We tried, but we couldn't do it. With some 800 exhibitors at Modex 2014, MHI's material handling and supply chain show in Atlanta, and the co-located Supply Chain & Transportation USA event managed by Reed Exhibitions, it was impossible to see every new product on display in the cavernous Hall B of the Georgia World Congress Center. (We tried speed walking, to no avail.) But we did manage to find some unusual, interesting products that help solve some longstanding problems for equipment and systems users. Here's just a taste of the kind of creativity on display at the show:
- WCS on your wrist. The Shiraz warehouse control system (WCS) from W&H Systems now works on a "smartwatch." Users can monitor key performance indicators and receive e-mails, voice mails, text messages, and notifications about their distribution operations. (No need to leave your meeting!)
- Voice system that phones home. Lucas Systems will make its Jennifer VoicePlus applications available on smartphones, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Initial deployment will be on the Android platform, but plans are also on tap for an iOS version.
- Foam cushions for the little guy. Sealed Air Corp.'s Instapak Simple, a scaled-down version of its foam-cushion system, is a fraction of the size—and cost—of its standard offering. It's even small enough to load on a cart and whisk to other packaging stations.
- Petite plastic pallets. At 42 by 30 inches, the Small-Format HP Pallet from Orbis Corp. can slip right through a standard retail store door and is easy to maneuver through a small-format store's narrow aisles.
- AGV remote-control app. Smartphones were everywhere at Modex. Daifuku Webb's Wynright division, for instance, is developing a smartphone app for controlling the movement of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and carts (AGCs). The app was invented by an enterprising college intern at the company.
- A printer that speaks your language. Sato designed its CL4NX industrial label printer for use anywhere in the world. Icons on the printer's LCD screen are understandable worldwide, the printer's instructional videos are wordless, and the printer has displays in 30 languages and can print in 47 languages.
