Nilfisk personnel, as long standing members of ICMMA technical committee, became involved in this ground breaking project.

It is estimated that half of the UK’s carbon emissions from fossil fuels come from businesses and industrial processes. In order for the Government to reach the Kyoto target, and cut emissions by 20%, it needed to take action.

The result was the ECA scheme (enhanced capital allowance). The scheme encourages use of green technology by providing tax incentives for companies who purchase qualifying equipment.

The initiative encourages the use of environmentally friendly cleaning machines and in particular water efficient scrubber dryers. In short it encourages businesses to invest in water saving technology.

There are a total of 3 schemes, the other two dealing with energy saving equipment and low carbon dioxide emission vehicles.

The ECA water scheme allows the whole cost of qualifying equipment to be claimed against tax in the first year. For larger companies the main rate of corporation tax is 28%. When buying scrubber dryers therefore that qualifies as water efficient, the purchasing company saves 28% on the cost of the machine. For smaller companies this rate is still a significant 21%.

Qualifying machines are listed, by model, on the Water Technology List (WTL) and the manufacturers entitled to use the WTL logo where appropriate.

All Companies, irrespective of size or industry segment can claim. Claims can only be made on investments in new machinery and costs can include installation and transport expenses.

The Nilfisk group have the greatest amount of water efficient Scrubber Dryers approved on the Water Technology List. A total of 49 Nilfisk models are now certified and listed on the ECA WTL web site www.eca-water.gov.uk

Models range from the walk behind BA451 that has a scrub width of 450mm through to the ride on scrubber dryer BR855 with a cleaning path of 860mm. Models are approved with the benefit of the automated chemical dosing system EDS - Eco Dosage Solution.

Nilfisk, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial and industrial cleaning equipment. From Tub Vacs through to Road Sweepers Nilfisk offers a complete and affordable solution to all cleaning challenges. Demonstrations, onsite training, service, hire and finance options offered from the largest directly employed sales team nationwide.

Contact 01284 763163

www.nilfisk.co.uk

An Excel belt and roller conveyor system transfers merchandise from a mezzanine floor to a despatch point on the ground floor, enabling online orders to be picked, processed and shopping baskets compiled, from the Home Shopping Centre for delivery to households previously covered by Asda stores in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield. The 50,000 sq ft centre, which carries the full range of products but is closed to the public, is dedicated to Asda’s fast growing online shopping business and is expected to complete twice as many orders per hour and give customers a fourfold increase in the number of delivery slots.

Merchandise stocked in the centre is picked for online shoppers by 500 Asda colleagues and placed in totes ready for delivery. Totes from the mezzanine area forming the upper floor of the facility, are deposited manually on shelves located either side of two Excel conveyor systems. Each system consists of 45 metres of conveyor modules featuring a combination of horizontal and inclined belt conveyors, roller conveyors and powered bends.

Totes are pushed manually from the shelves into available spaces on the moving belt, which carries them via a powered roller curve to the feed section of two 21 degree inclined belt conveyors. These move the totes to another powered roller curve and onwards to a second inclined belt conveyor, which transfers them to the ground floor. At ground level the totes transfer to a series of indexing roller conveyors for transportation to the off-loading point.

The PLC-controlled indexing conveyors are fitted with sensors and integral drive motors that not only control the normal conveyor functions but also prevent the build up of totes if they are not removed during the cycle.

The conveyor systems are designed to handle a tote every 2.5 seconds and are equipped with a touch-panel HMI (Human/Machine Interface) that holds diagnostic and trouble-shooting information, and enables colleagues to use manual mode if required.

When picking in-store, Asda achieved about 120 orders per hour. At the new centre, colleagues are achieving close to 250 per hour, making it possibly the most efficient home shopping facility in the country. When orders were carried out in stores, there were 3,500 delivery slots per week using twenty vans. The centre can now carry out 12,000 - 15,000 slots per week with 50 vans.

Commenting on the installation, an Asda spokesman says: “The Excel conveyor system plays an important role in maintaining the efficiency of our first Home Shopping Centre and will help us increase the reach of our home shopping business, which currently is able to deliver to 94% of the UK.”

Excel Automation

Marcus Hunter

Tel: 01905 721500

Click here to email this company

www.excel-automation.co.uk

Palmer and Harvey have a diverse customer base with nationwide distribution facilities. They operate in the independent and multiple Convenience, Forecourt and CTN food retail arena, with clients including Esso, Shell, Welcome Break, Tesco and Sainsburys and also undertake distribution activities for major manufacturers including Nestle.

In order to support their plans to offer a more streamlined and value-add service to customers and potential customers, Palmer & Harvey selected VSc Solutions Ltd to provide an integrated mobile delivery management system that will give them real-time visibility of driver, vehicle and delivery activity past the warehouse door and across the entire delivery process.

Palmer and Harvey’s delivery operation comprises 550 vehicles handling 5800 deliveries per day across 12 depots.

The key solution components from VSc Solutions include:

• Vehicle Tracking

• Route & Delivery Performance - real-time analysis of performance against plan, including automated driver de-briefs

• Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD), managing the delivery/ collection execution, including scanning and exceptions

By implementing a centralised delivery management system, Palmer and Harvey will benefit from more accurate monitoring and reporting information, together with improved customer service that will drive improvements to their delivery service at reduced cost.

Richard Slater, Logistics and Development Director at Palmer and Harvey, explains: “The new system will provide us with greater visibility in terms of real-time information on vehicle and driver activity, as well as alerts to any areas of inefficiency in the delivery process. This ultimately means we can reduce our operational costs and provide a more effective and pro-active service to our customers”.

VSc Solutions Limited

Tel: 01642 701610

Email: Click here to email this company

www.vscsolutions.co.uk

“If you’re offering a service you have to invest in the equipment to deliver that service,” says Darren Willetts, Group Operations Manager at Pedigree Wholesale Midlands. “You pay a bit more for Atlet up front but it’s what you get for the money that matters.”

Pedigree Wholesale is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of pet and aquatic products, including live fish, to the independent retail sector. Its operations are carried out from a national network of five distribution centres strategically located throughout the UK with the main site and head office at Gamston, Nottingham. The company also owns a seed mill for preparing bird food. The business has grown significantly in recent years and when Pedigree Wholesale reviewed the materials handling operations at the main distribution centre it decided to make some significant changes. Trucks had always been purchased in the past but over time this had led to the fleet comprising models of differing ages from multiple suppliers.

“We always purchased our trucks but the older ones were not always looked after properly,” says Darren Willetts. “It was time for a change and when we looked at suppliers we came across Atlet. Their salesman was excellent and very honest with us. Everything I asked for was delivered.”

Before selecting Atlet, Pedigree Wholesale made a thorough investigation of the market. This included taking new and old trucks through an on-site evaluation to assess how they would perform at the beginning and end of their projected lifetimes.

“I am interested in where we are going to be in five years,” says Darren Willetts. “I need trucks that last and do what the supplier says they will.”

Atlet worked with Pedigree Wholesale to understand its requirements. A fleet replacement programme was proposed, starting in 2008. Because it kept detailed records of truck operations Pedigree Wholesale realised that there was very little difference between the monthly cost of ownership for outright purchase and contract hire.  Putting the trucks that are used intensively - order pickers and powered pallet transporters - onto contract hire made economic and practical sense, although larger trucks have been purchased outright. This suited the business model and provided a high degree of protection against unexpected servicing and maintenance costs because this is now covered by Atlet’s monthly hire charge. The previous system of a call-out charge and hourly rate for service operations had made it very difficult for Pedigree Wholesale to predict and manage its costs.

“This is a massive plus point because we don’t want to call a service engineer and then get a bill a week later,” says Darren Willetts. “It’s saving us on repair and maintenance bills over the old trucks.”

The fleet at Gamston has been replaced steadily to meet operational and business requirements. It currently comprises seven Atlet Tempo PPL order pickers, two Piccolo PLL powered pallet transporters and two Forte UNS reach trucks. Pedigree Wholesale also selected one of the new Atlet Balance diesel counterbalance trucks for yard work and vehicle loading thereby eliminating the need for the warehouse trucks to operate outside. Warehouse fleet size has been cut by three as a result of the changes. This has contributed to the lower service costs and reduced the need for parking space, battery charging facilities and other ancillary facilities which can now be put to better use. Fleet operations are also more efficient because all the new trucks are used throughout the nine hour daily shift without spare units sitting around as in the past.

The trucks have sophisticated diagnostic features that highlight any issues immediately. Operators also check them regularly and report any defects to managers. Atlet provides service on a call-out basis and its local engineer is located in the area which means that response can be very quick. Routine inspection and maintenance is completed at times convenient to Pedigree Wholesale and the Atlet engineer uses technology, expertise and understanding of the operation to pre-empt any emerging problems before they impact on the warehouse operation.

“Downtime is non-existent and the first breakdown happened when the truck had been here for 18 months,” says Darren Willetts. “We never need to contact Atlet because they call me when they need to come. The engineer is only four miles away.”

The new fleet represents a major investment for Pedigree Wholesale. The company was keen to use the opportunity to encourage its employees to take greater responsibility. The first part of this approach was to make the staff more aware of the investment costs so that they understood the value of the equipment they are using. This in itself helped to instill a more responsible attitude. Pedigree Wholesale also decided to use the trucks’ PIN access system which requires a driver to enter their unique identification code before the truck can be operated. Information retrieved from the on-board computer can then be used to see who was operating a truck at any given time.

“We are very conscious of encouraging our employees to be more responsible and to understand the investment we have made,” says Darren Willetts. “We have also found that because staff know we don’t own all the trucks they feel they should look after them better.”

Managers and operators have been impressed by a number of the ergonomic features on the trucks. On the reach truck for example the mini steer wheel makes it much easier to control movements. The buttons to activate the various functions can be pressed using one hand without moving. The tilting seat and see-through mast make it much easier to see the load and racking, even at the highest levels. A buzzer warns the driver when the forks are lowered below a predetermined level and this feature has helped to reduce spills and damage caused when pallets catch on the truck’s legs. Pedigree Wholesale says there have been no spills since the trucks were delivered.

“Atlet was very switched on to health and safety,” says Darren Willetts. “For example, the order pickers come as standard with a reversing beacon and the wheels go into the correct position on a pallet very easily. If the guys hadn’t liked the first one we wouldn’t have bought any more.”

The main warehouse stocks 10,000 lines and the satellite depots have between 700 and 1500 to serve more than 2000 customers in pet shops, aquatic and garden centres. Deliveries are made each day to the satellite depots using a combination of colour coded cages and full pallets. Operations are well organised and efficient with all picking and other stock movements managed with a voice system. Picking takes place at first, second and third level using the order pickers with the reach trucks handling replenishment and full pallet movements. Powered pallet transporters handle items between picking areas and the loading bay. Yard work is now undertaken with the new Atlet Balance.

Although Pedigree Wholesale operates each of its sites autonomously they have all been encouraged to evaluate and eventually standardise on Atlet trucks. This has already led to a number of Atlet trucks being delivered to the other warehouses and the feed mill.

“Over the past two years we have built a strong relationship with Atlet . We’re investing in warehouse trucks so that we can deliver the best possible service to our customers,” says Darren Willetts. “We’ve gone from strength to strength and achieved some very positive outcomes and are trying to encourage all sites to standardise.”

Atlet Limited

Paul Forster

Tel: 01844 215501

www.atlet.co.uk

Operating under the Culina SHS Ireland name, the company is set to open a new state-of-the-art ambient and chilled warehouse on Aerodrome Business Park, south of Dublin, which will provide food, drink and grocery manufacturers in Britain with a seamless supply chain solution covering the whole of Ireland.

According to Thomas van Mourik, the CEO of the Culina Group, which is behind multi-temperature supply chain specialist Culina Logistics, Ireland presents a unique distribution challenge.

“Manufacturers have long seen the potential in Ireland, but many have lacked the operational platform to take full advantage of the available opportunities,” says van Mourik.

“With the new operation we can effectively integrate Ireland into a one-stop supply chain solution, with all the strategic, tactical, commercial and operational benefits that such a move brings.”

Culina SHS will employ the same sophisticated warehouse management system (WMS) as featured throughout Culina’s UK operations, which ensure automatic stock replenishment and complete visibility of order status throughout the supply chain.

Once the new 160,000 sq ft (14,850 sq m) facility is completed, Culina SHS will have the added advantage of offering a dynamic solution that draws on the vast skills, experiences and resources of both SHS and Culina Logistics.

Michael Howard, managing director, SHS Group, said: “This new joint venture with Culina underlines our commitment to best in class FMCG services in Ireland, and ensures we are well placed for future growth.

‘The new facility is a huge boost for our Ireland business, paving the way for increased capability for our existing customers and ensuring our sales and marketing proposition is attractive to new brand owners as well.”

Businesses in Ireland can also use the platform to distribute products into Britain and there are plans to extend services to and from Europe in the future.

Culina Logistics

Steve Winwood

Tel: 01630 695000

www.culinashs.com

“Chalmor’s input was invaluable in making the project run smoothly – from the design of the new lighting and helping with the energy figures and other paperwork for the Carbon Trust loan application - right through to final commissioning,” recalled Cowden Bonnybridge’s Jimmy Beveridge. “I would certainly recommend Chalmor to other petrol retailers seeking to improve their energy consumption in the most cost-effective fashion.”

The lighting upgrade included replacement of 450W high pressure sodium lamps in the forecourt area with long life (60,000 hours) 150W Endurance fittings. In addition, inefficient T12 fluorescent lighting in the shop and storeroom have been upgraded to energy efficient T5 fluorescent lighting using Chalmor’s cost-effective EasiFit retrofit solution. The energy savings achieved through the 69% reduction in installed electrical load were key to qualifying for the Carbon Trust interest-free loan.

“As well as providing a brighter light, making us more visible and welcoming during the hours of darkness, the new canopy lighting enables us to make more effective use of the lighting controls,” observed Jimmy Beveridge. “As a result, the lighting now responds quickly to changes in daylight levels, whereas the lighting was on all day before because of the re-strike time of the old lamps. The shop is also much brighter with the new T5 lighting - and our maintenance costs across all areas are much reduced because of the longer lamp life,” he added.

Chalmor’s Endurance family of long-life fittings includes versions that have been specially developed for use in petrol station canopies. The 600mm x 600mm 150W Endurance fittings used at Cowden Bonnybridge provide a quick replacement for existing lighting with the potential to save as much as 75% of the energy while providing a 10 year lamp life. Endurance canopy fittings are IP65 rated, so they can be safely pressure-washed from the ground.

EasiFit T5 retrofit solutions provide a fast and cost effective way to upgrade existing fluorescent light fittings equipped with T8 or T12 lamps to longer-lasting, more efficient, higher output T5 lamps. They take less than five minutes to install, even by non-specialist staff, and include a T5 lamp, connectors with integral electronic control gear and a bridge that replaces the starter and bypasses the old gear.

Further information can be found at www.chalmor.co.uk or by e-mailing Click here to email this company.

The store is a dedicated picking centre based in Morley, Leeds, and mirrors a standard Asda store’s product range, employing 200 colleagues that pick exclusively for home delivery orders. The 50,000 sq ft centre is split over two levels and serves customers across West Yorkshire, replacing the service previously operated by five local Asda stores. As a result the long-term capacity for Home Delivery slots in the area has increased four-fold.

To service this increase in Home Delivery capacity, Asda has installed 32 Hubbard 360 Alpha AEL chiller units for use down to -20°C onto a fleet of Mercedes Sprinter chassis with multi compartment insulated box bodies. The 360 Alpha refrigeration system is designed to operate in compartmental bodies and is suitable for temperatures down to -25°c.

The system is driven using an engine-mounted compressor within the engine compartment which is belt driven from the crankshaft. The 360 series units use environmentally friendly R404a refrigerant. The 360 Alpha AEL features a Twin fan, low profile evaporator and the system is operated by an easy to use in-cab, digital controller, which is fully programmable providing a constant temperature read-out.

The units were fitted at Hubbard’s new Chorley Installation Centre, which due to its proximity to the supplying body builder enabled a quick turnaround time which was ideal for Asda.

Dougie Stoddart, Sales Director for Hubbard Products commented “The 360 Alpha AEL with Electric Standby is a firm favourite with Home Delivery fleets with its practical ability to pull down quickly to -20°C and yet allow up to 6 door openings per hour for each four cubic meter load space, which was ideal for Asda’s requirements. The electric standby specification was a major consideration in how to economically keep noise and pollution levels low whilst vehicles were awaiting loading. The size of the Morley Virtual Store ensures that home deliveries are constant and refrigeration performance was a critical factor for Asda’s project team, the Hubbard Units have now proven their worth to Asda and a further 170 Hubbard 360 Alpha AEL units have been ordered to supplement Asda’s growth plans nationwide”.

Hubbard Products

Dougie Stoddart

Tel: 01473 890522

The Fireray 5000 is already at the forefront of optical beam detection technology, with a motorised auto-aligning beam and automatic gain compensation features. During installation, the beam head will automatically adjust its aim to point directly at the reflective prism plate, with a visible laser aiding initial setup. Over time, the features will ensure that the beam stays on target and that it retains the correct signal sensitivity - counteracting against the effects of building shift, and the buildup of dust and dirt.

Each detector head can be independently configured from the single system controller to operate at a distance from 8m to 100m, with the capability for separate alarm threshold conditions (sensitivity and time) for each one. The controller then has one common set of fire and fault relays that apply to all attached heads for simplicity when communicating with a fire panel. The Multi Head Fireray 5000 has already gained worldwide approvals including LPCB, CPD, UL*. A comprehensive datasheet for the product, as well as the full list of worldwide approvals and certificates, can be found on the new Fire Fighting Enterprises website at www.ffeuk.com.

* Relating to UK, Europe and USA respectively.

Fire Fighting Enterprises Ltd

Tracy Kirk

Tel: 01462 444 740

E-mail: Click here to email this company

www.ffeuk.com

“We’ve noticed that many of our customers are struggling with the huge amount of waste caused by shrink-wrap or stretch films, as well as the costs involved with one-use solutions. The LogiStrap™ is designed for our customers to meet their business targets; whether in terms of decreasing costs, reducing environmental impact, improving health and safety or overall efficiencies” commented Lenny Swart, Marketing Manager for Packaging and Materials Handling Solutions at Velcro Europe. “We can truly say that the development of this product has been driven by multiple customer requests and insights”.

The most obvious application for the LogiStrap™ is to secure goods on a pallet. But also, in combination with Sleeve packs and Folding large containers, it provides a viable alternative to secure lids and gives the packaging additional strength. Especially in situations when goods on a pallet need easy access, like in warehouses for spare parts, and easy to use, waste free solutions are required.

“Let’s say you have 1,000 pallets in your warehouse and you move them ten times per year. Then you need to secure these pallets 10,000 times. Research shows that stretch wrapping of a euro pallet with a height of 1.70m creates material costs of £1.50. This means you spent per year £15,000 - just for securing your goods, on top you produce 2 tonnes of film waste” added Swart.

“Whilst the LogiStrap™ offers ideal branding solutions being available in any corporate colour and the possibility of printing your logo on it, we are aware of the limitations of the product when it comes to weather protection or managing the reverse logistics. That’s why we would recommend our customers to typically use the LogiStrap™ within their warehouses and distribution centres, or work closely together with closed loop poolers who can manage the reverse logistics for you”.

For more information about LogiStrap™ in the UK please call Velcro limited on +44 1606 738806, or email Click here to email this company www.velcro.co.uk

Therefore, vehicles should be cleaned as part of a regular maintenance programme to maintain their appearance and to remove damaging road grime such as road salts, particularly during the Winter months.

Deb Limited offers a range of specialist traffic film removers that meets any vehicle cleaning requirement regardless of size, vehicle type, paint finish or degree of soiling.

Christine Mottershead, Marketing Director at Deb explains “All the products in the Swarfega Powerwash range can be used on vehicle bodywork, engines and chassis.”

“Designed for specific cleaning needs such as sensitive surfaces, curtain siders and pre-MOT cleaning, the range offers high performance cleaning power that not only prolongs the life of the vehicle, but as all the formulas contain additives to prevent the scaling of cleaning equipment, the range can also help to reduce maintenance costs.”

So, help maintain your business by keeping your vehicle clean this Winter.

Deb Limited

Deborah Freeman

Tel: 01773 855134

E: Click here to email this company

www.debgroup.com