Emerging Technologies

Innovative tools of the trade

Escape from freight problems

Lost and damaged freight are mistakes that can put any company’s operations in jeopardy, sometimes costing manufacturers millions of dollars. With innovative logistics products from Pres-On and Pelican Products, these supply chain nightmares can be avoided.

Pres-On has 60 years of experience as a manufacturer of logistics products, including adhesive coatings, foam separators, fasteners and bumpers. These products are necessary in the transport, packing, storage and installation of fragile plastics, glass and easily scratched metal products.

Glass products can pose problems beyond the obvious threat of being shattered during transport. As a clear material, the quality of glass, particularly those used as window panels, can be compromised due to adhesive residue from the manufacturer’s barcode. Pres-On capitalized on this common customer complaint with a new solution for glass manufacturers: Performa labels. These barcodes have a patented acrylic adhesive that leaves products residue-free, even after long-term exposure to high temperature processing. Performa labels allow manufacturers to continue scanning and tracking products that move through the supply chain, all while ensuring better customer satisfaction.

According to John Starkey, national sales director for Pres-On, Performa labels can be placed on hot, post-tempered glass and remain on for extended periods of time without impairing their ability to be removed cleanly and easily.

Taking this residue-free idea one step further, Pres-On also developed PBCMF-1.5, a static-cling film to adhere to sheets of glass and other highly polished materials that require temporary surface protection.

Pelican Products also offers an innovative spin on product packaging and transport. The Pelican-Hardigg inter-stacking pattern (ISP) cases eliminate load movement, adding an innovative and protective element to traditional methods of case shipping and product storage.

Wave-design ribs in the lids interlock with molded discs in the base to give the cases rigidity and support in movement-free stacking. Made from polyethylene, the cases are lightweight, watertight and durable. They include built-in comfort handles and fork-lift risers for easier transportation by worker or machine. The cases come in six standard sizes that can handle storage sizes ranging from four to 25 cubic feet. The cases are optimized to work with most known pallet sizes, including the U.S. military’s new Joint Modular Intermodal Container (JMIC) system.

Optional foam layers add cushioning during transport. Standard features include an internal atmospheric purge valve and an O-ring seal to keep the case secure and watertight in transit.

In addition to providing solutions to commercial businesses and the U.S. military, Pelican has been heavily involved in donating products to aid in the relief efforts of recent world disasters, including the Australian floods and the earthquake in Japan.

Jessica Jeppsson holds bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering and in operations and supply chain from North Carolina State University. She currently is employed as a solution engineer for Plataine, a software company.