The forklift truck is a very important machine to help workers raise and transport heavy weight materials and goods with efficiency and speed without straining their bodies. How a business uses this tool can considerably affect its profitability.
Free stacking pallets is the most popular storage technique. Using this storage technique is both economical and easy for your lift truck. Free Stacking Pallets involves positioning one pallet on top of another to create a stack of goods. This is a stable storage technique and is suggested when dealing with numerous pallets of similar dimensions and height or large amounts of the similar product. The drawback of this system is that it just allows access to the things put last, so it does not enable a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a method which involves the stable storage of various sized pallets. Any pallet can be accessed at any time, which allows a Last In First Out or First In First Out system. It enables the rack to change shape and grow depending upon every day requirements. This technique requires aisles which are sufficiently wide to allow a lift truck to maneuver easily and to freely access the racks. The disadvantage is that this method means fewer pallets could be handled in the setting. This might not make a difference if there is enough space available.
Narrow aisle racking is similar to pallet racking in that it allows for a Last In First Out or First In First Out method. The difference in the technique is how the special narrow forklift is utilized. This means that smaller spaces are necessary between the aisles of pallets than in the Pallet Racking way. The benefit is that more goods can be stored in the same space. The disadvantage is that you would have to transition to a different kind of truck if you already own a regular forklift truck. The cost of obtaining special machinery may be a deterrent to implementing this specific system of storage.
Using your forklift to its fullest capability is important since it pays to consider your retrieval costs and storage costs of pallets. Afterward you could determine whether there are more effective means to utilize your lift truck in order to accelerate the process or to increase the usable space of your units. Greater effectiveness equals greater productivity.