How
can a warehouse or manufacturing manager
choose
the best equipment forMaterial Handling Management the specific facility?
Start
by by asking three questions:
How
many square feet will be required for operations and material storage? How does
the facility’s column spacing and ceiling height influence the storage methods
and material handling equipment to use?
What product or materials will be handled?
What operations will be performed, from
receiving and shipping to production and warehousing?
Another
critical question to consider: Will material handling equipment serve a vacant
facility, or one with existing rack systems in place? This could determine
whether the equipment can work within the existing structure, or if the
facility will need some realignment, albeit costly in terms of money and lost
productivity, to accommodate the materials, flow and equipment.
In
both scenarios, the floor plan, including floor square footage, storage height,
bay door clearances and support column spacing will dictate aisle widths and
the equipment best suited to the setting.
Next,
what materials will be handled? From standard pallets to drums, coils or spools
of material, or even tires, the material handled will dictate the equipment
selected. Additionally your order picking method (piece pick, case pick or
pallet pick) will be a factor in determining the type of equipment to select.
For example, personnel may be storing and picking full pallets in racks, in
which case a reach truck would be the optimal equipment choice. Yet, if
personnel must case pick cartons from pallets, an order picker could be the
preferred solution.
The
question of operations to be performed, from receiving and shipping to
production or warehousing, is vital to equipment selection. A cross-dock
operation with little need for onsite storage may require only fork trucks to
load and unload trailers. A traditional warehouse with a combination of floor
storage and racks could require a fork truck to unload and stage material. Next
the proper equipment for picking and put away should be selected using factors
such as rack type, rack aisle width, and ceiling height. The choices are
numerous, but the general rule of thumb is the narrower the aisle the equipment
can operate in, the higher the cost. However with floor space usually at a
premium, the higher equipment cost may easily be justified by a smaller racking
footprint.
Choosing
the right type of equipment can do more than maximize space. It can improve
personnel and product safety and create a facility that can grow as the company
grows.
The
right material handling equipment can help an organization ensure the best fit
– literally – for the facility’s needs today and tomorrow.
Source:
http://blog.ryder.com/2015/02/selecting-material-handling
equipment/#sthash.G2jo4hll.dpuf