I have had the good fortune to have succeeded in the material handling equipment (MHE) industry for more than 27 years now, and during my time in the industry, I have worked with a wide range of customers. Most of them have been excellent partners in the purchasing process; however, some have made the process a bit difficult, resulting in numerous re-quotes and many wasted engineering hours. This not only resulted in frustration for me, but more importantly, frustration and wasted time for them.

To avoid those issues and facilitate the process for both parties, here are some basic tips on how to be an excellent material handling equipment partner:

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When companies are moving to a new facility, I’m frequently asked whether it’s better to move existing equipment to the new location or to purchase new, and my usual answer is that it depends on many factors. Now I know this really isn’t an answer at all, but the decision can’t be made without first asking several important questions.

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In an earlier post “People Think Purchasing Material Handling Equipment Online is Scary…” I spent some time discussing the two most common reasons people find purchasing material handling equipment online scary.

Today, I would like to explore how ancient proverbs can guide your way when making these purchases. These tips should make purchasing everything from casters and lift tables, to conveyors and conveyor parts, easy and a whole lot less scary.

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There are a few things all engineers hold sacred, including F=ma (force=mass x acceleration), the first law of thermodynamics, Tesla’s genius, and you can’t push a rope, but what if you could push a chain? That’s the sort of paradigm shifting technology that Serapid produces.

If you check out their website, you will see mind-bending applications of a chain that can push thousands of pounds at shocking speeds: 60-200 feet per minute. As a design engineer, it is difficult to package linear actuators in a confined space, but that’s exactly what Serapid has done with its chain technology.

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The Tax Relief Act of 2010 has an interesting implication to those contemplating the purchase of material handling equipment in 2011.

Section 179 of the IRS tax code was changed to allow businesses to deduct the FULL PURCHASE PRICE of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased or financed during the tax year.

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