Our Global Geniuses Tackle Your Warehouse Material Handling Questions.
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That requires having the right products on-hand to move inventory and materials. But each facility has different needs and considerations, meaning there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to material handling products and systems. Global Industrial’s product experts are here to help. Below, they answer some of the most common questions they field around how to put material handling products to work in these types of spaces.
What factors should I consider when choosing pallet trucks and jacks for my facility?
Many facilities have some type of inventory or supply of stocked items stored on pallets. Whether large or small, these items are stacked, transported, and moved around on pallets using pallet trucks and jacks. Sizing the equipment to the job is necessary to avoid product damage, injury, and inefficiency. Consider these factors to find the right pallet jack for the job:
- What is the load capacity of the materials you’ll typically be moving?
- How frequently will the pallet jack or truck be used, and how far will it travel?
- What lift heights are required?
- What size of pallets will you be using this equipment to move?
- Does your facility have a rough or uneven surface? (If so, consider an all-terrain pallet jack.)
Once you have these details, you can refer to our Pallet Jack Purchasing Guide to better identify what and how many pallet trucks and jacks are needed in your facility.
What’s the difference between skate wheel and steel roller conveyors?
Both conveyor systems help you move product more efficiently through your facility, with less strain on your crew members. But there are two key differences between the two types: weight capacity and the ease of how product rolls through the conveyor system. Roller conveyors can handle a higher weight capacity, and they offer the smoothest of rides for your product. Skate wheels, meanwhile, are an economic alternative to steel rollers. However, skate wheel conveyors are not suited for soft-bottomed products such as bags, or other items without a flat surface.
When is it time to add conveyors to a facility, or to increase the number of conveyors in use?
If you’re looking to speed up and improve the efficiency of product movement from rack to truck, it may be time to review your need for a conveyor system or to expand your current system. Consider the volume of product you’re moving, the strain on your workers, and how existing material handling equipment is being used. Is your facility experiencing bottlenecks because packages or containers can’t be moved quickly across your space? Are you frequently toting bulk materials across the facility? Do you need to decrease your labor costs without reducing throughput, or put existing crew members to work on higher-skilled tasks? Conveyors can help you make efficient use of space, time, and labor.
Can you share ideas for improving ergonomics in my material handling processes?
Material handling is the backbone of transporting items throughout your facility safely and efficiently. Being aware of the wide variety of products and systems designed for this kind of work can help you make ergonomic improvements in your processes.
For example, mobile scissor lift trucks are ergonomically efficient solutions for helping employees quickly lift and transport heavy loads. Pallet carousels reduce your crew’s need to bend and twist when packing and unpacking pallets. Conveyors quickly and easily move loads from one end of your facility to another. And dock boards enable trucks and carts to be moved from facility to trailer, which reduces lifting and carrying needs.
Your standby pallet trucks provide both an economic and ergonomic solution to moving and transporting heavy palletized items throughout your facility without strain and with cost savings compared to a forklift. Hand trucks, dollies and platform trucks come in various styles and capacities to allow for ergonomic mobility and transport of bulky boxes and heavy items in smaller areas. Utility and service carts, meanwhile, are a versatile product to move equipment or supplies to multiple work areas while keeping your items at a work-surface level.
Efficiency has never been more critical to material handling than it is today. Contact Global Industrial’s product experts for help finding equipment that makes your material handling processes faster, smarter, and safer.
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