In a new production and logistics hall at the Dinklage site, gigant now produces more than 300 Krone axles per day. The automated line for assembling standard axles was recently put into operation. In addition, there is a three-storey office block housing logistics, visitor registration and a new waiting area for lorry drivers. Production volume and the number of staff employed by the axle manufacturer, which has been part of the Krone Commercial Vehicle Group since 2013, has steadily grown in recent years.
By expanding the site, production volume and the number of employees can be significantly increased.
BLOCKCHAIN FOR PALLET EXCHANGE
Blockchain is one of the most exciting new technologies. The standardisation organisation GS1 Germany together with around 20 companies and partners from science and technology are investigating whether and how the exchange of Euro pallets can be managed digitally, transparently and efficiently using blockchain technology. This single project will be completed at the end of the year. They hope to test the technology in a specific individual case and digitalise the pallet ticket. At the start of the project at the Handelslogistik Kongress Log 2018 in Cologne, Regina Haas-Hamannt, Head of Innovation at GS1Germany said: “If we do it right, by the time we finish the project, paper will be gone.” Manufacturers such as Beiersdorf, Dole Europe and Dr. Oetker took part as well as retail companies, including DM-Drogerie-Markt, Kaufland and Lekkerland.
ORDER VEHICLE-SPECIFC PARTS ONLINE
In the Krone online shop, customers can find a range of spare parts and accessories for their trailers, from axles to lashing straps, including the ability to order vehicle-specific parts. To do this, you enter the vehicle identification number or scan in the QR code on the name plate: You get immediate access to the whole range of accessories for that precise vehicle. To place orders, you just have to register once by clicking on the “Become a customer” button. www.krone-trailerparts.com
MORE SAFETY
In Schmalkalden in the state of Thuringia, Germany’s first permanent 3D pedestrian crossing was painted on a street. It looks as though the strips are floating above the tarmac – the optical illusion should increase drivers’ awareness.
KRONE SCHOLARSHIPS
Once again, seven students at the Faculty for Engineering and Computer Sciences at Osnabrück University have been granted a scholarship by the Dr Bernard Krone Foundation. With this, three of the best mechanical and automotive engineering students in the year are given funding. A seventh scholarship is donated by the Krone subsidiary gigant.
two entrepreneurs from Hamburg are bringing drivers and forwarders together. Users are recommended suitable partners in real time and they decide which forwarder to contact. The aim is to forge long-term working relationships.
DR DAVID FRINK NEW CFO
From left: Philip von dem Bussche, Bernard Krone, Dr David Frink and Alfons Veer
Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG has brought Dr David Frink (45) into their top management as CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and is the consummate professional taking on the challenges of the agricultural engineering and commercial vehicle business segment, in particular in regard to the increasing internationalisation and expansion of the company. David Frink works alongside the former Chairman of the Management Board Alfons Veer (63) and the Managing Partner Bernard Krone, and is responsible for the Group’s strategic and conceptual development and operational areas. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer at Gerry Weber International AG. He served on the Management Board there and was responsible for Finance, Production, Logistics, IT and Personnel.
EMERGENCY LANE IN SLOW-MOVING TRAFFIC
Emergency lanes help to save lives in an emergency. Krone reminds us of this important topic with its rear lettering on the Profi Liner from the current Silver Diamond Edition. The correct order is shown on there: On multi-lane roads, the emergency lane should always be formed between the left and remaining traffic lanes. Whoever is travelling in the left lane veers to the left. All other lanes of traffic move to the right. This helps vehicles from the fire service, ambulance service and police get to the scene as quickly as possible without hindrance.
This way shouldn’t just be cleared if you hear sirens going off; rather the lane should already be formed if traffic is slow-moving across multiple lanes. This is because traffic regulations in Germany stipulate that a clear lane must be formed if vehicles are travelling at walking pace or have come to a halt on roads outside urban areas that have at least two lanes going in one direction. Similar rules also apply in Switzerland, Slovenia and Czech Republic.
IN BRIEF
STUDY: WHAT CITIES WANT 2 What can logistics in cities look like in the future? This is what the second edition of the study “What Cities Want”, which will be published in June 2018, is concerned with. The investigation, initiated by MAN, VW and the German Transport Journal (DVZ), examines e-mobility opportunities, among other things, and discusses the acceptance of urban logistics in the population. According to that, complete logistics concepts are in demand and cities can remain lively and vibrant – a virtually traffic-free city is not necessary.
THE GREEN PARTY DEMANDS TURNING ASSISTANTS FOR ALL LORRIES
To prevent accidents with bicycles and pedestrians, the Green parliamentary group is demanding that newly registered lorries are compulsorily upgraded with turning assistant systems. The party points out that in 2016 there were over 30 per cent more accidents involving cyclists with turning lorries than five years previously,
while the number of victims of traffic accidents in Germany only rose by a total of three per cent in this period. Accidents can be avoided, for instance, if cyclists can see clearly that a lorry wants to turn. Krone has therefore installed an additional flashing indicator on the sides of their trailers.
CLOUD APPLICATIONS ARE ESTABLISHED 57 per cent of German companies with more than 500 employees are successfully using and testing big-data solutions. This was the results of a study carried out by management consultants Horváth & Partners. Every third company uses the robotcontrolled process automationp; 20 per cent are experimenting with it. Even with smartservices, i.e. data and service-based solutions, companies still had 50 per cent users and testers at the start. Cloud applications (79 per cent) and virtual services have, on the other hand, become well established, with 67 per cent of their information and services being made available online.
