The Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM Inc) may develop a working group to address forklift-mounting issues for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
"A number of AIM's members manufacture, install or support mobile computers and RFID readers that are mounted on (forklifts)," says Bert Moore, AIM director of technical communications and media relations.
The working entity would report within the organisation's RFID experts group. AIM is an international trade association representing automatic identification and mobility technology solution providers.
The RFID group aims to determine the interest in developing best practice guidelines for implementing RFID on forklift trucks and other materials handling equipment.
AIM co-locates a 26-28 September exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada with the major Pack Expo trade show of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute of Reston, Virginia.
About 500 people attended AIM's stand-alone expo on 1-3 November, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The 2011 event "could double" that attendance figure, says Linda Young, AIM director of business development.
AIM was formed as part of a materials handling equipment organisation and, as a special interest group, spun off to become its own association in 1972.
AIM has "a long history with the material handling industry," Young notes.
AIM, which has its headquarters in Cranberry Township, has expertise on numerous technologies including those for bar codes, RFID and enterprise mobile computing.
AIM members provide voice systems, magnetic stripe technology, mobile computing devices, optical character recognition (OCR) systems and contact-memory packages.
Separately, organisers of the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) anticipate more than 950 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees for the event on 4-6 October at the Kentucky Exposition Centre in Louisville.
Forklift and related component exhibitors include the Racine, Wisconsin-based Case Construction Equipment operation of Fiat Industrial SpA; the Pooler, Georgia-based North American unit of J C Bamford Excavators Ltd; Landoll Corp of Marysville, Kansas; the West Bend, Wisconsin-based North American operation of Manitou BF SA; Mustang Manufacturing Co Inc of West Bend, Wisconsin; the Niagara, Ontario, Canada-based North American group of Palfinger AG; and Timco Inc of Buchanan, New York.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin owns and manages ICUEE, also known as The Demo Expo because of the multiple hands-on equipment demonstrations.