The CSS perspective: Smart conveyance and predictive maintenance
Experts from the conveyor and sortation industry share how new technologies built into today’s sophisticated systems help identify maintenance issues before breakdowns can happen.
David Maloney has been a journalist for more than 35 years and is currently the group editorial director for DC Velocity and Supply Chain Quarterly magazines. In this role, he is responsible for the editorial content of both brands of Agile Business Media. Dave joined DC Velocity in April of 2004. Prior to that, he was a senior editor for Modern Materials Handling magazine. Dave also has extensive experience as a broadcast journalist. Before writing for supply chain publications, he was a journalist, television producer and director in Pittsburgh. Dave combines a background of reporting on logistics with his video production experience to bring new opportunities to DC Velocity readers, including web videos highlighting top distribution and logistics facilities, webcasts and other cross-media projects. He continues to live and work in the Pittsburgh area.
Like many technologies, conveyors and sortation systems become more sophisticated with every iteration. Sensors are now built into them to monitor performance so that they can operate more efficiently and economically, while predicting maintenance needs well in advance to allow the work to be done when it’s most convenient.
Group Editorial Director David Maloney recently met with three experts who are all members of MHI’s Conveyor and Sortation Solutions Group (CSS), an industry organization that brings equipment and systems suppliers together with end-users to collaborate and address common challenges and opportunities. What follows are some excerpts from their discussion on how these newer technologies are impacting operations.
Q: One term used to describe some of the intelligence built into today’s conveyors and sorters is smart conveyance. How would you define that for our readers?
Doug Schuchart – Beckhoff: When I think of the term smart conveyance, I think of it referring to multicarrier transport systems that use linear or planar motor technology. Linear track systems have the coils of a motor in a track. In this technology, you’re energizing those coils to move magnetic carriers around in a material handling system.
Planar motor technology is actually very similar, but those coils are in a base of flat tiles, and then the magnetic mover is levitating and has 6 degrees of motion that can move with virtual tracks around the base.
And then there are motorized driven roller conveyors, or MDR, that have motors within a roller to drive the conveying surface. What makes these technologies smart is that we’re able to pull a lot of data through those systems back to the central controller.
Ty Keller – FMH Conveyors: There are several types of equipment that complement the components Doug mentioned, that I would consider part of a smart conveyance system: equipment used for scanning, labeling, measuring, machine learning, or performing any number of actions to collect data for the central controller to turn into inputs for the smart conveyor. Then the smart conveyor takes the product where it needs to go.
Q: Do the same technologies associated with smart conveyance also apply to sortation systems?
Doug Schuchart– Beckhoff: Yes, these technologies can also apply to sortation. For example, what makes planar motor technologies really compelling is that they can replace multiple pieces of equipment in a fulfillment operation. So when we’re looking at material handling for conveyance, sortation, or accumulation—all of those can be handled with planar motor technology.
All of these technologies that we’re talking about are generally controlled with a fieldbus that can capture data from the system and then send the data to the centralized control system to be analyzed. The data can also be sent to the cloud to do further analysis and then make some decisions. And maybe you’re applying some artificial intelligence (AI) to the system for predictive maintenance or better optimization of paths, for instance. All of those would be ways to make the system smarter.
Q: Speaking of maintenance, can you give some examples of how these technologies can help prevent downtime?
Ty Keller – FMH Conveyors: It allows the user to monitor the usage of equipment, to know the exact number of hours in operation and the environment that the conveyor is working in. It can also read things like vibration, temperature, and pressure to help predict when the equipment is going to have issues. If we’re maintaining it appropriately, the equipment will last longer.
This information can also be used to determine preventative maintenance contracts with outside third parties. With the right technology, those contracts can be based on when it is best to perform preventative maintenance instead of a regular maintenance schedule. That’s obviously a more attractive return on investment for the end-user.
Brandon Willard – Banner: There are really four types of maintenance in my mind. There’s reactive maintenance, which is something is broken and we have to go and fix it—the motor is down and that critical conveyance is creating an issue for us.
There’s preventative maintenance, which is scheduled, regularly performed maintenance to reduce failures and is a great step up from just reactive maintenance.
The next step is predictive maintenance, which is using sensors and software to be able to predict failure. It is collecting data to be able to understand when a failure is about to take place so that you can act before it creates downtime and expense.
And then there is one beyond it, which is prescriptive maintenance. This is taking that data and using machine learning to be able to predict failures and identify solutions. If you can take that data that you get from predictive maintenance and use it to service the equipment optimally, then you’re able to extend the life of this type of conveyance. That’s where the value lies.
Q: Can you provide an example of how that might work using smart conveying systems and creating a prescriptive maintenance program?
Brandon Willard – Banner: We could look at vibration data, temperature data, pressure data, and how much electrical current is being drawn. We first want to baseline what that machinery looks like when it’s operating functionally. Then when we see a sharp curve compared to the baseline, we know when a product is about to fail. Sensors on bearings may detect vibration in multiple directions, while other sensors show increases in temperature resulting from rubbing or tearing on a belt or something else that is going wrong. Those vibrations or higher temperatures usually start to spike pretty quickly.
Then applying machine learning, the systems can give a warning threshold. For example, the belt may be rubbing on one side. All we need to do is re-center the belt. Nothing really has to be replaced, but the alerts allow you to check before the belt tears all the way and you’re not able to re-center it. Different warning levels and alerts allow you to protect your assets more efficiently.
Doug Schuchart– Beckhoff: I think we’re talking about a lot of different benefits, such as a reduction of manpower in the facility. We’re also talking about improving reliability and quality of a system. All of those things provide different advantages collectively. We talk to customers about that whole ROI and why you would want to invest in a more automated smart system as opposed to some traditional systems that don’t have that technology.
Nearly one-third of American consumers have increased their secondhand purchases in the past year, revealing a jump in “recommerce” according to a buyer survey from ShipStation, a provider of web-based shipping and order fulfillment solutions.
The number comes from a survey of 500 U.S. consumers showing that nearly one in four (23%) Americans lack confidence in making purchases over $200 in the next six months. Due to economic uncertainty, savvy shoppers are looking for ways to save money without sacrificing quality or style, the research found.
Younger shoppers are leading the charge in that trend, with 59% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennials buying pre-owned items weekly or monthly. That rate makes Gen Z nearly twice as likely to buy second hand compared to older generations.
The primary reason that shoppers say they have increased their recommerce habits is lower prices (74%), followed by the thrill of finding unique or rare items (38%) and getting higher quality for a lower price (28%). Only 14% of Americans cite environmental concerns as a primary reason they shop second-hand.
Despite the challenge of adjusting to the new pattern, recommerce represents a strategic opportunity for businesses to capture today’s budget-minded shoppers and foster long-term loyalty, Austin, Texas-based ShipStation said.
For example, retailers don’t have to sell used goods to capitalize on the secondhand boom. Instead, they can offer trade-in programs swapping discounts or store credit for shoppers’ old items. And they can improve product discoverability to help customers—particularly older generations—find what they’re looking for.
Other ways for retailers to connect with recommerce shoppers are to improve shipping practices. According to ShipStation:
70% of shoppers won’t return to a brand if shipping is too expensive.
51% of consumers are turned off by late deliveries
40% of shoppers won’t return to a retailer again if the packaging is bad.
The “CMA CGM Startup Awards”—created in collaboration with BFM Business and La Tribune—will identify the best innovations to accelerate its transformation, the French company said.
Specifically, the company will select the best startup among the applicants, with clear industry transformation objectives focused on environmental performance, competitiveness, and quality of life at work in each of the three areas:
Shipping: Enabling safer, more efficient, and sustainable navigation through innovative technological solutions.
Logistics: Reinventing the global supply chain with smart and sustainable logistics solutions.
Media: Transform content creation, and customer engagement with innovative media technologies and strategies.
Three winners will be selected during a final event organized on November 15 at the Orange Vélodrome Stadium in Marseille, during the 2nd Artificial Intelligence Marseille (AIM) forum organized by La Tribune and BFM Business. The selection will be made by a jury chaired by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the Group, and including members of the executive committee representing the various sectors of CMA CGM.
The global air cargo market’s hot summer of double-digit demand growth continued in August with average spot rates showing their largest year-on-year jump with a 24% increase, according to the latest weekly analysis by Xeneta.
Xeneta cited two reasons to explain the increase. First, Global average air cargo spot rates reached $2.68 per kg in August due to continuing supply and demand imbalance. That came as August's global cargo supply grew at its slowest ratio in 2024 to-date at 2% year-on-year, while global cargo demand continued its double-digit growth, rising +11%.
The second reason for higher rates was an ocean-to-air shift in freight volumes due to Red Sea disruptions and e-commerce demand.
Those factors could soon be amplified as e-commerce shows continued strong growth approaching the hotly anticipated winter peak season. E-commerce and low-value goods exports from China in the first seven months of 2024 increased 30% year-on-year, including shipments to Europe and the US rising 38% and 30% growth respectively, Xeneta said.
“Typically, air cargo market performance in August tends to follow the July trend. But another month of double-digit demand growth and the strongest rate growths of the year means there was definitely no summer slack season in 2024,” Niall van de Wouw, Xeneta’s chief airfreight officer, said in a release.
“Rates we saw bottoming out in late July started picking up again in mid-August. This is too short a period to call a season. This has been a busy summer, and now we’re at the threshold of Q4, it will be interesting to see what will happen and if all the anticipation of a red-hot peak season materializes,” van de Wouw said.
The report cites data showing that there are approximately 1.7 million workers missing from the post-pandemic workforce and that 38% of small firms are unable to fill open positions. At the same time, the “skills gap” in the workforce is accelerating as automation and AI create significant shifts in how work is performed.
That information comes from the “2024 Labor Day Report” released by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), the firm’s government relations and public policy arm.
“We continue to see a labor shortage and an urgent need to upskill the current workforce to adapt to the new world of work,” said Michael Lotito, Littler shareholder and co-chair of WPI. “As corporate executives and business leaders look to the future, they are focused on realizing the many benefits of AI to streamline operations and guide strategic decision-making, while cultivating a talent pipeline that can support this growth.”
But while the need is clear, solutions may be complicated by public policy changes such as the upcoming U.S. general election and the proliferation of employment-related legislation at the state and local levels amid Congressional gridlock.
“We are heading into a contentious election that has already proven to be unpredictable and is poised to create even more uncertainty for employers, no matter the outcome,” Shannon Meade, WPI’s executive director, said in a release. “At the same time, the growing patchwork of state and local requirements across the U.S. is exacerbating compliance challenges for companies. That, coupled with looming changes following several Supreme Court decisions that have the potential to upend rulemaking, gives C-suite executives much to contend with in planning their workforce-related strategies.”
Stax Engineering, the venture-backed startup that provides smokestack emissions reduction services for maritime ships, will service all vessels from Toyota Motor North America Inc. visiting the Toyota Berth at the Port of Long Beach, according to a new five-year deal announced today.
Beginning in 2025 to coincide with new California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards, STAX will become the first and only emissions control provider to service roll-on/roll-off (ro-ros) vessels in the state of California, the company said.
Stax has rapidly grown since its launch in the first quarter of this year, supported in part by a $40 million funding round from investors, announced in July. It now holds exclusive service agreements at California ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hueneme, Benicia, Richmond, and Oakland. The firm has also partnered with individual companies like NYK Line, Hyundai GLOVIS, Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products US (Shell), and now Toyota.
Stax says it offers an alternative to shore power with land- and barge-based, mobile emissions capture and control technology for shipping terminal and fleet operators without the need for retrofits.
In the case of this latest deal, the Toyota Long Beach Vehicle Distribution Center imports about 200,000 vehicles each year on ro-ro vessels. Stax will keep those ships green with its flexible exhaust capture system, which attaches to all vessel classes without modification to remove 99% of emitted particulate matter (PM) and 95% of emitted oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Over the lifetime of this new agreement with Toyota, Stax estimated the service will account for approximately 3,700 hours and more than 47 tons of emissions controlled.
“We set out to provide an emissions capture and control solution that was reliable, easily accessible, and cost-effective. As we begin to service Toyota, we’re confident that we can meet the needs of the full breadth of the maritime industry, furthering our impact on the local air quality, public health, and environment,” Mike Walker, CEO of Stax, said in a release. “Continuing to establish strong partnerships will help build momentum for and trust in our technology as we expand beyond the state of California.”