Pet food maker deploys RFID-tracked pallets

   Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS) has reached a deal with Diamond Pet Foods to have the pet company use its plastic pallet and communication platform on all new shipments.
   iGPS operates a pallet rental system that features lightweight, 100 percent recyclable plastic pallets with embedded radio frequency identification devise (RFID) tags. Diamond said it will now use the platform for all of its pet food shipments, from commercial kennel operators to local specialty stores.
   The RFID tags not only help iGPS keep track of their devices, but can be entered into and monitored by customer systems such as those Diamond has in place for its supply chain.
   Andy Kampeter, supply chain manager of Diamond Pet Foods, said part of the reason the iGPS platform was chosen is to provide visibility around the efficiency of its operations. “We take extra care in all aspects of our business, from incoming ingredients to outgoing product, with extensive quality control at every step along the way,” he said.
   Kampeter also said that switching from wood pallets to the plastic iGPS platforms, typically a lighter-weight system, is expected to yield operational savings in terms of lower transport costs, larger loads per pallet, reduced product damage, decreased production downtimes, and fewer rejected loads at the end of a shipment.
   iGPS also notes that a goal of its system is to avoid broken boards and protruding nails that can damage product and injure workers. Building on this, it said that the pallets are also easier to clean and do not absorb fluids that can cross-contaminate food, unlike some wood pallets. iGPS claims to be the world’s only rental pallet to receive Food Equipment Certification from NSF International.