4 types of material handling equipment to enhance your warehouse

The equipment you keep in your warehouse at times is just as necessary as any other component. So how do you decide what you need? How can you ensure your warehouse material handling equipment is efficient and functional?

Choosing the right equipment for your needs and space is essential, which is why you need to know some basics about each before making these big decisions. 

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What Qualifies as Warehouse Material Handling Equipment?

Put simply, warehouse material handling equipment is anything that moves or protects your product in the warehouse. This can take several forms, but it is crucial to understand the impact of these machines. Depending on the machines used, your warehouse can be enhanced to be safer, more efficient, and increased longevity. Therefore, the correct utilization of this equipment is crucial to the success of your business’ supply chain. 

Safety

Proper utilization of MHE ensures both product and employee safety. Incorporating these tools into your warehouse can prevent possible worker injury. Stacking products properly on skids or racks instead of haphazardly provides effective movement of materials with low risk to workers. It also ensures the product is less likely to fall, tip or break. 

Storage equipment like racks, pallets, and shelving also ensures product safety. Minimizing product loss is crucial to a productive business making safe products, good products. 

Durability & Longevity

Employing MHE means your business and warehouse will be operational longer and with more durability than ever before. Having systems in place using warehouse material handling equipment means your warehouse will be running on a consistent and well-monitored plan. Investing in MHE allows for your working space to run for longer without any human error hiccups.

Efficiency 

One of the best features using MHE in your warehouse can offer is increased production efficiency and effectiveness. A machine can typically complete a job with more accuracy and at a larger scale than a human ever could. Employing these machines in your warehouse ensures your product is transported, packaged, housed and produced in a timely, detailed and effective manner.  

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4 Types of Warehouse Material Handling Equipment that make a Big Impact

There are several broad categories of MHE in the market. Sometimes it can be challenging to know which will give you the most return on your investment. Here is a collective list of the types of MHE that make a significant impact on warehouses across the board. 

1. Automated Conveyor Systems

A mechanical assembly that takes little to no effort moving product around a warehouse. Cut down on travel and transition time by having product safely transported to different areas of your warehouse. This is especially helpful for stocking, order fulfillment and multi-product placement.

2. Robotic Delivery Systems

These machines also help move product where it needs to be. Oftentimes these can be used to move product to a conveyor, eliminating a human element entirely and making the whole process exceptionally efficient.

3. Automated Guided Vehicles

Want to eliminate the need for employees to maneuver large equipment around your facility? Using an automated guided vehicle allows for large product or whole pallets to be picked up and relocated without needing an employee to operate the machine. These vehicles operate entirely independently and create a map of your warehouse, allowing them to find the most efficient and safe route to get your product where it needs to be.  

4. Trucks & Forklifts

Even if your warehouse deals in small items, you will likely have a storage system that requires them to be packaged on pallets or shelves. Moving these large quantities of product can be difficult and time-consuming, but not with a forklift or truck. These are especially useful in large warehouses where large distances need to be crossed. There are all different types of machinery that fit into this category. However, most prove to be exceptionally useful in getting a job done quickly and effectively. The only downside? They need someone to drive them as carefully as they can transport your product! 

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The Surefire Way to Maximize Productivity

These four types of material handling warehouse equipment are a winning way to increase your space’s productivity, safety, and dependability. They enable faster transport of product to where it needs to be, eliminate product damage or loss risk and decrease physically demanding and repetitive labour which can harm employees. Investing in one of these four (or all) types of machinery is a strong move towards efficiency for your warehouse and business. 

Do you want to implement new material handling equipment to help enhance your warehouse or supply chain? Are you worried your outdated systems may hold you back from modern technology? Feeling like you’re not sure where to start? PorterLogic can fill the gap between your existing systems and new tech, so you don’t have to stress.

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