WMS or warehouse management systems may seem like something that present technological advancements have introduced but WMS have been around since ancient times. Although not implemented in the way or form of today's systems, the concept of managing a warehouse originated in olden times. Despite warehouses not being a thing until the 1300s they have become the staple of our ever-moving shipping economy. There hasn't been as big of a trade of goods at this scale before which is also why there has been a slew of warehouse equipment being used.
Benefits of Material Handling Equipment
Save
A big reason why warehouse facilities make use of material loading equipment is that they help save you from a lot of expenses. While the initial investment may be costly, in the long run, materials handling equipment pays off quite well. Remember though, this depends on whether or not you get the right type of equipment.
Maximise
Not having enough space is the most concerning issue for warehouse owners when there is a big order coming in. Well, with the right warehouse equipment you won't have to worry about that either. The use of material handling equipment allows you to make the most out of your floor space and maximise the use of vertical space instead.
Improve
With machinery, you get to shorten both shipping and delivery times and this way you get to increase workplace efficiency as well as productivity. With it also comes improved customer experience which in turn makes for a higher customer return rate. It all ties in together quite well when you use material handling equipment.
Decrease
Two major factors that you'll decrease with materials handling equipment are product damage and accidents. Machines make fewer mistakes even when controlled by people and if you go for automatised or semi-autonomous systems you will decrease accidents and damage even more.
Types of Material Handling Equipment
Storage and Handling
There are different types of storage handling equipment but the main ones are mezzanines, racks, stacking frames, drawers, shelves and bins.
Mezzanines are essentially raised platforms used indoors to create an additional storage area that sits above the ground. With mezzanine, you can store items vertically to help save some floor space.
Racks are also able to help free up floor space but they're made to be used in more accessible places. Racks come made in different designs like drive-through racks, pallet racks, sliding racks and more.
Stacking frames make for a modular storage system as they can be put on top of each other. When it comes to material loading equipment they are one of the main types of equipment as they allow you to store items safely.
Shelves, bins, and drawers all go together and make for an extremely customisable storage system. They may not be able to hold a lot of material, but they are still however ideal when it comes to storing small items.
Bulk Handling
The essential equipment when it comes to bulk handling involves stackers, reclaimers, bucket and grain elevators, conveyor belts and hoppers.
Stackers are the key equipment to handling bulk materials. They are a piece of automated equipment that moves loose materials to stockpiles all on their own. All you need is someone to supervise it.
Reclaimers are handling equipment made to pick up the stockpiles generated by stackers. Again, they also work with loose materials.
Bucket and grain elevators are mainly grain legs and bucket-style elevators that can move bulk materials vertically. They can also be used to store them.
Conveyor belts are parts of a conveyor system that rely on pulleys and drums to move materials in bulk.
Hoppers are used to pour loose materials into containers thanks to their funnel-like design that has openings that can be closed.
Transport
Transport equipment in warehouses involves trucks, pallet holders, forklifts and side loaders. With this type of machinery, you can transport goods and materials inside your facility be it in a manual or automated fashion. Trucks can be automatically guided but they still need to be supervised.
Engineered Systems
Talking about automation, engineered systems can be used to make your warehouse run on fewer staff members. These systems are usually AGVs, AS/ RS, conveyor systems and robotic delivery systems.
AGVs or automated guided vehicles are usually computer-operated trucks that take a certain route thanks to detectors and sensors. These vehicles can also be fully autonomous and they can also operate on multiple routes around your facility.
AS/ RS or automated storage and retrieval systems are one of the more popular engineered systems, especially in large facilities. This is because AS/ RS are able to handle a lot of material since they make use of a shuttle to pick up that same material. The picking process of these systems comes with an option to be automated but it can also be manually operated.
A conveyor system is made up of many different mechanical assemblies and devices that help transport goods and materials on their own. There are chain, cleated, apron, overhead, and vehicle conveyor systems.
Robotic delivery systems are exactly what you expect them to be. They make use of rudimentary robotic devices that help with the execution of repetitive tasks. The perfect example of this is order picking.
Industrial Trucks
Hand trucks are the most commonly used industrial trucks and are often called dollies. They are quite simple and give workers the advantage they need to roll heavy materials around.
Pallet trucks, also known as forklifts, are the most versatile material loading equipment in a warehouse. They can be used to lift heavy palletised loads from any height and at any height, as long as you use them with the correct attachments.
Side loaders are able to fit between narrow aisles and thus are able to easily pick up materials without any issue.
Order pickers are able to lift operators in order for them to pick up a certain part or material. Hard-to-reach materials can be easily accessed with an order picker.
