You may already be well aware of the old saying ‘the right tool for the right job’. When it comes to warehouses and bulk material-handling equipment, it’s appropriate to extend this saying a bit. Kind of like this: The right tools for the right job maximizes efficiency.
There are many different types of material-handling equipment, and the likelihood is that your warehouse will use a wide variety of them. We’re going to take a look at all of the major types of material-handling equipment and how the team here at Douglas Equipment can provide you with the right tool for the job at hand.
Different Uses of Material-Handling Equipment
· Storage and Handling
The most important aspect of your warehouse is the potential it has for storage. The bigger the warehouse, the more inventory you can have. The more inventory you have, the less trips you have to make to suppliers. The less trips, the more money you save!
Usually storage equipment only includes non-automated examples. You can include pallets, shelves and racking as important pieces of equipment – any items that help you to organize and stack your materials during storage before items are moved to a different part of the production process, or transported from the warehouse. The best tools are those that maximize the space you have within your warehouse. So efficient and reliable stacking frames, shelves, hoppers and bins are all of extreme importance.
For mezzanines, conveyors, stairways, landings, ladders and cantilever racks, we recommend items manufactured by Bluff Manufacturing, and we are happy to carry a number of their products.
Bluff Manufacturing has been in business since 1968, and has continually proven themselves to be among the leaders in quality dock and warehouse equipment. Bluff has several sites all across the United States, including their headquarters based in Forth Worth, Texas. ANSI-certified, Bluff Manufacturing is a two-time recipient of the MHEDA award for the ‘Most Valuable Supplier’, and we are both pleased and proud to be able to offer their products to our customers.
· Engineered Systems
While man-power is all well and good when you are moving items around your warehouse, engineered systems are much more efficient. Such engineered systems can include simple systems such as conveyors, or more complicated systems like automated delivery systems, and automatic guided vehicles. These systems will take a lot of backbreaking work away from your employees, leaving them free to work elsewhere.
For engineered systems at Douglas Equipment we truly believe in the ‘Omni Advantage’ – this is the advantage gained by using products manufactured by Omni Metalcraft Corp, a respected company based on the shores of Lake Huron in Alpena, Michigan. This company has for many years helped us to supply our customers with an extensive range of heavy-duty conveyors (both motorized and non-motorized) for all types of applications. Their engineered systems can deal with all types of items – batteries, cases, drums, food and beverage items, glass, pallets, metals and much more. If you need an engineered system capable of helping you handle your materials, then contact us to ask us about the products manufactured by Omni Metalcraft Corp.
· Industrial Trucks
It’s likely that industrial trucks form the main part of your fleet of bulk material-handling equipment. The term encompasses both motorized and non-motorized hand trucks, plus pallet jacks and trucks, walkie stackers, platform trucks, order pickers and side-loaders.
Industrial trucks possess a variety of abilities that ensures they are suitable for any number of different operations. So an adaptable industrial truck is a very useful tool. Many such trucks will also have forks or some kind of flat surface by which allow the user to load and lift items, and some will even have powered lifts to make the stacking process even easier. Other types of trucks can be used purely for transportation without the ability to stack.
At Douglas Equipment, we can supply you with the complete range of drum-handling trucks as manufactured by Morse, a reliable company that has been supplying US and overseas companies since 1923. We can offer your business two, three and four-wheel drum trucks, plus drum and pail heaters made to precise specifications. We stock a number of other products manufactured by Morse too, including drum rackers, drum lifters, and drum tumblers. Basically, if your business involves the transportation of drums, then we heartily recommend the products manufactured by Morse.
· Loose Material-Handling Equipment
While many items that a warehouse is required to receive come in neat packages, many other items do not. Such items generally arrive in loose form – minerals, foods (such as grain) or liquids for example. Special handling equipment is required to handle materials in this form. This equipment generally deals with the material in its loose form, using conveyor belts or elevators to move items in large amounts hence maximizing efficiency. Storage of such items is important too, as items need to be kept free of contaminates. Equipment of this nature can include conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, bucket and grain elevators, hoppers and silos.
For any business, efficiency is key. The more efficient you are, the less you will waste in terms of resources, and the less you waste, the more profitable you will become. If your margins are tight then you cannot afford any wastage, which is why it always pays in the long run to invest in the very best, most reliable material-handling equipment that you can afford. Buying cheap is a short-term cost saver, but can create significant problems in the future.
Reach Out to Douglas Equipment to Learn More Today
At Douglas Equipment, we can provide you with all the best tools you need to ensure that your warehouse runs smoothly and efficiently. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have, and a member of our specialist customer service team is always available to speak to you.
You can call us toll free at any time at 1-800-451-0030, or 305-888-3700 if you are based in the South Florida area. You can also contact us online using our contact form if you’d prefer to contact us via email. We look forward to hearing from you very soon.
