Scott Stone | Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems - Part 29
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A Jargon-Free Guide to Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor Specification

April 7, 2015

Pflow lift mechanical, four post

Facility space is expensive—very expensive—so it’s become increasingly important to utilize it to its full potential in any industrial facility. We’ve seen many companies find ways to expand their crowded operation utilizing mezzanines and other elevated work platforms that help seize the vertical cube. There are multiple methods for moving materials between vertical levels, and  vertical reciprocating conveyors (VRCs) are one of the best.

With an array of carriage types, drives, designs and power sources available, what vertical lift might meet your needs?

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Posted in Lifting & Lift Systems|

Ergonomic Safety Tips for the Warehouse

April 2, 2015

Warehouse workers

Everyday functions of most warehouses and industrial operations fall within the realm of manual material handling–constant lifting, bending, stretching, reaching, pushing and otherwise manipulating materials by physical force. People are moving cartons, picking orders, reaching for packing materials and performing other tasks. Manual material handling contributes to musculoskeletal disorders, to the tune of more than 500,000 reported annual reported cases of strains and stress in shoulders, backs, arms and legs.

While you can never eliminate it, you can reduce the worst aspects of it. Let’s dive into some ways.

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

10 Ways to Improve Order Picking Productivity

March 31, 2015

warehouse order picking

Like the Paul Simon song goes, there are 50 ways to pick an order—except in reality there are far more.

With such a variety of methods, processes, technologies and equipment options out there, it can be challenging to determine the best ways to improve order processing efficiency and productivity. In this article, LIDD’s Charles Fallon discusses 10 ways for distribution center managers to boost their order picking crew’s performance.
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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

Advantages of Modular Buildings in the Warehouse

March 17, 2015

Modular Building

In the past year I’ve toured manufacturing facilities that have office space right on the plant floor.  Those offices had been added as the company grew and needed more supervisors or engineers on the floor. They were using modular offices, of course. Later, I was fortunate to attend a training session on modular offices done by one of our suppliers, and it was amazing the forethought and engineering that goes into these modular buildings.

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Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|

Which Carton Flow Type Fits Your Application?

March 5, 2015

gravity rack each pick in a warheouse

Carton flow expedites pick operations by making stock accessible in an easily replenished first-in/first-out pattern. Gravity flow racks can reduce labor costs up to 75% in pick operations compared to static storage picking by delivering cartons and split case goods to the pick aisle rather pickers pulling from the static pallet rack storage. It is a commonly used storage/picking method in many operations, but there are many options and types of flow storage available. Which fits your need best?

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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

How Many Order Picking Errors Go Unreported?

March 3, 2015

voice directed order picking

Most operations maintain at least some numbers on the most critical aspects of the business. For order picking operations, you might track number of orders picked per day, hours per pick, cost-per-pick, on-time rates — and error rates. The question is this: how accurate are those numbers? For instance, if your system reports 50 order picking errors a week, does that represent half your errors? All of them? Most of them? It’s can be difficult to understand.

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Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

When to Use Lift-Out Guardrails

February 24, 2015

lift-out steel guard rail
Steel guard rail is one of the best–and most economical–accident prevention tools in a facility’s safety arsenal. It helps keep workers safe from forklift traffic, protects valuable equipment from potential damage, and even guards ends of pallet rack rows. But there may be times when you need forklift or cart access to protected areas (or simply don’t want to step over or around railing). How do you handle those situations? How often are you having to remove your guard rail and then reassemble? There’s a better way available — lift-out rail systems.

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

Video: Tips for Safer Pallet Rack Operations

February 11, 2015

This short video details some common-sense tactics for safer pallet rack operations. Remember, pallet racks are designed for specific capacities and loads. If you are working on a rack application and aren’t sure of any of your load factors, contact us for assistance today. Also see our related infographic: “Safer Rack Operations”.

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Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Choosing a Replacement Electric Motor

February 10, 2015

conveyor motor with C face

When your conveyor motor stops working, do you know what you need to know to replace it quickly? How do you even know what the original motor was rated?

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Posted in Conveyor Optimization|

Air Balancers and Hoists: What’s the Difference?

February 5, 2015

Hoists and Balancers - The differences

Lifting systems vary widely in type, capacities and sizes. Each is created to meet job-specific requirements of load capacity, cycle times, and lift range. Handling accuracy and smoothness are also considered. The two types of lifting systems addressed here are air balancers and chain hoists.  They do essentially the same job: lifting an item into the air either from storage or a flat surface. So which might work for you?

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Posted in Lifting & Lift Systems|

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