The lift truck is a very important machine to help workers lift and move heavy weight supplies and products with speed and efficiency without injuring their bodies. The way a company utilizes this machine could considerably affect its productivity.
Free stacking pallets is the most common storage method. Utilizing this storage system is both economical and easy for your forklift. Free Stacking Pallets involves positioning one pallet over another to create a stack of products. This is a stable storage technique and is recommended when dealing with numerous pallets of the same dimensions and height or huge amounts of the similar goods. The disadvantage of this particular method is that it only enables access to the things placed last, so it does not enable a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a system which involves the stable storage of different sized pallets. Any pallet can be accessed at any time, which enables a First In First Out or Last In First Out technique. It permits the rack to grow and change shape depending upon every day needs. This specific method requires aisles which are sufficiently wide to enable a lift truck to maneuver easily and to freely access the racks. The disadvantage is that this specific technique means less pallets could be handled within the setting. This might not matter if there is adequate space available.
Narrow aisle racking is similar to pallet racking in that it allows for a First In First Out or Last In First Out technique. 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 technique. The advantage is that much more product can be kept in the same area. The downside is that you will have to transition to a different kind of truck if you already own a standard forklift truck. The cost of acquiring special machines may be a deterrent to adopting this specific technique of storage.
Using your lift truck to its fullest potential is essential as it pays to analyze your storage costs and retrieval costs of pallets. Then you could determine whether there are more efficient means to utilize your forklift to increase the usable area of your units or to accelerate the process. Greater effectiveness means bigger profitability.