If you are considering installing new shelving in your warehouse or replacing existing shelving to make it more practical, taking the time to consider the long-term implications of your warehouse racking system can increase efficiency and reduce long-term costs.

The first thing to consider is your storage density. Deep-lane storage opportunities — such as double-deep, drive-in, drive-though, pallet-flow and push-back racks — can make your warehouse more versatile and profitable. Obviously, if you need continual access to every pallet in our facility at all times, deep-lane storage is not the best option. But if you don’t require 100% selectivity, it usually will pay off in the long run.

FIFO or LIFO?

Before making a storage density decision, you need to consider whether your warehouse is Last-In First-Out (LIFO), or First-In First-Out (FIFO). FIFO operations do better with pallet flow racks while LIFO lends itself to deep-lane storage. If you use buried loads in a LIFO operation, you could be unnecessarily increasing your material handling labor cost.

Another thing to consider is your picking profile. Are your typical orders primarily picking pallets, cases or pieces? Do you pick from bulk to replenish a forward pick zone? How you configure your warehouse racking will be a function of your most common picking profiles. While most setups are not 100% efficient, by building your flow to your most common picking profiles, you can optimize your efficiency the greatest number of times.

Consider Forklift Maneuverability

When building your racking, it’s important to consider the forklift access. Build a minimum of 6 to 12 inches into the “right angle” stacking aisle requirement provided by the vehicle’s manufacturer so that you always have room to maneuver. This will cut down on the time it takes to fill orders, saving you money on labor and equipment expenses and cutting down on potential accidents, injuries and lost product.

Rack decking is also important. Just because you use a certain type of pallet now doesn’t mean you will be using that same style a few months or years from now. Bottom board and fork pocket location can impact the safety of both the product and the driver. If you don’t incorporate the appropriate rack components such as pallet support and decking now, you are only going to have to invest more later.

Don’t Forget the Lighting

Another thing to consider is your lighting scheme. When you change your warehouse racking, are your employees still going to be able to see clearly in the places where they are working?

A little pre-planning and mapping out your warehouse racking upgrade can improve operations, saving you money and time in the long run. When you are ready to reconfigure your warehouse racking, Bahrns offers  a complete supply of all kinds of shelving, racking and support structures to make your warehouse as efficient as possible.

There are many factors to consider when selecting the right hearing protective equipment for your warehouse or manufacturing facility. Protective equipment comes in all shapes and at various levels of noise exposure. Choosing the most cost-effective solution for you that will provide the optimal amount of protection without cutting out too much noise can be a fine line for facility managers to walk.

Protective equipment ranges from ear muffs to foam or preformed ear plugs to canal caps:

• Ear Muffs fit against the head and enclose the entire external ear. The inside of the muff cup is typically lined with an acoustical foam that can reduce noise by as much as 15 to 30 decibels. They are typically used in work environments with extremely loud noises, at or above 105 decibels.
• Ear Plugs are foam inserts that are either preformed or formable and fit inside the ear. They expand to fill the ear canal, sealing the walls to prevent noise from entering. They typically come in a variety of sizes to fit all of your employee’s ear canals.
• Canal Caps are devices that cap off the ear at the canal opening. They generally provide less protection from loud noises than muffs or plugs and, while they are usually the least expensive option, they are not recommended for most uses.

Reducing Noise By Cutting Off Air Flow

When choosing which hearing protective device to use for your employees, the first thing to consider is the seal that will be provided. Because sound waves travel through the air, noise reduction relies upon blocking any air leakage. The better the seal, the more noise will be kept from entering the ear canal.

Comfort is another important factor to consider. Your employees may need to wear the protective equipment for hours at a time. If it is heavy, difficult to insert or remove, or can easily become dirty or contains irritating chemicals, they may be less likely to use them.

Following Proper Care and Maintenance

Whichever type of hearing protective equipment you choose, make sure you have a schedule to inspect it and replace it on a regular basis, especially if there is a chance that it can become soiled. Using dirty ear protection equipment can lead to infections, which can cause downtime, lost productivity and increase health care costs.

Whenever possible, issue each employee their own set of personal hearing protective equipment. And encourage your employees to property maintain their equipment, keep it as clean as possible, and notify you well in advance if it needs to be replaced.

Bahrns offers a complete selection of all types of hearing protective equipment to fit every need and budget. Check out our ear protective devices by clicking here.

We often take pallets for granted, but we shouldn’t. Pallets make it easy to move heavy loads of materials safely and efficiently. Yet they are a relatively new technology in materials handling.

While loads of products have been moved on pallets since the development of the lift truck in the 1920s and ’30s, it wasn’t until World War II that these handy rectangular tools were used widely.

Stacking loads on pallets meant that fewer men were needed to move goods where they were required, freeing up more soldiers for active duty.  Palletized loads also required less warehouse space, making depots operate more efficiently.

Pallet Management for Reducing Costs

The most common pallet size of 48″ x 40″ — called the GMA after its developer, the Grocery Manufacturers Association — wasn’t standardized until 1976. With this standardization, most pallets could be moved using any hand jack, power jack or forklift regardless of its final destination.

Over the years, pallets have evolved to fit their supply chain needs. Although wooden pallets are still used, they are slowly being replaced with pallets made with heavy-duty plastic that won’t splinter, split or present nail hazards that can cause product damage or worker injury during handling.

Pallets made of molded plastics are lighter than wooden pallets and are often stackable, reducing the amount of space they take up when not being used.

Pallet size and weight are considerations when it comes to lowering your transportation costs, such as fuel expenses. Pallets made of recycled plastic weigh up to 40% less than block pallets made of wood.

Benefits of High Quality Pallets

Low-quality pallets made of wood or even plastic can eventually fail, causing product damage or loss, injury and/or lost production time.

Pallet technology is improving all the time. Not only are modern pallets lighter and more versatile than older style pallets, but some even come with company logos and embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that help track inventory and control production with increased efficiency and reduced costs.

When you identify the right pallet for your operation, its use can be integrated for forklifts, automated production machines, conveyers and other steps in the production process.

When you distribute your pallets to your customers or to job sites, you want to make sure that the same pallets are returned to you so that they are the same size and type. That way they can seamlessly re-introduced into production without having to sort or store non-uniform pallets. Many companies will have their delivery drivers pick up the same number of pallets as they drop off, ensuring an eternal circulation system in which your pallet distribution matches your production.

As any homeowner can attest, outdoor gardening supplies and equipment tend to accumulate very quickly. It doesn’t take long for a garage intended for parking cars become overrun with hoses, sprinklers, lawn mowers, pool supplies, gardening soil and other items that take up lots of space. That’s why buying a pre-manufactured storage shed is an attractive option for so many people.

Storage sheds provide practicality because they can be used to store all kinds of outdoor supplies and equipment in an orderly and secure manner, freeing up valuable garage space for vehicles. They also can add aesthetic value to your backyard, especially with the wide varieties of sizes, texture and colors available today. Some storage sheds come with sidings that can match your home, your garage or other structures on your property.

Cost versus Value

You can spend as much or as little as you like on storage sheds. Bare bones practical models made of inexpensive hard plastic are available for as little as a few hundred dollars. Or you can spend big bucks on beautifully designed, durable models that are durable enough to sustain a nuclear blast. Whichever option you choose, remember that your storage shed is going to be a permanent part of your property. If you choose to buy a particular model just because it is the least expensive but you don’t like the look, you may be reminded of your cheapness for a very long time.

The appearance of your storage shed also affects the value of your home when it comes time to sell it. So you want to make sure you choose a model that is going to complement your home. For example, if you have a rustic-looking home, you may want to choose a storage shed that has a country-style design, such as with board and batten. If you have a contemporary home, you might opt for a more futuristic-looking storage shed.

Locating Your Storage Shed

Once you choose your storage shed, determine where will be the optimal place to locate it. Select a location where you will have easy access to the equipment it contains when you need it, but not someplace where it will interrupt with the natural flow of your backyard or property. Once installed, you can integrate your storage shed into your property using landscaping, trellises or other decorative items.

Finally, secure your storage shed using its built-in locks or with external padlocks. This is especially important if you have young children because the equipment you store in your storage shed is often heavy, sharp or otherwise dangerous. Plus, you can prevent your equipment from becoming lost or stolen.

A storage shed can provide you with both functionality and aesthetics. It can not only make your life easier, but can increase the value of your property as well. That makes buying a storage shed a good investment.

While many people think all casters are the same, in truth there are different types of casters for various jobs. Depending on what your needs are, you may prefer hard rubber casters that provide efficiency and stability in a warehouse setting or you may need softer rubber casters that won’t harm showroom or exhibit hall floors. Buying the right caster for the right job can make all the difference in the world.

When selecting the proper caster for a particular piece of equipment, you need to consider a number of different factors, including:

• Productivity
• Safety and Ergonomics
• Floor Protection
• Rollability
• Capacity
• Floor Obstructions and Operating Environment
• Cost/Value

Selecting the Right Replacement Casters

Unless you are building a new piece of specialized equipment, typically what most facilities operators are purchasing are replacement casters. These are bought to take the place of casters that are worn, broken, gone missing or otherwise inoperable. Casters play a critical role in the use of any type of rolling equipment, so if a single caster doesn’t work, the entire unit is often out of commission. While replacement casters can often be purchased directly from the equipment’s manufacturer, you generally have to pay whatever they want to charge you.

A more cost effective plan is to purchase replacement casters from a reputable materials handling company such as Bahrns. That way you can ensure that you are getting precisely the casters you need but at the most affordable and competitive price. When buying casters, it’s a good idea to get a spare part or two so that the next time you experience caster failure, you don’t have to wait for a replacement part to be shipped before putting the piece of equipment back into service.

Different Types of Casters

Caster frames can be either swivel  or rigid. Swivel casters have the ability to rotate 360 degrees. Examples include the types of casters found on the bottom of a furniture mover’s dolly or an office chair. Rigid castes are used primarily for straight line travel, so they usually will only roll forward or backward.

The caster itself is held between two “legs”, with one leg on either side of the caster. The wheel of the caster is held in place by a bolt or axle. Above the legs of a swivel caster is a swivel bearing which allows it to turn all the way around. The legs above rigid casters have no swivel bearing.

Always Buy Spare Casters

When buying replacement casters, you typically will buy the entire unit, not just the wheel itself. Most caster assemblies are designed so that they can snap easily into place when they need to be replaced. Always makes sure you purchase the correct size replacement caster or it may not fit into the bottom of the equipment correctly. Check on the caster you are replacing to see if there is a model number or a size before reordering.

Casters are small pieces that can have a big impact on the productivity of your warehouse or facility. By keeping tabs on the state of your casters and purchasing replacement casters before you need them, you can ensure the uninterrupted flow of your productivity.