The Material Handling Blog

Have you ever heard the saying “You get what you pay for”? This is usually synonymous with the thought that you need to spend more money to get higher quality products. However, this is typically not aligned with the majority of consumers who want more for less. The higher quality products are expected...

I spend much of my time in manufacturing facilities dealing with material handling issues related to moving and positioning pallets, plastic bulk box containers, steel racks, and multi-footed thermoformed pallets. Often times, we are given very little information on these objects, let alone the details of the bottom surface. This prompted me to write about the importance of this often skipped over, yet extremely important topic.

When describing ourselves to potential customers as an independent material handling integrator, we are often asked to explain what that means. Being an independent integrator allows us to do four key things: recommend the best solution based on your needs, provide many equipment options for your consideration, base our decision on our supplier experience, and offer fast, on-site assistance whenever needed.

Used automation equipment is seen by some as too risky an investment, and by others, as an easy way to save a project's budget while still getting all of the hardware they desire. Like all projects, there are pros and cons to used or refurbished equipment, but when the opportunity for used automation presents itself, it is worth the time to closely examine it as an option...

A stadium is packed, adults and kids filling the stands and watching in anticipation. Fans loudly cheer on their team, proudly wearing their teams' colors, while fans back home watch the game on ESPN. Both teams are vying for a guaranteed playoff spot within their division and have had a long season getting to this point. Think this is your typical sporting event? Think again. Welcome to Einstein Field during the championship event of a FIRST Robotics Competition.

Simulation, animation, they’re basically the same thing, right? With the graphic capabilities of some simulation software packages, such as Demo 3D, it’s easy to see why people think these are synonyms. In reality, an animation is a moving picture used for demonstration, while simulations can be used for so much more...

If you ask human resource specialists for the most desired trait in an employee, they are likely to tell you employee engagement because engaged employees work hard, do the right thing, and enjoy coming to work each day. Because of this, it is important for companies to improve employee engagement when possible, so here are 8 tips to help you do so...

At the beginning stages of a material handling opportunity, whether a multimillion dollar system or an inexpensive gravity roller conveyor, an application specialist will commonly ask the question, “What can you tell me about the product we are going to be carrying on this equipment?”

Industrial robots are incredibly advanced thanks to new technologies in controls, vision systems, and end of arm tooling. All of this has allowed them to perform increasingly difficult tasks faster and more precisely, but how do these machines compare to some of the first robots ever created? Take a look at this graphic to find out...

You spent years trying to get this new automation project in the budget, and you just found out it's been approved!  So after months of planning, you've developed a detailed bid specification for what this project requires, and you've released a detailed RFQ. You might think all the hard work is behind you, but you're actually just getting started. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the right automation proposal...

Planning for your racking and ceiling hung conveyor projects is a critical first step no matter what, but never more important than when installing them in areas where seismic events can occur...

To help you determine the type of pallet racking that best fits your needs, we will look at nine qualifying questions and then review the five main types of pallet racking. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but once you know what you're looking for, the decision should be fairly easy.