How to Choose the Right Warehouse Lifting Equipment
Choosing the right warehouse lifting equipment will help you to save on energy costs, improve productivity, reduce cost of ownership, and generally improve the safety profile of the warehouse. The first very important step is to choose a supplier that can meet your warehouse lifting equipment needs. This means the supplier must have the correct equipment and offer competitive pricing and expert assistance in selecting equipment, as well as supply equipment for sale or for rent to meet your requirements
Next, you need to determine your particular lifting needs. What is the height that the equipment must reach? What is the general size of the load? What is the average weight and maximum weights that the truck must lift? The types of materials that must be handled should be determined. Will you need equipment to lift, stack, and move pallets, drums, or spools? Consider operating hours. How many hours of continuous work will one machine perform per day? Will you only need one, or more than one? Is your warehouse used for storage and distribution of goods or for manufacturing and repairs? How wide is the average isle? What is the average turn space available?
Training and Safety Factors
Keep in mind that every piece of new equipment that your workers are unfamiliar with must be studied and people must be trained in its safe operation. If it is too complicated, it will require extra time for training. It is thus essential to consider the learning curve in the selection of warehouse lift or material handling equipment. Workplace safety is important. Every hour lost due to injury cuts into your company’s profits. In addition, it means higher insurance premiums, penalties, payment of damages, and cost of replacement. It is your responsibility to protect employees and operators of your equipment against injury, so the safety features of the equipment are very important. An automatic switch-off feature when the operator leaves their seat, wider steps for getting off or on the machine, speed control, good visibility, steering ease, and a design that minimises operator fatigue are safety features that will help reduce injuries related to operation of warehouse equipment.
Specific Models, the Type of Material, and Load Height
If you are interested in a stacker, you will need to consider what the load capacity of the stacker should be. This will help to determine whether you need a larger heavy-duty or smaller light- or medium-duty stacker. Though one may think that skids and pallets are the same, there is a difference when it comes to lifting. Not all stackers can lift loaded pallets because the bottom slats can be in the way, hindering the machine from getting in under the load. If you work with pallets in the warehouse, make sure you choose a model that can load pallets. Do you want to move the material onto a high shelf area or will you need to lift the load to the side, at approximately the same height as the machine? If you need to move the material to higher shelves, you will need equipment fitted with a counter balance suitable for the specific height and weight.
Expert Guidance and Who to Call
Speak to warehouse lift consultants regarding your particular lifting requirements. They will advise you regarding the most appropriate equipment, size, and model to ensure safe and efficient operation in your particular warehouse space. At Bidvest Forklifts, we go the extra mile to meet customer requirements. We offer pallet and reach trucks, pallet stackers and order pickers, in addition to counterbalanced forklifts of various sizes in electric and engine-driven models. We furthermore offer for sale brand-new and pre-owned warehouse equipment. You also have the option of short- and long-term rentals.
We stock a wide range of parts and provide maintenance and repair services. You have the option of a maintenance agreement when purchasing a new unit and we offer service agreements on all forklifts. In addition, we offer battery hire services for warehouse lifting equipment usage. Get the best equipment at the lowest cost of ownership, with superior handling, and excellent safety features and material handling capacity according to your specific needs. Download our brochures and call us for professional assistance.