What is Material Handling Equipment?

If you have any materials, items, or products that must be moved, stored, protected, or controlled, you will have to use material handling equipment. This equipment can be hired to help with material handling, utilising the expertise of a lifting hire company to ensure that those people handling the material do so in the most safe and effective way. There are a few different ways in which material handling equipment works, and there are a few benefits to using a hire company for material handling equipment, and we’ll look at both here.

There are a few different areas of material handling, where you might need different types of equipment and protocols to help you remain as effective and safe as possible. Storage and handling equipment is one area, where you require equipment that is used with the sole purpose of holding materials and items. This can either be for long-term storage solutions, or during a transition period between a manufacturer or wholesaler and the final destination of a product. The correct storage and handling equipment can increase efficiency significantly and maximise the utilisation of space. Racks, shelving, bins, draws, stacking frames, and mezzanines, are all examples of good storage and handling equipment for materials.

Another area of material handling equipment is that of engineered systems, where automated units are utilised to make efficient storage and transportation of materials that are either large in nature or require storage for vast quantities of items. This is especially helpful in factory and warehouse settings where there is a requirement for efficient and smooth operating procedures. Conveyor systems, robotic delivery systems, and AS/RS (Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems) are all prime examples of this type of material handling equipment hire.

Another important type of materials handling equipment that you can hire are industrial trucks, used to transport large quantities of items, and large, bulky items, around the manufacturing floor, or longer distances. These industrial trucks are brilliant at effectively loading heavy objects onto delivery trucks, or removing them from incoming trucks, and moving them to the necessary locations on site. It eases the burden on manual movement of materials and improves site safety. Examples of industrial trucks include hand trucks, platform trucks, walkie stackers, and pallet trucks.

In most cases there is a need for bulk material handling equipment, as we are talking about hiring lifting and material handling equipment to be used in manufacturing processes. Bulk handling aids are necessary to ensure site safety and a smooth process where disruption is kept to a minimum. This is where it is helpful to have access to equipment such as stackers, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, reclaimers, hoppers, silos, and grain elevators.

Choose a material handling equipment hire company that can help fit your specific needs and budgets. It is important that you have the correct processes in place to meet strict legislation and health and safety standards from your specific industry. Keeping employees safe from harm is vital and must be a priority alongside the need for material handling equipment hire that gets the job done in the most effective way (for both time and cost). Look for a lifting and hoisting equipment hire company with expertise in material handling equipment and improve your standards throughout the organisation.

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