The lift truck has become a crucial piece of machinery that could raise and move things and heavy supplies with both speed and efficiency. How a company uses this machinery can 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 is positioning one pallet on top of another to create a stack of goods. This is a stable storage system and is suggested when handling large amounts of similar goods, or many pallets of the same dimensions and height. The disadvantage of this specific technique is that it just allows access to the things placed last, so it does not enable a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a system that involves the stable storage of various sized pallets. Any pallet could be accessed at any time, which enables a Last In First Out or First In First Out technique. It enables the rack to change shape and grow depending upon daily needs. This system needs aisles which are sufficiently wide to allow a lift truck to freely access the racks and easily maneuver. The downside is that this technique means less pallets could be handled within the setting. This may not make a difference if there is sufficient space available.
Similar to Pallet Racking, the technique referred to as Narrow Aisle Racking allows a Last In First Out or First In First Out system. It varies in that a special narrow forklift is utilized. This means that smaller areas are necessary between the aisles of pallets than in the Pallet Racking way. The benefit is that much more goods can be stored in the same area. The disadvantage is that you would have to transition to a new truck if you already own a typical lift truck. The cost of obtaining special machines might be a deterrent to implementing this system of storage.
It is important to utilize your lift truck to its full capability. It pays to consider your time expenditure in retrieval and storage of pallets. Then you could determine whether there are more efficient means to use your lift truck in order to increase the usable area of your units or to accelerate the process. Greater effectiveness means bigger productivity.