21 October 2021

Future factories and materials handling machinery

In a article for Eureka, the online magazine for the materials handling professional, Ruari McCallion investigates how the development of artificial intelligence and the need for sustainability will strongly influence the design and layout of future factories and, consequently, the design of logistics vehicles. Here’s a summary of what he covers…

Ruari looks at how the last two years of the pandemic, as well as the drive towards sustainability and introduction of new technologies, have accelerated the pace of change in the supply chain and established ways of working within manufacturing and logistics. Manufacturing is moving away from mass production towards mass customisation, plus the way things are made is undergoing a major upheaval too. These changes will have an effect on every aspect of logistics, from the size and function of warehouses to the design of the logistics vehicles within them.

To really understand these changes better and the challenges they present, Ruari talks to Juha Nyman, Director, Solutions Strategy and Business Development for Cat® Lift Trucks in EAME and finds out his thoughts on the future and the trends that are shaping both the logistics chain and materials handling in Europe. He also gains the opinion of Jani Mahonen, the same organisation’s Director, Digital Services and Solutions Development for EMAE who talks about how logistics vehicles and materials handling equipment will be required to adapt and the effect these adaptions may have on the future workforce.

To read the full article and find out what Juha and Jani predict for the future of logistics and materials handling machinery, click here.

 

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The shape of things to come