The forklift has become a vital piece of machinery able to raise and transport things and heavy materials with both efficiency and speed. The way a company utilizes this tool can significantly affect its productivity.
Free stacking pallets is the most popular storage system. Using this storage technique is both economical and easy for your lift truck. Free Stacking Pallets involves placing one pallet on top of another to create a stack of products. This is a stable storage method and is suggested when handling many pallets of the same dimensions and height or huge amounts of the same product. The disadvantage of this technique is that it only enables access to the things put last, so it does not allow a First In First Out system.
It is important to have a pallet racking technique that involves the stable storage of various sized pallets. Using a First In First Out or Last In First Out system, would allow for easy access of any pallet. It allows the rack to change shape and grow depending upon daily needs. This system needs aisles that are adequately wide to enable a lift truck to maneuver easily and to freely access the racks. The downside is that this specific method means less pallets can be handled in the environment. This might not make a difference if there is sufficient space available.
Narrow aisle racking is like pallet racking in that it enables for a Last In First Out or First In First Out system. The difference in the technique 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 way. The advantage is that much more goods can be stored in the same space. The downside is that you would have to transition to a different type of truck if you already own a standard forklift truck. The expenditure of acquiring special equipment may be a deterrent to implementing this particular system of storage.
It is vital to use your forklift truck to its full capability. It pays to analyze your time expenditure in storage and retrieval of pallets. Then you can determine whether there are more efficient means to utilize your lift truck in order to speed up the process or to increase the usable space of your units. Greater effectiveness equals greater profitability.