Kingformation

Kingformation #20

2012-02-20T19:47:00.000+11:00

In this edition:

PRODUCT REVIEW: MOBILE TABLE LIFTERS. A very versatile lifter

BOOK REVIEW: Richard Hammond's On The Edge. A scary story, and near death experience

FEAR: Try this approach

HITCH YOUR FORTUNE TO A STAR: We look at ‘star’ businesses

FACT: Cheops

JOKE: Man with an earring

PRODUCT REVIEW: MOBILE TABLE LIFTERS. Avery versatile lifter

A Mobile Table Lifter – sometimescalled a Platform Lifter – has a couple of features that are veryuseful. The first is that the deck/table/platform, which sits closeto the ground. In some cases it can be on the ground or up to 150mmabove ground level.

Lift n' Shift Mk 2

Big deal, you say! Well yes it can be –especially if you're trying to load a heavy object from ground levelor from a pallet.

The unit has small front wheels,typically between 50 and 100 mm in diameter. This is important,because it allows you to wheel the front legs under a machine, benchor hopper, so the load itself is presented over the top of the bench.Great for transporting copiers or computers. If using a hopper, it isgreat for taking sacks up, slitting them and letting the contentsfall into the hopper.

Anyway, you get the drift.

Platform Stackers

If you utilize a skid pallet (with nobottom boards), then the Platform Lifter forks or deck can be slidunder the pallet, making a block of pallet rack/shelf stackingpossible (provided you have the bottom open for the legs to goinside).

Capacities range from 80 Kg right up to500 Kg. Deck sizes or forks with a slip-on deck range from 300mm x450mm through to 500mm x 600mm.

Lift is by hand ‘brake’ winch,manual hand or foot operated hydraulic, battery hydraulic or batterydirect chain or belt. Choose manual if you only use it occasionallyand for lowest cost, otherwise seriously consider battery operationas it takes about 50 foot pumps to raise the carriage by a metre.

Lift heights range from 1 Metre up to1.5 Mtrs

The Platform Lifter is great as ageneral lifter to take single products or small skids from trucks, orfor a platform which can be raised to any height that is comfortablefor you to work from.

So, no more lifting by hand to placeproducts on to a bench, or get deliveries from a truck. Get yourselfa Mobile Platform Lifter. This is one very versatile lifter, whichwill elicit those immortal words, “Why didn’t I get one of theseyears ago?”

Naturally it will not replace a forklift or straddle walkie stacker, as it is not designed to handleregular pallets, but for anything less – but still heavy – it’sa gem.

BOOK REVIEW: Richard Hammond. On TheEdge

Talk about single-mindedness. RichardHammond is one of those people who knows what he wants to do in life– even when he was only four years of age! Don’t you hate that!?I took up to 30 years before I knew where I was going, but he knewthat anything mechanical, then anything mechanical with a motor, wasfor him from almost day one.

Being small of stature, he had toeither run or make the bullies laugh. He chose to make a fool ofhimself, and as he got wheels, be they skates, pushbike or motorbike, his antics involved these props too. Like riding along thenfalling over into the bushes.

Of course, motorized vehicles wereRichard’s idea of heaven. He wrote about them as a journalist,attended events as a local TV reporter, and became somewhat of alocal legend, before testing for a presenting job on Britain’s bestknown motoring TV show Top Gear.

The Hamster, as he is affectionatelyknown, not only got the job, but amassed a huge fan club based uponhis motoring knowledge and a willingness (I say downright craziness)to try anything.

Let no one tell you different, this isone really tough bloke. Who else but Richard would volunteer for ajet car run. This was not a speed trial. There was no speedometer inthe car, and he asked that he not be told how fast the car had goneon each trial run, so that he could not be accused of trying to set aspeed record. The Top Gear team just wanted to let the viewers knowwhat the sensation was like.

Over many trial runs, the final run wasplanned to be flat out with the after burners on, in order to achievemaximum thrust. At 297 miles per hour, the excrement hit the rotatingblades (I wont spoil this part for you), and The Hamster’s nextmove was into a hospital bed, where, long story short, he and hisfamily (wife and two young kids) went through hell.

How’s he doing? Well you’ll have toread the book 1) so that Richard can get his royalty payment, and 2)so you'll know what to expect if someone you know and love ever has abrain injury.

I was riveted by this account ofcourage, spousal and family love. Britain and the world’s viewersno doubt channeled a tsunami of positive healing energy towards thisself-effacing man. Maybe there’s a thought for world peace: sendall your extra love around the world and let it settle on those whoneed it.

FEAR: Try this

You have just heard about something badthat you are convinced is going to impact your life, so what will youdo? Worry of course.

You'll fear the worst. The bad news isgoing to change things in ways you really don’t want to thinkabout. Your head space is filled with the repercussions of this news.

You want to get on with your life, butbad thoughts overwhelm the good ones. Your routine has been throwninto catch up mode, because your mind is filled with possibilities –and probabilities.

Try a different tack when it comes tobad news. Look at the situation, then clearly define what the worstsegments are, then break them down into manageable parts.

List those parts in priority, then makea plan of action as to how you are going to tackle each part of thatwhole problem, starting out with the hardest part first, then startto tackle those parts – immediately.

I recently utilized this method toattack the pain before it consumed me. I wrote out the problem, thenI wrote how I was going to tackle and defeat it, one blow at a time,starting with the biggest part of the problem first. It worked! Ididn’t worry about what might have been. I turned my thoughts intoswift action and before I knew it, the problem had disappeared.

I have vowed to use this approach tofear from now on.

HITCH YOUR FORTUNE TO A STAR. We lookat ‘STAR’ businesses

A STAR businessis:

One in a hundred – statistically.
It is a business that is going places – fast.
It occupies a space that is number one in its niche.
It has revenues exceeding all others in its sphere of influence.
It leads either a trend or a paradigm shift.
It is an exciting place to be, work or invest in.
It’s founder and co-workers are all dedicated to maintaining the lead.
It either throws off cash or is capable of it soon.
It is innovative, inventive, intuitive and invincible.
It listens, adapts and offers a value proposition in excess of its product cost.
It attracts competition, copycats and value adders.
It can make founders, workers and investors a fortune.

How do you finda STAR business? Well, starting tomorrow, make it your life’s workto seek them out, then either work in them or invest in them. Ifpossible, you may even create one. Just take note of what a STARbusiness is, then start a business that fills the criteria – tooeasy.

Don’t say thatI don’t give you red hot business tips here. They may not be easyto achieve, but hey, nothing that’s worth anything comes easy.

I just made up asaying. What’s the definition of the future? Drum rollplease……………………….

It’s what’sleft after you get rid of the past.

Hey, come on,that took me an hour of gardening and meditation to dream that oneup. I said meditation not medication.

FACT: Cheops

Did you know that the Cheops pyramid is147 Mtrs high, and made up of 2.3 million blocks of stone, eachweighing 2.5 tonnes?

It took 100,000 slaves 23 years tobuild.

So, when your builder says that yournew house build is running over time – cut him a little slack.

JOKE: Man with an earring

A man is at work one day, when henotices that his co-worker is wearing an earring.

The co-worker is normally aconservative fellow, so he’s curious about his ‘fashion sense.'He walks up to him and says, “I didn’t know you were intoearrings.”

“Don’t make such a big deal aboutit, alright?” he says. His mate says, “No seriously, when didyou start wearing it?”

The reply: “As soon as my wife foundit in the back of the car.”

Boom, tiddly, boom. That’s All Folks!

KINGFORMATION #19

2012-02-04T21:08:00.001+11:00

Inthis Edition:

PLACESI HAVE SEEN: Paris

PRODUCTREVIEW: The Back Aid: A Nice story

CHINESEPRODUCT OPPORTUNITY???

BOOKREVIEW: A light-hearted romp on The Mother Road – Route 66, withBilly Connolly. This famous highway has been written about dozens oftimes, but Billy’s view is an easy read, with an unmistakable stylethat you know can only have come from him.

WHATNOT TO DO: Safety Related Pictures

JOKE:Planting Tomatoes

PLACESI HAVE SEEN: Paris

Duringmy apprenticeship as a cook in London, I decided that I had enoughkitchen French under my belt to attempt a trip to Paris. 17 is adodgy age; you don’t know anything of substance, yet you think youknow everything. So, as they say, ‘nothing ventured, nothinggained.' I made bookings.

Iwasn’t too sure of myself, so I invited a friend along. Neil wasfrom another world, with money and style. My own style was basic.Just above a tramp's wage and just above a tramp's wardrobe.Nevertheless, nothing stops a teenager from wandering – especiallyto Paris.

Ihad been tutored by the kitchen Maitre d’ in the French names ofdishes and general everyday phrases. After work a couple of times aweek, we would retire to one of the empty restaurants, where I wouldpay a modest fee to hear the language of love at first hand.

Loveand French didn’t come easy to me then, but I struggled through,and when I announced my trip to Marcel -- the Maitre d’ -- he madea list of places that I had to promise to visit.

Westayed in a B&B just around the corner from the Sacre Cour. Weate French Onion Soup most days for lunch, and bought French Sticks,butter and cheese, and pickled onions, which we made up into snacksfor whenever we got hungry. We couldn’t afford wine, but we gotthrough hundreds of bottles of soft drink. We did manage to standoutside La Follies Bergere at night to watch the showgirls in neon,dancing across the face of the building, but the 20 pounds equivalententrance fee prevented an inside look.

Theweek flew by as we trudged to the best-known landmarks. We braved thetraffic to stand under the Arc De Triomph, and rode the escalator tothe viewing platform on the Eiffel Tower. We saw the Seine. We wentto museums and churches. We soaked up the atmosphere. We dodged thedog poo. We laid in the sun by the river. We sipped coffee atsidewalk cafes. We viewed the French from behind sunglasses.

Backin London, the first question Marcel asked was, “Ow many places didyou see on my list?" I sheepishly replied “Only two." Hedidn’t speak to me for the rest of that week. Every time our eyesmet, he would shake his head and mutter something – probably “idiotboy” or some epithet that thankfully I didn’t understand.

Iguess it’s the nature of the beast to disappoint your elders, whenyou’re barely able to speak to a girl without blushing, but from myperspective, I had broken down the barriers to international travel,and had done so on my terms. As for making the French understand me,well they are probably still having a good laugh, but it was one ofthose defining times when I realized that I was starting to form myown character, and the trip to Paris showed me there was more to lifethan working in a kitchen.

BOOKREVIEW: Billy Connolly’s Route 66

Sometimesyou just need a light-hearted break, and Billy Connolly, you have toadmit, can always give you a laugh.

Trueto his other meanderings around the globe, Billy had to do this tripon a tricked up trike – a Boom Lowrider with a Ford Zetec engine.It wouldn’t be Billy if he wasn’t allowed to be eccentric.

Lookinglike an old west gunfighter with flowing white mane, moustache andgoatee, the Big Yin goes in search of adventure. It's the kind ofadventure that millions of men dream about, but know full well thatthe nearest they will get to Route 66 is through the eyes of Billy.That’s why we buy the book. Very cunning, Billy. Billy gets todrive our fantasy, whilst getting paid handsomely for book, film,bike, fuel, accommodation, appearances, and gathering a great deal ofmaterial for his stage shows. I’m being cynical again, aren’t I?Back to the book.

Hestarts in Chicago and ends up in Los Angeles. That’s the route.Along the way he digresses, and takes us into situations that rangefrom downright embarrassing to wonderment. In between, of course, areover 2000 miles of bum-numbing open air driving.

Iwas interested to learn that the old Route 66 is now not one longroad. It has been swallowed up in parts by new highways running overthe top of it, so you have to actually find where the old road ran attimes, follow it, then go and find another original section againfurther on. I also learned that the people and businesses still onthe old, tired and in places dead road are trying to find ways tobring the essence of the road back to life, with some weird andwonderful results. But in many places there's no result at all.

Thehighlight for me was Billy's description of the Grand Canyon. I’vealways wanted to see it, and I know you don’t have to travel alongRoute 66 to do that, but I feel it was Billy’s emotional outpouringthat brought it to life. I too was getting all emotional, andalthough the descriptions of the characters and places that Billyencountered along The Mother Road were great and from the heart, theGrand Canyon crowned it. For that reason alone, I recommend this bookto you as a good read.

PRODUCTREVIEW. The Back Aid: A Nice Story

Ihad a call from a gentleman from the outback recently: “I want tobuy The Back Aid." I asked if he wanted the information first.“No, I bought the second unit that John Pope [the inventer] evermade, and I want to give that one to my brother. He comes over anduses my Back Aid. Well for Christmas, I’m going to give him my oldone and I want a new one for myself."

Naturally,by this time I was intrigued. “So, how did you get to meet John?"I asked. “Well, I was at the shops near where he lived, and my backwent. I was doubled over with the pain. One of the locals knew aboutJohn’s invention, and as he was just down the road I hobbled downto him and knocked on his door."

“WhenJohn saw me, he immediately helped me up and into his living room,where he set me up on The Back Aid – which was called Ezi-Discthen. He told me what to do, and I can’t say it was easy, but Icould feel the benefit straight away. When John explained what washappening, it made perfect sense, what with the spine expanding andtaking pressure off the joints and nerve endings."

John Pope - Back Aid Inventor

“Ionly had a two minute session, but by the end, I could stand upright.The pain had subsided, and I could walk properly again. I ordered aunit there and then. As I say, it was only the second version. Thefirst version was the one that John had at home – for himself."

Don’tyou just love it when a product sells itself through the benefits itbestows upon its users? I could make up such a story, but I couldnever prove it. We have hundreds of letters from grateful purchaserstelling a similar story.

Somepeople had traveled the world for a non surgical ‘cure’ only tofind that good ol' John Pope had invented a simple self-tractioningdevice that can be used anywhere at any time, for a fraction of thefees the practitioners charge.

www.thebackaid.com

CHINESEPRODUCT OPPORTUNITY???

Ihad come across what I believed to be an amazing businessopportunity. A Powered Wheelbarrow! The Chinese company almost beggedme to take it on. The internet headline was laser-like, and directedat ME.

Rememberingall those times when I had struggled to get dirt, bags of cement,sleepers, etc. from the front to the back yard. I salivated over thethought that no other DIY’er out there would ever have to endurestraining arms and a sore back – like me – ever again.

Iwanted to champion this product. I wanted to shout out loud to theworld that I had the answer – even though at this stage the worlddidn’t even know the question!

Apowered bloomin’ wheelbarrow eh. What a great idea. How rich couldone person become? I was already buying my first Aston Martin, then Iwould be giving amazing gifts to my family and friends -- probablyjust to show off. But surely that’s what extreme wealth is for,isn’t it?

Trollingthrough the company information, I found out that the hopper couldeven power tip the load on to the floor or even into a skip with onelow end. Wow! It had a Honda engine, and clutchless powertransmission. Just turn the throttle and away you go – fast orslow. Brilliant!

Asecond product in the range even had a mini excavator in the front,which loads dirt into the hopper. The hopper can then rise highenough to tip the contents over the side of a skip – even better!

Havinggotten myself all revved up, I started looking for poweredwheelbarrows on the net. All of a sudden, this product, which I couldhave used a hundred times in my life, was all over the web.

Well,did that bring me down to earth with a thud or what? (You would haveneeded a powered wheelbarrow to pick up and carry me).

Theinternet is chocka block full of opportunities. All you need to knowis how to exploit them. I gave this particular one the mental flick,whilst at the same time asking myself, Whatif I had gone one step further and paid for a trial load, then soughtout opportunities for the product? Could I have overcome thecompetition? Would it have resulted in a price war? How much moneywould I have tied up in stock? How much would I need in spare parts?Could I interest re-sellers at a cost to my margin? How many wouldthe market bear?A million and one questions that separate the do-ers from thedon’t-ers, but business -- like life -- is all just about judgementcalls.

So,now for the opportunity! You see, after my ramblings, you thoughtthis was dead in the water didn’t you? Turns out that if you arenot put off by your initial findings, but keep on drilling down, youmay find that pay-dirt after all.

Italked with many more hire companies, then builders, then DIYers, andthey opened up another dimension. They all said that they either hadasked for this type of product, but the hirers didn’t actuallystock it, but would get one in for them, or they couldn’t get it atall.

So,now we are back in the game. This type of product is around. The oneswe have are far superior. When we offer a deal which makes itpainless to buy or hire the product, the objections to stocking themgoes away.

Howmany times have you been faced with what looks like the end of thestory, only to find that some pages have been torn out, and thosemissing pages hold the keys to success?

WHATNOT TO DO: Safety Related Pictures

Back breaking work

Got room for one more?

One horse power just ain't enough!

What do you mean, overloaded?

JOKE:Planting Tomatoes

Anelderly Italian man lived alone in New Jersey.

Hewanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficultwork, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to helphim, was now in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son anddescribed his predicament:

DearVincent,

Iam feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plantmy tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging upa garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. Iknow you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like last year.

Love,Papa.

Afew days later he received a phone call from his son.

Heasked how his Papa was doing. They talked about the family, and howhe would be pleased to help in the garden if only he could be out ofprison.

Atthe end of the conversation he whispered, “Whatever you do Papa,don’t dig up more than six inches down in the garden. That’swhere the bodies are buried." Then he rang off.

At4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dugup the entire area, but without finding a single body. Theyapologized to the old man and left.

Thenext day the old man received another phone call from his son.

“HiPop, Vinnie here. Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's thebest I could do under the circumstances.

Loveyou."

Kingformation #18

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000+11:00

Welcome to this edition of the KingMaterials Handling Newsletter. In this issue:

PRODUCT REVIEW: We look at a plastic bin lifter / tipper for one of our bakery clients

BANKS GETTING PRO-ACTIVE? A look at how they are trying to win back custom

DANIEL: PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER – UPDATE. We revisit Daniel, the student with flair, and see how he’s getting on with his project

THOUGHT FOR TODAY. Obvious, but rarely considered

HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM? Hint: It’s not easy

BOOK REVIEW: A Global Life. Biography James D. Wolfensohn

JOKE: Cleaning the attic

PRODUCTREVIEW: LIFTER/TIPPER FOR A BAKERY

The brief was to provide alifter/tipper to a bakery. This particular bakery is small – verysmall. In fact it is not a traditional bakery in many ways, as theymake pita bread.

The room where all the action takesplace has a low ceiling. There is a dough mixer, a portion maker anda continuous tunnel oven.

The problem: to take the dough from themixer, store it in a plastic tub, then lift the tub up to the portionmaker, then tip the contents of the tub into the hopper, which isclose to the ceiling.

Having carefully measured the heightsand the available tipping angle, it was ascertained that we couldonly custom build this unit, as stock standard products would notonly not fit, but would be bulkier and heavier. Furthermore, thewheels had to fit under the existing benches and around the mixerlegs.

The offering was a choice betweenmanual lift with manual tub rotate, or battery lift with manualrotate. The client chose battery lift.

The pick-up arm and tub clamp werefabricated in stainless steel to ensure no paint chips ended up inthe dough during tipping. This clamp was specially folded andcontoured to exactly fit the tub, and a top edge hook was fitted as asecondary precaution against the drum sliding during inversion.

After delivery and instruction, wetested the maneuverability of the unit in and around the smallproduction area, then after the dough was tipped into the tub, thereal crunch time was upon us. Would the bin clear the ceiling duringtipping? With just 80mm clearance, the job was done.

Another successful day and anothersatisfied client.

ARETHE BANKS GETTING PRO-ACTIVE?

In the last few months, I have had abank manager from one bank and a specialist business lender fromanother bank call on me. An export advisory officer from a bank wedon’t even deal with called me up also.

I never saw a bank official for twentyyears, and if I did need to talk with someone, it was always at thebank itself.

All of a sudden, the bank is coming tome. I am offered low doc fast track business, personal and investmentloans at cut down rates, and if I tell them that their opposition cando better, the pencil scribbling results in an even better rate.

What’s happening with the banks?Becoming proactive actually makes them friendly, almost like you andme. Yes the people in the bank are actually real, not phone voices orheads and shoulders behind bulletproof glass.

They also have a host of other productswith which to supersize you. Insurance with that, sir? Want to investin CFDs? Just put up 10% and we will ensure your exposure to 100% ofyour selected share market darling and it's covered. Just don’tcall us when the share price goes down, unless of course sir, youwish to enroll in our stop-loss course. Then you can make money inthe market – indeed any market around the world – without knowinga thing about shares.

The Bank Manager offered terms for ahousing loan. I contacted a broker, who shopped around several banksand came back to me with the cheapest loan he could find – andguess where from? The very same bank, at a cheaper rate!

So much competition, even from banksthat don’t have premises, but live out there in 'The Cloud.' Theyoffer better interest rates for savings, provided you have a largeamount saved up. Brokers shop around on your behalf. Credit Unionsare always nibbling away at the banks' heels. Super funds are lookingto invest their own savings. It’s all happening out there. Maybethat’s why the bank now ‘comes a callin’.'

DANIEL: PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER. Update

You may recall me telling you aboutDaniel, the student Product Design Engineer, who asked if I would beone of his mentors during his project phase at engineering school.Naturally I agreed, because I am interested in good design, and liketo see how students are approaching the subject.

Daniel lives on the other side ofMelbourne, some 55km away from my factory in Bayswater. He gets upreally early, travels to see me, and then goes to school. When he’snot at school he works on building sites.

He decided to make his project aproduct for use around a building site. It is a multi-purposetrolley. I can’t say too much more as it is still in the testingstage and subject to potential re-design, plus he wouldn’t want mespilling the beans.

Suffice to say, that no matter how thisproject turns out, you have to admire Daniels determination andspirit. His work ethic is incredible, and I have no doubt thatwhatever he turns his hand to in the future, that future holds greatpromise.

Daniel is still young and without a lotof real world experience, so all credit to him for seeking advicefrom others. He listens, considers and discusses options. When I lookat quoting for clients, I look at the upstream and downstreamramifications. An example being, say, a trolley. A particular trolleymight seem perfect, until you ask what the trolley is going to beused for. Is it going to be taken along in the truck? Is it to climbstairs? Is it to be handled by an extra short person? Does it have toalso lift the product onto a bench, etc? After all these things areconsidered, then your idea of the perfect trolley may need to bere-evaluated.

Applying this line of thinking withDaniel's project has enabled him to look at things like packaging:the current size of the unit, and whether it can be broken down toits smallest size for shipping. What is the current unit weight andcan it be trimmed? Is the trolley suited to rough terrain? Can it beassembled simply and quickly? By changing anything, can it be evenmore useful?

It is interesting seeing the germ of anidea come to life. After many drawings and design changes, Daniel nowhas the prototype, built in his father's garage ready for showing tohis tutor. It is awaiting a mark at the end of term after beingexposed to other students at the open day.

Good to see that the government ishelping and encouraging those young people that actually want to workand better themselves, and who do whatever it takes to becomesuccessful. Maybe one day you will be the proud owner of one ofDaniels creations.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

A man is what he thinks! You willbecome as small as your controlling desire, or as great as yourdominant aspiration.

- James Allen, Acres of Diamonds.

HOW DO YOUTELL SOMEONE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM?

Isn’t this the most difficult thingto do! On the one hand you want to help that person. On the other,you risk alienating them.

There’s also the question ofrelationships. If the person is a family member, then they willprobably understand that whatever you tell them is done so with loveand for their benefit, not yours.

In business, the need to comment onpersonal issues, especially those that affect morale or customerinteraction needs to be handled with kid gloves. One step too far toeither side of the politically correct line and you can be sued.

Sometimes the problem is so grave thatthe offending person is taken away from the area in which they exceland given tasks that keep them away from others, which again could beconstrued as job mismatching by design, and open to litigation in thehands of a 'no win no fee' lawyer.

Is the answer to enlist a close friendof 'so and so' to drop a hint or two to their friend that they are onthe wrong track? Maybe, but what if push comes to shove and thefriend mentions that it was actually the boss who wanted to know?Then the boss just shot themselves in the foot.

A customer complains by telephone tothe manager that the salesperson had smelly garlic breath, and thatunless the manager removes that person the customer is never comingback. Do you as manager a) put out a glass dish full of fresh mints –for the clients of course – then invite the salesperson to helpthemselves at any time, “Oh, and especially after lunch if you’veeaten garlic” (sotto voce, as you slink away), or b) get thesalesperson's best friend to tell them his breath stinks, or c) justleave it the hell alone. Let them all get on with it, and to hellwith the customer?

When the interviewer tells the jobcandidate, “Company policy states: no visible piercings andtattoos. Understood?” and the candidate nods, you’d think thatwas the end of it. If after a few weeks the sales assistants hairturns red and spiky, a henna design appears down one arm, and eightclip-on hoops adorn two ear lobes, what do you do?

The assistant hasn’t broken anycompany rules. An attempt to bring them back into line by suggestingthat the adornments are not in keeping with the spirit of thecompany’s image, you are likely to get either an earful ofcolourful language or a visit from the shop assistant's union rep.

Do you a) tell them that they havebroken company policy, so they must shape up or ship out, or b)change the company image and customer base to fit in with your newsales persons image, or c) tell the company you don’t like yourjob, and demote yourself from manager to plain unobtrusive,non-decision making Jane?

By the way, I never said I had anyanswers. Just questions!

If YOU have some answers, let me know.

BOOK REVIEW: A Global Life. Biographyby James D. Wolfensohn

This man has done it all. Beeneverywhere. Mixed with many great people. Worked for some high flyingcompanies. Started and ran a successful business. He was President ofThe World Bank for two terms, then selected by the BushAdministration to head up a plan to get the Israelis and Palestinianstalking and maybe even resolving their differences.

Whata resume to present to the guy on the gate to Heaven. “Come in sir.Teach us everything you know, and we’ll pass it back to the newlyborn, to save them having to go through all that stuff themselves.”

Born into not poverty, but an everydayfamily, this Sydneysider – as they say – has done good.

He worked his way up throughuniversity, to life in the commercial then banking worlds, where hisintellect and hard work shone through. Enough to attract theattention of some high flyers of the commercial world.

I get the feeling from the book thatJDW had a need to impress. Recognition of a job well done empoweredhim to achieve even more.

With a father who was at one timeassociated with the Rockefeller family, JDW strives to make good. Inpart this was for his father, because he, after leaving service withthe Rockefellers and trying several things to make a name and moneyfor himself but never achieving any position of note, wanted to givehis son any encouragement possible on a very limited income in orderthat JDW could live the life that he never had.

Of course JDW does brilliantly, andlater repays the faith that both parents had in him, literally, incash.

Now, we are talkingmulti-multi-millions of dollars flowing into JDW’s coffers aftermoving to the USA, working for some of the greatest firms, then laterstarting, running, then selling up his own company.

Giving money to charities was one ofhis greatest joys, along with love of family and playing the cellosufficiently well to become tutored and play in many performances forboth family and friends and in a semi- professional way. He alsobecame an Olympic fencer for Britain on the way!

The most significant job was aspresident of The World Bank, where all his political connections notonly endorsed his application but also ensured he received a clearrun for the job, by virtue of being the best man and most widelyexperienced person available. The World Bank’s aim is to eradicateworld poverty, and this policy fits exactly with JDW’s ownsensibilities and standards. He had found his home.

Never forgetting his Jewish roots, hemanaged to combine faith, family, dedication to beloved causes andcharities and passionate work ethic, with an understanding of hisplace amongst the low, middle and upper echelons of society to becomea global person with a global life.

It appears that JDW could get alongwith anyone of any religious persuasion, so when his two term tenureat the bank had ended, he was elected to become a peace envoyessentially bankrolled and guided by the USA, but with other nationscontributing funding and expertise.

Now, JDW didn’t know that he wasmerely a middle man with no real clout, and that the USA had beenpulling his strings like a puppet all along.

In the end they blindsided him, and allof the good work that he had done to get the two sides talking andacting toward one common goal – peace – was turned on its head bythe political machinations of Washington’s power brokers.

JDW, now broken-hearted, but not downand out and certainly not penniless, and with a contact list full ofthe most influential figures in the world, is left contemplatingretirement. But what does he do? He gets involved with his ownfoundation to try and solve the world's energy, poverty and educationproblems. Best of all – for us – he gets his kids involved too.

Is it not enough that the world gets toreap the benefits of this amazing human? We now have his son Adam anddaughter Naomi to carry on the good work.

Why can’t the world produce more ofthese people? We could get rid of the self-serving politicians andlook to really wise, clever people like James D. Wolfensohn to fixthe problems of the world. He found out that if you talk to peoplerather than talk at them, you get a much better result.

Happy retirement James – you’veearned it!

JOKE:Cleaning the Attic

While cleaningthe attic, Joan and Harry found an old stub for some shoes they leftat the repair shop 10 years ago. They thought it would be funny to goto the shop and see if the shoes were still there. So they did. Theyhanded the stub to the repair man who took it and looked in the back.He came out again and said, "They'll be ready on Wednesday."

Kingformation #17

2011-12-05T07:00:00.017+11:00

Welcome to the King Materials Handling Newsletter. In this issue:

In UPLIFTING, we look at how a person can be in the depths of despair one moment, then serendipitously come across the means to change their life – almost instantaneously. And it has nothing to do with religion (well, not the everyday kind anyway). We'll witness the rise of someone who desperately wanted to see, but had no way of removing the blindfold, until he found the key.

In the PRODUCT FEATURE segment I look at Wizard Drum Openers. You’ll find out that there’s more to opening drums than you thought. There is a right and wrong way, and the wrong tool can not only take you up to ten times longer, it could also leave you with sharp and jagged edges.

The BOOK REVIEW should really be called The Author Review. I look at the work of John Grisham and a snippet from THE APPEAL. More importantly I look at what separates the best selling authors from those who only earn lunch money.

In WINDS OF CHANGE, we look closely at traditional Bricks and Mortar Vs Online Selling, and how if you are a seller, you need to be on top of your game. Get this one wrong and you don’t have a business.

JOKES. The new employee, and hazardous film watching.

UPLIFTING. The Power of Positive Thinking

You know the saying, “There are none so blind as those who won't see.” Well, you could add to that “.. those who can’t see,” because many people are prevented from ‘seeing’ due to a chemical imbalance causing depression and bi-polar episodes.

Now, I don’t know about these problems personally, but I know a few people who are or have been affected by one or both afflictions. I could go deeper into these conditions, but the subject is too serious for my limited knowledge to do it justice in a few words here.

This story is about a person who having experienced the terrible lows that depression can burden you with, managed to not only crawl from under the weight of the rock that sits on a depressive's shoulder, but to go on to achieve. And by achieving, he brought about a state of mind that helps keep depression at bay.
Depression can be managed by medication – to treat the problem directly, that of chemical changes in the body – and many can feel the onset and try to combat it before it gets a hold. It can also be tamed by thinking positive thoughts and doing positive things.

Lets call our subject ‘John.' He suffered for a long time. Other family members have the same problem. He is one of several in what can be a hereditary tracer. He was successful – to a point. He married, and has a wonderful wife and two beautiful kids. His successes however were not fulfilling. That is until we talked.

I gave John a book, one that I mentioned in the early Kingformation Newsletters, called Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. The book has outsold the Bible, even though the original has been out of print for decades, but is still reproduced as a classic title. Most entrepreneurs have read it. You can download it for free.

After reading it, a light went on in John’s head. The power of positive thinking and how it can affect any person reading about what ‘man’ can achieve, if only he were to embrace the concept that he is capable of anything, if only he will believe in himself and his ability to conquer anything.

I have re-read this book dozens of times and still get a kick out of the reinforcement to my own beliefs, which are:

Nothing is impossible.

You can do anything provided you commit time and energy to get it done.

There are no barriers that cannot be vaulted by persistence.

There is no plan without action.

So is the cure for depression a positive attitude? I don’t really know the answer. I only see the results – the change of attitude from “It’s too overwhelming” to “I can do it.”

The one rider I need to add here, and it seems to be a common trait amongst those I have witnessed who have made transformational changes in their lives, is that they are NOW READY for change. They may have had a change in their circumstances, which becomes the catalyst for allowing new and radical thoughts to enter, to grab hold and be embraced.

If ever there was a time that you were looking for answers, but couldn’t find them in religion, groups, doctors, cults, even family, look now in the mirror on the wall. It is pointing to the only person who can help you!

As they say 'When you are ready, the teacher will appear.' Are you at that point in time? Are you ready to change yourself and your life? The power of positive thinking – combined with action – is the world's most powerful cocktail. And guess what? It’s FREE!

BOOK REVIEW: John Grisham

I should say ‘reviews’ because I’m talking about the expertise of the writer John Grisham, and instead of reviewing one of his many fine books, I’m looking at the ability of one person to capture the imagination of millions of others through his insightful words.

How do the words on a page, coming from two different people – and they can be the same words but implied or expressed in totally different ways – change the reader's captivation from normal to exceptional? I guess that’s what separates the authors with money, from those who don’t have it.

For John Grisham, writing is all about leading you, the reader, to fulfillment: the fulfillment of an expectation. Of course he uses the classic plot ingredients, the ones that work for every writer internationally, but the difference between a Neighbours plot and a box office smash is how the same plots are woven to deliberately either make you feel comfortable, or to make you think in ways that incite passion, love, hatred or jealousy or any other mood. The world class writer makes you feel exactly as he wants you to feel. He manipulates you with mere words! How can that be?

Of the eighteen or so books that he has written – and many of them have a courtroom theme as in The Appeal – Grisham enters the mind and soul of the downtrodden. In doing so he gets us to become one of the team that fights for justice in a corrupt world, a world where the rich and powerful make the plays. He gets us to sit in on a board that is prepared to manipulate stock prices in order to produce an end game. John Grisham twists our minds. He gets us to enter a world completely alien to us, but somehow guides us through the morass, giving us enough information to make us feel we are part of the process – and privileged to be there.

The central character of The Appeal endures a very personal fight. This fight influences his future deliberations, for a son’s life is in the balance, and when it gets personal it gets to colour ones' decisions – or does it? After all, being a Judge is not about allowing one's personal experiences to dictate a trial outcome – or is it? Find out in The Appeal, then study John Grisham’s writing style to see how you can become the next best selling author.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Wizard Drum Openers

Some companies are just the best at what they do, and have been seemingly forever. They don’t compromise on quality. They know that you may go off and buy a cheaper copy one time or an inferior product that does a job something like the real thing, but they have this underlying belief in themselves as a team, and so much faith in their product, that they know you, as Arnold Schwarzenegger so eloquently said, “Will be back.”

The Wizard company has such an iconic place in the history of drum de-heading that it is always the first to come to mind, and it is virtually the only company with a name that shouts “TRUST ME,” because they have been specializing in one product range forever.

From hand-held – like a can opener with a long lever – through small electric, then large electric and air, then to self-propelled versions, there is a Wizard for every drum de-heading scenario.

Want to take tops off drums to use as waste/trash bins? Want to take both ends off so that the thin steel wall can be flattened, making for best use of space when recycling? Do you have a hundred drums taking up space in your yard? Want to cut outside or inside the chime (top edge)? Want to make a solid top drum into a drum, plus removable lid? Want to open a drum full of food, without contaminating the contents? Call King now.

You can also watch this video:

WINDS OF CHANGE: Bricks and Mortar Vs. Online Selling

There has never been a more radical change in the method of getting product to potential clients, than Online Selling. You can buy almost anything on the net nowadays. Just Google it and someone will be selling it.

Where does that leave traditional bricks and mortar sales operations? The biggest shift in the way we buy is having a profound effect on old-school enterprises. Many are going broke, out of business or cutting margins to the bone.

Others are fighting back. Some have developed parallel universes, where bricks and mortar offer the traditional expertise and a place to browse and talk to a real person, but at the same time have developed a web presence which concentrates on lowest price but with no involvement.

Others have never had a store and don’t want one. Why? Perhaps because they don’t have years of experience to back up the claims made for the product. Maybe they don’t want the expense of holding stock, employing staff and running a premises.

Virtually anyone can approach a manufacturer or importer, and make a deal to sell their products, and most suppliers will agree to it. After all, a supplier has only one price point – the price he sells it wholesale. What the price ends up being is of no concern. So where a real store needs to charge say 30% and after expenses earns 20%, a virtual store which ships direct from the manufacturer has no expenses, so can add from 15% down to 5% on the wholesale price if there are others aggressively marketing the same products.

The only benefit to the customer is price, which, if you get the right deal, is probably all you want. If the online store does not exist, or if the product is not what you asked for, or if the site is used to phish for your credit card information, then you may not get the bargain you expected. Having said that, with all reasonable precautions in place, most people get what they pay for without problems. Part of the problem of receiving a small margin on the sale is that it leaves little room to reimburse an unhappy client. Who is going to pay for the return freight if the product is wrong or doesn’t work? Who pays for transit damage? Spare parts and service are pretty much a no go. Where do you send it to? Most online sales have post office box addresses, and the manufacturer refers you to the seller. The seller, however, accepts no responsibility, so you are left to go back to the manufacturer – who may well be overseas – and is most unlikely to care about a single sale.

What can traditional stores do? We already discussed having your own web-to-client direct service net presence. Another option is to offer good old fashioned service, but even this is not enough. You have to be competitive enough on price, or have to give the prospect or client a good reason why you and not the net should serve him or her.

This is the game changer. This is where you get to talk with the prospect, and ask enough questions so that he knows that the product he gets from a store has the owners or the trained staff's expertise behind it. The prospect – soon hopefully to become your customer – not only has peace of mind with the decision making process, but also gets the product most suited to the job and within his budget.

You also have the opportunity to explain your product guarantee, after-sales service and spare parts availability, along with your roving repair facility or 24 hr breakdown service.

He may well have gone in with a cheap and cheerful product in mind, but your expertise can guide him to a better or more fitting option, for which he is willing to pay more. The value-added proposition he has been offered can win the day. 'Win – Win' is the only game in town.

The biggest hurdle that a traditional store has to face today is the giving out of information that you have collected over a lifetime to the person only interested in gathering enough information so that they can make the purchase online at the best possible price. How does a store owner overcome this? It is the hottest debate today. If you have an opinion, please let me know. I personally know of one person who shut up shop because he was sick and tired of giving out information all day and not making enough in sales to stay open. I know of another who had to produce a drawing of the product he had to fabricate before the client understood what he was to make for them. When found that most of the clients shopped his drawings around to others for price comparisons, he stopped the practice. Now prospects pay for his time to get a drawing, and he gets to quote on the fabrication as a separate exercise.

It is a time of change or die. Maybe complete reinvention is the key if your business is going down? Or perhaps a new business altogether, if you have become non-competitive? Maybe even another business from the same premises, in order to spread your risk?

This leads me to an interesting observation. As I call on every type of manufacturing business, I am able to view the types of equipment they have purchased over time. What I am seeing more and more is that where product has been purchased by price alone over the net, a great proportion of it is of poor quality.

Two products that look similar but are priced differently almost always differ in longevity. I see leaking hydraulics, worn moving parts, premature aging in cheaper products, and have to wonder if cheap really is best, when alongside these products stand good quality 20 year-old products which are still going strong. On the other side of the coin is the nagging question: “How long will my business last?”

JOKES

1. The new employee stood before the paper shredder looking confused. "Need some help?" a secretary, walking by, asked. "Yes," he replied. "How does this thing work?" "Simple," she said, taking the fat report from his hand and feeding it into the shredder. "Thanks, but where do the copies come out?"

2. A man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh theatre. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the man, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat." The man groaned but didn't budge. The usher became impatient. "Sir, if you don't get up from there I'm going to have to call the General Manager." Again, the man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his manager.

In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and stood over the man. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move him, but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police. The cop surveyed the situation briefly then asked, "All right buddy, what's your name?" "Sam," the man moaned. "Where ya from, Sam?" With pain in his voice Sam pointed up and replied "The balcony."

KINGFORMATION # 16

2011-11-14T07:00:00.002+11:00

In this edition I tell a little more about my upbringing in North London. I get to tell you what’s on my mind – as usual. You'll hear about a South African Commercial Newsletter as well as a special offer on pre-owned Pallet Levellers. There's more about sponsorship and how you can benefit from this cheap medium. There is another chapter on my upbringing in North London, and how to increase your standing and income when you become a consultant.

ON MY MIND: We get up to speed on how the Newsletter is going by listening to comments from readers

MBENDI: A South African Commercial Newsletter, and an Editor with a social conscience

PLACES I HAVE SEEN: Part 2 in the series. North London

BEING A CONSULTANT: A 2 part series for those of you who know stuff

SPECIAL OFFER: Pallet Levellers

FACT: ‘Numerology’

ON MY MIND

Hey folks, this Newsletter is getting more interesting by the day. Remember in the last edition when I told you that I had a couple of responses from readers who have been prompted to recall or respond to something that I have written? Well, it’s happening more and more.

For instance, I learned a few months ago, that my Uncle Leslie had written an article all about the place I was brought up in. And now my Uncle Sid has written the first part of his memoirs and more about the same place we all grew up together – North London. So you see, it does make a difference to others when you talk about things that are of interest to you, because other people’s stories are also interesting. The sad part is that most people never get to share that wonderful moment or those special times with anyone other than their immediate family, and on some occasions never get to tell them to anyone at all.

I’m here to tell you that I care. I want your experiences. I want you to shine. I want you to share your business work and play stories here. Why? Because as a group, we all have one thing in common: we are all interested in each other. What you tell someone about yourself also makes them stronger, and possibly more able to cope or more able to understand their own situation.

Also, have you got any commercial advice that you wish to offer up for free? I will publish it if it is of merit. I only want to plug you or your services if you can offer some worthwhile words of wisdom to our readers.

MBENDI

MBendi is a commercial newsletter based primarily around energy in Africa. It is South African-centric news, and its editors are Brian Paxton, Shaun Maddison and Trish Baker. I have been reading this Newsletter for many months, and I like the spirit of the editors because they comment on the state of play in the world and in particular how it affects the people of Africa.

For instance, in a recent article Brian commented upon the news from Cape Town which described how the shop keepers in the townships were complaining that recently arrived Somalians had taken up some of the shops, and being an enterprising people, had gotten together to buy in bulk from suppliers in order to both get a better deal in order to sell the items and produce at a lower price to their clientele.

The existing shopkeepers were crying poor. The article pointed out that as the Somali people were amongst the poorest people on earth, they had shown great enterprise in firstly getting to South Africa, secondly in finding a way to make a living for themselves, and thirdly in bringing some competition to the area, which the existing shopkeepers – we can presume – were not too interested in doing.

Well done Brian and the team in bringing some perspective to local news.

It is all too easy for newsletter editors to take a soft line, especially where the interests of sponsors are concerned. I can’t see Cape Town shanty town shopkeepers sponsoring Mbendi, but when you read other articles you will note that the editors' point of view gives no importance to who pays the bills. This is as it should be. After all, a newsletter is about news first.

Go to www.mbendi.com to read more about Africa, especially if you want to do business there. It’s a great medium for access into the energy sector in particular. It also has tenders, contacts, etc.

PLACES I HAVE SEEN

This the second part in the series about where I grew up – North London.

School was a problem for me. Ok, I was reasonable at English and I liked to play soccer, but apart from that, I thought it a complete waste of my time and the teacher’s efforts. Walking to school and back every day was an hour wasted for me – the lessons even more so. I honestly cannot for the life of me think of anything that helped me in my future endeavors (apart from English), that I have used to good effect since leaving there.

What does trigonometry do for a 12 to 15 year old? What do Social Sciences have in common with getting a job? What does mixing a few chemicals together in a Bunsen burner do apart from making bubbles? I never got it.

When I was asked what I would be doing when I left school, I said, “Celebrating.” When they asked what job I would like to do, I was at a loss to know what I wanted out of life, what life was all about, and why did I need a job anyway.

My uncles were all in catering, so they got me a job as an Apprentice Chef. I worked in a silver service restaurant in the heart of London, and went to classes in the polytechnic one day a week for three years, ending up with a Diploma.

My heart wasn’t in cooking though and when my brother asked if I wanted to cook at a restaurant he had some financial interest in, I went half-heartedly to the task and one quarter-heartedly to my demise. Cooking back then did not have the pizzazz it has now. Chefs generally didn’t own restaurants or chains of restaurants. It was mainly bland food with a few personalities shining through – but not many.

One of my uncles was the guy who had it all going for him – he was a sales rep. The car, the sales, the busy life of talking with prospects, then the sale. Oh, the sale! I wanted in on this, but being naïve, unworldly, gangling, inexperienced and probably stupid, it came very hard to me.

For people with personality, selling comes easy. I have had to work very hard to build confidence in myself. I never believed I could achieve anything worthwhile for many years after leaving school. I was okay with following, but scared of leading.

Of course, time changes us, and we begin to grow into our potential. I honestly didn’t reach my potential until I was around 30 years of age. I had a great wife and two great sons, and they had influenced me in so many positive ways, but until I had taken on these responsibilities on the home front and at work, and successfully negotiated them, I was lacking in confidence.

One of the jobs I did when in London was to work for Venner, the time clock makers. This is the company that makes the older style parking meters – the upside down pear shaped one. I had a mechanical bent, and my job was to go around the streets with gang of about twenty men, where we would check each parking meter for faults.

If it was not working we would open it up, the van would come along with a replacement mechanism, and the faulty unit taken back for repair. Once I got to know the clock mechanism and the repairs backwards, I lost interest.

That was my theme. Learn everything there was to know, then get bored and move on. It happened with flying. Got to go solo – bored. Warehouse Supervisor – found better ways to send product out the door – got bored. So it went until I got a job with a really great boss – ME! I’ve loved the last 22 years of my life, because I make all the decisions. I get to make and market anything I like. I get to use excess funds to buy products from overseas or develop new ones and have them fabricated here in Australia.

I like that if I am successful, I get to invest in great things like warehouses, houses, shares and other peoples' dreams. Most entrepreneurs say it’s not about the money. It is about the money – right up until the time you are comfortably well off and you have achieved stability for your family. Then it becomes less about the money, and more about achieving.

Money is a good guide to whether your choices were well founded, but when you can afford to lose money on a project, and still congratulate yourself for having had a go at it, that’s where your perspective changes. You become emboldened by the possibilities.

Money does not buy you health they say, but you can certainly feel better knowing that at any time a member of the family gets sick, you can at least afford the best medical attention, and get treated immediately.

Love of money is not the root of all evil. Love of what money can do for you, your family, then others is not a bad thing at all. I urge everyone to aspire to it. When you have it, share it around. That’s when it does the most good.

BEING A CONSULTANT: Part 1

‘They’ say that a consultant only has to do four things to be successful:

Listen to what the client and his staff are telling him
Write all these things down
Write a report, and draw some conclusions from the findings
Invoice the client for as much as he/she is willing to pay

When you think about this statement, it has to be true – to a large extent. What it fails to include is that you, as an ‘expert,’ should also be adding your experience to the mix.

When I am asked to consult on a materials handling audit for instance, I actually do all of the 4 steps above. If I didn’t, then I would not be in touch with what the staff feel the reality of the situation is.

A consultant's job is to take what is, then determine if his experience could or should turn the report into what might be.

What might be, may be out of the comfort zone of the company hiring you, so the ground rules need to be ascertained before you start work:

a) What are the intentions of the company? Is the audit designed to determine the current level of safety in the workplace? Is it to determine if the equipment is suited for purpose? Is it to determine morale amongst the staff?

Is productivity at maximum levels? Can the work be done in an easier way? You get the picture.

b) You need to then ascertain if the number of hours and the times you need to be on site are suited to your client. Hours on site do not equate to hours spent in total, so you need to include total hours allocated to complete the task, within the total numbers of days to both audit then report.

c) Determine just how much freedom you actually have to conduct interviews and what the rules of engagement are to be. If there are any limits, they should be brought up now.

d) Ask that the management let it be known to the workforce that an audit is to take place. Let staff know what the audit is for and how it will make for a better workplace. Tell them that they are free to speak to the consultant about any matter, and that whatever they say will be placed on record anonymously. Ask them not to collude with others, but to give an honest opinion about the company, the way it is being run, and any improvements that the staff feel will help both themselves and the company to move forward. Thank them in advance for helping them to help themselves and the company. For many, this will be the first time anyone has cared enough to ask their opinion.

I was invited to do a safety audit at one place that was forty years old, and the business had been slowly dying. No new equipment. Outdated work methods. Same old products – with fewer and fewer sales. There were safety practices that would scare the bejesus out of any WorkSafe Inspector, and total disinterest by the workforce. They were ready for redundancy.

As soon as I told them that anything they said was confidential, the floodgates opened. What they thought collectively of management would make a fishwife blush. Managers had come and gone, and none of them had the power to change anything. The workers were weary of telling managers about the lack of concern over their welfare, and pretty well knew that the end was nigh.

The first question they all asked was “Who is going to listen, and who is willing to make any changes?” When I told them that the company wants to leap into the next century but that they couldn’t do it without the help of the workers, they helped me to fill two foolscap sized books of valuable information that quite frankly the company itself could have captured at any time. The sad part was that the management knew that the staff had lost faith in the past management and were fearful of asking for the information they needed. Hence the need for an independent consultant.

The report gave the company an inventory of all their working machinery and ancillary equipment. They hadn’t actually done an inventory before. It listed the state of the equipment, its effectiveness and limitations.

It listed the comments attributed to the state of the equipment, to the task at hand, its performance and suggestions as to how the work could be done better, safer and with higher productivity. It listed three alternative scenarios.

The report also included suggested alternative equipment, along with costings and payback periods.

Long story short, the company decided that the current premises would never allow them to move forward if they were to implement the recommended changes. They moved to a much larger premises where they could not only grow, but also make the required changes. All the staff were retained.

New markets for the products were sought and obtained. Safety procedures were implemented and enforced. Productivity shot up. Overtime was offered. New hirings came later.

All this came from one report. Well, to be fair, there were probably other reports going on at the same time in other areas of the business, but for the area that I was involved with, it was a resounding success.

My time then was $1000.00 a day. For one week's work plus report cost, the total was $7,500.00. I am sure that the cost of the report was obliterated by the first day's improvements in the new premises. My time now is worth double.

SPECIAL OFFER. Pallet Levellers

What are Pallet Levellers? They are Spring Assisted Scissor Lifts. You put a loaded pallet on top and the load lowers so that you can take the product from the top, and as you take more of the load off, the rest of the product rises to keep the top of the load at a suitable height. This prevents you from having to bend down. The pallet is also on a turntable, so you spin the load round as you remove the load. This means you don’t have to walk around the pallet.

The reverse action is also true. As you are loading an empty pallet placed upon a Pallet Leveller, it progressively lowers until the pallet is full. It is then taken away by forklift, and a new pallet is placed on top.

It saves time, bending and operator effort. When new, the unit retails at around $3400.00 + GST. It has a maximum capacity of 1250 Kgs and comes with enough springs to suit your load. If you want to alter the load weight, you can simply add or remove springs as required.

We have around ten turntable top units that had been used for about a year before the business they were hired to went broke, so you can now get them for $2100.00 + GST each. They are powder coated in Safety Yellow, but naturally most of them have paint chips.

FACT

This number fact allows you to look like a magician.

Firstly tell your friend that you have a way of “knowing something in advance,” it is all due to the fact that you have studied ‘facial numerology.'

The friend is intrigued and asks how that is possible.

Tell them that you will write a number down on a piece of paper, turn it face down, and whatever your friend's answer is, it will match that number.

Look at your friend full in the face as if you are studying them intensely, then you say, “Aha! I’ve got it!” Write down the number – 111 – without them seeing you do it. Then turn the paper face down.

Ask them to think of their birth year, let's say 1944, then tell them to take the last two numbers (which are 44), and remember them.

Then ask them to take their age on their birthday this year. Remember that they may not have reached that day yet, but this is the age on this day that they must also remember. They will think 67.

Ask them to add the two numbers together, i.e. 44 + 67. “Have you got the answer? Don’t tell me”. Then turn over the paper to reveal 111. “Was I right?”

They will be amazed at your mind power. You, of course, will know that it is the same equation for every living person on earth.

KINGFORMATION #15

2011-10-31T19:56:00.000+11:00

In this issue I look at:

ON MY MIND: How the Newsletter got to HERE, and how it’s changed – THANKS to all of you!

PROFILE: Tony O’Connor - Money Man. His story, and how and why it can impact YOU.

NEW PRODUCT: Features the Bin Buggy. Perry Carter is the hero

YOUR PRODUCT: How you can get your product to market. Do it now – with my help!

SPONSORSHIP: How you can get your commercial voice heard in this newsletter.

JOKE: The Centipede.

ON MY MIND

In the last edition of Kingformation, I asked the question, “Tell me if you like a more personal newsy Newsletter or a more Materials Handling oriented one”. Well I had many responses, and thanks to each of you who took the time to email back to me. One correspondant made a personal connection with his Mum passing away on, would you believe, the same day as mine (even though I hadn’t mentioned that in the blog).

Another person thought my story about where I started out (in North London) interestingly parallel to her own experiences.

In Kingformation #16, I'll give you another thread to the Ron Mileham story, which so far, seems to have inspired some to write about their own experiences. In one case, a woman began writing so that her kids could know what she had been through as a youngster, and in another, a man tells me that he is writing his family’s colourful history from roots deep in the Mediterranean, starting back in the 1700s.

Overwhelmingly, I'm hearing that you are looking for a mix of personal and news, with some materials handling stories and special offers, so this is going to be the format from now on. But please keep those opinions and comments coming in, and don’t forget that I’m equally interested in any stories you have to tell that you think would be of interest to the readers.

You may have invented a new gadget for work, or been on a ‘dig’ or have a famous relative, or you have some business news that should be ‘out there’. I may have to edit it for brevity, but your stories will give a different slant to the news.

PROFILE: TONY O’CONNOR – FINANCE BROKER

Tony O’Connor is the person you need in your corner when you need finance – for equipment, a vehicle – in fact you can run anything past him. If he can’t handle it personally, he will know someone who will give you the best deal.

You see, Tony is a broker – a Finance Broker to be exact. I used to think that brokers sold a company line, so that although you got the deal you wanted, the broker gave you the best deal based on the highest commission paid to him (or her). I found out that this is a little inaccurate.

The broker has to stay in business, and he wants not only your repeat business, but also for you to refer him to your colleagues if you’re satisfied with the rates and service.

I used one for the last two transactions I made when looking for loans for investment housing projects. He did all the running around, presented me with two best options, then explained the benefits of both. This was a far better deal than I could personally obtain from my bank.

Tony is the equivalent go-to guy in the world of industrial finance. Tell him what your plans are for that grand idea to multiply your throughput by purchasing industrial robots or a new bottling plant. Or you may need to upgrade your company owned or private vehicles. Tony will tell you which purchasing model is the most tax effective and will tailor the repayments to your needs.

He will explain the differences between an on and off balance sheet, hiring and leasing, the benefits and pitfalls of long term versus short term transactions, and much more.

When you deal with a real professional who has been in the business forever, you always end up with the right advice and the best deal.

Contact Tony O’Connor at Capital Access Group. Tel: 03.9888.6411. Web site: www.capitalaccess.net.au Tell him that Ron Mileham sent you.

I will feature other professionals from time to time.

NEW PRODUCT: BIN BUGGY

Ever think you can design something that solves a problem? Ever tried to get a prototype made, test it, then refine it to a point where it can be fabricated? Done all the costings? Know all the selling prices plus margins for distributors? Do you know the freight cost to anywhere in the world? Have you tried to find out if it can actually make a profit and is worth doing?

My friend Perry Carter has. He started out with a problem. He lives on a large block with a long driveway and naturally every week he has to take out the two wheelie bins for collection. He tried pulling them along by the tow bar but could only manage one by this method, so it meant two trips, then he had to bring them back in again after they had been emptied.

He looked at what was on the market – not very much – and the cost was too high. Being the handyman that he is, he drew up then fabricated his own solution: the Bin Buggy. You can pull it along by hand or use the tow bar on your car.

After a couple of sales to friends, he started to advertise. Last week I caught up with him at the Wandin-Silvan Field days, where he had an outdoor display. He had sold three units and has interest from many attendees.

He has refined the design so that it fits into a small space, and is looking at outsourcing the bending and possible manufacture for future larger quantities. Painted or galvanized finishes are available.

So folks, if you need a Bin Buggy for your wheelie bins – this one takes two – either 1 x 120 Ltr and 1 x 240 Ltr or 2 x 240 ltr bins. Let me know because we are selling them now. I will let you know the prices shortly. You need to add freight or pick them up from our factory in Bayswater.

So that’s how you start a small business that could grow into, well, anything really. It depends upon how game you are to go all the way, and not to listen to negative comments along the journey.

If you have a product to sell, or want to tell us about your journey toward getting your product to market, or any fabulous success (and even dismal attempts), then contact me. I can assure you, others like to hear about them.

In the meantime – well done Perry! Hope you go on to become a millionaire. Remember the Chinese proverb.

“To move a mountain, you have first to remove small stones”. Start moving stones guys. Don’t let that great idea go to the grave with you.

All of which brings something to mind. I own the product The Back Aid, a self-tractioning device for people with bad backs. It elongates the spine and takes pressure off the nerve endings. Great for Sciatica sufferers, lower back pain problems, etc.

Anyway, a guy learnt that I had the product, and asked me to call on him. I did so, and he informed me that he had an even better product. He had been a Chiropractor and had developed this amazing machine over many years. The problem was that he wouldn’t tell me any more about it. He did tell me that he would be dead within six months and that I could buy the patent and drawings. He said he would work out a price.

I said I was interested. I tried to contact him several times, but he died before I could speak with him again. I am not sure if he ever did anything with his idea, but here was a guy who had (according to himself) the best idea since sliced bread. But he never let it go. It never got to market. It never helped anyone. It could have helped him and his family live a better life. Don’t let your idea die with you. If you want help to evaluate an idea’s potential, contact me. I’ve been there and done that several times. I wont charge you a cent for my opinion. I may even want to invest in you. Noticed I said YOU. The product must be great, but you must be greater!

IDEA. HOW TO GET YOUR IDEA TO MARKET

Nice segue from the last article, eh? How DO you get your good idea to market though? It’s a subject that has exercised the minds of greater persons than I. The difference being that my tu’pennyworth is free.

Determine if your idea has legs. Let’s say you are looking to provide a new range of underpants for men. Let’s give you a clue. They are made from a fabric that absorbs smells, and emit a manly scent of their own. You need to bring to the table something that is not available at the moment, AND that 'something' will be wanted by your target market. These underpants may be just what the world wants.

The easiest way is to make up some samples, then show them to your friends. If there is instant enthusiasm, ask them what they would be prepared to pay for them. Compare that figure to the cost of manufacture plus ALL the other costs involved, then determine if the profit is enough to allow you to continue, bearing in mind that if they take off (no pun intended), then you will need to either get them made by a large company or to invest in premises with a workforce with all the next-step attendant costs.

So, it looks like it’s a winner, and it’s scalable too. You need to get your undies to market. Do you use a low cost internet-based model or do you prefer them to be in stores where shoppers can see them in passing and can touch and smell them? If shoppers are seeking them out specifically online, they forgo the benefit of the tactile experience.

What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What is it that you can say in a few words, which differentiates your product from all the others? In my example we could call them MEN'S BUTTS. That would firstly get some attention.

We could then say that “Your man's butt will never embarrass you again,” or that “No matter what he’s been through, he will always come up smelling of roses.” Or, “Only you and he share a secret – Mens Butts.” Or, “Sweetness in the underworld – at last.” You get the gist.

Remember, the more people who know of your product, the more you will sell. This is a very simple proposition, but difficult to achieve. If you use social media and the internet in a savvy way, it can be the cheapest road to success, especially if you can create a memorable story that goes viral. Use advertorials and editorials to keep up the message flow. They are free, and if you have something worthwhile to say, the magazines and newspapers will print them.

Down the track, we will look at other aspects of doing business.

SPONSORSHIP: HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR COMMERCIAL VOICE HEARD

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. What we are offering is for you to get your message out to all of our readers. We have around a thousand at this time, but we have only just started to look at our past contact list – which is those of you who have been added so far. We still have several thousand who appear in our direct email responses to be brought into our address book. Your potential audience is growing all the time.

We also have access to commercial/industrial lists, which, where complimentary, will also form part of our business community.

In order to make your message heard and be worth considering by our discerning readers, you will need to give a good reason why people should buy from you. You will need to supply 24 weeks worth of editorial about what your business offers. We don’t want benign ads showing your name and address. You need to offer a story about how you have helped or can help. If you fit the bill, we will accept your copy on a 12 month contract.

Each advertorial will be prefaced by the word ‘Advertorial’ so the reader knows what to expect. If you tell a compelling enough story, you will receive enquiries.

Contact me at ron@kinggroup.com.au to enquire about rates.

JOKE: THE CENTIPEDE

Frog wants to go shopping. He telephones his mate Harry the centipede, who agrees to go with him.

He hops down to his mate’s house.

He knocks on the door. “Harry, there’s a special down at the mall, we have to hurry.” No answer.

He knocks on the door again. “Harry, we gotta get down there now or they’ll sell out.” No answer.

He knocks on the door again. “Harry, I’m leaving now.” Finally a voice comes back to him.

“I heard you the first time, Frog. I’m putting my shoes on.”

Kingformation #14

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001+11:00

A couple of people have told me that they thought the play on 13 in the last blog made a pleasant change, and have urged me to make the blog more general. It appears they enjoy the stories, so this time around I’m going completely off-topic just to see what reaction I get. Let me know if you prefer the blog because it relates to materials handling or because you like to see a blog full of wider-ranging topics.

So, here we go.

Who knows, I might get a writer's gig yet!

IN THIS ISSUE:

PLACES I HAVE SEEN. My start in life. London N.19
GRAND FINAL. The end game
BAMBOO. Back breaker extraordinaire
TIME & COMMUNICATIONS. You want it when?

PLACES I HAVE SEEN – LONDON: Nth London N 19

It’s actually the place I was born and brought up. I thought I’d start at the beginning!

Our family had the top floor of a four story terrace house, including the loft – where my brother Ray and I slept.

We had cold water from a tap in a corner sink situated on the landing below. Need hot water? Bring it up and boil it in a saucepan or the kettle. Needless to say we had a bath only once a week – in the front room in a tin bath. I was the smallest, so I was last in. Tepid water and soap scum was all I knew.

Times were tough, but good. We had plenty to eat, and the extended family on my Mum's side were on the other levels down the stairs, with Grannie Flo and Grandpa Fred occupying the ground floor.

There was one toilet inside and one outside. The coal box for us upstairs was on the third landing down – outside the window and on the roof of the outhouse (kitchen) belonging to Flo.

Flo had the loudest voice in the neighbourhood, and if I was unfortunate to get in her way, or I had been up to mischief, she would stand outside the back wall and bellow up at our kitchen window on the fourth floor “May (my mum)! Get this little bastard from under my feet. Mum would throw up the sash window and bellow down to me, “Get up here NOW." Gran was a tartar and no one messed with her.

Granddad had been poorly ever since I could remember. I lost count of the times I would be called into his parlour close to the bottom of the stairs, where he would tell me to “go down to the off license at the bottom of the road, and get me some loose tobacco and a half of whisky – Johnny Walker Black." No matter what excuse I had, he always had a better reason for me to pop down there quickly. “You’ll be back in no time,” he’d say.

My Mum worked in many retail stores including a grocer's, baker's, milliner's and too many others to remember. She was a gorgeous looking mum, who made me feel embarrassed to be by her side, as all the red blooded lads would give her wolf whistles wherever she went.

Dad was de-mobbed from the army to take just about any job he could. I remember him working at the BBC (British Broadcasting Service) – I think he was a clerk – as he dressed in suit. He took on a window cleaning round once he had enough money to buy a car. He was good at keeping the books for the business. Every penny was accounted for and his handwriting was a pleasure to behold.

Uncle Albert was a rep for an air tool company, and I most wanted to be like him. To be out and about, talking to people and selling products. Later on, he would guide me into sales.

Uncle Les was a very clever artist and a keen gardener. A gentle soul who wanted to be left alone to do his wonderful and beautiful things. He became Head Gardener at Hampstead Heath in time.

Uncle Sid, allowed me to go to work with him on Saturdays, where I had my first experience of paid work. He would fill up the delivery van, and we together would do the rounds of the customers delivering their orders. I got to see a fair slice of metropolitan London on those trips.

To be continued ...

GRAND FINAL

Not the one where the team you barrack for brings you to tears – win or lose. I’m talking about when the Grim Reaper knocks on your door and says, “It’s time."

I’m sure you think that that time is so far off that it makes no never mind, or you’re just too overwhelmed by the thought of having to let go, that it doesn’t even get a passing consideration.

I’ve always wondered what it is that people think about, when they know that soon they won't be around any more.

There are of course different scenarios, like the one where you absolutely know that there is no chance for you to live, because all the specialists have told you so. You’ve used up all your options and now have to seriously face the inevitable.

Does a peace come over you, because as there are no other options you can now give your final instructions to your family, and tell them how much you love them? Or could you get all bitter and twisted about all the things you always wanted to do or achieve, but never made it, and now some unforeseen twist of fate is going to deprive you of the time you had allotted yourself?

Or, do you accept that this is Fate, and that you are playing your part, even though you would prefer it was going to happen to someone else.

For those who suffer at the end, death must be seen as a merciful release. I imagine the question of what lies beyond our known existence would occupy a great deal of our thinking time.

I bring this up because my Mum died last year. She was 87 and as she said, she had had a good innings, and as her every day was a painful experience, she was pretty much glad to be going. She decided to give up on food and willed herself into the next life, where her husband (my step-father) had gone a year before.

She had managed to organize her affairs through my brother Rob, and as she had lived life to the full, and left no baggage, she was ready.

The Grand Final memory is now with those of us who are left.

BAMBOO

I took the time to thin out the bamboo that runs down one side of path to our house the other day.

“Easy job," I hear you say. Not so, my friend. I have the thousand cuts to prove it.

Don’t ask me what type of bamboo it is because I not only don’t I know, I don’t care. I only know that it’s bloody tough. You can’t break it by hand unless it’s dead, and you need those ultra space age cutters with ever-adjusting levers exerting at least 2 Gs in order to even think about trimming or cutting it.

Ours grows to around 12 feet high and houses a multitude of possums, rats and birds - or so I am reliably told by my neighbour. I did disturb a possum during the middle of the day, and it scurried away, but I looked at it run and said, “That’s for waking me up in the middle of the night by running back and forth over the roof.” He (or she) is probably planning revenge as I write, so if you see a headline “Man gets peed on from a great height by a family of possums," that’s probably me.

Old bamboo gets brittle and breaks fairly easily. It was the old bamboo – right at the back, close to the fence -- that was my target. I found that by reaching in through the healthy growth, I could tug on the old stems about mid-height. Bad mistake! The top half broke off, and came hurtling through the new growth to whack me on the forehead, whilst the bottom half was still stuck in the earth. I’m sure I could hear it laughing!

So I tugged at the bottom half, only to view a number of tendrils burrowed into the ground and not wanting to budge. I tried to cut them off at the base with my trusty shears, but because the stems were too many, I had to resort to a saw with a thin blade.

“Why should I give a toss about your bamboo?" you ask, and I’ll tell you. I was going to do a little bit of gardening before settling down to read my current book, which is all about how we went from jungle drums to modern communications – very interesting (a précis about time and communications is shown in my book review below), and I had allotted an hour. But true to form, every time I think I’m ahead of the game, the universe conspires to thwart me.

This time it was string -- the poly string that comes on a roll from the $2 shop. The vendors buy different qualities, although it all looks the same. Usually I will place a couple of strands onto the floor and pile the stick on top, tie it up and wait for the green rubbish collection date.

This time, however, the new bundle of string let me down. Not once, but twice. After twice breaking and with the bundle spilled all over the place, I decided to double-double the string, which held. After thinning out about a 1 Mtr long strip of hedge over four hours, and accumulating four bundles of bamboo, I’ve decided to allow the wild life access at all hours, with a promise never to disturb them again.

If you are looking to expend some energy one weekend, I’ll be happy to supply the tea and bikkies. There’s another 6 Mtrs to go.

TIME & COMMUNICATIONS: 'The Information' by James Gleik

When the first clocks were invented, people had the problem of being able to synchronize them. The Time Ball was one practical solution. It was usually sited close to the port, so that captains out at sea, awaiting orders to bring their boat/ship in, would know when to set their clocks. Midday was the time when the ball fell.

How they knew that the ball on land actually fell at exactly 12 noon I’m not sure, but I guess that you had to have faith in at least one clock.

The problem of synchronizing all clocks and watches was overcome by in part by the signal telegraph, a wooden pole with movable arms. Not only time messages could be sent by semaphore, but also general and later coded messages.

Some canny farmers in America found that they could have their own private loop line by using barbed wire, insulators, a battery and a Morse key to send messages to each other, thereby evading the costs required by the startup telegraph companies.

Clocks were able to be synchronized and differences in time zones were able to be ascertained immediately when the first telegraph wires were strung and electricity was harnessed for use by the lever which sent coded letters instantly to far-off places. This device was later utilized by Mr. Morse and his Morse Code. This was soon followed up with the speaking trumpet on each end of a pair of copper wires.

Ships were able to calculate their exact position once one or more chronometers had been installed on board.

The world became much smaller as instantaneous messages bounded around it, and time for transactions became shorter and shorter until today, when you as a consumer have come to expect instantaneous action.

Timekeeping and communications have come a long way.

KINGFORMATION #13

2011-10-03T20:11:00.003+11:00

In edition # 13, I have a few 13s for you to consider:

BUSINESS
13 things you need to do before starting up in business.
13 things you need to do to stay in business.

TOP 13 SAFETY TIPS
How to proof your business against mishaps.

WHY IS 13 CONSIDERED UNLUCKY?
Superstition or Stupidition?

13 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT NOW - NOT TOMORROW
A case for living life to excess – because tomorrow could bring rain.

JOKES

FEATURED PRODUCT. FLOW RACK

BUSINESS. What to do before you start one up

Look at what people are already buying in sufficient quantities. This way you KNOW you have a MARKET. Make sure this is a growing market.
Research the market, to find out if it is profitable.
Look for unusual niches within that market, where profitability is greater.
Look for trends or shifts in that market that you might attach to, or take a lead in.
Talk to mentors and experts for guidance.
Ensure you have sufficient funding in place to achieve your goals.
Now double that funding requirement in order to ascertain the real investment.
Work out the leanest possible entry cost into the market.
Do not commit to premises, stock or extra personnel, until there is no other option.
Do not allow any person to steal your dream – once you have proven to yourself it can work.
Do not distract yourself by wandering off subject. Stay focused, with the end goal in mind.
Determine to become the leader and the best in your chosen field.
Estimate the time and effort needed to become successful, then double it to become reality.

BUSINESS. What you need to do to STAY in business

Make sure you treat every customer as well as or better than you would like to be treated.
Everything is marketing, and marketing is everything. Without it you die. Do it every day.
Determine what your offering is, compare it to your competitors, and then make yours better.
Discounting will send you broke unless you can offset it with volume.
Determine your USP - Unique Selling Proposition, and then tell everyone what it is.
Keep records of everything. Knowledge is power.
Keep records of your clients. Remind them often that you are still around and that you have more to offer.
Pick only the best and most expensive staff. Let the competition employ the duds.
No one ever went broke making a profit. Plough profits back into the business until you have an excess – then go on holiday to think up the next stage of your progress.
Make a list of duties for every staff member, and then let them fill in the sub story, so that when they leave another person is off to a flying start, using the previous staff member’s notes.
Instill in every staff member the core reason why you are in business, so that everyone is working towards the same goal/s.
Make every staff member both free to make decisions bounded by your guidelines and accountable by their actions.
Give everyone a target, and recognize achievers. Get achievers to coach underachievers.

13 TOP SAFETY TIPS IN THE WORKPLACE

Yellow and black striped sticky floor tape is the most under-rated product in the world. It delineates where people can and can’t go. It’s the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Keep forklifts away from humans. Humans always come off second best. Train your forklift operators, then keep training them. They hold other peoples lives in their hands.
Racking is meant to hold a certain weight. Put too much on and it could fall down. Get professional help in determining just what size beams and uprights you need.
Train all operators in using mobile equipment, then get them to sign a logbook. Repeat the training every few months, and remember to train new people – before they touch anything.
All equipment that moves must be safe to use. Machinery must be fully guarded with fail-safes fitted.
Have the operators check that all equipment is safe to use – before they use it. Encourage operators to speak up if they find a problem with any equipment or if they see unsafe practices.
Bullying, harassment and practical jokes can ruin lives and put people in harm's way. Post notices of your position against such practices, and state that offenders will be prosecuted.
For every job performed, there must be a risk assessment made to determine if the job is safe to do, the risks involved or the potential for risk, the possible actions to be taken to alleviate those risks, and then action taken. All should be logged and accessible in case a WorkSafe Inspector calls on you, or an accident occurs.
Spills and mess contribute to workplace accidents. Would you leave rubbish lying around your home?
Do not allow any visitors into an area in which they could be injured. Fit appropriate signage. Note restrictions when signing in, and issue safety vests, glasses and appropriate footwear if necessary.
Accompany visitors at all times to ensure their well being.
Encourage staff and operators to voice any concerns and good ideas at regular safety meetings.
Roller doors should be fully down or fully up. Part open doors always cause accidents – sooner or later.

WHY IS # 13 CONSIDERED TO BE UNLUCKY?

Thirteen was supposed to be the number of people in a witch's coven.
Thirteen people attended the Last Supper. You know what happened after that.
The number 13 is often missing on plane aisles, floors in apartment buildings and hotel rooms.
The early Romans thought 13 was a sign of death and destruction.
According to Norse mythology, if you sat 13 people down at a table, that was very unlucky.
So, what happens if a 13 year old walks under 13 ladders on Friday the 13th?

13 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT NOW – NOT TOMORROW

For most people, tomorrow never comes.
When tomorrow does come, will you have achieved your goals? Did you have any goals?
If today you make a plan – make tomorrow the day you start.
If you don’t do IT, you get old, you regret, then you die.
IT can’t wait. You can and do, but IT is ready when you are.
Your health and state of mind depend on you getting IT going.
IT could change your life. You’ll never know unless you do IT.
Living a life of mediocrity? IT could make you wealthy / powerful / happy.
You may want IT to help change other people’s lives.
IT doesn’t know what to do until you tell it.
IT doesn’t care if it’s a germ or a fully-fledged idea, IT will go along with everything you say.
Share IT with a friend. IT can be altered with every opinion.
IT doesn’t want to share in your success. It’s all yours.

JOKES

1. "Doctor, doctor, will I be able to play the violin after the operation?"
"Yes, of course..."
"Great! I never could before!"

2. There is a very old man at the park sitting on the bench and crying. A young man asks, “Why are you crying”? He replied, “I have just married this beautiful 30 year old girl. She is wonderful. She cooks delicious meals. She keeps the house very clean, and the sex is great.” “So why are you crying?” The old man answers: “I’ve forgotten where I live.”

FEATURED PRODUCT: KING PIPE RACK – IN THIS CASE A FLOW RACK

Today we look at a really versatile product, the KING FLOW RACK.

Flow Rack is, as its name suggests, a series of tubes and connectors which, when combined, form a rack of almost any shape and size. It is most commonly used to hold plastic tubs, and mostly to allow those tubs to be placed into the rack from one side. Because it is fitted with angled rollers, it allows the tubs to flow through to the front where an operator can retrieve parts from them.

These parts are most often required in production lines. So when the operator needs say a 13mm bolt x 40mm long, he knows it is always in the same place in the rack, which might have 4 – 10 tubs wide and three or four shelves high. If the operator is a newbie, then he looks at the sign under the tub, which may also have an outline drawing of the item, so that he can double-check the size.

When the contents of the tub are gone, the tub is placed on the top shelf, which has rollers or a slide at the reverse angle allowing the empty tub to flow down to where the person placing the full tubs in the Flow rack. From here they can also retrieve the empty tubs for re-filling. This is called 'first in / first out,' and it ensures that older product is always used up first.

It also means that the person filling the flow rack can stay out of the way of the operator, so a forklift driver can operate behind the rack, keeping the production area safe.

Flow Racks can also be on castors so that they can be wheeled to any new location or simply moved for housekeeping purposes.

Pipe Racks are very versatile. They can be built up to make just about any type of racking for storage, using back boards for holding tools and shelves. They can have lights fitted overhead and even tool drawers, making them very versatile.

So, next time you are contemplating building a rack or shelf, consider the King Pipe Rack. It is as versatile as your creative mind.

Flow racks

KINGFORMATION # 12

2011-09-21T18:36:00.004+10:00

Well I never! The feedback has been phenomenal!

Thanks to all of you in the Americas who wrote in telling me I was a dummy. Of course they all knew an Australian ute is a pick up truck -- only smaller -- as everything in the USA and Canada is of gigantic proportions. Well, excuse me for living! I’m only writing this stuff because I can’t grow rhubarb or swedes or anything else that requires soil. I’m only good at materials handling matters. So if you want to know anything outside my sphere of influence, you'd better call someone else – o.k?

Where are the New Products I hear you ask? Oh, and the Special Offers? I gave you a break for a while, but we’re back into it this time around. In this edition:

NEW PRODUCT: Scissor Lift Trolley with large non-puncturing wheels

BELT CONVEYORS. Following on from Gravity and Extending Conveyors in # 8

SPECIAL OFFER. Low Profile Drum Caddy

BOOK REVIEW: The Most Dangerous Man In The World: Julian Assange by Andrew Fowler

FAVOURITE SONG. Imagine

A JOKE

SURVIVING OUTBACK AUSTRALIA

NEW PRODUCT:
SCISSOR LIFT TROLLEY – SP-200A

The SP200A is a new 200 Kg capacity foot operated hydraulic scissor lift trolley, with a claim to fame that a lot of people like it enough to buy a significant quantity of them.

It features large semi-pneumatic wheels all round (2 x fixed and 2 x castor). Being cushion tyred, the wheels offer a good ride on uneven surfaces and will never go flat.

The deck size at 1000mm x 500mm is very generous and it reaches a very handy 1000mm max height, from a starting height of 340mm.

The handle folds down. Not that you care! It’s just easier for shipping.

STOP PRESS: Talk about hot! I wrote the above article a couple of weeks ago, and guess what, they all sold out in double quick time. Next month's shipment is already fully spoken for, but taking back orders for November’s shipment.

BELT CONVEYORS

Where to start? They are used everywhere. Ever seen the massive stock piles of coal, grain, ore, etc? Well, they are stock piled for a reason – so the company has a buffer stock for when the diggers go down or the men go on strike.

The crane jaws or the front end loader buckets lift the product into a hopper which then trickle feeds the product onto a conveyor belt, usually in a trough shape. In some cases these belts can travel for miles, and mostly uphill, until the product drops into another hopper for further processing, or directly into the hold of a ship or even into bulk containers (which we recently discussed in a previous blog). Imagine the number of angled rollers and miles of very heavy reinforced rubber conveyor belt, plus the weight of the coal, and you can then appreciate the massive motive power required to run these babies.

Trough Conveyor

At the other end of the scale is a small belt conveyor with a belt no wider than 150mm, which is placed under a bottle filling machine. By utilizing a series of stops, it allows the bottle to sit under the filler nozzle for a pre-determined time then shoots it along to a turntable for accumulation, or into the hands of a packing operator who sticks the bottles into a carton, or into a shrink wrap tunnel to be packaged into say six or twelve packs.

In the middle, we have conveyors that are vertical and have buckets attached to them. They take things like sweets from the manufacturing conveyor up into a hopper where they fall down into individual weighing chutes which, when full, allow the product to fall into bags or cartons which then travel on to be sealed.

Telescoping Container Loading Conveyor

An angled conveyor could be taking individual products from floor level up to the mezzanine floor, where they could then proceed along a gravity conveyor to accumulate ready for the operator to put the goods into racking for storage. Reverse the operation, and the goods are sent down again to be despatched.

An extending belt conveyor is a great thing to watch. It is used when loading or unloading containers. For loading, it starts out fully extended. Switch on, and the cartons travel all the way up to the end where the operator only has to turn around to accept the next carton. As the container fills, the extending conveyor is reduced in length. It goes on like this until the container is full and the conveyor body is sitting outside the container.

General Industry Conveyor

The secret is that the belt is pulled back and under the main body, looping it several times inside the main body.

So, here are a few of the belt conveyors in use around the world. A very useful product – when you need it!

SPECIAL OFFER:
LOW PROFILE DRUM CADDY

This is a caddy where the handle is used to tilt the drum forward enough so that you can push the base under the drum with your foot, then let it down on the wheeled base.

Drum Caddy

The handle then fits into the appropriate slot, to allow you to pull the drum around.

The handle also incorporates several drum bung wrenches, which I suppose is exactly where you would need to have them.

It’s a neat package, and there’s no struggling to get the drum onto the dolly.

Usual price $298.00.

Special is $248.00 (What will you do with the extra $50 eh?).

BOOK REVIEW:
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN THE WORLD (Julian Assange) by Andrew Fowler

I was looking for revelations! I was looking to find out why this bloke has reached star status on the TV and in the news!

What I got was even more mystery, and a tale of a strange individual. I also got a piece of an obviously longer story that has yet to be written. “Watch This Space” is what Andrew Fowler is telling me. Well, Andrew, I could very easily have waited until you had something to say that had some sort of ending – any ending.

Instead, you tell me how this guy who is a conflict even within himself, is trying to get enough people on side in order to push his view of the world onto as many others as possible, and during the process, manages to piss a lot of people off – especially those in government -- who don’t want you to know what they’re doing.

I applaud the idea, but I wonder just how much good Assange is doing. “Don’t shoot the messenger”, he shouts. “If people want to give me sensitive stuff, then I’ll publish it," he says.

Maybe I’m naïve, but if sensitive files are likely to be sent to WikiLeaks or any of the other similar sites that have sprung up since Julian had his bright idea, then surely the powers that be will take more care about letting them out of their sights in the first place. I know it’s a quick push of the SEND button, but maybe you won't be able to send to anyone, or copy or cut and paste in future if you hold down a position of power.

Some leaked documents referred to the killing of innocent civilians in a war. Since the Second World War we have been ‘embedded’ then leaked to about certain events that the senders felt we should know about because they feel the injustices should have ramifications to those who sponsor or condone those actions, and who have turned a blind eye to them. So I get it, I really do!

The problem -- if there is one -- is that with the leaking of thousands of documents on every subject, we become glassy eyed as to what we can and are expected to do about such things. You could make a list of every worthwhile cause, every down trodden or disadvantaged person, every political refugee or prisoner, every road tragedy, every hospital patient, every dying person.

We have information overload up the gazoo. We fight just to stay current. To understand the next trend. We get less and less for our money, which we have to work harder and longer to get. The pressures of the world are significant to us and our family, without having to think how we can make a difference to the world outside our personal border.

I love the idea of spilling the beans and to make the bastards of this world accountable, but for me the problems are too huge. I elect a government to do a job. If I find that they have gone awry, I hope to get rid of them at the next election, or I hope the checks and balances built into a democratic government will bring the bad boys to account on my behalf.

Andrew, this story has miles to go before I sleep. When you have a happy ending, call me!

A FAVOURITE SONG

There are many I could add, but this one is relevant in the context of Julian Assange’s philosophy of giving power to the people by uncovering the cover ups.

John Lennon’s IMAGINE takes us on a journey to a Utopia, where there are no conflicts, no religion, no possessions and everyone is equal.

A bit tongue in cheek John, considering that you were worth millions at the time, but hey, it’s just a song, and maybe the sentiment is still worth striving for. Pity we are mere mortals with all the good, bad and the ugly that accompanies us.

John Lennon - Imagine

JOKE

A cop stakes out a bar. He sees a man stumble out, trip over the kerb, and try a few cars before he unlocks one and gets in. The man starts the car and shoots off down the road, so the cop follows and eventually pulls him over.

The cop asks the guy to get out, which he does. The guy then falls down on the floor and starts to snore. The cop wakes him up. The cop breathalyses the guy and gets a false reading. He does it again and gets no result.

He asks the guy if he has a trick to beat the breathalyser. The guy asks instead, “How long ago was it that I left the pub?" The cop replies, “10 minutes." The guy sighs with relief, then says “Oh, that’s ok then, because I’m the designated decoy for tonight."

SURVIVING OUTBACK AUSTRALIA

* Don't ever put your hand down ANY hole for ANY reason WHATSOEVER.
* The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.
* Always carry a big stick – it looks impressive. Especially if you’re short and thin.
* Air-conditioning is imperative. Besides, who wants sweaty armpits?
* If your car breaks down, the battery dies and you are out of water, start writing your goodbyes.
* Do not attempt to use Australian slang, unless you are a trained linguist and extremely good in a fist fight.
* Wear thick socks – about 20mm thick -- so the snake's fangs get tangled up in the weave.
* Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.
* If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die.
* Apply sunscreen everywhere. You never know when you will have to expose yourself.
* Mozzies and flies will eat you for breakfast, unless you use a chemical spray – which will kill you anyway!
* Sheilas come pre-wrinkled, so you don’t have to wait for them to age.
* Work out your travel mileage in pub stops. 4 per day minimum.
* If it crawls – crawl faster. If it can run faster than you – hit it with your stick.
* Crocs know that humans are good tucker, so throw in some mince so test the water first.

Kingformation # 11

2011-09-06T16:24:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the 11th edition of Kingformation, the blog for followers of King Materials Handling. Just when your day looks to be another yawn, up pops this newsletter to brighten it!

Thanks for your feedback – I love it. I’ve been berated about the use of Australian colloquialisms by our friends in places afar. Sorry about that. It’s just that having slowly acquired them over the past 30 odd years, I now have to stop and think what they might mean elsewhere.

The first is the word ute. A ute is either a flat top tray with either removable or permanent sides, grafted to the back of a car or small truck. The word utility denotes austerity to some, but today's utes can cost anywhere between $20,000 - $55,000 and can be built to your specification. I think the Americans and Canadians call them pick ups.

Holden VE Ute

The second word is bogan. As you can imagine, this word denotes a person who is down the social scale, maybe wears strange clothes, has attitude, and generally doesn’t give a stuff. Geez, I could be describing myself - at least before I’ve had a shave and shower.

This edition looks at:

·    SKYHOOKS. You think I’m joking, but there are such things, and they are very useful.

·    BULK BINS. Boring subject, but very necessary, and I'll tell you why.

·    BOOK REVIEW. The ‘E’ Myth and The 'E' Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

·    PALLETS. Interesting facts.

·    JOKE OF THE DAY

SKYHOOKS

Used to be when someone asked you how to fix something up in the air and the answer wasn’t obvious, they’d say, “Use skyhooks.” Well, Skyhooks actually exist.

Skyhooks are a range of lift arms with a chain and hook attached.

Skyhooks

The arms can be fitted to wheeled trolleys, to benches, lathes, or can be free-standing on tripods, with or without counterweights.

The idea is you have a hook available for all those smaller lifting jobs. The smaller stemmed Skyhooks can be removed then re-fitted to another piece of equipment by utilizing a special clamp, so one hook can be used in many places.

Now isn’t that clever?

BULK BINS

This term covers a multitude of products, but for this blog we are looking at the 500 Kg and 1000 Kg IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container).

Intermediate Bulk Container

It is used in so many industries, and there are so many types available, I thought it would be interesting to determine just why certain bins are used in preference to others.

Let’s start with the forerunner of the modern plastic bin. It was made from wood, with two or three bearers forming the base. It was a simple and effective product used for bulk handling of product for decades, in fact, ever since it became possible to raise a single bulky heavy load by using a fork lift or hand pallet truck.

Produce bins with 500 Kg of capacity have been used to collect newly picked fruit and veg from the fields for the longest time. Then came folding sided bins, which took up less room when storing or transporting.

The problem with wood is that it can harbour unwanted organisms, dirt and insects, unless it is washed and disinfected properly before use next time around. It also takes time to dry.

So, plastic was an obvious choice, once the production of a large bin became possible, practical and cost effective. It can be cleaned and dried quickly and effectively. It is stackable or nestable (or both). It can have folding sides, and doesn’t give you splinters.

500 Ltr plastic Roto Bin

A problem often encountered was how to tip the product out of the bin, so various attachments to the forklift were invented to allow forward tipping, along with rotating forks for sideways tipping. The bin base of course must have slats or bottom boards to prevent the bin falling off during rotation.

Bulk bins fabricated from steel are of course the tough cousin, and used for all the rough and tumble heavy load weight jobs around the place.

A combination of steel and plastic comes in the form of Bulki Boxes, where a steel frame supports plastic sides. A large plastic liner bag holds the goods. It can also have a tap moulded into it for egress of liquids. The bag acts as an aseptic barrier, and is thrown away after the bulk bin is emptied.
The Bulki Box is usually hired for the trip, then folded down and de-hired when finished with, which makes for a clever and sustainable closed circuit system

The natural extension of the bag in a box is the completely molded plastic inner shell, surrounded by a steel frame. Used almost exclusively for transporting liquids and with large filler orifices and molded in tap or chute exits, the initial expense to create this unit begs for it to be re-usable, and indeed most are. One problem is proving provenance. You really don’t want to be carrying toothpaste after transporting cyanide, unless you can guarantee that in the washing process, every trace has been eliminated.

IBC ancilliaries include spring tilt table which tilt the container to the front in order to guide any dregs into the outlet. The springs come into play only during the last eighth of weight left in the container. Spring tables can be at ground level or high in the air for decanting into the next process.

Where product used to be exclusively transported around the world in 200 Ltr steel drums, then plastic drums, the IBC has at least halved drum production in favour of shipping in 1000 Ltr bulk form, which is more space and cost efficient and handled just once rather than four times.

BOOK REVIEW

On this occasion, the book reviewed is not a thriller, nor does it warrant anything but a yawn – unless you are an existing or budding entrepreneur.

It is THE ‘E’ MYTH and its sequel THE ‘E’ MYTH RE-VISITED by Michael E. Gerber.

The E Myth looks at those brave souls who started out in business largely by themselves or with a couple of others. Michael Gerber’s claim to fame in these books was to tell the world that if you are in business in a small scale way, then you are NOT an entrepreneur. In his words, 'you were stricken with an Entrepreneurial Seizure' if, one day, you decided that you would part ways with your boss because you thought you could do it better.

He says that what you are in fact is a slave to the business you started up. Not only that, but you had either better know everything there is to know about running a business or you are going to fail, as you only know about the technical side of the business, and not about business itself.

Michael then goes on to say that if you don’t systematize your business so that any other person can understand immediately about your business after reading the manual, then you are not moving forward.

Then there is the message about you always working in your business, when you should be working on your business. Otherwise you are trapped forever.

I must say that when I first read Michael’s revelations, I felt as though he had personally come to my door and slapped me around the face with a wet fish. “How dare you try to run a business by yourself!” “You know you will never be an entrepreneur if you don’t follow my rules.” “You know you must be big or get out.” I heard Michael say all these things in my nightmares.

So, here I was many years in, having struggled from having literally no money to start the business and no sales, to today where I am comfortably off. During the build up I went through a soured employee relationship, which cost me lots of money, months of distress, bitter resentment and a distrust of hiring. And Michael is proselytizing his version of business utopia to me via The E Myth.

I could see where he was at, but I could also see where I had been, and the two never meshed. Michael says that to be an entrepreneur you need to get big, to step back, to employ many people, in order to get yourself a life.

Recently I re-read both books, and having experienced many more years of business since the first read, I still think Michael is in heaven and I am in the real world. Getting from zero to the good life takes a lot of guts, imagination, time, real effort, juggling, salesmanship, empathy, approval, and genuine service.

The fact is that many people LOVE the thought of being a small manageable business, and I believe these people are the TRUE ENTREPRENEURS of the world. I congratulate you all for having the courage to start a business – any business – because it shows you are not a run of the mill person. You have shown that you can step up and step out.

How big your business grows depends on many factors. The bottom line is that only you will know what’s right for you. You DON’T have to know it all. You can employ others with strengths that you don’t have. You can learn about the aspects of business you are not familiar with.

Follow The E Myth and E Myth Revisited if you want to get the Michael E. Gerber view of business, but by no means allow anyone to tell you that you are a lesser person by achieving anything less than the moon. There’s plenty of space in the sky for millions of stars.

AN INTERESTING FACT: PALLETS
Did you know that there are over 2 BILLION pallets floating around in the USA, which means that for every man, woman and child there are 10 of them?

Want to build a raft and float down the Mississippi or save yourself in a flood? Want to build a dog house, furniture or shed? Want some firewood (n.b. never use treated or painted pallets)? Pallets are very handy items.

Did you know that there is now an indicator of just how the Australian economy is doing by measuring how many pallets are hired out by CHEP (the largest pallet hirer by far in Australia). The AFGC (Australian Food & Grocery Council), in conjunction with this nation's largest pallet pool operator, now gives out monthly pallet hire quantities, which equates to how much food and other goods the stores are buying. It is quantity, not price based, but it is an early signal that things are getting better or worse.

JOKES:
THE CARBURETTOR

Wife: “The car won't start. I think there’s water in the carburettor.”
Husband: “How would you know that? You have no idea what a carburettor is.”
Wife: “I am telling you, I know what I’m talking about.”
Husband: “O.K. We’ll see. Where’s the car?”
Wife: “In the swimming pool.”

VINEGAR

Man goes back to the grocery store and says to the assistant, “I bought this vinegar yesterday but it has lumps in it, I want a refund.” The assistant replies, “Sir, we call those lumps pickled onions.”

ATTRIBUTION

All words and images (where owned) in this publication are copyright to King Group of Companies and King Materials Handling. Any work can be appropriated in part or in full, provided that it is also attributed as follows: Copyright Ron Mileham, King Group of Companies. www.kinggroup.com.au

Kingformation #10

2011-08-22T09:00:00.002+10:00

Welcome to the 10th edition of Kingformation, the blog for followers of King Materials Handling. It’s all about the stuff we do every day and the interaction we have with our friends.

I’ve heard from many of you, and I thank you for your feedback. One interesting note is that there have been only two requests for removal, which out of six hundred sent each time (this week over 1000), is a great result. I’m wondering, however, what I could have done better for the two that opted out. Let me know what you would like to see or hear about by emailing me at ron@kinggroup.com.au

This edition looks at:

OUR WEB SITE / YOUR WEB SITE. I need your feedback on our King Group website. I explain why, and how this could help your business also

SCALES. No, not those things on a fish's back! Real weighing type thingamies. Do you need to be Trade Approved? If not, why not?

CONTAINER BULK FILLING. How do they do it?

BOOK REVIEW: Whitethorn by Bryce Courtney (there must be dust in my eyes!)

WHAT IS EXPERIENCE WORTH TODAY? A look at how old fashioned service is still a winner

OUR WEB SITE / YOUR WEB SITE

I want you to take a good long hard look at our web site www.kinggroup.com.au - right now! Then come back to this point, and make a comment here: ron@kinggroup.com.au

Your answer could not only change my life, but yours also if you have a web site that you rely on to get a sales message out there.

Here’s the reason. I have been contacted by many a self-professed internet guru -- as most of you would have -- about the look of my web site, and how it could be updated, which in turn should lead to more revenue (note the word should).

I thought I would talk to a couple of gurus with a reputation. Both advised that the site looks old fashioned, and that people comparing websites would go for another site that looked fresher and more up to date. I advised them that visitors often commented upon how easy the site is to navigate, and that I had tried to get info from several other sites and had to drill down so far that my head would spin, only to find out that the product I was looking for was in fact either not there or that I had to start again in another section.

So I am confused and would like your help. I will publish your comments later. Hopefully, this information will help you decide if your own site needs a refresh.

I'll look later at what experience is worth today, which ties in with this subject, so read on.

SCALES

Not the ones that the statue of Justitia holds outside most law courts. I mean the common or garden variety that we all use sooner or later, be it for checking our own weight in the bathroom, to determining if the freight company is overcharging us.

There are a million ways (or should I say weighs) of getting to the same point. Most modern scales rely on something called a load cell. A load cell is a strain gauge. It is deformed by weight, and the deformity is measured electronically to give you the load weight.

What’s that got to do with the price of fish you say? Well, nothing really, except that it’s a mixture of art and science if you want to get it spot on. Which segues into why you need to get it right -- at times.

That time is when you are selling product by weight. Then your scales need to be Trade Approved. Even the ones that capture the weight of your toothpaste tube, as it flies through on a conveyor. Any under or overweight tubes are rejected and binned (for later recovery of the product).

When sending freight by the pallet load, you need to know that within say 5% your load weight corresponds with that of the weight on your invoice from the freight company. In this way, you have some control. If you don’t know your pallet load weights, you are open to misrepresentation (add to that correct load measurements).

Trade Approved scales are set up initially at the factory to be as accurate as possible within given tolerances. This is then tested again on site by either using approved weights, or if the weight load is too big, the truck and empty container is sent to an approved weigh station to determine the tare (empty) weight. Then, after filling the container with a known load weight, the truck is sent back to the weigh station in order to verify the final weight.

Trade Approved scales must be periodically checked for accuracy to ensure you always get a fair deal.

Scale types can include:
In-ground for trucks, where many load cells need to be calibrated to give an accurate holistic readout.
Crane scales, for determining loads on the end of crane hooks -- vital information if you don’t want to exceed the cranes lifting load limit. They are now able to be wirelessly received via a hand held display.
Counting scales, when you have a million items. Just weigh a few, then keep pouring until you get the weight you need -- very clever.
Under conveyor scales for in-line weighing.

Counting Scale

Scales that fit onto forklifts have two options for weighing goods. One is to fit conventional load cells to the main carriage, then weigh the forks and whatever is on them through a sub carriage. The other is to measure the amount of back pressure in the hydraulic lines. Both can be viewed as a digital or LED readout. Reading the hydraulic line back pressure in order to determine weight is also useful for any heavy equipment which uses hydraulics such as back end loaders with buckets.

Pallet Scale

PRODUCT FEATURE. TWO TYPES OF SCALES: COUNTING & PALLET

The Counting Scale is a very handy scale for when you need to count out product, but by weight. Throw a pre-determined number of widgets onto the scale, say ten, then set the counter. Then set the finished or required quantity button. Continue to throw product onto the scale until the finished number comes up. Simple as that and far quicker than counting out product.

The Pallet Scale is pallet sized and sits on the floor of the warehouse. When a pallet load is ready for shipping, it is placed onto the scale and the weight shown on a display or printed out as a hard copy.

CONTAINER BULK FILLING: How Do They Do It?

Container Upender

Ever wondered how they get a bulk load of say corn in a container? If you leave the door open at the end, the stuff will all pour out once if gets to that point.

Well there are two main ways. The first is to upend the container completely and feed the product in either through an open door or through a trap door close to the top of one of the doors.

The container upender is a mighty machine. The empty container is placed upon a steel frame where it is locked in place using container locks on the corners to secure it to the frame. The frame has a safety ladder built horizontally along one side, along with a full width platform at the door end. Then the container is upended using a powerful mechanism. The operator climbs the ladder then stands on the platform, where he can supervise the loading of the product coming from a conveyor and where a chute directs it in through the trap door.

Container Filling Conveyor

When the container is full, the chute is withdrawn and the trap door closed. The operator descends and the container is allowed to pivot down to rest on the frame where it can be weighed. The container is then transferred to a truck.

The second option is to keep the container in the horizontal position, then feed through the trap door using either a screw or belt conveyor -- usually to about 2/3rds the way in. The product flows in and drops down to fill as much as the container can
hold before it chokes the supply. The horizontal conveyor is withdrawn slowly to allow maximum filling.

BOOK REVIEW: WHITETHORN by BRYCE COURTENEY

Whilst this has nothing whatsoever to do with materials handling, we all need a break, so in your break, if you haven’t done so already, I can thoroughly recommend Whitethorn to you.

I wish I could write like Bryce Courteney. How he gets so far into the psyche of the character and how he expresses the emotions surrounding the subjects, I have no idea. I only know that this is a several hankie job in parts.

It is a story of man's inhumanity to man; of courage, tenacity; and triumph of good and decency over ignorance and cruelty.

Tom Fitzsaxby is a misfit at the Boys Farm, and what he goes through shouldn’t happen to anyone, but in true Bryce Courteney style, a wonderful story is woven about inner strength and what Tom has to go through, then chooses to go through, in order to become the person he ultimately does.

Be prepared to be disgusted, offended, humiliated, saddened, maddened. You'll despair for the future, feel puppy then real love, re-visit your own awkward and ignorant youth, find love and a helping hand from strangers. You'll become enchanted with education, then feel yourself grow into a stand-tall-and-proud person, as you walk many hundreds of miles in Tom Fitzsaxby’s shoes.

I give this a 4.5 star rating (I gave 5 stars to Bryce Courteney’s Tommo and Hawk from his Australian Trilogy, but I’m saving that review for much later).

WHAT IS EXPERIENCE WORTH TODAY?

Glad you asked!

Been to the mall lately? Been into one shop where you need answers and came away wanting to stuff that pair of jeans down that ignorant sales assistant's throat? 'Course you have.

But then you came across another assistant in another store who had the knowledge. Ask a question -- get the right answer. Ask another and the salesperson cannot answer without asking you a couple of questions first -- so they do. Great you say! That person must really be interested in MY problem and therefore has my best interests at heart. I am happy to buy from that person and go back there again.

Note I said that person. The store is almost irrelevant. A bad store with good people will get a great many more sales than a great looking store with rubbish sales persons in it.

If you combine the best of both worlds you have a winning combination.

“But you said experience, and sometimes it’s not 'experience' that makes the sale, it's the obliging, smiling help that helps make the sale”. Touche. Imagine combining a great store, experienced staff who are trained to smile, be courteous and are obliging. There you have it. A multi-award winning template to success.

The Human Resources department, it seems, are desperate to find warm bodies to fill spaces. Where’s the training that imparts these basic tenets of retailing? Take a decent human being who is happy to communicate well, then tell them everything about your products and why these products are better than your competitor's (or any other points of difference), then show them why an average salesperson is there to fill in time, whilst a fully trained and likeable sales person actually increases sales and makes this particular store one which you want to come back to. Hey presto! Job done!

How can it be then that miserable, uneducated, unbearable, uncaring, unsmiling, smelly, disinterested, tattoo adorned, body pierced, badly dressed sales persons (aka sods), still inhabit our stores? Is it because the store has a death wish? Do they teach these assistants to huddle and giggle, drink coffee, turn away from customers when they walk in, emit underarm waftings, or does it come naturally?

Surely it takes as much time, effort and money to find someone who actually wants to work, wants to impress, and wants to earn their keep by selling as much as possible in the nicest and friendliest way.

I guess I’m just old fashioned. I love to help. I love to solve problems. I keep my problems away from my clients. It’s their time and I need to shine for every one of them. I need to get them the results they crave. Maybe that’s why we in King Materials Handling have enjoyed so much success for over 22 years. We still have most of the clients we started out with, and my personal relationships within those companies have grown stronger over time.

I think experience counts for something in this throwaway world. I like to keep the company of like minded people. Maybe you do too.

JOKE

Three women fugitives hiding out. They see the cops roll up. "Lets hide in those potato sacks," says one.

The cops come in and see three large potato sacks. One cop kicks the first sack. The redhead inside goes "Miaow." The cop then kicks the second sack. The brunette goes, "Woof." The cop then kicks the third sack. The blonde goes, "PO-TA-TO."

KINGFORMATION #9

2011-08-08T13:20:00.000+10:00

Welcome to Kingformation #9

In this issue:

I check out two very popular lifters, the MOBILE TABLE LIFTER for use around the warehouse or the office, and the LIGHTWEIGHT LIFTER, typically for carrying around in a truck but still able to elevate product onto a bench or at head height

We feature a ONE OFF or modification every once in a while. In this edition it is an extra long trolley

BOOK CLUB. Jordan Belfort. My slant on the man and why I’m uncomfortable paying to go and see him

DRUM SPIDER and DRUM UNDER RIM CLAMP. Two items of real interest when you need to pick up a steel or plastic drum, and how they differ in action

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Our amazing GUARANTEE and its conditions

Lift n' Shift

LIFTERS

The MOBILE TABLE LIFTER (left). It never ceases to amaze me what clients use this product for! Firstly, I should explain what it is and does.

As its name implies, it is basically a small stacker; a smaller version of a forklift truck, but one you push around.

It has small front wheels, usually fixed, which are around 70mm high. It has larger rear wheels, usually castors with a brake. This configuration allows the small wheels to be pushed under most machines. The rear castors allow steering in tight spaces.

The low start height makes the transferring of product from floor or pallet level easy. For instance, if you need to raise a 60 Ltr drum of liquid up onto a bench, then simply slide it across the pallet or lift it slightly onto the deck of the lifter, then, using either the foot pump lever or the 'up' push button on the battery / hydraulic version, the table rises to bench level, where the drum is slid off.

There are two versions available. One has a fixed table (tables are usually around 500mm square), and the other has a pair of forks, and a slip-on table top as an option. King has the latter style, where the forks are width adjustable. This allows some clients who have varying width skid pallets to adjust the forks to suit.

Lift height goes from 1100mm, 1300mm, 1500mm and 1700mm as standard. Capacity is 400 Kgs max. Unit weight starts at around 90 Kgs and can go to 180 Kgs for the battery lift version.

We have modified bases to allow the legs to straddle certain machinery, pallets or crates, and have even narrowed them in order that the legs fit between immovable stands.

Where you lift product in the office such as reams of paper or computers, or in the warehouse such as pumps or skids onto the back of a tray or ute, the Mobile Table Lifter has a role to play.

Next up is the LIGHTWEIGHT LIFTER. This term covers a range of small stackers that have one thing in common -- the ability to be handled into and from either a ute or van, in order to raise the product above ground level when at the destination.

Bearing I mind that the average person would probably not want to lift a product of more than say 30 Kgs, there is also scope for some of the lifters to be pushed over into the van, making it possible to achieve higher unit weights. Most of this type of lifter use a hand brake winch to raise the load. The winch holds the load in any position. To lower, simply turn the handle anti-clockwise.

The HIGHLITE LIFTER is a very popular lifter in as much as it has a two stage mast, enabling the load to be raised up to 2500mm. The low or start height is only 90mm, so the range is fantastic and it can carry up to 180 Kgs load.

Like all lightweight lifters, it has short forks approx 600mm long, but width-adjustable to around 450mm wide. The castors are on the front in this model, with large rear fixed wheels, meaning that it can be pulled back onto the large wheels and used as a regular hand trolley, to take the load over kerbs.

There are four wheels on the ground when it is tilted back to upright, which enables the load to remain horizontal, whilst it is being pushed along or into the tray of the van or ute.

It has an aluminium frame and removable steel legs and forks, so by removing the appendages, the frame becomes lighter and takes up less room in the truck.

This unit is very handy for raising air conditioning units whilst a single operator secures it. Great for air conditioning duct placement too. The forks can also be turned upside-down, making it possible to fit a sheet close to the ceiling without the carriage hitting first. Unit weight is 60 Kgs. Unit height when fully down is 1700mm.

The GENIE LOAD LIFTER also features a two stage mast. As the name implies, one mast fits inside the other, enabling higher lifts with a shorter frame -- up to 1700mm max lift in this case, with only an 1140mm high frame. It is smaller, lighter and has less capacity (90 Kgs). It is fully aluminium. The legs and feet fold up against the frame for compact stowing. Unit weight is just 20 Kgs. The unit is often purchased to raise servers into racks, paper onto shelves, etc. It has small castors at the front and large fixed wheels at the rear.

The PORTALIFT has two large wheels at the rear only. It looks like a hand trolley, but has a liftable deck. The winch is silent in operation and uses a seat belt webbing instead of wire rope. The deck comes off this very versatile lifter, which makes stowing easy. It can raise a 100 Kg load to around 1 Mtr high. Used mainly to get products to bench height. Purchased for lifting teller machines, slurpee/slushee machines, ovens, etc. Unit weight 28 kgs.

There are several other lifters in this category, but you get the drift. From forklifts through Walkie Stackers to this range of lifters, it is possible to not only pick up a load, it is also to raise it. The obvious advantage being to protect your back.

ONE-OFF: Long Trolley

In this edition’s ONE-OFF, we feature a 12 Mtr long trolley for one of our clients. A trolley this long takes up a semi trailer, so shipping around the country would be expensive. Fortunately, on this occasion, the client was close by.

The trolley is used to accept 12 Mtr lengths of aluminium bars from the storage rack, which firstly have to be wiped clean on the deck of the trolley. When full, the trolley is moved to another section of the factory to be installed into a machine where the manufacturing process takes place.

The trolley is 500mm wide at the top and 700mm wide at the base. The top deck at 1 Mtr height, is of galvanized sheet in order to prevent paint removal and rusting.

Eight large (200mm diameter) wheels were fitted -- all castoring -- a necessity, bearing in mind that the trolley needs to be manoeuvred around some tight turns and over grating. The wheels needed to be have a wide enough tread to cope also.

Prior to commissioning the trolley, two persons were needed to lift, clean and place the bars. Now the bars are slid onto the deck, cleaned and slid off, and several bars can be transported at once -- up to 500 Kgs worth in fact.

BOOK CLUB

Here is where I get to give my opinion on any book I choose. I usually have five books lined up and ready to read on my shelf at any one time, and have around 300 books in my bookshelf which I can’t bear to part with.

Today it is all about Jordan Belfort. He is on a tour of Australia at this time. For those who haven’t heard the name, he was The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Jordan has two books out -- The Wolf Of Wall Street and Catching The Wolf Of Wall Street. This is a true life story of one man's ability to convince others either to follow him or to part with their money.

His followers were taught how they too could get people to part with their money, thus he was able to build an empire based on shifting sand. When the tide finally washed away this foundation it was revealed that it was all built on lies and deceit. The government built up a strong enough case to bring him down, and only after the regulators offered him a deal to shop all of his cohorts, did he receive a lighter sentence.

The obscene amounts of money generated by his dodgy share dealing practices were spent on a debauched years-long party buying mansions, cars, girls, drugs, booze, you name it.

Finally, stripped of most of his millions, and after a short stint in a ‘home’ style prison, he is now travelling around the world, yet again convincing the likes of you and me to part with money, in order to hear about his former life.

I say, "Pay back all the money to those you fleeced." Then, if you can convince me that you’re not going to fleece me as well, I might sit down and have a cup of coffee with you.

For all you folk out there who want Jordan to hold your hand whilst he takes you on a journey to utopia, he is available for one-on-ones and corporate gatherings -- at a hefty fee no doubt.

Do I hear an inner voice warning me about “leopards never changing their spots”, or is that the siren song of commerce calling me to emulate Jordan’s success, no matter how dodgy the deal?

DRUM UNDER RIM CLAMP and the SPIDER

O.K. you ask, "What’s the difference between the two?" Fooled you -- they both do the same job! BUT, they do it differently.

Drum Spider

Drum Under Rim Clamp

The job they do is to lift up a drum -- be it steel or plastic -- from under the drum rim, using a hoist or a crane.

So, why would you want to do that? Because under certain circumstances you absolutely need to! For instance, when you want to lift a drum from floor level onto a mezzanine floor by crane, or when you are packing a drum into a Hazard or Overpack Drum (which is a slightly larger plastic drum, used to contain a spill from another drum, by placing it inside). The problem is that you only have a small amount of room between the drums, so the lifting device cannot be too large, or it won't come out.

When you want to lift a drum from a pallet load of drums, and you don’t want to disturb the others, then a DRUM UNDER RIM CLAMP will do the job.

The Drum Under Rim Clamp uses a scissor action. As upward pressure is applied to the two arms, more pressure is applied to the side of the drum, thereby holding it tightly.

THE SPIDER has three arms and uses a plastic loop acting as a spring, to exert pressure to the top of the drum before taking up the slack by raising the hoist. The Spider has another trick up its sleeve. Due to the three arms and the constant down pressure, the Spider can be attached to the end of a drum which is lying on its side, then by applying a vertical lift, the drum can be turned from horizontal to the upright position, which would ordinarily be performed by either using a long drum upender (this can be hard on the back, and requires a degree of skill to perform).

In each case, the drum rim prevents the clamp from riding up the drum side.

These are just two of the specialized lifting devices available from King Materials Handling. If it exists, we are sure to be able to get hold of it for you.

WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO 'ROUND FOR YOU?

For me, it’s the thought of doing something different. I get a kick out of solving problems for my clients. It stretches my known universe to think outside the box, or to find the answers to questions I hadn’t even considered prior to being asked those questions.

I can’t think of a more boring existence than having nothing to do or to think about.

I walk every night, for exercise and to clear my mind (plus, my wife threatens me with harm if I don’t do it!). Walking removes external distractions. It lets me focus on an idea or a problem, and it’s amazing what I achieve during that time.

I invented a new product the other night -- one that I think could change the world. The problem is that I don’t have the foggiest on how it can be achieved, but at least it’s the germ of an idea that I wouldn’t have gotten if it weren’t for the fact that I was able to be in my own private space for a while.

QUOTE: I have also considered many scientific plans during my pushing you around in your pram! (Letter to his son - Hans Albert Einstein - June 1918)

A JOKE

I hate all this terrorist business. I used to love the days when you could look at an unattended bag on the train or bus and think to yourself: "That’s mine."

OUR GUARANTEE - Conditions

If you send King a written quote, prior to the time of purchase, and dated within two weeks of receiving it, from any Australian-based supplier, and provided that it is possible for us to procure it, then I will offer you the same product at the same price, and give you a further $20.00 discount per item (provided the value of the item is above $200.00).

So here is the guarantee that no one else will offer you. Always look to King Materials Handling for the best and most informative advice, personal service, the ability to fabricate or modify to your requirements, and this good old fashioned price guarantee. Why would you shop anywhere else?

Kingformation #8

2011-07-18T13:25:00.003+10:00

Welcome to Kingformation Edition 8.

FEEDBACK

Great feedback folks! Thanks to all those who left comments both on the blog and via email. It seems you are really enjoying the mix.

Some want a more light-hearted look at the world, so we'll start with a question:

IS IT SAFE TO DANCE?

Click here to find the answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG4WOUB3wB4&feature=player_detailpage

Others want more in-depth looks at some of the products around, so the following article tells some of the history of, and explains what you should be looking for, in a Hand Pallet Truck (Pallet Jack). Read this before buying!

HAND PALLET TRUCKS
First, A Little History

Pallet trucks seem to have been around forever. In fact, the germ of the idea sprung from a skid pallet with wheels attached. From that came a pallet that incorporated a cam mechanism, which, when a rod was inserted into the mechanism, the wheels raised and lowered, allowing both stability and movement - as required.

Mr H. J. Framheim of Chicago, patented a hand truck, which was the forerunner of the modern day hand pallet truck. He assigned this truck design to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co of Stamford, Connecticut, who built it and refined it.

Pallet truck - totally stainless steel

Prior to this time, the Yale company had devised a crude version of a forklift, and Hyster, after using heavy-duty trucks for moving logs, also fitted forks at the front of a truck. The fact is, a hand pallet truck or skid truck in its current form came afterwards, simply because not every factory could have a truck with an engine running around the place.

Hydraulics saw the evolution from manual cam actuated levers or handles - sometimes spring assisted - to the use of a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower the forks from the legs. With the low manual force required being multiplied by the compressive force of hydraulic oil, much greater capacity loads could be lifted.

What It Is Today

The hand pallet truck is the most ubiquitous and versatile piece of equipment in industry. It is pretty much indispensable for any company that has to load and move product on pallets.

It enables any person to move a load - usually no more than 3 tonnes in weight - relatively easily, simply by pumping the handle, then pulling on the truck.

No licence required. Simple to understand and use. Low cost. Virtually maintenance-free. Very few moving parts. Very difficult to damage if used properly.

What Makes A Good Pallet Truck?

Pallet trucks used to be expensive. The good ones were always much more expensive than the bad ones. Today, all pallet trucks are reasonably priced, and most are worth buying, but beware of the lemons.

Lemons often come with the following: Cheap manufacturing techniques, poorer grades of steel, thinner material, poor quality pistons, odd sized and second rate hydraulic seals, and generally poor design.

Because price is no longer the only indication of quality, you need to look for the following if you want a long lasting truck:

The load rating should be a minimum of 2500 Kgs (unless it is a special purpose or modified truck). Pallet loads rarely exceed this weight.

To gain extra strength in the forks, the channel section is usually reinforced at the rear where it meets the upright section. An option is to bend the channel once more, as if trying to complete a box section. Some manufacturers do both. The reinforced section usually runs from 100 to 300mm back along the underside of the forks. Tip it up and inspect the back end.

Some forks have thinner gauge material and the steel quality is not as good as others, but this is difficult to assess unless you have a high quality and a poorer quality truck side by side, or you know the integrity of the brand. So buy from a long time merchant whom you trust.

Some trucks have adjustable tie rods. This is the rod that connects the front wheels to the torque arm at the rear. If it is adjustable, you can adjust it in order to maintain a level truck as the front wheels wear down. In effect, most people forget or don’t know it’s there and by the time the front wheels are worn down, it’s time for new wheels or to throw the truck away.

Chrome plated pistons or stainless steel pistons are superior to mild steel, some of which are hardened to a greater degree than others. The piston raises the truck from the cylinder, so it is important to check this where possible. Sales literature should point out this feature.

Hydraulic seals can make or break a pallet truck. I have seen seals so poor that a truck has started leaking within two weeks. Imagine how ripped off you would feel if that happened to you, no matter how little you had paid for it. High quality seals make a poor product perform longer, and a great product perform for donkey’s years. Again, look for or ask about the seal quality.

Generally, the hydraulic oil reservoir is best as a part of the cylinder block. There are some in which the oil is in a separate reservoir outside of the block, but they always give trouble in my experience, as the rubber/neoprene bladder cracks over time and the seal into the piston starts to leak.

Wheels are an interesting topic. I prefer the urethane tyre on a cast steel hub style, simply because it offers a slightly cushioned, less noisy, high load capacity hub. It may be argued that a solid nylon wheel offers less rolling resistance. I contend that the difference is minimal, but the benefits are appreciable. Having said that, I understand that food preparation areas may prefer solid nylon as there are usually fewer cavities to keep clean, and in places where metal swarf is an issue in penetrating a urethane tyre, a solid nylon may be preferable.

Most handles have a 3-way lever: Up/Down/Neutral. Neutral allows the user to place the lever in that position to a) bring the handle down in order to move the truck, without the load being lifted further, and b) to prevent any other person from raising the load past a pre-determined point.

Look for pallet entry wheels and or pallet entry angles (wheels are better). They assist the truck over the entry baseboard and help with a smoother exit from the pallet.

Most trucks have full loop handles with plastic comfort covers. These help when it’s cold in winter and hot in summer.

A Few Extra Points To Consider

Some trucks have grease nipples fitted, some don’t. Due to sealed long life bearings, this is not really an issue. When the truck is fitted with grease nipples however, it’s good policy to add that feature to your six monthly maintenance programme.

Urethane tyres used to come away from the steel hub after many years of use. With modern vulcanization techniques, this is not the issue it once was.

The load wheels are the ones at the front. The steer wheels are the larger diameter ones at the rear. In Australia, make sure you only buy a hand pallet truck with single load wheels - not dual. Dual load wheels are ok for Euro and skid pallets and stillages, but the standard Australian pallet (Chep & Loscam types), is configured with baseboards that allow for just enough room for single load wheels to operate successfully in. Most dual load wheels will not fit in the available space.

The Available Range

Shortened. Lengthened. Widened. Narrowed. Increased capacity. Special purpose for roll carrying. Low and ultra low profile. Galvanized or stainless steel for salty/corrosive environments. Fitted with weigh scale. Load wheels that turn sideways for carrying long lengths of timber or steel. The humble pallet truck has come a long way!

If you need to raise a load higher, then consider High Lift Pallet Trucks or Skid Lifters.

What Not To Do:

Don’t use the truck as a skateboard. Not only are they difficult to stop once you get up speed, but a runaway truck can cause serious damage to people and stock, not to mention YOU!

Don’t lift a load up by one fork. It can buckle quite easily.

Don’t lift a load by the fork ends. It is designed to take a load over the whole length and over both forks.

Don’t overload the truck. If it’s a three tonne machine you want to move, bring in a forklift, or use two pallet trucks.

Don’t neglect it. Remember: if it moves, then it needs servicing. Grease the bearings. Remove the string from the wheels. Oil the levers. Check the oil level. If it’s leaking, get the seals replaced.

Here's our latest video. This week: HAND PALLET TRUCKS.

LADDERS - TWO TYPES

There are many types of ladders. We look at two disparate ones today. Both do their particular job extremely well.

1. Folding Platform Step Ladder

The FPS Ladder is a most versatile ladder, in as much as it folds flat against the wall when not in use. For those businesses that have little space available in the aisles, this ladder is a must.

Folding step platform ladder

Used primarily for picking stock from racking or shelving, it comes ready to use straight out of the pack. Some other ladders require time, effort and tools to assemble them.

With wheels fitted, the ladder is moved around easily with very little effort due to the aluminium construction. Up to around six step size, the castors are spring loaded, which enables the padded rubber feet to sit firmly on the ground once the operator stands on the bottom rung of the ladder. In the heavier models, the four castors are fitted to a base frame, which is lowered or retracted by simply flipping a lever with the foot.

The large platform area at the top gives the operator room to move, and the three side rails look after the safety aspect. Handrails are supplied as standard. A flip-over safety arm is available as an extra, to block off the platform area completely.

For any person wanting to pick stock easily, and use no effort to move the ladder around, and to simply fold it up when space is tight, this is the ladder to consider.

Stock picking ladders are not designed to load stock onto the platform, merely to pick an item and move down the steps with it. One hand must be on the handrail at all times.

2. Mezzanine Floor Access Ladder

The Mezzalad is the ladder to consider, when you need to access a mezzanine floor, or even turn the top of the toilet block or canteen into extra storage space.

It is available in varying heights, with the latest development allowing a significant leeway in the mezzanine floor height using just one ladder model.

Simply bolt on or screw the brackets to the top edge of the mezzanine floor, then clip the ladder to the brackets. The brackets allow the ladder to do two things: a) to stow the ladder against the wall, thereby saving space when not in use, and b) to adjust the height of the ladder to the mezzanine floor level, when it is pulled out for use.

Another great design idea is that the gate at the top of the ladder acts as an extension to the guardrails fitted to the mezzanine floor itself, so you can’t inadvertently fall from the top floor where the ladder is situated.

Things To Consider

If you are turning an existing area into an upper level storage area, bring in a professional (Structural Engineer or qualified builder) to determine if it needs strengthening or is suitable for the extra load you envisage. It could be condemned later and you would have to pull it down, or it could cause serious damage to persons and property if a load fell through the ceiling.

Make sure the handrails are to correct height, and that any door or pallet access opening has a gate, which is closed when persons are using the mezzanine.

There are two ladder capacities, commercial is 130 Kgs and 150 Kgs. Domestic capacity is 100 Kgs.

Industrial ladders are manufactured to an Australian Standard. There is legislation in place relating to the sale of pre-owned ladders in as much as they must be in an original condition and be fit for purpose. If you own or operate a ladder that is damaged yet used by personnel, you may be infringing workplace safety legislation.

There is also legislation which allows only approved repairers of ladders to bring a ladder back to its original condition. If you repair it yourself, or have it repaired to a sub-standard condition and a person is injured, you, your Supervisor, your Manager and the company, are all responsible under law.

THE KING GUARANTEE

I said I would discuss The King Guarantee (as seen above) in more detail this time around. In the meantime I have been getting some back slapping emails from some of our customers and a couple of prospects.

One of the prospects asked if the guarantee meant that at any time in the future he could come back to me and ask for a refund if he found a cheaper price. I told him that it only related to the time he is shopping around in the first instance - otherwise it would never end. He said it was still a great deal. I said I would have to put in place a list of exceptions and conditions just to avoid any confusion - which is a pity - but is available to any person upon request. In the spirit of all good things, let’s take it at face value, as a guarantee that none of our competitors are willing to match.

Remember. You must show me a written bona fide quote, which we can verify. If the product is exactly the same as we are offering, but at a cheaper price, then we will not only match it, but give you a $20.00 cheaper price bonus for bringing it to our attention.

A QUICK JOKE:
Why can’t the hedgehog share the hedge?

CONVEYORS

There are so many types, that I thought I’d talk about one type in particular today, with the others being introduced progressively throughout the year.

Gravity Roller and Skate Wheel Conveyors

These are at bottom end of the conveyor spectrum, and the simplest to order 'off the shelf.'

Gravity conveyors have long been used to transfer and transport goods, be they single items or palletized, from one location to another.

Twin rollers

They come in standard lengths of 1500mm and 3000mm and in widths from 200mm to 600mm in 100mm increments. Rollers suited to conveying pallets are available as short length or twin wheel rollers (requiring two sections - one under each side of the pallet) or full width rollers.

Non-standard lengths and widths are also available. Some are stock items, but most are custom built to suit your needs.

When you measure from the middle of the top of one roller to the same point of the next one, you are measuring the pitch. So how many rollers do you need? The generally accepted norm is three rollers under the smallest item you will be running along the conveyor. Any less than that and the product will be on the high seas (up and down), and won’t roll freely.

So, for a carton measuring 100mm one way and 300mm the other, you naturally would send it down longways, and you would need rollers at 100mm pitch or less.

The most common roller diameter is 50mm. Rollers used to come in unpainted style, which quickly rusted. These days most rollers are zinc plated. Rollers can be of smaller diameters to suit the needs of smaller cartons (but could be tote boxes, pails, or almost anything that will easily roll).

For items that have irregular bases, the roller conveyor is ideal, as drums, honeycomb based crates, long lengths are easily accommodated.

The option to rollers is the skate wheel. The benefit of the skate wheel design is that is can be pitched closer together, due to the interleaving of the wheels on the shafts. It is particularly useful on an expanding flexible conveyor (which we will discuss at a later date), and truly shines as a sack conveyor when the wheels are as closely pitched as possible, as the sack wants to sag at any gap (such as on rollers), but is well supported throughout on skate wheels. So, horses for courses.

Gravity conveyors can be laid on the ground or on a bench (say for feeding steel lengths through a saw), or cartons through a strapper at bench height. They can also be placed on stands. Use fixed height for, say, running timber through a band saw, or use variable height stands where either different heights for different jobs are required or for a sloping run to allow cartons to be gravity rolled down a length. The height range is from 700mm - 1100mm measured to the top of the roller, but can be almost any height range within reason.

Gravity roller sections can be placed inside a container or pantec, and as the load is diminished, further sections are added as required. There are also unloading frames with gravity roller fitted, which allow a single operator to unload a container by rolling cartons down until they hit a level section way outside the container. From there they are then stacked onto pallets.

The channel frames housing the rollers are usually supplied as two sides, with the connecting bars separate, in order to save space during transit. The client connects the frame sides together, then places the sprung shaft rollers into position at whatever pitch best suits them.

Sections are also available which are formed bends, either 45 degrees or 90 degrees, in both skate wheel and rollers.

Kingformation #7

2011-07-12T15:14:00.003+10:00

Welcome to our 7^th edition.


Our new pledge. More about this next time!

The time just flies by. It seems like only yesterday that I started putting out this blog. In the meantime, the readership has doubled, and we are getting many more enquiries from overseas.

Don’t forget that this newsletter is also your forum for change, advertising, disseminating information, questions. Let me hear from you. Tell me the sorts of things you’d like to know about.

In this edition we look at:

A LETTER FROM CANADA: “Make people sit up and think,” says Albert
FORKLIFTS AND PEDESTRIANS: No contest!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Pallet Dispensers
SPECIAL OFFER: Pallet Trucks

A LETTER FROM CANADA: Reception of Kingformation

Today we start with a comment from an ardent follower of the Kingformation blog. Albert, writing from Canada, tells me that I’m putting a lot of work into the blog, but he’s not sure people appreciate it. He says he loves to get it, because it keeps him in touch with the materials handling world. He especially likes to hear my personal experiences from over 22 years of visiting companies, and solving materials handling problems.

He also says that I need a bombshell headline in order to get peoples’ attention, so how about this one:

AUSTRALIA PAYS OUT $1.6 BILLION DOLLARS IN WORKPLACE CLAIMS

(76% attributable to back related problems)

Would that get your attention? WorkSafe Australia is putting on more inspectors as we speak, because the problem is not diminishing. It is actually getting worse.

During the recent downturn in business, inspectors were handing out Improvement Notices, but were mindful that they could not push a business too far, for fear the business may collapse. Well, with the future looking rosier, they are not only coming to visit you very soon. But they are enforcing those notices, and where nothing happens over three months, they will take you to court. A hefty fine may be imposed, and then they will shut you down if you fail to act.

WorkSafe have also recently sponsored three CEOs to go undercover in their own workplaces, to see how health and safety is impacting their employees’ daily routines. It is very enlightening.

(Check out their video HERE)

RECENT MAJOR INCIDENTS

In one case a labour hire firm supplied a British backpacker for a warehousing operation. He drove with the forklift mast at full height, into the partly lowered roller door. The truck flipped back, then over onto one side. He was trapped under the forklift.

The other personnel quickly secured another forklift to raise the fallen unit in order to extract the man. He lost a leg.

The man had had only one week’s training on a forklift. The fines for both the labour hire company and the warehousing company were significant. The enquiry highlighted a duty of care to all personnel. These two companies failed miserably.

In another case, a young man with only two weeks on the job, decided to un-jam a pile up of cardboard from a carton-making machine. He reached in and his sleeve got caught in the mechanism. He got pulled into the machine.

Needless to say, the amount of suffering to the victim, his family, loved ones, friends, work colleagues, the company that hired him – the list goes on – could all have been avoided if the company had done a risk assessment on the machine, guarded it properly, and trained each worker on the dangers of the machine. It should have automatically shut off if a limb was anywhere near the machinery moving parts. It didn’t.

SAFETY: FORKLIFTS & PEDESTRIANS

70% of all forklift related ‘incidents’ involve pedestrians. What a horrific statement! Guess who comes off best?

Let’s take the forklift stance first. They are at their most vulnerable under the following circumstances: when the load is at height, when the mast is fully tilted back, when they traverse a gradient, going down or up an incline, when the load is too far forward, when the load is too heavy, where the driver’s view is restricted, when the fork is going too fast and braking causes forward tipping, when using a jib and the load is further forward then the forklifts working envelope, when they roll off the end of the dock, go over a spoon drain, hit a wall or racking, over cracked or uneven flooring, rolling over any object high enough to tilt the truck.

The driver is most likely to be injured or killed when a forklift topples over, falls from a height or forward tips with a load. Not to mention the trauma caused by maiming or killing a bystander.

Forklifts may cause damage to people when people are in close proximity when a load falls, when they are unseen and in the way of the vehicle, when close to blind corners, when in bright sunlight, when standing behind the forklift and are not noticed by the driver. Striking racking may cause objects to fall on people. And, needless to say, lifting persons with a forklift is both dangerous and illegal.

What can be done?

Forklifts can be fitted with speed limiters (a forklift traveling at 14 Km/hr, needs 10 Mtrs to stop). Cameras can be mounted on the fork carriage for at-height work. Seat belt legislation is enforced (all forklifts must be fitted with seat belts which cut off the engine when not buckled) and all old trucks modified to conform. Side guards (gates) can be fitted to all forklifts to prevent the driver from being slung out in a side tip. Using the horn at every corner and intersection is another way of avoiding potential danger.

Guards and barriers can be fitted to walkways. Yellow tape can delineate walkways and no go areas. Signs warning of forklift presence can be effective, as can warning lights in forklift zones. Automatically closing barriers to crossings can be installed when forklifts are to cross at the same time. Other solutions are proximity beacons showing when forklifts are in the area and corner mirrors.

Driver training which is more extensive than the current requirements is also recommended. This is where the magnitude of responsibility is impressed upon the driver of his awesome responsibility to manage a 2- 4 tonne truck in confined spaces and close to persons, and with loads that can crush and maim in an instant. There is no excuse for speeding, dangerous manoeuvres, driving with a load at height, driving without a clear view, and not looking to the rear before backing up and lifting illegally.

Furthermore, employers should undertake employee and visitor training, to ensure all parties understand their responsibilities and commitment to safety.

Keep forklifts away from pedestrians. Re-arrange your workplace so that the two never mix. I have seen it done countless times, and it works brilliantly – enforce the pedestrian walkway only areas and police the forklift only zones.

These are just some of the things you may wish to consider!

PRODUCT REVIEW: PALLET DISPENSERS

(See the King Air Pallet Dispenser video HERE)

Pallet Dispensers are pretty boring! They just sit there and spit out a pallet at ground level when you need one. So why would you buy one?

The answer is not only simple, but it could save you time and money, and possibly an injury claim or lawsuit.

Before Pallet Dispensers, the forklift would pick up a pile of, say, ten pallets and perhaps place them near a conveyor. The forklift would then take a pallet from the top of the stack and place it on the ground. When the cartons came flying down the conveyor, the operator would remove them in order to build up a pallet load.

The finished pallet would be removed from the immediate area by the forklift, and another pallet would be placed next to the operator.

This scenario allows the forklift driver to get close to the operator. It causes time to be wasted between supplying a new pallet. It allows the line to stop or bank up.

In order to prevent the forklift from coming into the manual working envelope, a delineation line was drawn. Smaller stacks were placed close to the line by the forklift, and on the other side of the line, one or two persons would grab the top pallet and place it closer to the line. This meant that smaller stacks equalled more trips, but it was a safer work environment.

What happened was that there were many more personal injuries. Handling pallets is a risky business, what with splinters, contamination, 30 – 50 Kgs of weight, and the possibility of dropping that awkward load on your foot.

What next? How about supplying a Pallet Dispenser, where the pallet is taken from the bottom of a large stack of pallets. Prior to the open front plan of the King Pallet Dispenser, the front and rear lift arms had to be physically moved out of the way, in order to allow access by the forklift. When the stack had been deposited, the arms were moved back into position ready to pick up the stack from the second pallet up, in order for the operator to remove the pallet on the floor, using a hand or powered pallet truck.

King Materials Handling Engineers looked at the range of Dispensers on the market, and was struggling with a better design, when the legendary Ralph Leigh of Leigh Engineering offered to sell his design for an operated dispenser. It was the only one of its type that I knew of.

We bought one from him and then bought the rights to manufacture. We changed a couple of things to make it even better, for example, adding a torque arm so that both sides operated at exactly the same time and a couple of extra limit switches to further aid synchronicity.

Since that time, the King Air Pallet Dispenser has been chosen by some of the top international companies and many others. It features a completely open front access and really tough sheet metal side walls with a front taper for pallet guidance.

Being fully air operated, it can work from an existing air line, or it can be supplied with its own compressor if the shop air supply is being maximized.

You can literally throw a forklift at it and it wont break. You can jam it up completely, and it becomes un-jammed after taking the rogue pallet out, without so much as a whimper from the mechanism.

We have had a few companies copy us. Most don’t get it right, or spend enough money on making it tough.

For those customers who don’t like the idea of hydraulic oil leaking on the food preparation or warehouse floor, the King Air Pallet Dispenser is the answer. By the way, we also now offer a hydraulic version for those who actually prefer the electronic touch pad futuristic look.

We now manufacture them all with a 15 pallet base, then add chutes to bring the pallet stack number up (max 20). The reason being that the 15 pallet base fits in a standard pantec truck. We do however have one only 18 pallet unit at a BARGAIN price (contact me if interested). The only snag is that it needs either a low deck, low loader or tray truck to deliver it, as it’s too tall for a pantec.

SPECIAL OFFER: HAND PALLET TRUCKS

Almost every business uses Hand Pallet Trucks to move pallets around. For the next two weeks we are offering our standard Easylift Hand Pallet Truck to you for a saving of $95.00.

Usual price is $595.00 + GST. Your price is $500.00 + GST, plus delivery.


Hand Pallet Trucks

A choice of 685mm or 540mm wide x 1150mm long forks offered. Both are rated at 2500 Kgs. Safety Yellow powder coated finish with black handle.

3 way operating lever in wrap around handle. Hard chromed piston and ram. German sourced hydraulic seals. Single load rollers. Lead in and exit rollers to make access and egress from pallets easier. Rollers and rear wheels have urethane tyres for cushioned rolling and minimum swarf pick up.

Because you are a loyal recipient of the Kingformation blog, you are able to take advantage of these low prices. Those who do not receive Kingformation cannot access these fortnightly special offers.

Don’t forget: these offers are always only available up to the next fortnightly blog. They will not be available for even one day after, and we may never repeat this particular offer.

JOKE

(This is in lieu of another music video clip). The response from the last one was – to say the least – amazing. Remember Brandi Carlile’s - I Was Made For You? Well, many people commented on the fact that they saw it on Gray's Anatomy sung by Sara Ramirez and loved it. They also thought it very fitting as song for my friend who recently found a soul mate. That relationship is still blossoming by the way – and thanks for asking. (I will keep you posted).

Patrol car pulls over a blonde. “Get out of the car, and keep your hands where I can see them he calls out”. “Young lady, you were weaving all over the road, and I can smell alcohol on your breath”. The girl is tipsy and keeps wandering away from the car.

The officer grabs some chalk and draws a semi circle by the car, and says “Don’t step outside that circle or else”. Being drunk, she abuses the officer. The officer gets his night stick out and breaks off a mirror. “That’ll teach you not to abuse me,” he says. The girl starts to laugh.

“You think that’s funny do you?” he says, and puts a dent in the car door. The girl laughs again, and the officer turns around and smashes the windscreen. The girl laughs again, so he turns around and dents the bonnet. He turns back and she is giggling still.

“What’s wrong with you, aren’t you getting the message?” She says, “I fooled you. Every time you turned your back on me, I stepped outside of the circle!”

Hey, I didn’t say it was a great joke did I?

Kingformation #6

2011-06-27T14:36:00.081+10:00

Welcome once again to Kingformation, the blog that deals with all things Materials Handling. Sometimes we deal with esoteric subjects. Why? Because we can, and most people think a few side issues are refreshing and interesting – so they tell me!

If you want a question answered, or you want to give an opinion, or you have some amazing news to impart then feel free to do so. Just contact me by e-mail.

In this issue we look at:

HIGH LIFT PALLET TRUCKS VERSUS SKID LIFTERS: Both are great products and widely used. We discuss the merits of each type
SAFETY: Lost Limb Test. Potentially lethal systems investigated
MANUAL TURNTABLES: Are they useful or dodgy?
SPECIAL OFFER: Flo-King Faucet
PERSONAL: A human connection story

PRODUCT REVIEW: HIGH LIFT PALLET TRUCKS VERSUS SKID LIFTERS

Click here to see the video

High Lift Pallet Trucks - Manual

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH LIFT PALLET TRUCKS & SKID LIFTERS?

The High Lift Pallet Truck cannot be moved when the lifter is raised above 300mm, whilst the Skid Lifter can be. In all other respects they are similar.

They each have a minimum load carrying capacity of 1000 Kgs.

WHEN WOULD I USE THESE LIFTERS?

If you have packs of sheet material, lengths of timber, sheets of paper in a stack, and you need to feed them into a machine which is at a set height, then the lifter can be raised incrementally, either manually by foot or hand hydraulic pump, or by battery electric powerpack, to bring the top of the stack in line with the machine bed height.

Hand powered skid lifter

WHY CAN’T I USE AUSTRALIAN PALLETS?

These lifters are only suited to skid pallets with no bottom boards on the end you push the lifter into. Using a conventional pallet with bottom boards, means that you will try to pull the top and bottom boards apart.

HOW CAN I GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM?

A standard pallet can be placed onto a skid pallet, or the process pallets can be skid pallets, whilst the final pallets can be standard. You can also get your raw material brought in on skid pallets or even stillages with no base restriction from one side.

King brings in the widest range of High Lift Pallet Trucks and Skid Lifters. As usual, the quality is high, but the price is reasonable.

Battery Powered Skid Lifter

WHICH TYPE IS BEST?

If you need to move the load whilst it is in the ‘up’ position, then the Skid Lifter is the only option. If you prefer the fact that it cannot be moved, whilst being used, then this safety aspect associated with the high lift pallet truck range will appeal to you.

SAFETY

Never allow yours or anyone else’s body or body parts in or under the scissor mechanism. When servicing, the scissor legs should be prevented from moving by chocking. I always place a 100mm square block of wood straight through the scissor mechanism as a secondary fail-safe. If the chock was to fall out, the large block prevents total collapse.

A Skid Lifter should only be moved when the load is unlikely to topple, and there are no persons in the vicinity.

Never overload the lifter. Look for the sign that states the Working Load Limit and don’t exceed it.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SERVICING?

Keep an eye out for leaks. If oil is starting to leak from the seals, get it serviced. Look out for worn or bent parts. If something is squeaking or grinding, it needs inspecting. Grease the chain occasionally, and oil moving parts monthly. Ensure all guards are in place.

SAFETY TIP: LOST LIMB TEST

Supervisors and factory Managers need to look at each section of their plant and work out how to get around the safety systems.

Inspect each manufacturing process very carefully, then determine one or more ways that you could deliberately sabotage the process. By doing so you are looking to lose a limb – in theory!

If you circumvented that guard on the milling machine, would it stop within the time it takes to get a digit close to the cutter? If it is possible for an object to be milled to get caught or twisted, because the clamping run-through systems are not fool proof, what would happen to the wood or steel being milled and what would happen if the operator tried to correct it?

If the rollers that pull product from the in-feed section can be broached, then the next person who tries to free a jammed object may get sucked into the machine by his clothing or a limb becoming caught in a freed and speeding conveyor.

If a safety guard was to be left off a machine, what could be the outcome if the power supply was suddenly turned on whilst it was being serviced?

I think you understand where I’m coming from.

If you can in any way, and for any reason whatsoever, circumnavigate the machines defences, and you act to prevent the possibility of an accident occurring, then you have fulfilled your duty of care in that respect. We are not talking of training here, just machinery safeguarding.

You can never have too many safeguards, but you can have too few. So begin by making a log for every one of the processes in your factory. Record firstly the existing process. Record how you have tried to sabotage the process, and with what results. Then record the possible consequences of a breach. Record the remedy/ies actioned, then test again.

Did you remove one or more guards, then turn on the power? Did you check to see if the pressure mat was moved, or the light curtain had been knocked out of alignment, could the machine still work? Are the feed-in rollers ready to collapse if a decent weight is put on them?

What would happen if the operator loaded more product into the machine than it could safely handle?

Go to extremes, because that’s what humans sometimes do. It may be that the operator who has looked after that particular machine and knows its every whim is off sick, and a newbie takes over. Act like you have no clue. Act like you of course will use that broom handle to clear a jam. Act like you would naturally reach for a chair to peer over the guard – with the possibility of falling in. Act as though you have long hair, which might get caught in moving machinery. Act as though you have open toed sandals, and the machine vice is falling onto your toes.

Think way outside of the box in order to contain the operator within a box – that box where they are safe, and get to go home every night.

MANUAL TURNTABLES

Paldisc

When you need one, you have absolutely no option.

There are several types, from open framed to fully enclosed. They all perform one function – to rotate a load.

If you are moving a heavy reel of cable along a passageway, then want to turn a corner but there’s no room, a low profile turntable that enables you to achieve a right angle turn is the answer.


Palring

If a load sitting on a scissor lift or spring operated scissor lift table needs to be rotated because it’s easier for the operator to stand still and let the load come to him, then a turntable is the answer.

Off-loading cartons from the end of a conveyor? It’s easier to rotate the pallet sitting on a turntable, rather than run around the pallet – and much quicker to build the load.

Drive your car to the end of the path and onto a turntable and you are quickly facing in the opposite direction – manual tilt or power rotate options.

Go to every large exhibition – especially those featuring cars – and powered turntables will be there in abundance, allowing you to view every aspect of the car without you moving.

Spin-it

Theatre in the round features a massive powered turntable to give every person in the audience an opportunity to see their idol – at least fleetingly! Other theatres can build two sets on one turntable and rotate the scenes instantly.

We at King Materials Handling have taken the powered turntable and turned it into the King Powered Turntable – Stretch Wrapper. This is the stretch wrap machine that straddles between manual and semi-auto stretch film wrapping.

As I say, a very useful item, but not one that needs to be talked about around the dinner table – unless there’s a pregnant pause and you want to fill the silence.

SPECIAL OFFER: 50mm FAUCET BY FLO-KING

Flo-King Faucet

This week's offer is the popular Flo-King polyethylene 50mm faucet / tap. It is used for most viscous liquids, as the full 50mm bore is available when the tap is turned 180o.

The seals are resistant to most chemicals, but if in doubt, please contact me.

It fits all 50mm standard 200 Ltr drums. Some plastic drums require the use of an adaptor (which we also sell for $48.00 + GST).

The Flo-King Faucet usually sells for $98.00 + GST. For the next two weeks only, the price is reduced to $82.00 + GST.

PERSONAL

Josh sent me an e-mail, asking me about including some personal stuff in the newsletter. I kindly replied that what’s in my head stays there. He said that if I’m ever going to connect with my audience, I’ll have to give more of myself.

I said I didn’t know where to start. However, I recently spoke to a very good friend of mine who has not had a meaningful relationship for a very long time, but had found a special person with whom he could connect easily. Although he wasn’t sure if it would pan out in the long run, he hoped it would last, as he could now tell his inner most thoughts to another human being with whom he could relate.

It made me think of a song that fit the bill for him. Here’s the connecting link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pQLtHTPaI

Welcome to Kingformation #5

2011-06-13T15:00:00.002+10:00

ERRATA

O.K. so I’m fallible! In the last edition, I went on about how much better it is to use a safety harness when up in the air in a Safety Cage, and the cage depicted had two loops for clipping the safety harness on to. Well I got a well-deserved bollocking from Ron King at East West Engineering, of whom we have been a dealer for many, many years. Ron wants to set the record straight.

He tells me that although it is true the safety cage has no requirement to have harness hooks, his company offers them as an option.

He also tells me that the design featured on the safety cage shown, would probably not pass the current Australian Standard unless it had certification to show that it complied. In this case it would not. Ron’s design shows a bent steel plate with welded heavy duty bolts, which along with a backing plate and nyloc nuts, bolts through the frame close to both edges of the cross brace. It is designed, certified and built to the Standard.

So those two bent rods shown in the pic can now be used to hang your coat on, and the hooks will in future be labeled ‘two coat hangers’ and optional certified harness restraints will be offered along with the appropriate signage.

Thank you Ron for taking time out to bring this to my attention. If I have stated something that needs to be corrected, please let me know. After all, this is a public forum where everyone gets to have their say, and a little controversy now and again is good. So is a little wrist slapping.

THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER INCLUDES:

# SAFETY TIP: Lifting techniques. What not to do.

# PRODUCT REVIEW: Overhead Gantry Cranes, and how they changed one company’s WorkSafe record.

# BACK PAIN: The Back Aid and other pain relieving devices.

# PRODUCT OFFER: This week it is the turn of the humble but very versatile Drum Dolly.

SAFETY TIP: LIFTING TECHNIQUES – WHAT NOT TO DO!

DON’T:

Be a hero. If what you intend to lift is marked with a weight that you’re not comfortable with, get a friend or colleague to help.
Bend Over. Keep your back straight and bend your knees when lifting.
Stand on anything other than a step stool, ladder or scaffold. Standing on a rickety drum, the table, or someone’s shoulders will end up in tears and a stay in bed – at the minimum!
Carry hot or hazardous liquids without proper personal protection. One spill and you can be scarred for life.
Pick up long and/or awkward objects by yourself. Enlist help always.

Remember that items such as hand trucks, flatbed and scissor lift trolleys were invented to make your life easier and safer. I’m sure you’d rather go home this evening and play with your kids or your partner than being in pain or hospital (or both). Risky lifting is just not worth it.

PRODUCT REVIEW: OVERHEAD CRANES AND HOW ONE COMPANY CHANGED ITS WHOLE FOCUS ON OPERATOR SAFETY

The company in question is a leading motor components parts company. They struggled for years to overcome some product handling issues. Each fix was a make do and mend, designed to solve the problem for the least amount of money.

The company was increasingly becoming known to WorkSafe due to a number of issues surrounding the safety of operatives. One of the major issues was that of operators having to lift plastic crates full of parts, from the conveyor lines onto pallets, building up a stack ready for removal by walkie stacker, then transported to an area away from the welding machines, and into a holding area, where they would be collected by a forklift for consolidation and storage elsewhere.


2-axes Gantry Crane

The second major issue was in the order packing area of another plant, where crates of parts were retrieved from pallet racking, and again used to build up a pallet load ready for shipping to clients.

The company was bought out by an overseas international in a similar line of business. With increasing pressure from WorkSafe and the parent company wishing to set a good example of a safe working environment, the Safety Officer and the Chief Engineer were set a task and offered funding in order to resolve these long running issues.

It was identified that a single operator might shift as much as two tonnes in weight over the course of a shift, albeit in 15 Kg increments (the weight of the loaded crate).

I was asked to liaise with the two company representatives to determine if there was a simple, effective and cost efficient solution to their problems.

The task involved a complete change of mindset from the low cost semi-fixes of the past, to a complete fix based upon realistic goals and with funding to match.

I determined that the only solution was to fit overhead, two axes gantry cranes with hoists. This gave the operator an area in which to work, using only the hoist to raise, move and lower the plastic crates, so no manual labour would be involved.

The first requirement was to examine the plastic crates, in order to determine common denominators at both plants. An end effector (pick up device) was required, to be used one-handed, as the other hand was on the hoist control pendant.

We fabricated several options, and as each was tested and rejected, the Engineer at the plant took time to discuss the preferred end effector design with the individual operators in order to ensure that they ‘owned’ it.

Having decided upon a crate pick up device, the next step was to decide which type of crane would be best suited to each plant. The manufacturing plant required cantilever gantry cranes where the aisle was covered, but where columns were on one side only, as there was no room for columns on the other.

The second plant went for the traditional style with columns on each side, and the area between the columns was available to the hoist. Prior to the crane, the crates were removed from the pallet racking. In the new model, the racking was removed. A yellow line was painted on the floor beyond which only the operator’s walkie stacker could roam. On the other side would be the forklift.

Pallets were laid out with different product on each of both sides of a central aisle. In the centre aisle was placed a row of empty pallets. The operators used the hoist to pick up crates from any of the stock pallets in order to build up orders in the middle aisle. When completed, the pallet would be taken to the yellow line for the forklift to pick up and store or ship.

Problems solved. WorkSafe are happy. The company has saved on injuries and claims. The parent company is showing it is acting responsibly. The Engineer and Safety Officer received commendations for their work. The operators are healthier and safer.

WIN - WIN! GOOD NEWS ABOUT BACK PAIN

I have a vested interest in this subject, as some time ago I bought the rights and the patent to a product called Ezi-Disc. I was drawn to it a) because I had a bad back, and b) I witnessed the letters of appreciation from many back sufferers.

John Pope is now 82. He invented the Ezi-Disc after suffering incredible back pain (he was down to 25% productivity) after years of moving furniture around in his retail furniture store. The surgeon recommended a spinal fusion as the only remedy – with no guarantees, mind you.

John Pope on The Back Aid

Traction was the only thing that helped, but John had to make an appointment a week prior to each visit, and had to travel for two hours each way on public transport. So he made his own self traction device.

I changed the design so that the parts could be placed into a small carton, as the original was a heavy and large steel frame. I renamed it The Back Aid, partly because the word ‘disc’ meant a CD in modern parlance.

The letters that John gave me (and I have since collected more) are from people who in some cases have travelled the world looking for an answer to their back, sciatica and neck pains. Some letters are downright tearjerkers. Most are just grateful that John’s contraption was able to help them.

You simply step into the frame, turn around. Put your feet on the footrests and place your elbows and forearm on the cushioned arm rests. You then take your feet off the footrests and allow your arms to support your body weight. Your body is now in self-traction, which elongates the spine, taking pressure off nerve endings and discs. It’s very simple. You only need a few seconds or half a minute each session.

Some people get instant results or satisfaction. Many say they feel relief. Most understand that continuous use will bring about long lasting benefits, by engaging in the mild exercise regime of leg lifts, hip swivels and shoulder shrugs that are designed to strengthen the muscle groups around your lower spinal area. This in turn helps support your spine.

By removing pressure from discs and nerve endings, the area is flooded with endorphins, the body’s ‘feel good’ chemicals. When the pain eases, you are starting to break the cycle. Some sciatica sufferers get instant relief. One woman who purchased The Back Aid came back to see me a week later, to tell me that for the first time in five years she had experienced a pain free sleep, and was delighted.

The Back Aid is priced at $780.00 inclusive of GST. It is registered as a Pharmaceutical Appliance. If your Doctor gives you a letter of recommendation, you can claim the cost of The Back Aid back from RTA, Medibank, and some other workplace insurers.

PRODUCT OFFER: DRUM DOLLY

The King Drum Dolly is a very versatile piece of equipment. In Kingformation # 2, I offered the King Drum De-Header to you.

When you cut off the heads of your steel drums, you then place the drum onto the Drum Dolly and use it as a waste bin.

Drum Dolly

If you save the lid, you can user the bin as a waste rag bin, or a waste food bin. The lid keeps the odours at bay.

The Drum Dolly is fully welded and zinc plated. The castors used are approximately four times stronger than your average Chinese drum dolly. The design is low profile, which makes it hard to tip the drum over, as the centre of gravity is low.

Usual price is $220.00 + GST. This offer price is $180.00 + GST.
Tip: If the waste bin rusts out, use the King Drum De-Header to take the bottom of the drum off, and the drum can be flattened for ease of disposal.

AND FOR THOSE WHO MISSED THIS AMAZING VIDEO IN KINGFORMATION #2 ABOUT THE KING POWERED TURNTABLE - STRETCH WRAPPER, HERE IT IS ...

The King Powered Turntable - Stretch Wrapper

Welcome to Kingformation #4

2011-05-30T12:47:00.003+10:00

Well, it seems as though the economy is picking up rapidly from the low times around the end of last year, when pretty much everything fell into a hole.

After realizing that the world is not actually coming to an end, and that the banks and politicians won’t bankrupt us – try as they may – then business had to start buying again, especially as June is traditionally the month when those who still have budgets that are in surplus have to get rid of excess funds, or next financial year’s budget gets slashed.

We at King have seen an uptake in safety related products such as Safety Cages and harnesses, so much so that I have dedicated a section to this subject, along with working at height, as I get many calls about this subject.

‘WOW’ has been the most common response to our Freight Select article in Kingformation #2. It seems that any person or business that sends freight wants to know how to send it the cheapest way possible. Below, I write about how it actually works.

Some readers want the specials offered in our past blogs to carry on through. Sorry, but each offer is strictly limited to two weeks - the interval between blogs – or we would bankrupt ourselves! Remember these are genuine offers with the tiniest of margins, just because you are a Kingformation recipient. We could never sustain them or we would be knocking on your door looking for a jam butty – preferably with tea! We might even have to intercept your old clothes before you donate them to Vinnies.

SAFETY AT HEIGHT:
SAFETY CAGE FOCUS

The King Safety Cage

Today we talk about working safely at height. The King Safety Cage enjoys robust sales, because it is the one product that legally allows one or two persons access to anything at height, using a suitable forklift to raise them.

It is featured in the Australian Standard AS 1418:1, where a design is shown and which can be registered with the relevant authority for use in the workplace.

There are variations on the theme, such as fold-down types, doors placed on different sides, more open or closed mesh, handrails in different places. But they all conform generally to the Standard.

The King Safety Cage incorporates castors to enable the unit to be moved and stored easily. It is fully welded and shipped out with the rear top section as a separate bolt on item in order to save on shipping costs.

I am not a fan of folding or knock down kit units. They were designed to save on freight – which is a one-off event. From that point on it has to be assembled. If I’m up in the air in a cage which someone forgot to assemble correctly, or it moves around when I pull on the hand rails, then, well, call me old fashioned, but I like to be in something that’s really solid.

The King Safety Cage has two heavy duty steel loops onto which a lanyard is attached. The lanyard clips onto a full safety harness for those persons in the cage. The legislation states that if a safety railing is 900mm high, then a person is protected from falling. A safety cage has a 900mm high full surround (with internal hand rails and an inner opening sprung door), so it is deemed safe. HOWEVER, if I were sending one or two persons up in a cage, and IF that person reached out beyond the cage and fell, then I would be very relieved that the secondary safety device had saved their life, and allowed me and the operator’s family to sleep at night.

I recommend purchasing the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) every time. Look upon it as cheap insurance. How much would it cost to insure an operator working at height if you approached your insurance company? For under a dollar a day, you know you have done your part.

Can you actually use a Safety Cage on your forklift or stacker? The Standard lays down parameters as to which types of forklifts and walkie stackers may be used. It relates to the capacity of the forklift, the tare weight of the cage and the maximum weight of the personnel and their tools or equipment. Not all forklifts and stackers are viable – mainly those in the lower load capacity – which are generally less than 1500 Kgs SWL. A sticker with the load limitations shown must be displayed prominently on every cage.

I have been asked to build safety cages outside the acceptable guidelines. Sorry, but I wont be a party to that.

I have been asked to re-sticker a rusted out safety cage. Sorry, but it needs to be scrapped.

Some bosses do not take worker safety seriously. For a few extra dollars they could buy the best and be assured they are legal and have a well made, long lasting product.

Safety Cages are NOT stock picking cages. They are designed to allow maintenance, painting, light changing, etc. With just a couple of hundred kilos available in load capacity, there is not much extra capacity for a load as well as an operator and the weight of the cage.

Operators must check that the cage has been well secured to the forklift (usually chains which wrap around the carriage and clip or shackle back to the cage, plus the fork sleeve extensions built into the cage, and have a pin which sits behind the heel of the fork tine) before they enter the cage.

Forklift drivers should position the cage directly beneath or as close as possible to the area the operators need to reach, without them having to reach out beyond arms length. Lower the cage when finished, then move to the next area and raise the cage again.

Moving personnel at height is not good practice if it can possibly be avoided. If it is absolutely necessary, get help as another pair of eyes on the ground at all times is beneficial, along with the area you are working in being roped off, with warning signs advising that work is being performed above.

The forklift plus cage should always move at a slow pace. The driver’s vision may be impaired due to the height of the cage and persons. Never raise the cage if the cage and forklift are not on level ground. Always be aware of potential hazards that may be above the person in the cage. There is a safety guard which will touch any overhead object (hopefully) first, but be aware of low hanging pipes, electrical wiring etc, prior to raising the cage, and always advise personnel in the cage to be aware of what’s around and above them, advising them to hail the driver if any impending danger is spotted.

GRIPE OF THE MONTH:
BUY CHEAP AND PAY DEARLY

I come in contact with some people who absolutely, positively MUST buy the cheapest product on the market, and quite frankly it pains me. Most times I just can’t help them, as they trawl the internet looking at price only.

Most people over time come to recognize that the phrase “You get what you pay for” is pretty much how it is.

Lord knows I have been guilty time and again of buying that ‘bargain’, only to witness its underperformance, poor manufacture, short useful life and early demise. Early on, I followed the saga of one importer of cheap Chinese hand pallet trucks who thought that by buying in a container lot of product, he would make a killing. That transaction brought him very close to bankruptcy, as one by one the products were recalled or sent back due to leaks or simply not working.

I also opened the door when opportunity knocked. I looked at a triple piston high lift pallet truck and bought just six. The first one I sold locally so that I could monitor it under working conditions. After two weeks it started to leak. I swapped it over for another new unit, and investigated the problem. The local hydraulic seal supplier told me that the size of seal used was not available here – Strike 1. I took the whole complex cylinder arrangement to a specialist repairer. He had it for two weeks and declared it fixed, cost $350.00. I fitted it back in the lifter, and within five minutes it was leaking from two seals - Strike 2. I took it back to him and asked for it to be fixed free of charge. It came back one week later with another bill for over $300.00. I didn’t pay. I tested the unit under load and sure enough a day later it started leaking again. I found out that the cylinder sizes were all non standard, and that when pumped up, the three sections caused bowing, thereby creating stress on the seals which induced leaking – Strike 3.

I found a renowned manufacturer in China who only made single cylinder lifters, and used hardened chrome plated cylinders and German hydraulics and seals. I replaced the client’s faulty unit, then chopped up the six units and sent them to the scrap yard – the best move I ever made.

Most of the early wave of Chinese design knockoffs were of poor quality. I can visualize the meeting around the Chinese industrialists table: “Let’s make ten million angle grinders that we can flood the world with, at a price no other country can compete with.” “What level of quality do we need?” asks another. “Well, if you buy at the lowest price, you cannot expect high quality too.” Drinks all round.

Time and again, I vowed never to buy cheap tools, only to add them to the cart on my way through the hardware store. They always underperformed. They always failed early.

Tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of manufacturers around the globe went bankrupt, whilst the Chinese showed us how to dominate the high volume/thin margin world of manufacturing.

Some non-Chinese manufacturers got lean and mean quickly. Some got smarter or changed tack. Some evaluated their market place and chose to become better at what they do. Some lifted quality. Some became specialists in their chosen field. Some work only on one-offs, specials, bulky low volume items.

As customers, we have benefited from this paradigm shift in manufacturing by enjoying a lower cost of living.

The other side of the coin is that jobs in manufacturing have been lost. Skill sets have diminished or disappeared. We have become a throw away society where the cost of repairing a product is less than a new one. Products last a fraction of their original lifetime; therefore we spend as much buying three, where we previously bought only one. Our rubbish tips are overflowing. We have to recycle just to stay afloat.

The Chinese, in their wisdom, saw the light and heeded the complaints (after most competition had been eliminated). They started to team up with foreign manufacturers with deep pockets and quality know how. The terms as always were: “You can’t do it alone here, you must partner with a Chinese company, and you must freely give of your intellectual property (IP).” Many western companies dived in, thinking about the cheaper cost of manufacture, and the bottom line profitability of shedding of jobs in their existing plants.

Many got their fingers burnt. The Chinese have been in commerce long before the west. They know how to play the game and how to win. The government supports business with long term plans and objectives that the west can never match. Top levels of business and government officials always have hands in each other’s pockets.

We, however, can make a choice. We can buy the better quality products coming out of China, because they now represent value for money. We can buy from other countries. We can support the few products that are made locally, provided they offer the same value and which may offer an advantage of local spare parts, service, or better customer service. But we might pay more for these advantages.

I bought a very high quality hammer and crow bar set from my local tool/engineering store recently. It was reasonably priced, and was marked ‘Made Proudly in America’. I wondered how they could compete, but then thought, “They understand the tide has turned. The world is getting back to quality over price – about time.”

In Marketing 101, I was told never to forget that the customer is only ever interested in an OUTCOME. Sell a drill to make holes - NO. Sell a drill because he or she needs to put up a shelf. The drill needs to represent the value the customer places on the pride of owning a quality product at a reasonable price, rather than buy cheap and throw away early.

I don’t do cheap any more. I like the American hammer, and am proud to own and use it. I wish we made more products like that here. Maybe we could, and sell them around the world – with pride.

Meanwhile we continue to offer an OUTCOME to our customers. It might feature a vast array of materials handling equipment. It might just be good old-fashioned advice.

FREIGHT SELECT:
THE POWER TO COMPARE RATES AND SAVE – BIG TIME

Judging by the calls I’ve received about my teaser in a previous Kingformation article, many of you seem very impressed with Freight Select. I’m not really surprised with the reaction. After all, who wouldn’t want to save money on freight costs? I will explain the system further.

Freight Select is the brainchild of Jim Leigh – a serial entrepreneur. He wanted a way to determine how much it would cost him in freight to get his products into every Bunnings store. The way every company does it is to either get a freight company rep in, who looks at your range and then sets a price, or for you to contact a few companies prior to shipping the goods to determine which company is cheapest.

Both methods are flawed. The first locks you into a price for which you have no comparison, and for which the transport company has taken into account how much it is going to cost them to ship your easy products, versus the cost of shipping the hard ones. In other words – it is a compromise.

The second method takes time and effort.

Freight Select allows you to get up to six transport companies’ freight rates. They can be entered into the program electronically or by keying. You also enter your product sizes and weights.

To send a pallet to, say, Sydney from Melbourne, simply select your product, multiply by the quantity and voila! Freight Select compares rates instantly and highlights the savings. It ranges from this simple example to a much wider range of options and freight management tools. It allows management to compare freight rates for a product into every postcode in New South Wales, for example, or a single postcode elsewhere, thereby determining overall costs including freight. Another tool compares your freight bill to the original quote, and so it goes on. For a miserly sum per week, the smartest, instant freight comparator can be yours.

Contact me if you wish to know more.

SPECIAL OFFER: THINK & GROW RICH – THE BOOK
By Napoleon Hill. Forward by Stuart Zadell

It has sold more copies than the Bible.

The one book every person MUST read in their lifetime, if they have ANY intention of changing their life and their lifestyle.

Napolean Hill spent 25 years interviewing and researching the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. His findings, and the common threads that bind all entrepreneurs, are distilled into 355 pages.

He tells the secrets of success. He invites you to emulate them. He stimulates your curiosity. He wants you to THINK & GROW RICH.

Stuart Zadell runs Think & Grow Rich Seminars, bringing together teachers of profit making ventures. He commissioned this 71st Anniversary Edition. He offers free entry to his seminars through gift coupons in the book.

Only $10 plus postage within Australia. Contact me at ron@kinggroup.com.au for your copy.

Wise company bosses buy a copy for every employee. Never before has this book been offered at such a low price.

I have owned this book for over thirty years. I have read it at least 15 times. I never tire of the messages, the thought provoking and inspirational tales of those who have made good and how they did it.

Welcome to Kingformation #3

2011-05-16T13:26:00.002+10:00

Wonderful responses from all of our friends relating to the content of the blog. Thank you! I never thought I could have so much fun writing it. It just flows.

The Safety Tip today is of interest to all those who work at height or are responsible for sending staff up. That’s a pun. I know we all do it, but in the serious world of working at height, it also brings with it a great deal of responsibility.

I hope you enjoy today's blog, and feel free to contribute. Let me know what you want to know about or what you have to say to our readers. They are interested in your experiences as well as mine.

SAFETY TIP: FORKLIFT AND WALKIE STACKER OPERATION AND LICENSING

Following on from last week’s epic about the dangers of forklifts and how pedestrians and forklifts should not mix, this weeks topic talks about the operators of the machines that lift, move and stack our pallets of products. In a later edition we’ll talk about stackers and lifters and their role in assisting the operator.

A forklift license is a very handy piece of paper to have. After suitable training, it allows a person to operate a forklift. It can bring an increase in remuneration, more variety and MASSIVE responsibility, which some operators never seem to grasp.

Training starts at an approved training school. Theory is matched with examples. Questions are designed to elicit responsible and considered answers. Most of it is common sense, but as we know sense is not common.

Safety is at the heart of the training. Yes, you must always look behind you before backing up – the exception is the day you strike an 80 Kg person with a 2 tonne monster.

Why must you never cross a sloping gradient with a load? Well the load is likely to topple the forklift sideways with you in it. So why do you have to buckle up before moving off? Because if it tips over, you will be in the truck and not under it.

Speeding with a loaded forklift is witnessed at many, many premises, where the overconfident driver strives to impress the boss and onlookers, that is until he can’t stop in time to prevent a serious accident. Drivers who do not make waves are the ones who rarely have an accident.

Training is complemented by on-the-job experience and a driver must log a considerable number of hours under guidance from a qualified driver at the work place. Hopefully the work place trainer is a responsible, safe person.

We have all seen the pictures of a forklift lifting another forklift, or lifting something on to a mezzanine floor, and we marvel at the incredible stupidity of such actions. Yet, many incidents of lifting persons on pallets or moving loads so heavy that the forklift is tipping over is only stabilized by a few guys hanging off the back end. So for all of the training, where does the buck stop? With the forklift driver of course – initially! Then the Supervisor, the Manager, the CEO eventually, all take the rap and the hefty fines for a workplace incident that sometimes results in the death of a colleague. The business gets a tarnished reputation and a family grieves.

So, future forklift operators: take your job very seriously, and NEVER stray from the righteous and safe path, no matter who tells you otherwise. Oh, and take it slow and steady. The boss will praise you for not giving the firm a bad reputation, because he understands that fast can be dangerous.

Strangely enough, a Walkie Stacker operator is not required to have a license to drive this class of machine. There is some contention as to whether or not a ride-on version (where a stand folds down, which allows the motor to operate) requires a license. Contact WorkSafe or your equivalent state body to find out.

ALL forklifts and stackers should be policed by the company operating them. This should be in the form of a log book, which determines just who in your organization is responsible for training. The trainer ensures that operators are fit to drive, after lessons and practical tests have been performed. The log book is signed by the trainer. No other person must drive that truck unless also suitably trained.

Walkie stackers have forklift blades, which if left at height can pierce a persons face, or blind them when they walk into it. They can carry up to 1.5 tonnes of product, which can topple onto a person standing nearby if the load is unsecured, or the stacker tries to roll over a discarded pallet board.

Checks on the working state of the equipment is the responsibility of the user. Some checks must be performed at the start of each day, others are weekly or monthly. NEVER operate a forklift or walkie stacker when it is faulty. If faulty, place a ‘Do Not Use’ sign on it, and call the Supervisor. If the operator drives a truck which is faulty and an accident occurs, the driver is responsible firstly, then the management.

So, check the safe usability of the truck. Look first, often and always at the environment and ahead (or behind). Go slow. Keep pedestrians away from the area. Lower the load close to the ground before moving off. Maintain a clear view of the way ahead. Don’t drive across gradients. Drive forwards up a gradient and reverse down a gradient. Get help to ensure a clear path if the way is obstructed. Use the truck for the purpose/s intended ONLY.

FEATURED PRODUCT: DRUM LIFTER – ROTATOR, MANUAL

With a wider base for pallets

Model NBF-35 is one of those rare products that seems to stand alone in its niche.

It can pick up a 200 Ltr steel drum by the rim. It can lock the base of the drum using a rotating sprung latch, then using the rear hand wheel (through a gearbox), the drum can be rotated in order to decant the contents. The drum is raised up to 1600mm, using the foot pump hydraulics.

So there you have it.

If you need to decant the contents of a steel drum into another, or into smaller drums or buckets, then this product does it all, and it’s totally manual in operation.

It is relatively cheap, and there is a model with legs wide enough to fit around a pallet, so that the drum can be decanted into a central opening IBC.

King has many other model types for drum lifting, rotating for every drum type, every height, even fork attached units.

SPECIAL OFFER

This week’s offer is the King Drum Bung Wrench. It is bronze and said to remove or tighten all known drum bungs, be they plastic or steel.

Usual price is $98.00 + GST. Special Offer Price is only $80.00 + GST. Remember, all offers only last until the next blog or until sold out, so get in quickly. Every factory using drums simply must have a non-sparking drum bung wrench of this quality – and at this great price.

FEEL GOOD STORY: DANIEL

Daniel comes from the other side of Melbourne. He is an Engineering student. He has a project to do as part of his course. He comes in at 8 a.m., stays for the morning, then has to get back to go to school. A three hour round trip.

"Find a need and design a product to fill that need!" Sounds easy. Ever tried? It’s so damned hard that even the best minds in the world struggle.

Well everything that was ever going to be invented, has been – you might think. This statement has been made by more than one famous person in the past, but humans, being the resourceful lot that we are, still manage to file hundreds of thousands of patents each year, and hundreds of thousands more new products without patent protection are fed into the retail sector each year.

Daniel can draw on his work experience in the building industry, using part time work and friends and colleagues as sounding boards, to firstly determine what makes their life on the job difficult or hazardous, then to find out how they actually tackle the job, then to try and find a new and better way of doing said job.

Apart from his splendid efforts to date in creating a sample survey and graph charting the answers, he is also talking with experienced materials handling industry figures like myself.

What Daniel lacks in real world experience, he more than makes up for with enthusiasm. I see in Daniel what I saw in myself, when my brother and I (aged 18) started our first business venture, making coin in the slot car washing machines, which were placed onto service station forecourts. The station manager got 50% of the takings after expenses.

If I had known then what I know now, the venture would have turned out differently. I worked very hard and long and got myself into debt, but I didn’t make any money. Daniel is at that stage now, and sure, he will make every mistake in the book, but he is still at school. He is taking advice from as many people as possible, and he does not have to fork out any cash. It is a design concept, with the endgame being that the potential product is practical, can fill a need, people will use it, and it will make the workplace safer

Daniel and I will converse more. I will offer advice for as long as he wants it, and continue to offer challenges to expand his mind. Wish we had more Daniels coming along!

I’ll keep you posted on how he’s doing.

Welcome to Kingformation #2

2011-05-02T15:21:00.003+10:00

Firstly thank you to all those of you who took the time to tell me how much you liked the first edition, and were glad that I have finally found the time to keep you all informed on a regular basis.

Many of you want to hear about new developments from around the world, so I will try to capture the trends for you.

The blog also brought back into our fold, prior product purchasers (ppps), one of whom commented, “I look at the product every day, and see the King sticker on it, but until your blog arrived, I hadn’t thought to give you a call. I am now looking for XXX”. So that’s a great reaction from our clientele.

You know something? In the 22 years that we have been in operation, I count myself very lucky to have been a part of the materials handling industry. I get to meet (even if only by e-mail sometimes) knowledgeable people, who like to share their requirements for a better workplace. Every day builds upon my knowledge and every day I find something new in the world to add to my data bank.

I am thrilled to be able to solve materials handling problems. It keeps me young and alert, and from those conversations comes new products. Our whole Manufactured Locally section was borne out of the need for new and different products for our clients.

TIP: DRUM DE-HEADING & DISPOSAL

# Always treat the drum contents as suspicious. The label may show treacle but is could contain caustic soda or spent fuel. If in doubt, place the drum to one side for further testing of the contents using a glass thief or a COLIWASA to grab a sample in a test tube to send off for analysis.

# If the drum has a bowed top and/or sides, treat with extreme caution as pressure may have built up in the drum, and a speedy release of pressure may be harmful to you. There are pressure relieving implements and techniques available.

# Always use an anti-static (bronze) Drum Bung Wrench to remove drum bungs. Multi bung wrenches are most popular.

# Always vent the drum using the large and smaller drum bungs to create air flow. If the smell emanating from the drum suggests a potential problem, leave to one side, as with procedure 1. If you are satisfied with the safety of the contents, you can begin the process of de-heading.

# Do not stand with your face over the bung hole at any time, any reaction will force its way up right to where you’re standing.

# If you are not sure, don’t strike a match to look inside as one poor unfortunate did in the USA. Ascertain if the contents can safely mix with water, if so, pour in water mixed with detergent and agitate / roll the drum with the bung replaced, then vent, to assist in the breaking down of any volatile chemicals. Pour out the contents into a suitable waste receptacle before opening the top of the drum.

# Use a manual De-Header for smaller quantities and electric or air operated De-Headers for larger volumes. Use a De-Header with a bronze blade, where there is a suspicion of volatility / hazard.

# You have the choice of opening the drum from the inside of the chime (the top rim), the middle of the outside of the chime, or under the chime if you are using automatic equipment, but with the manual De-Header, the operation usually allows opening the inside of the drum rim. Each stroke acts like a giant can opener, with the blade pushing the cut portion hard against the inside wall of the drum to prevent a sharp edge from forming.

# Although you are using anti-static Drum Bung Wrenches and De-Headers, this is no guarantee that you may not create a spark by any other means, so prepare the site as carefully as possible to avoid the potential for sparking.

# Always wear protective clothing and a full face shield attached to a safety helmet.

# Keep a fire extinguisher in both liquid and powder forms close by in case of emergency.

# Keep all other personnel away from the area.

Note: This information is brought to you in the interest of safety. It is not definitive. You are advised to seek any help from other informed sources, prior to embarking on drum de-heading, especially where the drums are of an unknown origin, are damaged, rusty and the contents suspect. There are professional drum disposal experts such as Geocycle to contact if you have any doubts whatsoever.

FEATURED PRODUCT: THE KING POWERED TURNTABLE

The King Powered Turntable was created for a company that wanted a low cost unit, priced to fit between hand wrapping and semi auto wrapping machines.

Hand wrapping requires the operator to pull on film whilst walking backwards and becoming dizzy, a recipe for a strain or injury claim. The King Powered Turntable does all the work, whilst the operator holds the dispenser and tensions the film.

The 1500 Kg maximum load is placed on the turntable using a walkie stacker or fork lift. The stretch film is attached to the pallet, then the operator simply presses the foot pedal control to rotate the load whilst simultaneously paying out the film from the hand held dispenser – with film tensioner fitted.

The base design allows access for a fork lift or hand pallet truck, which enables the unit to be re-located or stored away easily if floor space is at a premium.

One company used the King Powered Turntable to wrap an awkward and oversized load. He estimated that his crew walked 50 Mtrs every time they hand wrapped a pallet. Now they just stand still, and the film tension is exactly as they want it every time. They even have a technique for wrapping the load completely, by bringing the film under one corner, up over the load then under the opposite corner (which was the reasoning behind the octagonal shaped turntable for use with standard sized pallets.

Try and wreck this baby – it’s nigh impossible! We had a forklift tear into the side on the prototype. Since then the steel sides have been increased to 6mm plate and the base is from 8mm channel.

Link here to the full product information and prices.

TODAY'S SPECIAL OFFERS

HAND STRETCH FILM AND HAND FILM DISPENSER

Hand stretch wrapper

Let me introduce to you a premium product with a reasonable price.

This is a superior quality, ultra clear, very low noise, cast stretch film in 23 micron. It is cast (not blown) so it has very low noise coming off the roll, ultra clarity and superior puncture resistance.

Model HSF/23 is usually priced at $21/roll + GST. (Minimum 8 rolls / order). Until the next blog, the price is reduced to $17/roll. Add freight ex Bayswater.

Model HFD/1 is a Hand Film Dispenser with manual tensioner to adjust the level of stretch going to the load. Usual price is $79.00 + GST. Todays price only $68.00 + GST.

Remember that these specials are only available until the next blog. No Exceptions!

TREND #1

STOCK PICKING TRAINS using battery operated stand on drive tugs, towing a number of either wheeled platform trucks, stillages with side access or pallets, are more common in some European warehouses.

Stock picking is made easy by paper, voice or pick to light systems, where the operator is given a set route, optimized to move the least amount of distance, and where individual items can be placed into the wheeled carriages, by type, destination or region as required and as governed by the number of trailers attached to the tug. When picked the items can be RF tagged to enable the sorting process to be automated.

Other tug types feature a docking system capable of running under the trailer and either picking it up or auto attaching a trailer hitch.

Individual designs and configurations are also possible.

Contact our office on (03)9720 7181 for more information about Stock Picking Trains.

TREND # 2

A brand new product called FREIGHT SELECT is about to be launched very soon, and you will be pleased to know that King Group has been appointed distributor for this amazing system. Here’s how it works.

You are always seeking the lowest freight rate for your parcels or pallets, right? You want to remain ultra competitive and you don’t want to waste money on freight, right?

Freight Select has a powerful algorithm and a patented conciliation methodology for determining which of the four to six transport companies rates you load into the system will give you the best freight rate to any destination in Australia (later to be expanded to air and sea freight any where in the world).

Simply type in the dimensions, weight and destination and the options are shown from the highest cost to the lowest.

How can freight rates vary so much, you ask? Some freight companies prefer certain types of freight. Some companies have depots only in capital cities, then ferry out via smaller carriers. Some want only your eastern seaboard freight. Some specialize in certain regions or locations. You don’t know any of this, but Freight Select does.

It saves hours in getting quotes from three different sources in order to compare prices. It has a conciliation section that tells you if the quote you accepted was the same as the bill you received, a powerful addition when it comes to making a claim for overcharging.

In another section you can ask for the price if you sent 10 cartons rather than one pallet of 10 cartons – you’d be flabbergasted at the differences in rates available. All this happens in real time, via the 24/7 cloud computing system installed on your computer for a small monthly charge. No contracts.

Contact this office for more information about Freight Select.

See you next time,

Ron Mileham.

Welcome to Kingformation #1

2011-04-18T12:44:00.009+10:00

Bowing to tremendous pressure from our friends, King Materials Handling is proud to offer you this weekly blog, which we call Kingformation.

The team will endeavour to bring you handling and equipment information which we hope you'll find useful in your day to day business.

We will feature new products, trends, background, special offers and expert opinion, which will keep you up to date in this arena.

As principal editor, I invite you to comment on any aspect of the information you receive, and will be happy to feature any breaking news that might be suitable for our readers.

Ron Mileham.

TIP #1

Before contacting your favourite materials handling supplier, gather as much information about the task for which the equipment is going to be used.

Here's a check list:

Type of product to be moved, raised, rotated, etc.
Heights to lift or lower.
Distances to be moved.
Weights and dimensions of product load.
Finished pallet weight and overall height.
Frequency of lifts and movements.
Power requirements: air / hydraulic / electric (single or 3 phase) / hand / foot / battery.
Special requirements: stainless / galvanized / powdercoated / epoxy painted / zinc plated.
Working conditions: dry / dusty / wet / bad floor / ramps / door widths.

FEATURED PRODUCT: TITAN TOW TUG

Titan Tow Tug

When King introduced the Titan Tow Tug, the market took notice. Here was the smallest of tow tugs capable of moving a 1000kg load for a price thousands of dollars cheaper than any competitor.

One giant international mining company saw the benefit straight away. King was asked to fabricate a special flatbed trolley capable of fitting 1 x 200 ltr drum of grease and one empty drum, along with framework to accomodate a full size toolbox with a cavity underneath suited to holding pump spares.

The trolley had to be able to fit into a lift along with the tow tug. The mobile grease station is used to remove old oil and grease into an empty drum whilst the new drum supplies fresh grease to mining machinery.

The Titan Tow Tug takes the hard work out of maintenance operations.

King designers and engineers have the ability to turn your ideas into practical solutions.

SPECIAL OFFER: FOLDING TROLLEY

Aluminium Folding Trolley

Model WBLEX 3A. 90 kg capacity. Expanded size 520 mm deep x 495 mm wide x 1100 mm high. Folded size 65 mm deep x 495 mm wide x 800 mm high. Wheels are non marking white rubber tyres, 150 mm diameter x 32 mm wide for easy rolling. Tyres are black cushioning rubber, moulded to a plastic hub. Handle has foam covered section for comfort, warmth and grip. Simple push button handle unlocking system. Weight 5kg.

Regular price: $130.00 + GST

Special price: $100.00 + GST

Extra special price for Kingformation readers only: $90 + GST (don't forget to add freight).