A warehouse acts as storage location for goods, raw materials and other commodities. Wholesale products are also safely kept in a warehouse before they are transported to retail outlets. Warehouses need ample space for storing the commodities and it is also essential to keep track of inventory. Inside the warehouse, heavy items may need to be lifted from a lower shelf to a higher one. This is done with the help of a machine since most goods stored in the warehouse are quite heavy. Warehouse equipment serves various purposes—some are used for unloading and loading goods, lifting items within the warehouse, or for carrying commodities from the warehouse to the loading bay.
Dock lifts and forklifts
Forklifts are used in transferring and lifting loads of materials in the warehouse and any other industrial setting. Forklifts are also known as industrial trucks, lift trucks and cherry picker among others. This is a versatile machine and the forklift parts allow a variety of attachments to be added to it to make it more useful to perform other tasks. There are various types of forklifts that can be found in a warehouse and each is designed to work with a specific application. most forklifts are powered by lead batteries. The battery in the forklift is charged often to ensure the machine works well. The price of material handling equipment has risen over the last few years as the economy has started to pick after the global recession. However, most companies have benefited from the forklift rental fleets that are rapidly increasing. Forklift rental fleets allow businesses to rent forklifts for a fee and for a certain period of time, which saves on cost. Forklift rentals have become so popular nowadays, thus companies are requested to make reservations in advance.
Industrial trucks and carts
These are mainly used in transporting materials and other equipment within or outside the warehouse. There are many types of industrial carts and tracks. The cabinet carts are equipped with doors and drawers that are positioned on a compartment. These carts are usually used in transporting office materials, such as files, mail and memos. These materials are safely locked in the drawers, preventing damage or leakage of information. Utility and container crates are used in transporting various materials from the warehouse.
The drum carts are specifically designed to help in transporting and lifting drums within the warehouse. Trucks and carts are not only used for lifting and transporting commodities from or into the warehouse, but are also used in removing waste from the building. Hand pallet trucks are very effective in transporting small loads. They are essential in any warehouse as they fit in smaller spaces compared to pallet jacks and forked lifts.
Gravity conveyors
Gravity conveyors are made up of a series of bearings and roller wheels that help in moving boxes and other commodities from one place to another. Gravity conveyors can be adjusted to numerous shapes and length to accommodate different uses and needs. Gravity conveyors are ideally used in a warehouse loading dock whereby packages are shipped. After packaging the product for shipment, the packages are placed on the conveyor and moved along to the required destination.
Wilson Hwang writes for MSS Forklift Malaysia, the leading provider of forklift parts and forklift rental.