ploy | Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems - Part 5
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Forklift Proximity Detection – Do More Zones Matter?

March 14, 2024
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forklift moving by workers in a warehouse

You’ve seen them pass so close in your facility it stopped you cold. Keeping forklifts and pedestrians from collision (or even close encounters) is a critical element of safety within any facility that uses both. Creating a safe culture that improves these interactions is the goal of any team, and there are many solutions available.

Outfitting your workers and trucks with proximity warning systems is a solution designed to improve these interactions. These systems are a crucial component of occupational safety strategies, significantly diminishing the likelihood of accidents and incidents between pedestrians and vehicles, and effectively fostering a culture of heightened safety awareness among employees

As proximity warning systems evolve, they now boast new features. Notably, some are exploring dual detection zones, with the thought of extra protection. This innovation prompts us to question: does an extra detection zone boost accident prevention effectiveness?

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Posted in Forklift - Pedestrian Safety|

Stress and The Warehouse Worker: What are the Issues?

February 27, 2024
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morning cofee and bagel

This month, we delve into the stresses faced by warehouse workers, and how that may play into the sector’s competitiveness for labor as the available pool continues to contract. Also: detailed data on manufacturing output, ROI for industrial capital spending, and a bit more.

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Posted in Industry Insights|

10 Easy Tips to Increase Warehouse Safety

February 15, 2024
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forklift accessing load stored on pallet rack

Insufficient safety measures in warehouse and distribution centers can have severe repercussions, including injuries, operational downtime, product losses, property damages, and potential legal actions. Of particular concern are accidents involving collisions between forklifts or other vehicles and employees or visitors.

Within busy operations, a forklift or other vehicle may eventually run into existing rack. While the rack may not require immediate replacement, storage capacity and product throughput may be compromised for some time. If overloaded, or loaded incorrectly, a rack can also collapse, spilling the inventory to the ground. Employees and visitors must also be protected from vehicle traffic.

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Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Warehouse Ergonomics and Productivity: an Inseparable Relationship

February 6, 2024
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picking conveyor line in a warehouse with heavy beverage loads at waist height
Improving the ergonomics of any warehouse operation may be the single easiest way to improve productivity – and that’s aside from the obvious safety and labor force protection aspects. Consider all the ways people move and work every day, every week, every year. Those repetitive motions take a toll both on the people doing the work and overall productivity. Ergonomics and productivity are not only related: they’re essential to each other.

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

Manufacturing Expansion: Who, What, Where and How?

January 30, 2024
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morning cofee and bagel

As we enter 2024, it’s no secret that manufacturing is growing at a nearly unprecedented rate. This cycle has been on the rise for years, and is now accelerating. Beneath the surface, some regions and sectors are growing faster than others. What are the trends we can anticipate in 2024 and beyond?

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Posted in Industry Insights|

Warehouse Automation: The Cost of Doing Nothing

January 18, 2024
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automated facility with AS/RS, conveyors and transport system

People who operate industrial facilities have a difficult task. While the world changes around them, they’re dealing with a static operation that can be difficult to change or revitalize. Sunk costs, funding and organizational inertia can paralyze you at the worst moments. But the reality is that from our supply chains to labor to our customer demand profile, things are always in flux.

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Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

How to Specify Dock Area Pallet Racks

January 9, 2024
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Busy warehouse shipping dock with pallets stored in racks and on the floor

Above: pallet racks are installed both to the side and in front of dock doors in tight space. Palletized loads are floor-staged nearby, further squeezing space.

Warehouse shipping docks are one of the busiest areas in any warehouse. You have the buzz of constant activity as shipments are received or processed out the door, with a mixture of people on foot, forklifts, carts, floor scales, pallets and storage areas. There may be extendable conveyors or other equipment in the same relatively compact footprint. During busy times, it gets more congested and less workable.

It’s also a popular area for palletized storage on, near and around the area. Here’s what to keep in mind:

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Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

How to Singulate Products on Your Conveyor System

November 28, 2023
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singulation conveyor systems merge multiple lines into single lanes of products

What is singulation?

Singulation separates and single-lines cartons and other loads into lines as they move on a conveyor. Bulk and parcel applications frequently require singulation. Conveyors and control systems use multi-speed belts, dedicated singulators, skewed rollers and side-driven motors to unscramble multiple lines of products into single-file. Think of singulation as the process of organizing cartons or other loads into a single, neat line for future processing.

Singulation is pivotal for in sorting and organizing materials ranging from boxes to fragile electronics to sturdy automotive components on conveyor systems.

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Posted in Conveyor Optimization|

Warehouse Parking Lot Safety – What Are Your Best Protection Options?

November 16, 2023
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Factory parking lot

Creating a culture of safety is a high priority (and always ongoing) in any facility that values its operations. Whether it is safer forklift/pedestrian interactions, ergonomic improvements, or machine protection, every warehouse is constantly working to improve the conditions within its walls.

But what about the area outside, say, in the parking lot? Sure, it’s not a glamorous area, but you want to keep your workers safe and secure there too!

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Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

Pallet Rack: Anchoring, Safety and OSHA Compliance Factors

November 9, 2023
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heavy duty die storage rack anchored to a concrete warehouse floor.

Warehouses use pallet racks because they maximize storage space, streamline operations, and organize inventory like no other system. We discuss rack safety in depth because it’s so critical for protecting people, property, inventory and facilities. A rack safety fundamental is anchoring: the right anchors, installed correctly, into a subfloor designed for that purpose. Think of the floor-rack connection as the very basis of your rack’s balance and capacity.

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Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

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