The Material Handling Blog

There are a few major concerns in distribution system design that need to be consistently addressed. One of the most critical cost concerns is financial waste through damaged product. In a post-recession era when companies are working to “stay lean”, managing product waste is a tangible area where capital investment can lead to great returns.

If you look up the word maintenance on the internet, you will find a lot of different variations in definition – from how often to service equipment to what degree of maintenance – and terminology. The bottom line is that the need of a maintenance plan cannot be ignored. The most common types of maintenance in the material handling industry can be put into four distinct categories. These maintenance activities include Reactive, Preventive, Predictive or Reliability Centered Maintenance practices. No matter if you have just a small conveyor system or a multimillion dollar fully automated distribution center you will have to perform maintenance activities to keep the equipment running. For each method, there are pros and cons.

While it’s pretty simple to construct, the art of properly choosing and implementing racking can either optimize or inhibit your storage density. These are some questions to consider to ensure you select the best warehouse racking solutions for your facility.

While most of our projects are successful, there is always the occasional project that didn’t go as planned. Here are some lessons learned from a recent project involving timing belt transfers and styrofoam coolers. Read: Lessons Learned: Styrofoam Coolers and Timing Belt Transfers

Standard pallet flow components will not hold up to the rigors of cold storage, but these tips will help you find what will. Read: Tips on Integrating Pallet Flow Rack in a Freezer

The demand for plastic chain conveyor systems has been steadily increasing as companies realize the benefits they provide. Here are the top three reasons why you should consider using a plastic chain conveyor system. Read: 3 Reasons to Implement a Plastic Chain Conveyor System

Downtime can be one of the most expensive costs to a business. Minutes and even seconds are critical in a high volume facility. Almost every machine in the industry will come with some type of preventive measures to ensure it runs smoothly. Take the time and COMPLETE your PM checks. Read: Is Your Machine Race Ready?

Casters, like most day-to-day items, are often overlooked—until they don’t work. From carts to portable gravity conveyor and work stations, there are a lot of components within a warehouse, distribution center, or manufacturing plant that often utilize them. So if you haven’t replaced a caster in a while, the time is likely coming. Read: How to Select the Right Industrial Casters

You are now the proud owner of a ZiPline conveyor, and maybe you are starting to wonder what exactly the next step is. Possibly this is the first conveyor you have ever purchased to which I will be the first to say congratulations on taking the efficiency of your operations seriously and making a bold step to transition to an automated facility. This is likely a little scary, a little exciting, and a little costly compared to previous modes of operation, but don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Read: Your First ZiPline Conveyor and the Basics of Owning It

If you're wondering why you've been directed to a material handling systems integrator by an OEM or if you stumbled across a website in an attempt to learn more, then here's some information on the benefits of a systems integrator and what you should expect. Read: Benefits of a Material Handling Systems Integrator

It is often required that hydraulic lift tables stop at precise elevations. However, the phenomenon commonly referred to as lift table “coasting” can allow lift table platforms to continue past the intended stopping point. In this article, we'll discuss the causes of lift table coasting, and how it can be prevented. Read: Hydraulic Lift Table Coasting and How to Prevent It

Bastian has positioned itself in the past 60 years in a very unique way by aligning itself with good quality manufacturers: ones that work well with us and with whom we can have a good partnership. In this same manner, we do our best to provide good customer service by being a partner with each of our customers and not just a source for material handling equipment... Read: Being a partner and not a source