Equipment for Efficient Warehousing Operations

Regardless of the size and space of the warehouse, every warehouse needs several key pieces of equipment in order to function at maximum efficiency. Warehouse equipment can complement human effort to continually raise the bar on the performance of a warehouse. Therefore, it is important to invest in the right warehouse equipment that can save cost, time, and effort.

Getting the right warehouse equipment will not only ease the flow of goods through each process area but will also reduce the possibility of injuries and product damage. You can have the best manpower to streamline your warehouse operations, but it's the equipment that plays a pivotal role in assisting humans to complete a task efficiently.

Some of the equipment to consider for smooth warehouse operations:

Dock Equipment - Dock Boards and Plates, Edge of Dock Levelers, Truck Restraints, Dock Seals and Shelters, Dock Bumpers, Yard Ramps, Wheel Chocks, Dock levelers & Dock Lifts

Storage Equipment - Pallet Racks, Shelving, Specialty Racks, Carousels, Bins, and Totes

Lifting Equipment – Forklifts, Pallet Jacks, Hand Trucks, Service Carts, Cranes, Hoists, Dollies, and Castors

Conveyors - Gravity Roller Conveyor, Belt Conveyor, Flexible Conveyors, Pneumatic Conveyors, Chain Conveyor

Packing Equipment - Industrial Scales, Strapping and Banding Equipment, Stretch Wrap Machines, Packing Tables

Dock equipment is used at the point where a trailer, shipping container, or railcar is loaded or unloaded. Dock equipment is designed to ensure the safety of both the workers and the loads as they enter and exit the trailer. Typical equipment includes attachments that secure and bridge the gap between the vehicle and the dock, lighting to illuminate the inside of the trailer, building-to-vehicle communication systems, and weather protection.

Choosing the wrong dock equipment can put employees at risk. As the docking area is the junction of the receiving and shipping processes, its safety should always be a top priority. To optimize dock area workflow, quality warehouse loading equipment is needed to transfer goods to and from the trucks. As truck designs keep changing and safety is becoming a huge issue, selecting the right dock equipment can make the warehousing process more efficient, customizable, and safer as well as less time-consuming for workers.

Warehouse operators have a number of options to choose from when it comes to storing products in their warehouse. A number of factors are involved when selecting the right storage equipment for a warehouse. These factors include available space, how orders are picked, and the size of orders. 

With the help of the right storage equipment, a warehouse can fully and efficiently use its space to achieve fulfillment goals. It will not only help the staff find inventory in a fast and efficient way but also protect the valuable inventory. Additionally, storage equipment can come in various options to match the specific needs of a warehouse.

Most warehouses have multiple storage systems to accommodate different products and picking methods. Pallet racks allow for more storage space, product consolidation, and a simpler loading and picking process. Shelving allows for storage and picking of smaller items and a wider variety of products. There are many different types of racks and shelves. Typical rack warehouse storage equipment includes pallet racks and wire decking, heavy-duty shelving, cantilevered racks, reel racks, and, sometimes, high-density storage systems such as drive-in racking, push back racking, and pallet flow racking.

Understanding material handling systems and implementing best practices significantly improves the function of the warehouse. Moving products from one area to the next in a warehouse takes up a significant amount of time. Having an efficient process to transport and handle materials can greatly increase warehouse productivity. 

Moving material around a warehouse involves lifts and trucks of many kinds, such as pallet jacks, lift trucks, hand trucks, scissor lifts, stackers, etc. Special designs such as narrow-aisle forklifts are available for high-density storage schemes. Wire-or rail-guided reach trucks are sometimes employed in narrow-aisle warehouses to maximize the use of storage space. All equipment should consider the size and maximum load capacities of the products that will be handled and also the height of the shelves.

Costs often fall on the higher side while purchasing such equipment, but they have the functional advantage to prove. They can reduce manual operations, be used across different areas, are highly customizable, and easy to maintain.

While choosing forklift(s) to use in the warehouse, pallet location and rack system should also be taken into account. Each racking system has a recommended forklift type that should be used. Counterbalance forklifts are the most common forklifts used in warehouse operations. However, even just for counterbalanced forklifts, there is a wide selection available based on specific warehouse needs. Special attachments are available for forklifts for handling un-palletized loads such as paper rolls or storage drums.

Conveyor systems of various kinds are also employed in some warehouses for the movement of picked goods. Conveyor systems can have a significant impact on efficiency and productivity in warehouse operations. Power, gravity, and flexibility are just three common types of conveyor systems used in warehouses. The system that can be ultimately used will depend on a number of factors including cost, physical layout, and automation tools.

Compared to manually moving materials, this can speed up or automate the process in order to save time and labor. Additionally, because they involve minimal human intervention, they can reduce the risk for injuries and serve as safe warehouse equipment. They can help improve picking, packing, and dispatching times while also helping automate and streamline the dimensioning, weighing, and sorting process.

Lastly, conveyor systems often come with a high cost, from the initial purchase to installation to cost to operate and maintain. However, the above-mentioned benefits make it worth an investment if used in the right processes and installed optimally.  

Packing involves wrapping a product or designing a container to provide protection and easy handling. Hence, packing equipment plays a crucial role in shipping goods by assisting the staff in packing faster, and increasing productivity.  

The right packing equipment can reduce labor costs and provide consistency in the wrapping process. Moreover, packing equipment also improves inventory control by eliminating the possibility of product separation, which saves time in inventory counts.