Improving warehouse productivity can feel like a daunting task. There are so many moving parts within a warehouse operation that it may seem impossible to align everyone’s priorities for the good of the operation. But making improvements can provide big returns. We’ve chosen five basic tips to help streamline and improve your warehouse’s productivity. 

In this day and age, human machine interfaces are everywhere. Think about every point of contact a human has with technology and it becomes a reminder that as humans, we interact with machines in just about every aspect of our lives today. Self-service checkout at the grocery store, plugging an address into your car’s GPS or getting some cash at the ATM are all examples of instances when humans interact with an interface designed to help foster human/machine communication.

As it applies to automation equipment in a manufacturing facility, human machine interface products offer the necessary electronics to easily control automation equipment in an industrial environment. HMI products can range from a simple design with basic screen controls to a more complex touchscreen with numerous features and windows. In most environments, whether for service oriented tasks or in an industrial environment, HMI systems must be resistant to dust, water, moisture, high or low temperatures and even chemicals.

All over the world, manufacturers in the glass fiberizing and glass wool industry are interested in increasing the quality of their products. The Gedevelop GFM System is suited for this process. It works with glass flow and collects data in real time for optimum control of the manufacturing process. This system reduces material costs and shortens production downtime.

How exactly does this system work? The Gedevelop system uses a camera which looks at the glass stream and reads information for stream diameter and stream velocity. The information is then sent to the central unit and based on set parameters, calculates the glass flow. The glass flow meter continuously measures glass flow individually for each fiberizing unit and allows the pull to be controlled within .5%. It also checks that the quality of the glass stream is at the correct level and if it isn’t, the system can make adjustments. This glass flow meter is a
non-contact, optical measurement system that calculates the flow of molten glass that falls from the bushing into the fiberizer. Many installations worldwide have proven that glass flow measurement is a very profitable investment in a short amount of payback time.

One of the repair services we provide for our customers at Radwell International is CNC spindle drive retrofits. This service is something that is designed to not only provide cost savings for our clients but also extend the life of a CNC machine tool without requiring an entire machine retrofit. We recently caught up with Mark Councilman, the CNC Sales Manager at Radwell International, based out of our Arlington, Texas location. Mark is a CNC Subject Matter Expert and has been working in the CNC area for 17 years. We had the chance to discuss a bit about CNC machines and how CNC Spindle Retrofits can save time and money for a manufacturing environment.  

What is your role at Radwell International?

My role as CNC Sales Manager is to develop & implement strategies for production, distribution, inside/outside sales, and marketing that position Radwell as a leader in the CNC support market. Currently, my day includes gathering information as I research the CNC market. Typically, I’ll review and validate current pricing on the website and process requests for CNC parts as they trickle in from ASM’s, ISM’s, and customers. I might reach out to Alan Gage with an opportunity for Radwell Verified Subs, and/or seek support from Todd Radwell for a list of parts that should be targeted for pre-certification. The facilities I worked in specialized in exchange and repair of motors, drives, power supplies, CRT’s, and control boards for the CNC market. That's how I came to be considered a subject matter expert in this area.

For many manufacturers, the prospect of moving towards eco-friendly solutions and innovations such as renewable energy is very much front of mind; however, actually implementing the necessary changes is easier said than done. Luckily, as technology develops, and the appetite for carbon neutrality increases around the globe, there are many options for saving not only the bottom line, but the environment.

If you work in a manufacturing facility, we’ve got a product offering that can change your life. Sounds like a lofty promise, doesn’t it? Our answer is all about one of the most unique of our offerings at Radwell International: our Radwell Verified Sub Program. It is not something that is all that common to find among industrial automation service/parts providers. We get asked about this program all the time by customers who want to know what a Radwell Verified Sub is and how it can benefit them.

If you've been keeping up with the remodel of Radwell International's new headquarters building in Willingboro, NJ, then you know about the installation of our Swisslog Autostore. To read more about this revolutionary system, give Todd Radwell's blog post a read here. It was truly fascinating to watch the system being built from the ground up.

In many instances, large companies talk (and talk and talk) about the products and services they can provide for their customers. Millions of dollars are spent each year on marketing efforts designed to tell customers about all the wonderful products and services that are available to them as consumers. Often the talk can be much more appealing than the reality. I’m not going to lie: many times within our marketing at Radwell, we do share our many capabilities with our customers. However, our reality is something we are very focused on every day, in every department within our organization. The best way to discuss what Radwell International is really capable of is by sharing some stories straight from the field. We’ve decided to do just that, 

starting with a great hero story straight from Robert Tiedeken, our Branch Manager in Radwell-Indiana. Rob has been with Radwell International for 10 years this April. He was a career IT professional and started with Radwell as a Systems Administrator. He was promoted to IT Operations Manager and in this role, he worked on design and buildouts for Radwell-UK, Radwell-Canada, Radwell-Texas and Radwell-Indiana. An unexpected opportunity arose for him when he was asked to take on the challenge of being a Branch Manager in Franklin, Indiana upon it’s completion. He took on the challenge and has never looked back. Rob is a great leader for Radwell-Indiana and does a great job building his team and creating a sense of community both with his employees as well as his clients.

Here’s Rob’s Customer Story:

One of the most important things to have knowledge of when working in an industrial automation or warehouse environment is maintaining a safe workplace for all levels of employees. Jim Malia, Warehouse Manager, and Gary Wenrich, Logistics Operations Manager, both at Radwell International's headquarters in Lumberton, NJ,  offered some basic operating principles that can help anyone in a warehouse environment operate in a safe manner.