Warehouse & Dock Equipment

Connecticut Materials Handling Company Recognized

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The president of a Connecticut materials handling solutions company has been recognized for being one of the most influential business leaders under 40 years old in that state. Raymond Cocozza, president of Conveyco, of Bristol,Connecticut, was one of 40 industry local business persons recognized by the Hartford Business Journal. Conveyco specializes in finding material handling … Read more

New Pink Stepladders Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

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Now you can help fight against breast cancer every time you use an office ladder, rolling ladder or steel step stool in your warehouse or manufacturing facility.

pink ladder for breast cancer awarenessSpecial pink ladders are being offered for a limited time only by EGA Products, a materials handling and storage equipment manufacturer based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the distinctive ladders will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation — a charitable group that raises money for breast cancer research — or to whatever charity the buyer designates.

Social Awareness in the Workplace

It’s not often that social issues awareness campaigns enter the workplace, but EGA Products CEO Dave Young said that the company felt strongly enough about the issue to join forces with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

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Optimizing Labor in a Warehouse or Work Yard

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Today more than ever, every penny counts. So reducing costs as much as possible needs to be among warehouse management’s top priority. That’s why it can be so infuriating to see workers idling or being unproductive while on the clock. Every dollar wasted on non-productive labor ultimately gets passed on to the consumer in the form … Read more

Automated Material Handling Solutions Company Heads to PACK EXPO 2013

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Intelligrated is a North American-based automated material handling solutions provider that will be attending the Pack Expo 2013, from September 23 through September 25 and will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Intelligrated will feature its Alvery robotic palletizing and depalletizing solutions. Their booth that they will be featuring this product, will have … Read more

Hoists and Balancers Purpose

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hoists and balancersHoists and balancers are attachments for bridge cranes and other material handling equipment that are used to lift heavy loads. Relatively simple in design, they provide stability and increased mobility and come in a wide range of capacities and can be used for a variety of purposes.

A hoist consists of a power source, a drive mechanism that turns a lift wheel or sprocket, and a length of chain or wire rope, known as the lift media. When power is supplied to the hoist, the drive mechanism turns the sprocket, which retrieves or extends the lift media. This, then, raises or lowers the payload. In most cases, the up and down functions are controlled by a hand-held pendant with buttons or levels for each direction.

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Increasing Warehouse Space for Less, Part 3

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how work platforms can make your facility more efficientEditor’s Note: This is the last in a series of blogs examining the benefits of work platforms in warehouse and manufacturing facilities.

Work platforms offer warehouse operators a fast, efficient and affordable way to increase their existing warehouse storage space. But they also can be used for a wide variety of operations.

Picking operations, value-added services, sorting systems, slow-moving inventory storage, fast-response processing and other functions can all be facilitated by work platforms. That’s because they offer the full functionality of new construction or the addition of a mezzanine or other renovations to existing facilities without the expense or downtime.

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Increasing Warehouse Space for Less, Part 2

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work platform solutions for warehousesEditor’s Note: This is the second in a series of blogs examining the most efficient and affordable ways to optimize existing warehouse space

Thanks to near universal access to the Internet and web’s elimination of geographic boundaries, many companies today are turning to e-commerce as a way to increase their customer base. While this usually results in more business, it also typically requires more warehouse space.

One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to optimize your existing space — without having to invest heavily in new construction or renovations — is to install work platforms. These sturdy, steel structures allow warehouse operators to utilize vertical space, maximizing their cost-per-square-foot.

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Increasing Warehouse Space for Less, Part 1

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work platforms warehouse solutionsEditor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series on innovative ways to increase warehouse space.

Rapid growth is every business’s objective, but it can sometimes have unintended consequences.

When companies experience a sudden upswing in business, it often requires them to find additional warehouse space. Building new facilities requires substantial capital investment. And seeking out more leased space can be time-consuming, not to mention the logistical issues it can cause when products are located in multiple locations.

Need More Room? Try Looking Up!

Another option that most warehouse operators sometimes don’t consider is to make better use of their vertical space. This can be achieved by either adding on a mezzanine — or essentially a second floor that runs wall to wall within the warehouse — or by simply installing work platforms.

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Mobile Robots Make Warehouse Ops Cheaper and More Efficient

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mobile robots for warehousesMobile robots have been used in manufacturing for decades, but thanks to their shrinking costs and the needs for businesses to increase efficiencies and lower expenses, they are starting to appear more frequently in warehouse and distribution applications.

Corey Ryan, medical account manager for KUKA Robotics, based in Shelby Township, Michigan, said that in recent years robots have been showing up in more and more businesses, not just manufacturing.

“We increased interest in mobile robotics across all industries,” Ryan told the website Robotics Online. “The ability of one mobile robot to service several locations and perform a greatly expanded  range of task offers a great appeal for specialized applications.”

Giant Eagle Uses Robots to Cut Warehouse Costs

One success story is Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle, a leading supermarket chain that operates in four Eastern states. The company currently is using pallet-handling mobile robots in its 440,000-square-foot food  distribution center outside of Pittsburgh. Four double pallet robots, which resemble driver-less forklift truck, handle much of the facility’s putaway operations. Another four mobile robots are being used at a Giant Eagle distribution center in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Why You Should Consider Replacing Your Wood Pallets

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benefits of foam palletsWood has been used to make pallets for decades and there are still millions of wood pallets still being used in warehouses and in the supply chain worldwide. Yet if you have ever worked with wood pallets, you know their drawbacks: They are heavy, can splinter and often expose dangerous sharp nails when their boards become loose, among other problems. If you currently are using wood pallets for your materials handling needs, you might want to consider switching to pallets made from 100% recycled post-industrial recycled foam. They offer a number of advantages, including being moisture-proof, lightweight and nest-able to save space.

A Safer, More Affordable Solution

Heavy-duty structural foam pallets, on the other hand, offer a safer and more durable alternative to your pallet needs.  Their polystyrene foam core is coated with a high-impact polystyrene skin that can’t absorb water. They are food safe and universally approved to transport food products. Wood pallets, on the other hand, can pose serious bio-hazard risks because they are susceptible to bacterial and chemical contamination, including E.  coli and other food borne illnesses.

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