In years gone by, facility roofs were designed in such a manner that you could just about hang the Queen Mary from them with little regard given to worrying about the roof collapsing or caving in. Nowadays, this is not always the case. With rising costs in steel and labor, roof structures are for the most part designed with the minimum loading allowed by law.

This can cause concern when trying to layout a material handling system within a distribution center. Clear floor space is very important to customers, so here are five ways conveyor can be supported without hanging it from your roof or facility structure.

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In my last blog article, What’s the True Cost of Your Corporate Safety Program, I discussed the importance of corporate safety training and some of the most popular OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) citations in 2010. Now I’d like to review some of the costs that occur when workplace safety standards are not followed, which often results in violations with costly penalties that can reach upwards of $500,000, and in some cases, even jail time.

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As consultants and material handling system integrators, we are often asked to evaluate the economics of capital projects. There are several metrics that can be used to evaluate a project, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, we are almost always pressed to say what the “payback period” is of a given project. Every time it happens, my stomach hurts just a little.

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As surprising as it might seem, the material handling industry was the founder of today’s current marketing craze–the quick response (QR) code. That little black and white square now seen everywhere from your Starbucks cup to movie posters was originally used by vehicle manufacturers to track parts.

In recent years, however, the QR code has transitioned into a handy little marketing tool, great for increasing customer engagement and providing additional information.

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Whether you’re selling material handling systems or the latest fashions, using online video can be a great way to showcase your business and products.  Not convinced? Check out my video to find out the benefits of online video and how to use it properly.