2024 Material Handling Equipment Online Catalog: Our Favorite Tools of the Trade
by Hank Lopez, on August 29, 2024 at 7:28 AM
Call me a nostalgic, but flipping through our online material handling catalog made me feel like a kid again, circling dream presents in the toy store catalog. There's just so much great stuff in there! To that end, I have to level with you. Our material handling equipment online catalog is a whopping 540 pages long, and each page is jam-packed with problem-solving tools. So, there's way more cool stuff to cover than I could ever fit into one article. Instead of trying to cram it all in, let's focus on a few favorites. Read on to learn more about the highlights from our material handling equipment online catalog.
Safety
Follow along in the 2024 material handling equipment online catalog.
Safety is paramount in every facility and industry. We seldom think about safety and when we do, it’s usually too late. There are so many facets to safety that we offer a wide array of products and accessories to better prepare you and you’re facility. These safety products range from safety signs (page 277) to wheel chocks (page 414) and everything in between. However, some product types are just so innovative or so indispensable that they warrant a highlight.
Exposure Response
Hazardous substances are everywhere. From cleaning solutions to lead acid batteries, nearly every worker will end up in a room with a hazardous material at some point. That makes exposure response equipment absolutely vital. Spill kits, like the WYK line (page 242), are a must-have for every facility. Likewise, portable eye wash stations, like a keg-style station (page 243), make exposure protection available wherever your team operates.
Injury Protection
According to the National Safety Council, overexertion injuries account for approximately one-third of non-fatal workplace injuries. So, while avoiding fatal accidents is priority one, savvy workplaces also invest in safety equipment to protect their team members from overexertion injuries caused by events like vibration, bending, and lifting. Anti-vibration gloves (page 267) and anti-fatigue mats (page 459) are two examples of often overlooked protective equipment.
Protective Barriers
The most reliable way to protect your team from any hazard is to put a barrier between them and it. Guard rail systems, like Bluff's modular designs (page 406), are popular options to protect your staff from forklift collisions. However, machinery isn't the only impact hazard in most facilities. Falls are also another danger, especially on the loading dock. Loading dock gates, like the Dock Stop Super HD (page 428), help prevent these potentially fatal accidents. Likewise, dock equipment, like dock bumpers (page 413), helps protect the dock itself.
Organization
Organization is one of those fundamentals that, when done well, enhances every layer of your organization, from productivity to safety.
Poly Shelf Bins
Poly shelf bins may not be the most revolutionary, but they are an invaluable tool for organization. Bin organization (page 113) offers high-density storage for small parts, making them effective solutions in manufacturing and micro-fulfillment operations. Moreover, these bins come in seven colors. Color coding has been shown to increase productivity and make your workstations more accessible for workers with learning disabilities.
Human-Focused Storage
The fastest way to improve productivity is to organize equipment so it's exactly where it's needed when it's needed. That might sound easier said than done, but products like Store-Boards (page 276) prove that human-focused storage is more than a good idea. It's an actionable design that organizes your facility in a way that aligns with human usage.
Security Cabinets
Sometimes, organization is about separating limited-access materials from the general population. Whether it's flammable storage cabinets (page 262), corrosive containment (page 263), or personal equipment lockers (page 506), limited access requires special organizational equipment designed to withstand the environment and the material stored within. SECURALL cabinets (page 264) are a great example of these kinds of limited-access cabinets.
Small Item Handling
Material handling is all about moving products, and transporting large, palletized goods gets a lot of attention. Yet, moving smaller items is worthy of just as much innovation.
Versatile Designs
Small goods come in all shapes and sizes. As such, they sometimes need different transportation options than cartoned goods. That's where designs like dollies, U-boats, hand trucks, and platform trucks shine, but what if you need all of the above? Carts like the All-N-One platform truck from The Fairbanks Company (page 181) solve that challenge. This versatile, modular design allows you to use one cart for multiple applications. Similarly, products like stair-climbing dollies (page 166) enable you to move materials beyond the horizontal.
Barrel Handlers
Drums and barrels can be a "round peg in a square hole" kind of challenge with many traditional material handling designs. Forklift barrel attachments solve that on a large scale, but a more streamlined design is often the optimal choice if you need to manage fewer barrels. In those situations, products like a hydraulic drum carrier (page 218) allow one operator to lift, transport, and dispense fully loaded 55-gallon steel drums. No forklift required.
Lifting Equipment
For smaller facilities, a forklift might be overkill. Maximizing vertical storage in these facilities requires simpler lifting equipment, like manual or powered stackers (page 302). These operate like a pallet jack but feature a lifting mast so the operator can access storage above ground level. However, a vacuum lifter might be your best option if you are lifting unusually shaped products, like cement bags or a kayak. The ergonomic vacuum lifters by Unimove (page 357) have models for every load of up to 900 lbs.
Workbenches
Workbenches are a mainstay of many industries. However, every job has unique needs. Versatile workstation designs are critical to ensure your team has what they need to do their job right.
Height Adjustable
Sitting and standing for long periods without breaks can have serious negative impacts on your health. Office workers tackle this challenge with standing desks, and now your team can, too. Adjustable-height workbenches (page 64) allow workers to switch between sitting and standing throughout their shift with the push of a button, helping them stay healthy and productive.
Modular Designs
Packing stations are a common need in most industries. Yet, different products require different shipping supplies (page 271). Modular workstations, like Dehnco's line (page 72), offer the flexibility to customize each station to a facility's needs.
Industrial Shelving
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't discuss industrial shelving. Whether you need standard pallet racking, cantilever racking, or heavy-duty shelving, there's a storage rack design for you. For example, if your storage space is outside, galvanized pallet racks from Red Steel (page 37) are an excellent choice. For faster picking, consider gravity flow racking from Lyon (page 11), which handles both standard and heavy-duty storage.
Your Guide to Material Handling Solutions
With 540 pages worth of material handling solutions, it's easy to lose sight of which equipment best fits your facility. That's where our expert team can help. With over 45 years in the business, we know material handling inside and out. Let us help you craft solutions customized to your operational needs.
Auburn 253-854-5438
Pasco 509-547-7413
Wenatchee 509-663-9009
Yakima 509-457-5137
Further Reading
The Best Pallet Racking Solutions for Your Warehouse
Choosing Your Pallet Jack: Manual or Electric
5 Loading Dock Products That Instantly Boost Safety and Profitability