Materials handling plays a crucial role in many industries, including logistics to manufacturing, construction and retail. Almost all tangible commerce products are handled with equipment such as forklifts, carts and transpallets. It accounts for around a quarter of the Australian economy.
Having the right equipment and systems in place is crucial for an efficient material handling project. Materials handling involves any process of moving goods around a warehouse or building and between the building and transportation vehicle while accounting for the movement of stock.
Material Handling Methods
Material handling can be carried out manually or automatically. The former refers to simply moving goods by hand. This might involve lifting and placing items into carts to then push around, using dollies or hand trolleys or simply carrying items the whole way to their intended destination. Manual handling exposes workers to health risks such as sprains and strains in their back, shoulders, knees, arms and more.
Automated handling involves replacing manual tools with technology like forklifts, transpallets and other lifting equipment. This reduces the risk of strains but requires qualified operators. Purchasing equipment like forklifts is also much more expensive. However, renting a forklift can eliminate large capital outlays and maintenance costs while giving you the benefit of automating your materials handling.
Implementing a Good Materials Handling System
The key to achieving maximum efficiency is to carefully evaluate the physical space as well as the type and amount of materials being moved. Consider the layout of the building, where goods should ideally be placed based on how often they move. How will automated equipment manoeuvre around the place.
Develop a facility layout and approach that simplifies work process and improved productivity. Get creative with saving time. For example, if you need to type in barcodes or record any other information on a computer, you could have a computer mounted on a mobile dolly to avoid going back and forth between a fixed computer station.
Lift and Load With a Hiab Truck
Loading goods onto transport is a crucial area of the materials handling process that the right equipment can make easier. A Hiab truck is an all-terrain truck with a flat tray and a powerful lifting crane mounted onto the tray of the truck. This versatile vehicle allows you to carry big loads on a flat tray and then load them up using the crane which sits at the front of the tray. These mobile crane trucks have a lifting capacity of 25T and have an extendable full powered boom length of 18.4 metres. Perfect for materials handling in the construction industry.
Forklift and Mobile Crane Hire – Gold Coast and Brisbane
Do you need to hire a forklift, Hiab truck or any other equipment to streamline your materials handling operations? Surf City Cranes offer a variety of quality crane trucks for hire on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Ipswich. Ask our friendly experts about our different cranes and their capabilities and accessories. Call us today on 0421 665 654 or 0402 269 535 or contact us online.
