The Future Is Now: Industrial Innovations You Can Deploy Today

Innovation. It’s at the heart of almost every part of modern society, from the latest smart phones and connected home tech, to delivery drones and self-driving cars. And when it comes to industry, business leaders through the years have lauded it as an essential ingredient for success. As Steve Jobs once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

 

In short, we either adapt and thrive with the latest innovations, or we risk falling behind. Keeping up with the latest industrial innovations will help you and your customers become safer, more productive, and more motivated to get the job done right.Whether it’s on building sites, in warehouses, or offices and educational facilities, advances in materials, designs and construction have brought vast improvements over the years.

 

 

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the product innovations and logistics equipment that can make your job a whole lot easier through 2024 and beyond.

 

Warehouses Vehicles and Equipment

 

Today’s warehouses are a very different animal from those in the past. With the advent of businesses like Amazon and Tesla, the massive product lines now offered by Walmart and Target, and the meteoric rise of drop shipping, distribution solutions and full-on automated processing centers, warehouses have become much greater than shipping and receiving facilities. Which means they’ve become behemoths in both size and scale.

 

Indeed, Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, is over 10 million sq. ft., with many other well-known companies operating multi-million sq. ft. warehouses. And even if you’re looking at “regular” warehouses for smaller businesses, they’re still over 40% larger than they were just 20 years ago.

 

That means you’re going to need new, innovative equipment to maintain your warehouses, starting with the job of floor care.

 

One of the most advanced warehouse vehicles available right now is the Cat C70RX Ride-On Floor Sweeper, and this machine means business. With a capacity of over 200,000 sq. ft. per hour, and a 70” cleaning path, even those gigantic warehouses can be taken care of quickly (especially if you have two of them working in tandem). Plus, other impressive features include:

  • Built-In A/C for maximum cooling comfort
  • Indoor and outdoor use (go seamlessly between different environments with ease).
  • Easy unloading of debris hopper
  • HEPA Filtration System
  • Safety lights: pedestrian Lights, turn signals
  • Enclosed Cabin: climate control,
  • Illuminated back up camera
  • 5 Hour battery run time
  • 10mph Max speed
  • 60.7 Gallon water tank capacity

 

Of course, when you’re not cleaning the warehouse, you’re traversing it to load and unload stock, maintain logistics equipment, and manage employees. For that you’ll need sturdy and reliable people carriers that go the distance.

 

Let’s look at three heroes of the Global Industrial lineup: our electric utility vehicle and blue light personnel carriers; all advanced machines built for safety, convenience, and efficiency.
 

For a high towing capacity, choose the Global Industrial™ Stock Chaser with 4-Step Ladder, 24V. This sole-operator model includes:

  • 4840lbs towing capacity
  • 990lbs vehicle load weight capacity
  • Protective bumpers
  • Operator presence switch pedal.
  • Emergency stop for driver safety
  • Wide rubber-lined cargo deck (with loading anchors that accept bungee cables)

 

If you’re less concerned with towing and need a machine that can carrier two employees and  heavier loads, go for the Global Industrial™ 2-Seat Warehouse Personnel Carrier, 24V which comes with:

  • 990lbs vehicle load weight capacity
  • 4840lbs towing capacity
  • Convenient on-board charger
  • Multiple storage compartments
  • Seat backrest folds down flat to create a rear-facing passenger seat

 

Each model also comes with a blue safety light, strobe light, and back-up sound for navigational safety.

 

If you have a need for speed AND towing capacity, the Global Industrial™ 4-Seat Electric Utility Vehicle is built to take that job on. This impressive vehicle features:

  • 13 mph travel speed
  • 1100lbs towing capacity
  • 485lbs vehicle load weight capacity
  • Handbrake with built-in power cutoff
  • Kill switch seats for additional safety
  • Reinforced roof with built-in passenger handles
     

Just like the two models above, the EUV also comes with a blue safety light, plus emergency stop and multiple safety lights for navigational safety.

 

 

Portable Industrial Power Solutions with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries

 

If you’re unfamiliar with LiFePO4 batteries, they are a type of lithium-ion battery, but offer greater stability than regular lithium-ion batteries and provide a longer lifespan. This makes them well-suited for use in high drain applications and industrial energy storage systems.

 

Which is why we used them to engineer the Global Industrial™ 5000W Portable Power Station. When you require serious power indoors and outdoors, for anything from construction and lighting to events and exhibitions, the portable power station has the juice you need. Its’ features include:

  • Support for up to 35,840Wh power
  • Fast Charging
  • 12 outlets that allow you to power & charge multiple devices
  • Rugged metal dolly construction and advanced weatherproofing
  • Can stack up to six additional batteries to extend its runtime
  • Perfect for outdoor and indoor use
     

 

 

And as opposed to regular gas-powered generators, the power station is virtually silent, allowing you to use them in any setting without noise or smog pollution.

 

We also used LiFePO4 batteries for our newly updated mobile workstations, providing portable power solutions on the go with docking stations for hot swappable batteries (essential in a time crunch) to power your various pieces of equipment. Global Industrial can supply them all, and many others with LiFePO4 portable power solutions.

 

Hybrid Ladders

 

When you need versatile access to you inventory, a set of good-quality hybrid ladders are a must for warehouses, shop floors, big box stores and more. Hybrid ladders are made of aluminum and steel; a combination that makes them lightweight and strong, which you will definitely appreciate in the day-to-day grind. Not only does this make them very easy to move, it also gives you the ability to handle up to 450lbs of weight. And you can also expect:

  • Gas spring casters for all-directional maneuverability
  • A sturdy steel-raised base
  • A lift assist lockstep

 

Depending on your specific needs, various heights and widths are available, ranging from a 6-step ladder, all the way up to a 12-step ladder with a 120” top step height. You may also find that having multiple sizes at hand gives you greater versatility.

 

Speaking of versatility, while hybrid ladders have been around for a while, there are noteworthy advances in hybrid ladder design that one can call a ‘game changer’. Meet the Ballymore foldable hybrid ladder with a docking station. If there is a downside to the hybrid ladder, it is the space it occupies on the floor, hybrid ladders traditionally do not collapse, or fold for storage, until now. The foldable hybrid ladder folds away into its docking station, both opening the floor space and ensuring that the ladder is easily found and always put away in the same spot. With the same lightweight aluminum and steel construction as other hybrids, and the same maneuverability, our bet is that once you start using a foldable hybrid ladder, you’ll want to use it all the time.

 

 

Ergonomic Workbenches

 

Great strides have been made in this area. Long gone are the days of those old, unmovable benches that gave everyone backache after a few hours (and took a team of people to lift and move). Now, you can outfit your facility with workbenches ergonomically designed for maximum comfort and versatility.

 

There are literally dozens of options to choose from, ranging from manual crank adjustable workbenches, to electric and even hydraulic models for effortless sit/stand adjustments. And that means one bench can be the ideal fit to any employee, so when a new shift starts it takes just seconds to create the perfect working environment for warehouses, stock rooms, educational facilities, laboratories, and more.

 

Coupled with the latest in anti-fatigue matting, they give you a work area that is both comfortable and easy to adjust.

 

Electric Snow Blowers

 

Electric or gas? The choice is yours, but whichever option you prefer (or need), snow blowers have become quite sophisticated pieces of equipment.

 

If you choose an electric cordless snow blower, you’ll cut down on the maintenance costs of a gas blower (plus, they’re less expensive to purchase). These models also have zero emissions, making them climate friendly, start easily, and are incredibly quiet compared to a gas alternative. Overall, it’s a better return on your investment than its gas counterpart.

 

Saying that, gas models do have some advantages over electric. Gas snow blowers have the power to clear more snow in less time, and if you run out of juice you don’t have to wait for them to charge; just gas it up and get on with it. But whatever you go for, modern advances mean they are more maintenance-friendly and reliable than their predecessors.

 

Industrial climate control

 

Keeping it cool means investing in climate control equipment. And depending on the size of your facility, and the age of the current equipment, that could mean switching to the very latest air-conditioning systems on the market. Let’s take a look at some options:

 

Industrial Air Scrubbers

Industrial Air Scrubbers

These innovative cooling systems work by using a HEPA 2-stage filtration system to deliver advanced levels of air purification. And the rugged steel body is built to perform in commercial, industrial, and rugged environments, making them ideal for warehouses, factories, gymnasiums and other large spaces.

Evaporative coolers

Evaporative coolers

Ideal for environments that have low humidity, these models (also known as Swamp Coolers) move air via a blower through water-soaked pads. At about half the cost of central A/C, this is a great option if you’re in the right climate.

Mobile Industrial Fans

Mobile Industrial Fans

When you need “Big Ass Fans”, Global Industrial has you covered with models that are as wide as 8 feet. That’s some serious blowing power to give you a comfortable environment in some of the largest spaces. And yes, even the massive fans we have in stock are easy to maneuver and come with variable speeds.

 

Water Bottle Filling Stations

 

Last, but not least, it’s imperative to give employees and customers a good source of hydration. Remember, men need 15.5 cups of water per day, with women needing 11.5 cups. That means you need to supply a constant stream of safe, filtered, refrigerated water to keep employees and customers hydrated and happy. And leading the charge in this field is Elkay. A supplier of the latest innovative bottle filling solutions, Elkay’s continued research, development, and advancement of the sector is surpassing the needs of you, your employees, and your customers. 

 

A prime example – the latest bottle stations to hit the market are the Elkay® ezH2O® Filtered Bottle Filling Stations, and they come with some great new tech to simplify maintenance and lower ownership costs.

 

Water Bottle Filling Stations

"Facility managers value time saved to focus on improving a building, instead of maintaining it and that is what our product innovations are centered around."

Michael Heithoff, Product Specialist – Drinking Water at Zurn Elkay.

 

Innovations that have been made include:

  • A new Quick Filter Change Wrapper for easy filter access, allowing replacements in less than a minute.
  • An upgraded 6,000-gallon filter that reduces chlorine, odor and contaminants for healthier, better-tasting water.
  • FillSafe™ technology that automatically recognizes new filters and updates the LED filter status light back to green.

 

Other innovations in bottle filling stations include outdoor models for parks (including dog parks) and dual-filling stations that include a drinking fountain. You can also check out a whole range of other bottle filling stations right here.

 

This represents just a small range of the logistics equipment Global Industrial has on hand that is both innovative and accessible. And if you’d like help choosing any of the models above, or want any other assistance, our experts are here to help.

 

The information contained in this article is for informational, educational, and promotional purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations. If there is any question or doubt in regard to any element contained in this article, please consult a licensed professional.  Under no circumstances will Global Industrial® be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on this article.