CUBING SYSTEMS

For almost as long as there have been warehouses, their owners and managers have tried to pack them as efficiently as possible. Best cube utilization has been and remains the goal.

But it hasn't been all that long since warehouse managers first acquired the tools to automate the accurate measurement of length, width, and height of individual items and cases to determine volumes precisely. They've had this kind of automation for just over a decade now.

Today's cubing (or dimensioning) systems – and systems that not only cube, but also weigh an item and/or scan its bar code simultaneously – are increasingly more a part of today's warehouse or distribution center. Their usage is particularly prevalent in the DCs of express shipment carriers trying to optimize shipping charges.

Indeed, for DCs planning a major WMS (warehouse management system) installation, it's now common to include cubing and weighing hardware as part of the bid for one of these jobs, says Ryan Anderson, marketing communications manager, Quantronix.
"Space is money", as Anderson puts it succinctly. With a cubing system one can pack everything from a single outbound box on up to the entire warehouse far more efficiently and easily. Cubing systems help optimize storage density on the warehouse's receiving side.

They assist in making more accurate storage slot assignments, and add productivity to order picking and packing. On the shipping side, these systems produce cost savings in trailer load planning and freight manifesting and auditing.
Manually taking measurements, then making the volume calculations so that items and cases can be stored or staged in the least possible volumes is time consuming. It's also fraught with a high error rate.

Static or in-motion measuring

Two basic types of cubing systems are offered by suppliers: static systems and in-motion (or inline) systems. Both use non-contact cubing methods. Static systems generally rely on ultrasound sensing to measure dimensions of an item. These static systems often also provide weight data. They transfer these dimensions/volumes and weights to the WMS in real time.

As the term "static" implies, these systems are intended for measuring fewer items per hour than the in-motion systems. A static device might cube and weigh up to 120 items per hour, Anderson says. Items are manually placed in the device, which limits throughput.

In contrast, in-motion systems generally work in tandem with a conveyor transporting items. These systems use infrared, laser, light array, or camera technologies to get dimensions on many more items per hour. They can dimension up to 15,000 parcels per hour, says Ted Hendricks, Mettler Toledo marketing manager, transport.

Camera-based, in-motion dimensioning systems, says Don DeLash, vice president, marketing, for Accu-Sort Systems, also offer another benefit beyond high-speed measuring. These devices capture images of the packages as they move along conveyor lines. They then can detect non-singulated (side-by-side) packages and thus eliminate sorting and inventory problems due to "phantom" packages. They greatly enhance troubleshooting and remotely dealing with problem parcels, he adds. To varying degrees, all of the major express carriers have installed high-speed cubing and weighing systems in their DCs, says Hendricks. Revenue recovery and payload optimization as a result of better shipping data are the carriers' goals behind using these systems.

Today's trucks, trailers, and air cargo containers often cube out before they reach their weight limits. By using a cubing system to dimension the shipper's outbound payload, the carrier can compare a tariff based on dimensions to a traditional weight-based tariff and apply the higher rate.

Quantronix' Anderson notes how Japan Air Lines (JAL) cargo planes "had been bulking out before they reached their maximum weight." A single cubing and weighing system was installed at JAL. Since May 1996, it has generated $1.5 million in revenue recovery savings for the air cargo carrier, he explains.

Carriers using cubing technology typically recover $300,000 or more annually per dimensioning/weighing unit, Hendricks notes.

Carriers thus are embracing use of cubing technology more and more. But large fulfillment operations, such as those in e-commerce – either B2C or B2B – are increasingly likely to require the technology too.

Without it now, they risk being hit by carriers with back charges levied on the shipping warehouse. "Without automated cubing technology," says Quantronix president Clark P. Skeen, many fulfillment operations "fail to properly complete the dimensional reporting requirements imposed by carriers and fall subject to expensive back charges. Our technology eliminates those errors, resulting in substantial savings."

Similarly, as Hendricks observes, dot-com firms such as Amazon and online/catalog operations like L.L. Bean, "use cubing systems so they know exactly what their shipping costs will be when they send out bills to their online and phone customers, rather than guessing at carrier rates."







CUBING SYSTEMS For almost as long as there have been warehouses, their owners and managers have tried to pack them as efficiently as possible. Best cube utilization has been and remains the goal. But it hasn't been all that long since warehouse managers first acquired the tools to automate the accurate measurement of length, width, and height of individual items and cases to determine volumes precisely. They've had this kind of automation for just over a decade now. Today's cubing (or dimensioning) systems – and systems that not only cube, but also weigh an item and/or scan its bar code simultaneously – are increasingly more a part of today's warehouse or distribution center. Their usage is particularly prevalent in the DCs of express shipment carriers trying to optimize shipping charges. Indeed, for DCs planning a major WMS (warehouse management system) installation, it's now common to include cubing and weighing hardware as part of the bid for one of these jobs, says Ryan Anderson, marketing communications manager, Quantronix. "Space is money", as Anderson puts it succinctly. With a cubing system one can pack everything from a single outbound box on up to the entire warehouse far more efficiently and easily. Cubing systems help optimize storage density on the warehouse's receiving side. They assist in making more accurate storage slot assignments, and add productivity to order picking and packing. On the shipping side, these systems produce cost savings in trailer load planning and freight manifesting and auditing. Manually taking measurements, then making the volume calculations so that items and cases can be stored or staged in the least possible volumes is time consuming. It's also fraught with a high error rate. Static or in-motion measuring Two basic types of cubing systems are offered by suppliers: static systems and in-motion (or inline) systems. Both use non-contact cubing methods. Static systems generally rely on ultrasound sensing to measure dimensions of an item. These static systems often also provide weight data. They transfer these dimensions/volumes and weights to the WMS in real time. As the term "static" implies, these systems are intended for measuring fewer items per hour than the in-motion systems. A static device might cube and weigh up to 120 items per hour, Anderson says. Items are manually placed in the device, which limits throughput. In contrast, in-motion systems generally work in tandem with a conveyor transporting items. These systems use infrared, laser, light array, or camera technologies to get dimensions on many more items per hour. They can dimension up to 15,000 parcels per hour, says Ted Hendricks, Mettler Toledo marketing manager, transport. Camera-based, in-motion dimensioning systems, says Don DeLash, vice president, marketing, for Accu-Sort Systems, also offer another benefit beyond high-speed measuring. These devices capture images of the packages as they move along conveyor lines. They then can detect non-singulated (side-by-side) packages and thus eliminate sorting and inventory problems due to "phantom" packages. They greatly enhance troubleshooting and remotely dealing with problem parcels, he adds. To varying degrees, all of the major express carriers have installed high-speed cubing and weighing systems in their DCs, says Hendricks. Revenue recovery and payload optimization as a result of better shipping data are the carriers' goals behind using these systems. Today's trucks, trailers, and air cargo containers often cube out before they reach their weight limits. By using a cubing system to dimension the shipper's outbound payload, the carrier can compare a tariff based on dimensions to a traditional weight-based tariff and apply the higher rate. Quantronix' Anderson notes how Japan Air Lines (JAL) cargo planes "had been bulking out before they reached their maximum weight." A single cubing and weighing system was installed at JAL. Since May 1996, it has generated $1.5 million in revenue recovery savings for the air cargo carrier, he explains. Carriers using cubing technology typically recover $300,000 or more annually per dimensioning/weighing unit, Hendricks notes. Carriers thus are embracing use of cubing technology more and more. But large fulfillment operations, such as those in e-commerce – either B2C or B2B – are increasingly likely to require the technology too. Without it now, they risk being hit by carriers with back charges levied on the shipping warehouse. "Without automated cubing technology," says Quantronix president Clark P. Skeen, many fulfillment operations "fail to properly complete the dimensional reporting requirements imposed by carriers and fall subject to expensive back charges. Our technology eliminates those errors, resulting in substantial savings." Similarly, as Hendricks observes, dot-com firms such as Amazon and online/catalog operations like L.L. Bean, "use cubing systems so they know exactly what their shipping costs will be when they send out bills to their online and phone customers, rather than guessing at carrier rates."
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