to ensure that businesses are fully prepared for the new challenges that can arise from potential storage opportunities that a physical presence can bring. The concepts of ‘ship from store’ and ‘direct to consumer’
presence and direct to consumer options has already taken off in the US. Kohls, for example, recently hit the headlines for investing $2 billion in technology and $1 billion in in-store improvements to transform its brick-and- mortar stores into combined shopping and distribution centres. Similarly, it is estimated that more than half of all Target orders are now fulfilled by local stores.
midlandpallettrucks.com
convertermag.com
undoubtedly disrupt workflow and introduce complex new handling tasks for store workers who may not be experienced in these duties,” continues Chesworth. “In order to ensure ongoing health and safety in the warehouses of tomorrow, it is essential that brick-and-mortar distribution centres follow the same processes as warehousing operatives, using suitable equipment such as hand pallet trucks, drum loaders, and moving skates”. The trend for an increased physical
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