Automate Large Load Movements with Material Handling Technology

Automation affects every single business by changing the way goods flow across different modes. Automated material handling technology is remaking the entire logistics and supply chain industry. It prepares companies for an uncertain future by giving them greater visibility and deep insight with clarity into all business operations. The automated solutions for materials storage and transportation require specific parameters for safe product movements. Heavy loads are more prone to risk and hence, require the right equipment to move them at a highly controlled rate of flow.

The movement of large and heavy loads, weighing thousands of pounds, was used to fall to manual forklifts compared to any other automated material handling equipment. Today, warehousing and order fulfilment and many other manufacturing processes have been automated. In every process, where materials handling is involved requires advanced technologies for safe movement. Many automated solutions are available for storage and transportation of heavy loads, notably computer-controlled conveyors and ASRS (automated storage and retrieval systems) for automatic placing and retrieving of unit loads.

Material handling market is quite diverse, however, there are certain parameters that should be accomplished by the automated equipment you choose. Here’s a few.

• The heavy loads must be transported through conveyable mediums like pallets.
• The rate of flow for moving heavy unit loads must be highly controlled.
• The loads must have a regular and standardized shape with a well-balanced gravity to ensure stability during the automated transport.
• The loads must follow a consistent and accustomed travel path from Point A to Point B.

Warehouse Management Technology

ASRS and conveyors are the most common types of warehouse management technology used for warehouse and fulfillment automation. However, these are for fixed-path movements of large and heavy loads. As far as variable movements are concerned, these fixed solutions need to be replaced with more flexible solutions.

With this in mind, many companies are now increasingly investing in flexible, automated and modern materials handling and transport technologies, replacing machinery like forklifts. These modern technologies include autonomous AGVs (Automatic Guided Vehicles) in different formats – tugger, forked and platform types.

There are a variety of reasons for adding automation trends to your warehousing and order fulfilment processes that involve heavy, large load movements.

Firstly, adding automation to Large Load Movements reduces your dependency on manpower. You do not have to struggle, hire and engage labor with the labor cost climbing high due to high competition for qualified workers. It’s quite hard to find and retain certified forklift operators and also warehousing, fulfilment and distribution associates at affordable remuneration. Also, with automation you do not have to worry about the workers driving or parking forked vehicles randomly – unpredictable paths and at variable speeds.

Conversely, material handling systems like AGVs can easily be located using warehouse management and order fulfilment software. Moreover, automatic guided vehicles travel at constant speeds and always follow predictable paths. For a couple of decades, these vehicles have been on the market, but significant advances have been made to AGVs in the past few years.

With onboard control and high-end safety material handling technologies, these vehicles no longer require reflectors mounted on the racks, walls or ceilings for navigation. Today, these vehicles are programmed to sense any obstacle in their path and navigate independently on a predetermined path. These programmed vehicles increase the safety of the employees working in their close proximity.

Consistent travel speed is another benefit of autonomous, and fully automated vehicles you use for large and heavy load handling. AGVs don’t move faster than the programmed speeds and this eliminates the risk of human errors as associated with forklifts driven by operators. Further, since AGVs autonomously transport heavy loads it minimizes the worker-to-worker contact which is the need of time – social distancing amidst pandemic.

Let’s cut to the chase:
It is highly advisable to use automated material handling equipment for heavy load movement because they speed up the process, and eliminate the likelihood of damage to products, people and building structures unlike safety issues related to forklift mishandling and collisions by operators. The ease of reprogramming and flexibility in travel path also makes automated material handling technologies like AGVs a sound investment for heavy and large load movements from one location to another within warehousing and fulfilment operations.

Looking for automated material handling solutions to safely and productively manage and move heavy, large loads in your business operations?
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