Material handling tasks can be stressful if not handled properly. For a successful production, the way materials are handled will have a lot to talk about the end product, if the materials are not handled properly, the end product will not be perfect.
The ability to produce safely and efficiently depends solely on how materials are handled. This also saves time and increases productivity because time is valuable to everyone.
Material handling operations have resulted in a lot of skeletal disorders in different countries, this happens because when handling materials, it deals with lifting and transporting loads that are heavy from one place to the other. This can result in injuries if care is not taken
So, to boost material handling productivity, machines can be used as it saves time and helps increase productivity. Machines that can be used include forklifts, rotating carts, and so on. These machines can be gotten anywhere, for example, if you live in Australia, there are used
Forklifts for sale in Brisbane. These can help boost productivity.
So, what can be done to boost material handling productivity? We will be discussing some key ways to help you increase productivity.
1: Use new technology machines:
To boost material handling productivity and produce safely and efficiently, you have to do away with any old machine that no longer conforms to your mode and speed of work. There are old machines used in production but are no longer relevant.
So, if you still utilize such machines, you are likely to produce at a very slow rate. This can be annoying. The only solution to boost productivity in this case, get a new machine that has been designed to produce very fast and saves time.
These machines do not only boost productivity, they prevent human labor from getting injured.
2: Use the right handling material:
This cannot be overemphasized; we all know that using the correct equipment will boost productivity. People who can't afford the correct equipment for a particular operation and therefore tend to manipulate a machine to perform the same function are likely to produce at a slower rate.
For example, using the correct equipment such as the forklift will help you work faster, there are lots of forklifts in the market but all are different and work at a different rate. Research has shown that a forklift that has a short footprint is easy to operate and can easily move down the aisle.
If you do not have a standby operator, you can consider going for a standup rider.
3: Strategize your work to reduce injuries
No doubt, injuries will reduce the rate of production. So, care needs to be taken when working to get rid of any form of injury.
The authority can also enforce policies that will develop the work patterns of employees. A job can be rotated between employees, this is more or less like a division of labor, when some particular employees handle some machines for some hours, they should be switched to perform other functions and replaced by some other employees.
By doing so, you have reduced the risk of your employees getting injured because of doing the same thing back and forth.
Employees should be properly trained on what to do, this would make them expert in whatever duties they are to perform. When someone is perfect at performing a task, the task will be performed very fast and efficiently, above all enough time to rest should be given to the employees.
4: Use the right machine for your production
Machines are not built the same way and also, they are not made to perform the same function. For example, the work of a forklift is different from that of a clamp and side shifter. These machines are different by the way they are built, the carriage size,
hydraulic speed, and speed at which they get work done are different.
Some machines perform twice the function of some machine, for instance, the layer picker will help you pick up to 4-5 items and lift them to another place at the same time, thus reducing the effort and time that would have been won't moving the items manually, but the single double machine can only lift a maximum of two items at a time.
5: Optimize your production layout and structure:
This is the last point on ways to boost material handling productivity but not the least point. As the owner of the business, you want a boost in productivity, you should pay attention to how the whole production process is set up and what needs to be improved on.
Look for a way to set up the production process so as to reduce the risk of your employees getting injured and at the same time the process that will speed up the production process.
Conclusion:
And that's it guys, we have discussed the 5 ways by which you can boost material handling productivity with ease. If you follow the process we have discussed above, you are on the right track to take your production business to another level.