Manufacturing
Modern technology, equipment and services transform the manufacturing industry. Implementing technological advancements and consulting with industry experts can help you significantly enhance your operational efficiency.
Challenges in Manufacturing and Material Handling
Modern manufacturing forklifts, technological advancements, facility layouts and streamlined processes play important roles in overcoming various operational challenges.
Meeting Demand Efficiently
Meeting demand while reducing costs is a common challenge. Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing helps companies decrease inventory levels while ensuring they always have the right materials, components and products available in the right quantities and at the right times. JIT manufacturing requires rapid material movement to maintain efficient production and prevent shortages.
Space Constraints
While JIT manufacturing helps reduce on-site inventory, many facilities keep extra inventory to address potential supply chain disruptions. Large on-site stock levels reduce available operating space, so it’s important to find safe, efficient ways to address space constraints while maintaining productivity.
Operator Retention
Employing experienced, hardworking operators at your facility is essential. To increase job satisfaction and retain employees, you must ensure they have the resources and support to overcome challenges and do their jobs.
Black Equipment begins by listening to your managers & operators to understand your business’ material handling challenges. We observe your processes and apply what we’ve learned from other businesses like yours to improve problematic workflows, recommend more appropriate equipment & attachments, or alert you to mismatches between your equipment’s capabilities and your throughput requirements.
Just-In-Time
Black Equipment, in collaboration with Hyster and Yale, offers targeted solutions for Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing. This includes advanced equipment like Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) Man-Up Turret Trucks, Narrow Aisle Reach Trucks, and Order Pickers, for the quick movement of materials. Black Equipment also provides customized solutions such as improved racking layouts and a wide variety of other material handling equipment to meet your unique operational needs, including specialized attachments.
Safety
Safety is a factor in employee morale and retention, but it’s also necessary for regulatory compliance. Improving facility safety can help you meet industry regulations, prevent accidents and provide a better work environment for your employees.
Safety is particularly important if your facility experiences high employee turnover. New hires may lack the knowledge and experience needed to operate equipment safely, so investing in equipment with advanced safety features can improve operator satisfaction.
Innovative Solutions
Enhance your manufacturing facility with these solutions.
Specialized Manufacturing and Material Handling Equipment
Specialized equipment designed for specific operational needs can navigate tight spaces more easily and move materials faster. Facilities with vertical storage and narrow aisles need equipment that supports safety and productivity in these conditions. Specialized lift trucks maneuver in confined spaces more safely and easily than traditional forklifts.
1. Narrow Aisle Reach Trucks and Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) Man-Up Turret Trucks
Narrow aisle reach trucks help workers navigate tight spaces and reach higher heights with deeper shelving spaces.
VNA trucks are designed for efficient pallet handling in tight spaces. Instead of relying solely on counterweights, they also use outriggers to help manage heavy loads. However, when using lead acid batteries, the batteries themselves often serve as the main counterweight. With lithium-ion batteries (which are lighter), steel plates are usually added.
A VNA truck’s mast can lift the operator up to 55 feet, providing clear visibility for precise pallet handling or order picking.
Hyster and Yale manufacture VNA turret trucks with advanced features such as:
- Adjustable seats and backrests for comfortable stand-up operation.
- Enhanced torsional rigidity for greater stability.
- Variable armrests and adjustable controls for easier operation and to prevent fatigue.
- Nonslip mats and pedal-free floors to prevent tripping.
- Optimal travel speed and responsive direction changes.
- Speed and acceleration control technology.
- 180-degree rotating turret so operators can easily reach both sides of an aisle.
2. Robotic Forklifts
Yale and Hyster robotic lift trucks perform actions without human intervention. They automate repetitive tasks, reduce workers’ physical strain and prevent damage. Robotic forklifts are cost-effective solutions for staff shortages and can help boost efficiency.
3. Order Pickers
Modern Yale order pickers feature advanced safety enhancements, such as stepless speed control for smooth operation and precise handling. These order pickers are designed to help operators comfortably and efficiently locate and pick inventory in tight places and narrow aisles — prioritizing safety and productivity in demanding manufacturing environments.
4. Tow Tractors
Tow tractors transport trailers, dollies and carts in industrial settings. Like VNA trucks and order pickers, they can maneuver in tight spaces.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology
These technological lift truck advancements favorably impact the manufacturing industry:
- Telemetry:
Hyster Tracker and Yale Vision use advanced telematics technology to monitor your equipment through onboard diagnostics and wireless data transmission. These systems, offered through Black Equipment, automate data collection and provide valuable insights into equipment usage, safety and maintenance needs. The digital checklists and real-time reporting help streamline OSHA compliance and replace traditional paper records, making it easier to manage your fleet.
- Operator assist systems (OAS):
OAS systems detect objects and tagged equipment and personnel to prevent collisions and accidents. The Reaction and Reliant OAS systems trigger safety features, such as hydraulic adjustment and speed reduction, to improve safety and reinforce safe operator behavior.
- Real-Time Location Sensing (RTLS): OAS systems feature RTLS technology to automatically avoid specific areas in your facility and decrease speed in others.
- Dynamic stability system (DSS):
DSS technology helps maintain the stability of Yale N Series and Hyster A Series forklifts. This technology physically limits a forklift’s ability to perform unstable actions like speeding around corners or tilting. A DSS system helps prevent accidents and equipment tip-overs to make your material handling space safer. This is beneficial when operators handle loads at greater heights or travel across uneven surfaces.
Functionality:
DSS doesn’t actively monitor or control the truck like an intelligent system but works by physically limiting the truck’s ability to perform potentially unstable actions. It helps maintain stability during operations, particularly when turning, lifting at high heights, or operating on uneven surfaces.
Safety Features:
The system includes lateral forklift stability, high-lift traction control, and high-lift tilt control. These features automatically limit the truck’s speed and control tilt functions based on the load’s height, providing visual and audible alerts to the operator.
Application:
DSS is particularly beneficial in warehouse and manufacturing environments, where it helps prevent tip-overs and enhances overall safety during material handling tasks.
Sustainable Equipment
Energy-efficient equipment reduces your environmental impact. Black Equipment offers electric equipment models from Yale and Hyster to reduce your company’s emissions and decrease noise pollution in your indoor areas. Opportunity charging may also help your operation adapt electric order pickers, VNA trucks and tow tractors for continuous operation.
Streamlined Processes and Workflows
Black Equipment offers the following services to help you boost productivity and efficiency in dense storage and working environments:
- Facility analysis
- Equipment recommendations
- Ongoing optimization
- Project management support
Black Equipment listens to your operators and managers to understand their challenges and observes your existing processes to identify areas for improvement. Our experts recommend workflow improvements as well as equipment and attachments to help you complete tasks faster.
Improved Facility and Racking Layouts
An improved facility layout speeds up order picking and inventory management. Black Equipment offers customized layout design services to help you optimize space, boost productivity and maintain safety.
Comprehensive Repair and Maintenance Services
Effective fleet management reduces equipment downtime so that processes remain on track. Black Equipment offers comprehensive maintenance and repair services to help ensure your forklifts, order pickers and other material handling equipment operate reliably. We respond rapidly to your equipment emergencies because customer uptime is our priority.
You can also contact Black Equipment for loading docks and door services such as installation, routine service, repairs and inspections.
Improved Operator Training
Thorough operator training prepares your employees for safe equipment use and helps your company comply with OSHA Regulation 1910.178(1). Black Equipment offers OSHA-compliant classroom and hands-on Operator Training that covers the following areas:
- Hazards
- Safe operations
- Fueling
- Inspection
- Limitations
Keep Your Manufacturing Processes Moving With Black Equipment
The latest manufacturing equipment, technology and methods help companies streamline processes, boost efficiency and improve safety. Black Equipment offers leading-edge equipment, layout design, maintenance, repair and training services to help you minimize downtime and maximize efficiency. Contact us to learn how we can help make your manufacturing operation flow smoother, faster and safer, or click here to request service today.