Protecting packages
December 1st 2010 A range of solutions from Lamerholm are designed to precisely monitor how goods
are handled and stored, identifying where and how damage occurs
The Impact Manager device from Lamerholm Electronics
works by using an access key that means only correctly
qualified drivers can activate a truck. It also monitors
impacts, logging them against the driver and wirelessly
transmitting the details to a central software suite, from which
reports can be generated.
Existing users of the system include Linpac, IKEA, All Port
Packaging,Michelin Tyres, Procter & Gamble, Cooper B-Line and
Kerry Foods, as well as fork lift manufacturers such as Nissan.
Derek Richardson, group sales director at Lamerholm
Electronics parent company IMC
Group, says: "The system is designed to
prevent the misuse of forklift trucks, a
major factor in the high number of
deaths and serious injuries that occur
each year. And that's not to mention the
huge cost of damage to trucks,
warehouses, factories and goods, as well
as the staffing implications of employees
taking time off due to injuries."
As well as managing impacts, the
company deploys ShockWatch labels
which indicate whether an item has
been mishandled. ShockWatch and TiltWatch, for example, are
designed to immediately and permanently register impact and
tilting. Affixed directly to goods or packaging, they are designed to
act as a strong visual deterrent to unacceptable handling.
Shock sensors within the label detect and record impact and
mishandling of fragile, sensitive, or calibrated products during
transportation.When the device is subjected to an impact
exceeding a specified G-level, the shock causes a red dye to be
released into a tube on the front. Normal movement or road
shock does not affect the device – only the specific impacts for
which it is designed. Available in five sensitivities, the labels
cannot be reset once activated.
For items that must remain upright, Tiltwatch is designed to
detect and record unacceptable tilting. The clear window of the
plastic badge turns red if the product is tilted or upended.
The range also includes DropSpot, which is activated when
goods have been dropped; and ColdMark and WarmMark, which
indicate when goods have been exposed to predetermined
temperatures for a given period.
Furthermore, ShockLog is designed for use in the monitoring
of critical goods and equipment that need special care and
handling during transportation,
storage and use. More articles from The IMC Group - Lamerholm: | 
