How to Choose Materials Handling Equipment?
Material handling equipment is used to help you move and store your business’ products and materials. This equipment can be broken down into 4 different categories. These categories have a wide selection of useful equipment, making it easier to safely move heavy and large volume of materials. Here are the types of material handling equipment you can consider for your business:
Storage and Handling Equipment
Storage and handling equipment is used to hold materials while they wait to be moved from the manufacturer or from wholesaler to customers or another warehouse. By having the right storage equipment system, you can increase the efficiency of your production floor, make the most of the space, and make inventory process a breeze.
These are very important factors in any production environment. The most common types of this storage system are shelves and bins and drawers. But these types are often used in households and small warehouses. For commercial purposes, you will need these storage and handling equipment systems:
• Racks – racks include pallet racks, drive-in racks, push-back racks, drive-through, and sliding racks. While there are a lot of varieties of pallet racking, all of its types let you store palletized materials in a horizontal row and with multiple levels.
• Stacking frames – in this storage and handling equipment type, they use interlocking units to enable stacking of units. It is described as a load securing device that can take the place of bins or containers. Stacking frames consist of iron posts and connecting frames that are resting on the 4 corners of pallet racks. This creates an open container with a certain amount of load retention ability.
• Mezzanines – this storage system involves the use of elevated floor systems installed from the production floor up to the ceiling to provide additional storage space. Superblock Mezzanine structures are easily dismantled and moved, making it ideal for businesses with small storage spaces.
Industrial Trucks
Another equipment you will need are industrial trucks like forklifts. These are very ideal for warehouses that need to move large materials or small materials that come in large quantities. Trucks make moving materials around the manufacturing floor fast and efficient. They can also be utilized to efficiently load and unload heavy objects onto a different warehouse or onto your delivery trucks.
Bulk Material Handling Equipment
If your warehouse has large volumes of material either in bulk or loose form, bulk material handling equipment is your best option. In general, this type of equipment is perfect for moving loose parts from one part of the warehouse to another. You can even utilize conveyor belts in case you need horizontal transportation or elevators for vertical transportation.
You have many options when it comes to choosing the right material handling equipment for your business. Expansive warehouses have the option to have a fully automated storage and retrieval systems, while smaller ones can opt for simple hand trucks to make small and light loads. Selecting the right equipment helps you ensure that you can efficiently handle your warehouse’s internal logistics and inventory.
If you need materials handling and racking solutions for your business, be sure to contact Shelf and Store. We have a wide selection of hardware storage solutions that will suit your needs..
