MHIA: ISC Industry Group releases summer 2011 quarterly report

Integrated Systems and Controls (ISC) Industry Group of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has released its Summer 2011 Quarterly Report titled “The Road to System Integration Step 3: Installation.”

This report offers advice for a smooth and successful installation of an integrated material handling system. ISC is an Industry Group of MHIA. ISC members are the Industry’s leading suppliers of integrated material handling and controls systems. They supply systems worldwide and in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector.

According to the report, the work of ensuring a smooth installation begins well before your supplier arrives to install the first piece of equipment. If quick and easy installation is critical, designing a system with off-the-shelf components instead of customized ones reduces the risk of installation delays. “Having easy access to hardware is key,” Rockwell Automation’s Ken Fry, vice chairman of the SC Industry Group. “If you need to replace something during the installation, you’ll be able to get it more quickly if you’re working with standard components.”

The report suggests scheduling a walk-through of your facility with the supplier well before installation begins. This is the time to review the installation schedule and the list of customer requirements and responsibilities included in the contract. Knowing exactly what you’ve agreed to provide at what points in the schedule will help all to avoid time-wasting glitches or misunderstandings.

Rockwell’s Fry offers another recommendation for projects in existing facilities. Before installation begins, perform a network analysis to verify that the data network will be able to handle the added load of the new equipment without negatively affecting the performance of existing equipment.

Finally, Intralox’s Shana Relle, chair of the ISC Industry Group, “it’s a good idea to have the maintenance team on hand during the installation so they can receive training from the installation crew.” Seeing how new equipment is installed often helps maintenance personnel better understand how to maintain and service that equipment.

Quarterly Reports are an information source from several Industry Groups of MHIA. Each report will focus on trends in the use of material handling and logistics equipment, such as guided vehicles or automated storage, to solve challenges in the plant and warehouse ranging from ROI to sustainability to productivity in the new economy.

ISC Industry Group releases Fall 2010 Quarterly Report
“The Road to System Integration” report asserts that every step in an integrated system project is an integrated system of its own, and major roadblocks can occur if the elements are out of sync.