The right forklift for your warehouse

September 6, 2017

 Share

In this fast paced business environment, making products reach customers in minimum amount of time and in the best state is no longer a competitive advantage; but a necessity. To make this happen, companies are continuously striving to reduce their turnaround time. Warehouses play a decisive role in delivering the right product to the right customer at the right time. At the same time, warehouses can also be a cause of slowdown. Companies need to analyze the efficiency of their warehouse practices, which involves having the right warehouse assets and their optimal usage. One of the most critical warehouse assets is the forklift; they are the principal movers of goods. Ineffective usage or failure of forklifts can result in wastage of time and cause damage to the product. To avoid this, the most fundamental decision is of choosing the right forklift for your warehouse.

There is no one forklift that fits all the warehouses.  The specification of a particular forklift has to match the requirement of the specific facility.

Load carrying capacity –

The most influencing factor for selection of forklift is the amount of load it can carry. Majorly forklifts are classified in accordance to the fuel options: electric and internal combustion. Internal combustion engines can operate with variety of fuel options like gasoline, diesel, and liquid propane gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG). The diesel forklifts have higher weight carrying capabilities as compared to the electric one. While deciding on the load requirements of a particular warehouse, certain important questions need to be answered-

1. The variety of stocks, which the forklift needs to transport
2. The average and maximum load that needs to be carried
3. The width of the loads

Understanding the nature of the loads is essential, since there are varieties of forklift attachments available. These attachments can improve the standard forklift’s capabilities for efficient movement of goods. Electric forklifts are preferred choice for warehouse operations whereas the diesel forklifts are popular for outdoor operations.

Lift height

While working in a warehouse, lift height plays a crucial role .Average warehouse forklift ranges between 8 feet to 20 feet. The lift height requirement largely depends on warehouse size and the nature of business. Elementary requirements that need to be considered are highest point that needs to be reached, height restrictions (lights, ceiling beams). The collapsed height of the mast should also be measured, if the forklift is required to move underneath fixed structures.

Environment

The size, layout and the floor surfaces also help in determining the right type of forklift. Usually warehouses require forklifts that can effortlessly function on concrete surfaces, but if the warehouses are spacious then the forklifts are required to travel larger distances on rough terrains. The number of hours a forklift operates directly impacts its selection. Having the accurate aisle width measurement would help in finding the precise unit.

 Tires

The most important aspects of the forklift operation: lifting and transporting, is affected by the tires on which it runs. Right selection of tires assures stability, mobility and safety required for a forklift. The selection of tires is majorly dependant on the warehouse operating environment – surface, duty cycle of operation, percentage of indoor and outdoor usage. There are various types of tires to choose from for specific forklift applications. Pneumatic tires, solid tires, press-on band are the major three, non-marking tires are also becoming popular as they eliminate black marks on warehouse floors. ATG understands the cruciality of the forklift operations in a warehouse, and has developed tires that ensure maximum equipment uptime. Our tires Galaxy Yardmaster SDS, Yardmaster and Yardmaster Ultra are specially designed for forklifts operating in warehouses. Block tread designs with high tread depth ensure optimal traction and excellent stability.

A right forklift can make the all the difference and assure smooth functioning in the warehouse.

– Sneha Chaturvedi