The lift truck has become a vital piece of machinery that can raise and move things and heavy supplies with both speed and efficiency. How a business utilizes this tool could significantly affect its profitability.
Free stacking pallets is the most common storage method. Utilizing this storage system is both easy and economical for your lift truck. Free Stacking Pallets involves placing one pallet on top of another to make a stack of products. This is a stable storage technique and is suggested when handling huge amounts of the same goods, or numerous pallets of similar dimensions and height. The disadvantage of this specific method is that it only allows access to the things put last, so it does not enable a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a technique that involves the stable storage of various sized pallets. Any pallet can be accessed at any time, which enables a Last In First Out or First In First Out technique. It enables the rack to grow and change shape depending upon daily needs. This specific technique needs aisles which are wide enough to allow a forklift to maneuver easily and to freely access the racks. The disadvantage is that this technique means fewer pallets could be handled within the environment. This might not make a difference if there is enough space available.
Narrow aisle racking is like pallet racking in that it enables for a Last In First Out or First In First Out method. The difference in the method is how the special narrow lift truck is used. This means that smaller areas are necessary between the aisles of pallets than in the Pallet Racking method. The advantage is that much more product could be stored in the same space. The downside is that you would have to transition to a new truck if you already own a typical forklift truck. The cost of acquiring special machinery may be a deterrent to implementing this specific method of storage.
Using your forklift to its fullest capability is vital because it pays to analyze your retrieval costs and storage costs of pallets. Afterward you can find out whether there are more efficient ways to use your forklift to increase the usable area of your units or to speed up the process. Greater effectiveness means bigger productivity.