Forklifts are ubiquitous in warehousing and other industrial operations, but aren’t necessary in many other applications, such as small assembly shops, retailers, auto dealerships, and others that require materials movement but do not need a forklift, with its maintenance costs, safety issues, driver requirements and its footprint in a smaller facility. What methods can you use instead?
Tags: stackers, lift transporters, powered lift hand truck, portable stacker, counterweight, non-forklift, Material Handling
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
We all know what happens to tooling and die when it’s stored haphazardly. Bumped and scratched, a chip here, a nick there, and suddenly your machining just isn’t what it used to be. The quality has slipped, maybe more products are being returned, there’s an increase in customer complaints. It’s too valuable and too expensive to risk. What are your options?
Tags: sheet metal storage, tool & die rack, tooling, machining, CNC, lathe, cutter
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
People store all kinds of things on pallet rack – from truck engines to fine jewelry. How do you protect valuable goods from being accessed by unauthorized personnel? What about inventory toppling off the back of the rack into an aisle where workers are?
Tags: Rack Security Cages, Pallet Rack, warehouse safety, Pallet Rack Safety Netting
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
All too often, companies struggle because the size of their warehouse is considered in the planning stage, but not the efficient use of that space.
A facility is purchased or leased with the desired set of characteristics, and then work begins. There are significant opportunities in many operations to size up the business mix, order trends, product slotting and facility layout in a way that helps improve everything from storage density to pick rates to error rates to labor costs. But first we must know the total storage potential of the facility, and work backwards from there.
Tags: storage space, facility layout, warehouse storage
Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|
Choosing guard rail can be confusing unless you understand clearly what kinds of conditions you are protecting against and what assets you are protecting. Whether it be fall protection for workers or asset protection from industrial vehicle usage, there is a guard rail that fits that need.
Tags: warehouse safety, Safety & Ergonomics, guard rail, hand rail, guarding systems
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
Safety is a major issue in most industrial environments – especially those where industrial traffic like forklifts, AGV’s and other vehicles mingle with workers on foot. There are just too many ways people can get hurt; too many chances for things to suddenly go wrong. That’s why including some automated safety sensor systems in a facility can make a life and death difference on a day-to-day basis.
Tags: infrared sensor, industrial safety, forklift safety, traffic management, safety systems, safety sensors, motion detection
Posted in Forklift - Pedestrian Safety|
Facility layout is a complex and sometimes frustrating process. You’re often limited by budget, space, time, or scheduling beyond your control. What factors should you consider when you allocate space, either in a new facility or a redesigned one? Facilities are sometimes designed without consideration for the space EHS compliance may consume. When that happens, your usable footprint shrinks, leading to a production facility that isn’t truly space-optimized.
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
When I was a kid, on rainy days my friends and I used  kitchen chairs, old blankets and lots of clothespins and built our own special space for imaginary adventures. Our rag-tag shelter was temporary, but gave us the sensation of being in our own little world. Frequently, in manufacturing and warehousing facilities, work zones and independent departments need separation from the larger whole for either safety or autonomy purposes, and there are products out there that answer those needs. Products like curtain walls, acoustic walls, thermal barriers and welding screens. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: warehouse space savings, curtain walls, acoustic, barrier, thermal, strip door, plastic, vinyl, welding, screen
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
The focus when it comes to order picking is usually (and justifiably) on the fastest-moving product. You slot your warehouse for fast movers. You pareto-focus on the 20% of the product that generates 80% of the business, as you should. But it’s also useful to consider the slow-moving inventory and pick locations. Simply putting the slowest movers in the least accessible area may make them consume more order picking time and storage space than necessary.
Tags: order fulfillment, Industrial Shelving, carton flow racks
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
Ever find yourself wondering how you can get more out of your pallet rack? Do you have goods that take up very little space, but your pick operations don’t call for entire pallets full of the product? Then you might need to look at ways to achieve more density in your storage, and we’ve recently found a gem of a product that can help you out. It’s called Dynamic High Density Storage and it’s made by SpeedCell.
Tags: Warehouse Management, warehousing, Pallet Rack, order fulfillment, warehouse storage, space savings, storage, industrial storage, distribution center, Order Picking & Fulfillment
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
