Warehouse automation is growing in demand and popularity. Facilities integrate new machines into operations every day with the goal of increasing efficiency and lowering overall costs of operation. Even if you don’t work in a warehouse, your daily life is still impacted by the work of warehouse employees. After all, every package delivered to your home or product you use was once housed in a warehouse. This guide explores the types of automation to add to a warehouse for increased productivity and efficiency.
Extender Conveyor Belts
Conveyor belts aren’t necessarily considered “new” technology. They were invented in the late 1800s and were quickly normalized within both indoor and outdoor warehouse settings within the first few years of the 1900s.
Today, one of the pieces of automation that warehouse workers tend to favor are extendable conveyor belts. These conveyors extend and move to fit into the backs of trucks, which helps streamline the unloading process and make it less reliant on tough manual labor.
Automatic Palletizers
Automatic palletizers are another favorite piece of heavy machinery that aids in workplace automation. Many facilities rely on pallets to stack products. This creates one compact unit out of many smaller products, as well as units that allow for easier truck loading and unloading while providing additional protection to products during the transportation process. Though palletizers are beneficial to many operations, warehouse managers should be aware of some considerations before purchasing one. These considerations most directly impact return on investment and worker safety.
Utility Carts
While this piece of automated equipment may seem like a glorified golf cart, it is one of the most useful additions to any warehouse operation. These carts offer a flat side to attach things to, which allows workers to tow multiple products or boxes with ease. These machines greatly reduce manual labor and drastically cut down transportation time between areas in a warehouse.
There are plenty of other types of automation to add to a warehouse. Automation continues to grow in popularity and usefulness for warehouses everywhere and is a worthwhile investment for companies.
