In a warehouse or DC, there are bound to be inbound and outbound activities. Unloading and loading of pallets goods on and off trucks, and unstuffing and stuffing of goods into containers can be efficiently carried out by the use of a forklift due its speed and huge lifting capacity (as mentioned in previous entry) as compared to a pallet jack. Besides this, most forklifts are like rider trucks, which enable the operator to be seated during operation. Thus, it reduces fatigue in the operators as they may have to work for long hours.





There is another kind of forklifts called the reach-type forklifts (commonly known as ''stacker'') where the operator operates the vehicle in a standing position. Stackers are commonly use to lift pallets of goods to put-away to locations on racks that are of usually of 3-4 level high.

As the properties of the forklifts greatly suit the needs of a warehouse or DC, they become very popular. They come in various models that allow the warehouse management to choose which best suits their operations. Suppliers have been constantly improving on existing models and come up with new models to suit makets' needs. Few examples of suppliers include TCM Corporation, Jungheinrich and NACCO Industries, Inc.

With references from:
http://www.tcmglobal.net/products/main01.html
http://www.mozdex.com/types-of-forklifts/
http://nacco.com/sc_mh-group.html

Entry by:

Ivy

• Forklifts (Gas/ Electric) - Gas forklifts can be refueled quickly and easily, but they require storage for the fuel, and the fuel can become expensive. Even though gas forklifts are less expensive to purchase initially, the cost of fuel quickly adds up, making them most expensive per use than electric. They can never be used indoors because of their toxic emissions and fear of carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas forklifts can handle larger loads and can be used for minor pushing or towing as well. And as for electric forklifts, batteries are installed in them. The batteries are usually designed to last for at least one standard shift before needing a recharge, and the recharge station must be in a dry, well-ventilated area. Electric forklifts are quiet and inexpensive (low operating cost) as they do not need storage area for gas or diesel fuel.

• Stacker - Its ''forks'' are able to reach higher than a forklift to store or retrieve a single pallet of goods from the pallet rack (above 2 levels).

• Pallet Jack - It is a tool to raise or lower a single pallet simply to provide clearance from the floor for manual (hand) pulling.

• Order Picker - Similar to a forklift except that the operator can rise up to the load to collect the items and place them on the pallet lifted by the ''forks''. However, the operator is proned to falls thus has to put on the safety belt.
  
  
• Order picking trolleys

# Trolley with steps to retrieve items at slightly above height.

• Conveyor

# The conveyor belt connects the kitting area to the packing area.

• Omni Lift - It make use of a conveyor belt system and to vertically lift single pallet of goods up to any storey of the warehouse. It provides fast movement of goods, eliminating time to send the goods through the cargo lift, thus make the warehouse operations more efficient whenever there is receiving or shipping of goods.
  

# Omni lift at level 1 - Goods are being placed on the conveyor...

# Omni lift at level 3 - ....and arrive at the 3rd storey.

[2] Positioning Equipment

• Dock leveler
  
  

[3] Unit Load Formation Equipment

• Metal Drums
  
  


• Pallets (wooden/plastics) and cartons
  
  



• Wooden crates
  

[4] Storage Equipment

• Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS) - It provides a fast way of storing and retrieving goods with the minimun effort, time and errors. To put-away, the system will check for empty locations in the racks in the computer. A pallet at a time will be placed on the conveyor belt. Choose the location for storage and after all items are being scanned, the automated crane will pick up the pallet and be directed to the appropriate aisle to store the pallet of goods into the empty location. For retrieval of goods, simply scan the picklist and the automated crane will proceed to pick all the required items and place them on the conveyor.
  
  


• Pallet Rack (also known as "Heavy-Duty Rack")

• Shelves/ Bin Shelves

[5] Identification and Control Equipment

• Barcoding 1 (Linear Barcode)
  

# Items are being scanned for their serial numbers during the packing stage before shipping out to the customers.

• Barcoding 2 (2D Barcode)

# The 2D barcodes are able to encode much more highly detailed information than linear barcodes, making it a more acccurate and efficient to track inventory from the unloading dock to the end-users.

When goods arrive, to put-away, the material handler will scan the product before scanning the barcode on the rack so that the system will capture the location of the stored goods. For order picking, the picker will scan the barcode on the picklist. From the screen of the 2D scanner that shows the items to be picked, their quantity and locations, the picker will proceed to the location to scan the each all the required items after being picked.

With references from:
http://www.newandusedforklifts.com/gasforkliftbenefits.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/

Entry by:

Ivy

• MegaLift FSE VLM by MegaStar System

This is a new, compact automated storage and retrieval system. In the center,it consist of a platform equipped with an extraction mechanism that operates in the vertical plane. This platform is controlled by the computer and it transfers the special storage trays from the access port to an appropriate storage location. The trays in the system are protected from the outside environment. it can be configured to serve more than one floor with additional access ports. This product is Flexible,Economic.Productive and User-Friendly.

Entry by: Julia

Ref:http://www.mhwmag.com/index.cfm?pageid=13(main)

• Valu-Lift™ Vertical Conveyors by TKF

It is a redesigned system compared to the previous version. this additional enhancement reduces the maintence needs and it also increases the life of assemblies. It is a light-duty conveyor. The design also consists of simple, lightweight interlocking molded polymer flights with steel connecting pins and lifts at a speed of 118 fpm. it can work in up, down and reversible way.

It has a maximum net lifting heights range up to 20’-0”, and customers can customize the heights.Also with a maximum unit load is 50 lbs., with a length of up to 26”, and width of 16”. It is also a safety product, with 24 volt DC control, a current sensing relay, which shuts down the conveyor if it is overloaded, and totally enclosed shroud-type tunnel guards.

Entry by: Julia

Ref: http://www.mhwmag.com/index.cfm?pageid=13(main)

• radio frequency equipment in fork trucks
• automated conveyor systems with sorters and diverters
• automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS).

RF equipment: Employing RF terminals in lift trucks and portable RF devices, boost productivity and reduce data entry errors. These devices,with the warehouse management system (WMS) can send employees product move tasks and give information about the product that needs to be moved.It can also work with bar coded labels or RFID tags.

Automated conveyor systems:will sort products accordingly into the right place,thus reducing travel time and handling. Productivity and labor costs can be significantly improved when transit time from receiving areas to storage zones is shortened, or when product is relocated and stored in case-size lots.

Automated storage/retrieval systems: AS/RS benefits are maximized storage space, increased put-away productivity, reduced warehouse labor and improvements to put-away accuracy. this is effective when it comes to narrow aisles and extremely high racks in large output in distribution centers (DC). although AS/RS is a capital intensive practice, however, if things are planned carefully and thoroughly, it is as efficient as other practices.

Entry by: Julia

Ref:http://multichannelmerchant.com/opsandfulfillment/warehouse/material_handling_putaway/

• Transport Equipment

• positioning equipment

• unit load formation

it enables more items to be handled at the same time. this saves repeating work and saves time and effort. it uses standardized equipment and this saves the trouble of looking for specialty equipment. however, it takes time to form and break down. examples of common equipments are tote pans,cartons