Different categories of handling equipment for your business

Industrial equipment that is used to store, move, secure, handle or dispose of goods and materials are called material management solutions. They not only improve and increase employee performance but also reduce unwanted accidents in the warehouse. Material handling equipment solutions include a wide range of machines, tools, equipment, vehicles, storage units and ancillary equipment involved in various stages of production, distribution, consumption and disposal. They can be broadly classified into 4 categories including.

Storage products

Storage systems are usually non-automated solutions with simple mechanisms. They are mainly used to store, hold or buffer products for long periods of time. Storage machinery allows materials to sit in the facility during “downtimes” or times when they are not being transported. The purpose of this storage machinery is to allow the production to run smoothly without having to stop due to the production of excess product. Storage products are also very useful to have a surplus in case of shortage or sudden demand elsewhere. Most storage machinery refers to shelves, racks, frames and bins.

Transport products

In simple terms, transportation solutions refer to machines that move materials from one place to another. Transportation can be from one job site to another, from one end of a facility to another, or even between a docking platform and a storage area. There are three sub-categories of transportation solutions – cranes, industrial trucks and conveyors. While trucks have the freedom to move materials anywhere, cranes are limited to certain areas and conveyor belts can only be used to move materials in one way.

Unit load composition products

This is machinery that grips and restricts material to avoid movement during transport or storage. Unit load forming machinery maintains the integrity of the material and allows more than one item of the same material to be held by a single unit load. Skids, bags, cartons, pallets, crates, baskets, racks, bins and slipsheets are some of the common unit load formation solutions used by companies.

Condition machinery

For Material handling equipment in one place (feeding, loading/unloading or otherwise manipulating materials so that they are in the right position for subsequent handling, machining, storage or transportation), positioning solutions can come in handy. This machinery reduces labor load and increases productivity significantly. Compared to manual handling, positioning machines are better equipped to limit material damage. They reduce the likelihood of fatigue and injuries due to human error or carelessness. Hoists, manipulators, balancers, turn tables, lift tables, tilt tables and industrial robots fall under the category of positioning solutions.

Detection and control solutions

Keeping track of materials is important, especially in large manufacturing, storage and disposal facilities. Large organizations often rely on identity and control services to collect and communicate information used within the facility, as well as to coordinate the flow of materials between the facility and its suppliers. Items such as radio frequency tags, bar codes and magnetic strips can be classified as identification and control machinery.

The initial purchase cost of material handling products may be high, but it can prove to be a useful and worthwhile investment in the long run.Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency! It seems these are the only words content management organizations can say these days. There is a reason. Material handling companies know that greater efficiency means greater profit margins. Efficiency, in other words, is about the bottom line.

What are these organizations doing to achieve unexpected levels of efficiency? More to the point, how can you improve efficiency in your content management organization?They are tracking their performance level. Increasing efficiency doesn’t start with going out and buying a new forklift or building a new building. It is very simple. First, you analyse your current performance situation. You will never know how to improve until you know what needs to be improved.