Solutions Spotlight

* By Katie Kuehner-Hebert * Numerous options exist for ergonomic workstations, but there are also numerous keys to selecting the proper equipment to the job, said Rob Beightol, director of marketing at MHI member Gorbel. Finding those right keys was one of the goals at a webinar held in November by MHI Industry Group Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment (EASE), ...

* By Stephen Murdoch * The Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), an independent trade association affiliated with MHI, has had a busy 2019. CMAA, which traces its roots to the Electrical Overhead Crane Institute, has worked tirelessly to promote the standardization of cranes. Today, with over 45 leading American crane manufacturers of electric overhead traveling cranes and components, CMAA ...

* By John Paxton * For managers of warehouses and distribution centers, the nation’s 3.5% unemployment rate heading into peak ordering season seems downright unfair. Attracting high-quality employees is exceedingly difficult nowadays, and with a wealth of job opportunities available, workers are ready to jump ship if they can make an extra dollar an hour at the company down the ...

Defending Against and Responding to Cyberattacks * By John Paxton, MHI COO/CEO Designate * If your company hasn’t sustained damage from a cyberattack, then you’re one of the lucky ones. According to a survey from the cybersecurity company Tenable Inc., over just the past two years, 90% of companies in the energy, health care and manufacturing sectors have suffered a ...

CSS: Combining the Knowledge and Experience of Thousands of Installations * By Stephen Murdoch *                                                                                                      In recent months, the Conveyor and Sortation Systems (CSS) Industry Group of MHI has been working diligently on publishing and promoting materials on the training, inspection, safety and maintenance of conveyors and sortation systems. The industry’s leading providers of conveyors and sortation systems have come ...

ECMA: ‘Dynamic and Growing’ Behind the Scenes * By Katie Kuehner-Hebert * Need an electrification or controlling device for your application? Consider working with the Electrification and Controls Manufacturers Association (ECMA) Industry Group of MHI. ECMA is a group of manufacturers that provides standards, safe practices and education for the use of power and control systems. “As the material handling ...

Disruption Junction All too often, if you want to make something easier or better in the future, you may have to endure some major inconveniences in the present. That’s definitely true in the ever-evolving material-handling industry, where everyone must work together to minimize the disruption to existing operations while implementing major changes. * By John Paxton * There’s a reason ...

Videos Help to Share Safety Story  Recently, the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) created two videos: “Pick Module Safety” and “Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor (VRC) Safety.” Both videos have received praise from across the industry. Aaron Conway, president of Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. and the vice chair of the ProGMA, feels industry professionals should take the time to watch the videos. * ...

New Standards Lead to Safer, More Reliable Work Platforms and Shelving Manufacturers and warehouse managers needing work platforms or multi-level shelving can now utilize two standards approved by the American National Standards Institute—thanks to MHI and its Storage Manufacturers Association (SMA) Industry Group. * By Katie Kuehner-Hebert * Manufacturers and warehouse managers needing work platforms or multi-level shelving can now ...

Several Changes Introduced in Updated Caster Standard * By Stephen Murdoch * The Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM) Industry Group of MHI announced updates to the ANSI ICWM-2018 standard in mid-July, titled “Vocabulary, Performance and Testing Requirements for Casters and Wheels.” The standard, originally released in 2004, provides manufacturers, specifiers and users with a common basis for evaluating ...