Handling Networks Winter 23

The Irish Magazine for the Materials Handling, Warehousing & Logistics Sectors

At the annual EY (Ernest & Young) gala ceremony which took place at the Powerscourt Hotel, County Wicklow, Sam Moffett, Managing Director and founder of Moffett Automated Storage Ltd (Monaghan) was named as EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023. He also won the award for EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2023.

Sam Moffett founded Moffett Automated Storage in 2017.

Headquartered at Clontibret, County Monaghan and employing 65 people, the company specialises in the development of innovative, automated pallet storage and warehousing solutions. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and supports fully integrated automated warehouse pallet storage systems that enable end users to pick and pack from palletised materials. This disruptive, dynamic business offers a range of cost, operational and sustainability benefits to clients. It enables clients to double the storage capacity within existing warehouse facilities and can reduce the energy usage of companies operating within a freezer environment in the cold storage industry by 50 percent.

County Monaghan received another prize with Ciaran Marron, CEO and Founder of Activ8 Solar Energies in Carrickmacross, announced as 2023 EY Established Entrepreneur of the Year.

this technology to find new ways of making hydrogen, e-fuels, capture carbon and compress hydrogen, all of which are needed to achieve a decarbonised world.

Tom Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder of Staycity was named 2023 EY International Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Established in 2007, Activ8 Solar Energies is a pioneer in the solar energy sector in Ireland, helping to lead the nation’s transition to sustainable energy. Activ8 Solar Energies has installed more than 100,000 solar panels across Ireland and works on both residential and commercial properties. The company is on a mission to empower homeowners and businesses to generate renewable electricity and reduce their carbon footprint.

Each year EY also presents a Special Recognition Award to individuals who have made a significant contribution to life on the island of Ireland through their vision, innovation, and commitment to excellence. This year, the prestigious honour was awarded to David McRedmond, CEO of An Post in recognition of his work in leading some of Ireland’s best known businesses through transformational change.

Dr Andrew Woods, CEO and Founder of CATAGEN was the recipient of the 2023 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Sustainability award. The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Sustainability Award recognises the critical importance of innovation leadership in meeting our collective sustainability challenges.

Established in 2019, Belfast-based cleantech company CATAGEN’s primary objective is to clean and decarbonise the air. CATAGEN provides a range of emissions tests for after-treatment systems to vehicle manufacturers which will have a direct impact on our cities and air quality. The company was founded on technology for green emissions testing and is now evolving

Commenting at the awards, Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme said, “This year’s finalists are a phenomenal group of entrepreneurs who are achieving incredible success both at home and abroad. It has been such a privilege to get to know them and their businesses over the past eight months and I look forward to their continued involvement in the programme through our alumni network.

On behalf of EY, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to this year’s award winners. These entrepreneurs have shown themselves to be visionary leaders in their industries, developing innovative concepts that enhance how we live, work, and experience the world around us.”

The International Forklift & Intralogistics Awards (IFOY) associated Test Camp Intralogistics event has made a name for itself as an opportunity for anyone who wants to gain an in-depth overview of the latest technology in all areas of internal logistics in a relaxed atmosphere. On April 10 & 11, 2024, Test Camp Intralogistics will open its doors for the fourth time at Messe Dortmund, where and more than 100 innovations will be presented.

Thilo Jörgl, Manager of the event, explains why “Testing makes the difference” is more than just a catchphrase and outlines which paths the organisers want to take with Test Camp Intralogistics.

“Testing makes the Difference” is the motto of Test Camp Intralogistics. What makes the event different from other events?

We have intentionally committed ourselves to not being a trade fair.

Trade fairs are big and crowded. And every exhibitor from the industry can exhibit. Intensive discussions are often neglected, and it is usually not possible to test exhibited products. Please don’t misunderstand us, we love trade fairs and enjoy attending events at home and

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abroad. Nevertheless, it was important to us to establish with the Test Camp Intralogistics a different kind of event.

Smaller, more personal, more direct, class instead of mass. An event with a conference at which only selected, new innovations are presented and not products en-masse - and not just to look at, but to try out. Regardless of whether it is a forklift truck, a software product or something completely different.

Who can present an innovation at Test Camp Intralogistics? Every company like at a trade fair?

A good mix of products and solutions is important to us. For this reason, we select our exhibitors carefully and make sure that the exhibits on show are not only innovative, but also new and have not been available on the market for many years. Each year, the finalists of the IFOY Awards are placed, which undergo a three-stage audit as part of the Test Camp Intralogistics. In addition, we do our own research in our network and approach companies worldwide that have innovations and new products to offer and are a good fit for the event. The whole package has to be attractive for visitors.

Does that also apply to visitors? Not everyone is allowed to enter, right?

The same applies here: quality instead of quantity. Of course, we try to make this possible for everyone who wants to visit the Test Camp Intralogistics. However, the number of available tickets is limited because we are not aiming for overcrowded company boxes, but want to create space for intensive discussions between manufacturers and visitors with a concrete interest in buying and investing. In addition, we, our cooperation partners, some logistics initiatives and our exhibitors are inviting top-level B2B guests - precisely those decision-makers from industry, trade and logistics services who are not only significantly involved in the acquisition of new solutions in their companies, but also want to see them live, touch them, drive them themselves and test them. And all this in peace and

quiet. Nobody feels comfortable when ten people are already waiting in front of and behind them to test a product.

Which industries are represented as visitors on site? Is there a general trend here?

Logistics service providers are the most strongly represented at Test Camp Intralogistics, and in this group it is mainly contract logistics providers.

Due to the AGV Mesh-Up, numerous experts from the automotive sector and industry are also on site. E-commerce and stationary retail, as well as consumer goods and beverage suppliers, mechanical engineering, chemicals and pharmaceuticals are also present with numerous representatives.

Last year, the Test Camp Intralogistics reported 1200 participants. When you hear this figure for the first time, it doesn’t sound like a lot at first.

You can’t compare us with a trade fair when it comes to this figure either. 1,200 participants over two days is ideal to give all exhibitors the chance to talk to visitors in a relaxed atmosphere, present their products to them in detail and make them available for on-site testing. Many visitors are responsible for investment budgets in the three-digit million range.

We offer them the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the latest innovations at the beginning of the year, laying the foundations for further discussions and contracts later on. In the meantime, there have already been some major deals that originated at Test Camp Intralogistics.

This is of much greater value to the exhibitors than going home with as many leads as possible.

Are there any other points that differentiate Test Camp Intralogistics from a traditional trade fair?

The Test Camp Intralogistics is a holistic experience format in which selected innovations meet decision-makers willing to invest. To make the visit as efficient as possible for these decision-makers, we help out. At a trade fair, you are handed a list of exhibitors and have to plan your own day. With us, this is not necessary - because anyone who wants to can have the innovations presented to them at a glance as part of guided, themed highlight tours through the hall.

In addition, we try to design our areas in such a way that the visit is as varied as possible. We do this for example with

special exhibition areas. The VDMA’s AGV Mesh-Up is a live test of the VDA 5050 communication interface, which is designed to ensure that mobile robots in warehouses can communicate with each other via plug-and-play technology regardless of the manufacturer. We also have an attractive conference program with half a dozen panel discussions on offer and the Get Together on the first evening, an ideal opportunity to expand your network in the community.

The IFOY Test Days are also part of the Test Camp Intralogistics. How are Test Camp and IFOY Awards connected?

The IFOY Awards and the Test Camp are - to put it casually - brothers and sisters in spirit. The Test Camp Intralogistics was originally created from the IFOY Awards and the IFOY Test Days, which are part of the IFOY Awards, but is now an independent event. As part of the IFOY Test Days, all companies and their innovations that have made it to the finals in the competition for the IFOY Awards must undergo a three-stage IFOY audit. For a long time, only the finalists themselves, our international jurors, the testers and the IFOY partners had access to this. During IFOY Test Days 2018, some of the jurors - all of them editors-in-chief of leading logistics media worldwide invited contacts from their readership - a few logistics service providers, automotive suppliers, DIY store managers. And they were all enthusiastic about the opportunity to test the IFOY finalists themselves. So the idea was born to always admit a limited number of B2B guests - initially 50 in 2020, a few more in 2021 - and by 2022 there were almost 1000. Test Camp Intralogistics is now an independent event, but still offers the perfect setting for the IFOY Test Days.

Another special feature of Test Camp Intralogistics is the topic of sustainability. How can an event of this size be sustainable?

Sustainability is much more than just a buzzword - and when you look at large trade fairs in particular, it is shocking to see the amount of waste they generate.

Another problem in terms of sustainability is individual booth construction - in line with the motto “higher, bigger, further”, exhibitors try to compete with each other. This is not only a burden on company coffers, but also on the environment.

It is important to us at Test Camp that it is not about appearance, but

about functionality. For this reason, we have decided not to allow individual booth construction, but to plan, set up and dismantle the company boxes centrally in the form of modules made of aluminium trusses. The branding is also standardised and additional decoration is not necessary. “Innovation instead of unnecessary decoration” is our motto.

Many of the materials we use during assembly are also reusable. This applies not only to the aluminium trusses, but also to the barrier fences and the rental furniture from service providers in the vicinity of the event. The carpet we use is shredded after the camp and made into a new carpet. The central catering in the restaurant also saves water and resources. We also use green electricity.

How does on-site testing work?

As already mentioned, we take visitors on highlight tours to all exhibitors to give them an initial overview. Afterwards, each manufacturer offers individual test rides or tests and explains their innovations in detail in one-on-one discussions. All test areas are cordoned off and safety shoes are mandatory for all participants.

In addition, we issue safety vests to everyone who enters the hall.

Will there be new highlights in 2024?

One of the key topics at Test Camp Intralogistics 2024 will be mobile robotics. As this topic is becoming increasingly important for both 3PLs and contract logistics, we are not only taking this into account with a special test area of around 2,000 square meters but are also organizing a separate conference as part of the camp. On the second day of the event, the Main Stage will be reserved exclusively for the topic of mobile robotics. In addition to a keynote speech, panel discussions and a panel discussion on the VDA 5050 communication interface, numerous specialist presentations by scientists, manufacturers and users are also planned.

It is important to bear in mind that the German robotics and automation industry is forecasting growth of nine percent to a turnover of €15.7 billion in 2023 - despite inflation, the energy crisis and war. This illustrates the current importance of this topic, even though the transformation of many industries has only just begun and innovative automation solutions are the key to the future.

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From quite modest beginnings, Dixon International Transport has evolved to become one of Ireland’s best known and most respected road haulage operations.

When the company moved to its present location in Swords beside Dublin Airport, it allowed scope for Dixon to diversify from road transport into materials handling and warehousing.

The move was initially driven by an opportunity to provide an enhanced service to its customers, which in turn would realise improved efficiencies for its own transport operations.

Now thanks to a major investment, Dixon International Transport will open another new state-of-the-art warehouse in early 2024. However the new 46,000 pallet facility is somewhat different to the previous one, as the unit is set to be one of the most advanced in Ireland, both in the methods of materials handling, and the facilities’ low environmental impact.

The new warehouse will not only be able to handle standard ambient goods but will also cater for chilled

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products. In addition, it will be one of the few facilities in this country to handle products sensitive to humidity, and will have the capacity to store up to 8,000 pallets in specially controlled dedicated spaces.

To call the new facility a warehouse is to be somewhat disingenuous as the design of the building and the equipment installed will be the latest technology available. All aspects of running a modern warehouse were considered, with management focused on designing the unit to be as low-impact environmentally, and as future-proof as possible.

One of the key features of the facility is the latest fully automated pallet handling system from Moffett Automated Systems (MAS) - the Moffett Taxi. The MAS will deliver immense benefits to the efficient operation of the facility, as it allows materials to be handled and stored in any location in the warehouse and retrieved as necessary without the need for forklift operations. Forklifts and pallet trucks will only be needed for loading and unloading onto the road transport units through one of the six cross-docking loading bays.

The MAS can operate above the allowable reach of regular forklifts, which means the pallet capacity can be at a higher

density on a smaller floor space. The self-charging automated pallet carriers (Taxis) will put away and retrieve pallets from any level or position throughout the warehouse. As the Taxis are fully automated they can work around each other and will self-charge when not in use allowing them to work 24 hours a day.

Apart from receipt and dispatch of goods, the warehouse will have few operatives and so it will be able to work in darkness which will dramatically reduce energy consumption. Importantly it is envisaged that the vast majority of the energy used will be generated by using the latest roof-mounted solar panels, which will greatly reduce the facility’s carbon footprint.

Environmental sustainability is a very important consideration for Michael Dixon, the firm’s Managing Director, and

the issue is of increasing importance to many of Dixon International’s customers.

When combined with the solar panels on Dixon’s other warehouse units the company will have the capacity to generate 1.1 megawatts of power. This will also deliver a benefit with helping to charge the company’s increasing fleet of electric trucks, and Michael believes that buildings like warehouses and other similar structures are the best places to mount solar panels.

Many of Dixon’s customers are among the most recognised blue chip and high-profile names in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Any company working in these sectors will only survive if it operates to the highest standards, and in turn demands similar standards from its service providers.

This is where Dixon has to date excelled, which in turn has generated an increased demand for its services, leading to the need to increase capacity. Nevertheless, it is not simply a case of build it and the customers will arrive at your roller door. The handling of such specialised products is an area of warehousing that Dixon has a recognised and proven track record in, one in which it can assure quality standards and absolute product integrity. The multi-award-winning company has numerous accreditations in many areas of industry, including a number of accolades at the Fleet Transport Awards over the years.

Amongst these are the Health Products Regulatory Authorisation, several ISO 9000 accreditations, and importantly, a double AA-rated BRCGS certification - an AA rating is awarded on being found to be fully compliant during all unannounced inspections.

In this digital age the idea of taking

in a number of pallets, putting them away, and then when the customer wants them again you go and find them in your racking is long gone.

Customers now want full track and trace from their production facility through the handling and storage and through to the final handover of the products to their customers. Dixon has chosen the Navitas Software warehouse management system to operate in the new facility. Once installed the system will also fully integrate with the current warehouse network. This will ensure the seamless handling of products across all of Dixon’s warehouse facilities. Being able to track and report to any customer the exact status of any product or order is a vital element of providing the service demanded by that customer.

The company will now have a combined capacity of 66,000 pallet spaces which it is more than confident there is a demand for. Indeed some of this demand has already materialised.

Logistics Manager Colum Aungier feels that recent issues such as the Covid pandemic, the Suez Canal blockage and the War in Ukraine have all helped to bring about a revaluation of the just-intime supply chain. These have all led to

a greater demand for space, especially where companies need to have ready access to their products.

Colum says that once full testing of all the warehouse systems has been completed they will begin the intake of products immediately as there are already pallet spaces booked. This would indicate even at this early stage that Dixon has another successful venture to add to the already long list of such enterprises and Colum feels there is no reason that this side of the business will not grow and expand further.

Dixon International has already secured another site to develop if the need or demand arises. Michael says he is never afraid to invest in the

business once there will be a return on the investment. From our visit to the company, there is certainly a sense around Dixon International Transport that the new 46,000 facility will not be the end of the story.

Text: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

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Monaghan forklift manufacturer Combilift hit national headlines when it announced its move into the off-shore wind power sector. But that was just part of the story. To mark its 25th year in business Combilift actually launched five new products.

The flurry of excitement in the national media was caused by the Combi-LC, a load carrying innovation that uses two vehicles to handle and

transport the component parts of off-shore wind turbines.

Using two vehicles in tandem means that enormous blades and mast tug type towers can be manoeuvred far more easily than with previous handling equipment, even on rough terrain.

Each Combi-LC machine has multidirectional steering and can be fully remote controlled. This means that, for example, blades can now be despatched from between two piers at a dock.

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One machine cradles the delicate flat end of the blade, whilst the other caries the heavier central part. The Combi-LC “root end” carrier unit has a unique attachment designed to securely grip the substantial cylindrical end of the blade, firmly affixed to the generator hub.

The “tip side” carrier unit smoothly moves beneath the blade and nestles it in a U shaped clamp which is mounted on a hydraulic tilting table.

The Combi-LC was developed in collaboration with Siemens Gamesa, which already has several in use, and a further ten pairs of the carriers on order for its sites in France Denmark, Taiwan and the USA. “We were really looking forward to getting these things going, it’s going to make a huge difference for us,” said Robert Kach of Siemens Gamesa.

The blades in widest use at the moment weigh around 75 tonnes, however bigger turbines are in the pipeline, which will measure 140 meters and weigh close to 150 tonnes. Each Combi-LC machine has a capacity of 75 tonnes, meaning

components of up to 150 tonnes can be manoeuvred already.

“We are thrilled to have launched this new product – The Combi-LC, and we hope it will act as a gateway for us to further progress within our venture into the wind energy sector,” said Josh Moffett, Heavy Equipment Manager at Combilift.

“The scale of offshore wind projects around the world leads to a very unique set of challenges, one of which being the ability to transport the very large

components that make up a wind turbine. We recognised this and used our expertise in load handling to develop a solution to support those in the industry.

The product is specifically made to order and therefore can be uniquely customised to fit specific applications.”

MORE TO OFFER But that is not the only innovation that was on show at Combilift’s latest factory tour. The firm has also moved into the automated guided vehicle market with the Combi-AGT, an Autonomous Guided Forklift Truck.

This sideloader offers automated handling of long loads in narrow aisles.

It can operate in guided aisles ensuring optimal space utilisation and can also roam freely when necessary.

It offers users the flexibility of manual driving when required, making it a versatile solution for a wide range of applications. It has a 2 wheel drive with 4 wheel steering, has load sensing steering with safety cut-off sensors and a tilting chassis.

With its ability to navigate tight

spaces efficiently and safely the Combi-AGT promises to enhance warehouse operations and streamline material handling processes.

Ten Combi-AGTs are already in use with one customer in the USA. Combilift also unveiled its first telematics offering, Combi Connect. This telematics software will provide customers with insights into fleet management and how their trucks and equipment is being used and performing.

The system will provide real-time visibility of all machines, and will record and analyse data such as location tracking including geofencing, usage analytics, shock detection, fuel/energy usage, and maintenance alerts, so businesses can make informed decisions to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance overall performance.

Combi Connect should not require fitting or configuration, and Josh stated that it can be used “straight out of the box” and is a “fit and forget” solution.

It is designed with Combilift equipment in mind and is available on all the firm’s models, but Combi Connect will also work with machines from other manufacturers though with slightly less data availability.

The software for the Combi-AGT and Combi

Connect was developed in-house at Combilift, with a partner taken on to assist with the navigation IT. Getting back to Combilift’s bread and butter, it also released two new electric forklifts. The Combi-Cube and the Combi-CB70E. The COMBI-CUBE is Combilift’s premium electric counterbalance forklift, for indoor or outdoor use. It has a capacity of 3,000Kg and technological and ergonomic design features such as the optional Dynamic 360 Steering system, which offers seamless directional changes. The driver is seated in the centre of the truck, and an adjustable arm rest is mounted to the seat suspension which incorporates a multi-function joystick and an LCD colour touch screen.

And Combilift reckons the Combi-CB70E is the shortest 7 tonne capacity counterbalance truck on the

market. It has multidirectional Dynamic 360 Steering, a spacious cab, tilting steering, hydraulic steering and auto swivel seats that twist 15 degrees towards the direction of travel to improve visibility and driver comfort.

The Combi-CB70E is ideally suited to robust applications such as the timber industry with its 7,000kg lift capacity, its large super-elastic tyres, compact wheelbase and a “gas strut” suspension cab. It also has independent traction which negates the need for a differential lock on slippery surfaces and reduces long load momentum twisting when travelling sideways.

With all these innovative products hitting the market, it’s clear that even as it makes strides into whole new market arenas, Combilift won’t forget its core business of manufacturing forklift trucks.

Text: Johanna Parsons – contributor@fleet.ie

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Irish Rail hosted a meeting of the Irish Exporters Association Dublin Regional Group towards the end of November, at which progress and research currently underway to achieve the company’s 2040 Rail Freight strategy objectives were discussed.

The fundamentals of the strategy revolve around climate sustainability objectives. Current operations using diesel-fuelled locomotives have been shown to offer significant reductions in carbon and other polluting gas emissions per unit carried compared to movement by road. Irish Rail is planning to reduce the carbon footprint further through the introduction of lower emission fuels in the locomotives, with trials currently underway using HVO. Next year the company will initiate a research project on the feasibility of adapting existing locomotives to hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The tender process is already well underway to replace the existing container wagon fleet which will enable the introduction of longer and faster trains. Implementation of a highly automated train control system for the entire Irish rail network will also greatly increase operational efficiency for both freight and passenger rail.

During the Irish Rail meeting, it was pointed out that a major driving factor pushing for the re-development of significant use of the rail network for freight to and from ports in particular is the ever-stronger desire from multi-national manufacturers to base their end-to-end supply chains on the most

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climate friendly possible routings. In a world in which such firms must compete with their sister companies in other locations for continued investment and development projects, the opportunity to use rail rather than exclusively road freight can be a significant factor.

While the re-development of the Foynes to Limerick link to the overall network is physically underway. further developments, particularly restoring the links between Rosslare and Waterford, Claremorris and Athenry, and Marino Point with the network are well advanced.

CO2 toll in Germany to increase road freight operator toll costs by up to 83% Research carried out on behalf of the Road Haulage Industry indicates that the CO2 truck toll on German highways which has come into force on 1 December this year will mean that road haulage companies and their clients, freight forwarding, and logistics companies will have to pay surcharges of about €200 per tonne of CO2 in carrying out their operations.

The toll increase does not currently apply to Zero Emission vehicles, including electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles up to the end of 2025. From that date the rate for these low emission vehicles will be 25% of the rate then in force for diesel powered trucks.

Currently tolls account for about 12% of road haulers costs in Germany and the CO2 toll will bring this figure up to about

20%. Some logistics providers including Maersk and DB Schenker have advised customers that the rise in toll fees will increase their costs and that a new tariff will be issued to cover the extra costs.

The extra revenue generated will be used to fund the provision for further rail and barge services. Hauliers however, have said that they are sceptical about the ability of rail networks and barge companies to increase services to facilitate any significant migration of freight. Nevertheless, it is likely that other EU countries will now follow similar toll increase policies as part of a policy move to ‘green’ transport.

A further obstacle to the switching of significant road freight volumes to river and canal operators is the lowering of water levels in the Rhine and other waterways due to climate change, which has been caused by reduced melted snow volumes throughout Europe.

Significant Digitalisation progress in shipping sector From 1 January 2024 it is mandatory for ports throughout the world to operate a fully interactive Maritime Single Windows system which will enable the exchange of all information required at the point of the vessel’s arrival, during its stay and at departure. This will enable the smoother operation of ports and reduce delays for vessels operating there.

This development comes with increasing usage by cargo owners of digital Bills of Lading and other paperwork required to enable the quicker flow of cargo through all parts of the Supply Chain, and to do this at a considerably reduced cost.

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

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