Different industries have different material handling needs. Depending on your needs, there are various types of material handling equipment. However, to ensure efficient material handling, it’s crucial to choose the right tool that can boost your productivity, as well as save money. Material handling equipment comes in numerous shapes and sizes. From fully automated systems to simple hand trucks for light loads, a wide variety of material handling tools and equipment are available. So, to make the right choice, it’s important to first determine your goods storage and transportation needs. You should also consider how sensitive your products are and how often you need to move them.
Almost every industry, from manufacturing and packaging to food processing and pharmaceutical, need material handling tools. These operations are a vital part of manufacturing, processing, and packaging. Earlier, material handling tasks were performed manually which took a lot of manpower. The physical labor not only poses danger for the workers but also jeopardize the safety of products. However, with the introduction of automatic devices such as conveyor belts, these tasks have become much easier and efficient. Such repetitive tasks may cause various musculoskeletal health disorders among workers and ultimately impact overall productivity. So, to avoid these issues, make sure you choose the right material handling tools and equipment. With that in mind, here are some factors to consider when choosing material handling devices for your workplace.
Functionality
The material handling tools can be divided into 3 categories based on the functions they perform- bulk material transportation equipment, material storage solution, and automated equipment for repetitive tasks. If you need to store materials then consider equipment like shelves, racks, and pallets. For moving raw material or packaging final products, you will material handling solutions that can move goods from one point to another such as conveyor belts, trucks, heavy-duty transporters, drums, silos, or elevators. The third type of tools like automated forklifts is used for operations that involve repetitive tasks.
Consider Space
The area, available space, and obstacles should be considered when evaluating material handling needs. When choosing a device, consider if sufficient space is available where it will be used. If the area where the tool will be used is confined then the device will fail to perform the task it is expected to perform. So, carefully check the length, height, and width of the area, as well as the space requirement of the equipment. The floor space of your manufacturing plant or warehouses should suit the material handling system you’re considering to use. Also, consider obstacles such as ceiling height or doors that may affect material flow.
Type of Products
Different industries use and produce different types of products for manufacturing. If you’re looking to store or move flammable, perishable, or other risky material then make sure the material handling system you’re choosing is safe for the product and worker.