A guide to effective warehouse material handling focuses on two key areas: inventory management and movement of products and materials. Inventory management is crucial to a warehouse’s productivity and safety. Poorly managed inventory can affect material handling and increase the risk of workplace injuries. In addition, understanding your inventory will help you decide where to store products.
Effective material handling is a vital aspect of warehouse Unistage UK management. It ensures that materials are not damaged during storage and move efficiently through production. Without the proper systems and equipment, companies risk damaging products and falling behind on productivity targets. Following simple guidelines ensure that your warehouse will function as efficiently as possible.
Less Movement of Workers
As e-commerce grows, companies are contending with shorter lead times and more complex logistics. In addition, they are locating warehouses closer to customer locations. These factors lead to higher fixed and variable costs and increased risks.
As a result, warehouse material handling must improve. Manually moving materials without the proper equipment can lead to serious injuries or damage to the materials. A recent study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that workers would suffer 4.8 injuries for every 100 full-time workers by 2020 if they were not provided with the proper equipment. Therefore, providing the proper material handling equipment is the first step in improving safety. In addition to improving safety, this will reduce accidents on the warehouse floor.
Improved Productivity
Improved productivity through effective warehouse material handling is an important component of a successful manufacturing process. It allows a company to keep the necessary stock in fewer spaces, reduces labor costs, and optimizes the flow of materials throughout a facility. In addition, it reduces the risk of workplace accidents due to improper handling. Employees can focus on more important tasks instead of handling bulky items or relocating products to high storage areas.
Investing in high-quality, versatile warehouse material handling tools is vital to improving overall productivity and profitability. Warehouse workers cannot achieve their full potential if they work in strained conditions or perform repetitive tasks with unsafe equipment. Moreover, it’s important to consider OSHA’s recommendations for safe load-bearing and material transportation in warehouses. These guidelines suggest that material handling equipment should feature handles that operators can easily grasp while standing upright, minimizing the risk of strains and repetitive motion injuries.
Using the principles of standardization to optimize your warehouse’s efficiency is another important way to reduce the amount of material handled. By standardizing equipment and procedures, you’ll have more uniformity in how materials are handled and stored. In addition, standardization will ensure that you don’t sacrifice the flexibility of your equipment and that you can always reuse it if needed.
Improved Storage
Warehouse material handling is a key aspect of warehouse organization. It can provide a better flow of materials and reduce risk and errors. Proper labeling of goods is essential. AMRs that use bar code scanners can be installed to help locate items easily.
Warehouse material handling systems can also integrate automated storage systems. These automated systems use machine control systems to store items in specified locations automatically. This method helps warehouses save space by storing large volumes of goods in small areas and eliminates the need for manual labor.
Layout of Warehouse
A proper layout of your warehouse is essential to maximizing storage space. It also allows for smooth movement of goods and minimizes the risk of repetitive motion injuries. For example, a proper layout will allow enough room around forklifts and other weight-carrying machines. Proper equipment maintenance can also lower overall downtime. In addition, you should regularly inspect and plan maintenance of the automation in your warehouse. Lastly, keep records of all repairs and maintenance activities to ensure that your equipment runs at peak performance.
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
Automated storage and retrieval systems, or AS&R systems, allow companies to automate their inventory processes. As a result, they help reduce labor costs and increase order picking accuracy.
AS&R systems come in a variety of configurations and can store a wide variety of products. As a result, theySome are standalone devices, and others are integrated with pick-to-light systems. As a result, they are an excellent choice for warehouses with high product density and throughput. They can improve space usage and productivity by 90% and can deliver up to 750 lines of product per hour.
