KION North America

Warehouse Management Tips

Managing a warehouse includes solving complicated logistical issues, ensuring efficient production, and delegating tasks to employees. Knowing some tips to this trade will be useful in staying organized and on track for the next shipment.

Storage

The most valuable asset within a warehouse is space. Utilizing this space in the most optimal way to serve your purpose should be in consideration. Using stackable and resealable containers has proven to increase aisle space. The use of vertical storage will help to clear paths for picking and restocking. The base location of these vertical stacks should be placed regarding to frequency of use. Work will get done much more efficiently using this stacking method of utilizing air space.

Organization

A disorganized warehouse is not only a daily stressor, but it is also sending a negative message to suppliers, visitors, and employees. Organization is a major key in managing a warehouse. Think to yourself – what are the main functions of this warehouse? Then, re-arrange according to functionality. By dedicating two to four hours a month to re-organization and cleaning, you’ll be surprised with the difference it makes! Having an adequate, clean space to execute picking and stocking ensures efficiency throughout the process.

Automation

The integration of technology within warehouses has allowed increased efficiency as well as organization. Implementing barcoding software along with clearly printed labels has been found to be the quickest way to manage inventory within the warehouse.

Along with barcoding software, there is also software that tracks inventory error rates. Whether something has mistakenly gone out or never even arrived in the first place, this technology allows managers to track error rates. By tracking these errors, managers are able to find problem areas and tackle them with ease.

Receiving-End Functionality

The receiving area of a warehouse is one of the most vital spaces. The unloading of materials, breaking down of pallets, and the counting of shipments are all typically executed within this area. Requiring this to be the largest functioning area will allow employees to do their jobs with less constraint.

Another benefit to making this the largest space is that logistics can be accommodated much easier. Being able to receive shipments simultaneously in the large receiving area will increase the flexibility of scheduling.

How to Become a Forklift Operator

Forklift operators typically work within warehouses or construction sites. They are vital to business operations since they are responsible for moving heavy materials to where they are needed. Operators are responsible for their safety as well as the safety of those around while working. Operating heavy machinery is the bulk of the job, however, there is more to getting the job than hopping on the forklift and turning the key.

Valued Experience

Prior experience working with heavy machinery brings great value to the table, and knowledge on warehouse distribution operations will prove useful as well. The companies leading the industry in forklift technology are important to note when applying. Among top competitors are; Linde and Baoli.

Active listening and effective communication are vital to ensure safe operations for you and those around you. Regardless of where you fall on the prior-experience spectrum, becoming a forklift operator ultimately reduces to passing the certification process.

Certification Process

The OSHA certification process typically takes 2-5 days to complete depending on if you complete it online or in person. CertifyMe.net offers OSHA forklift certification card training for only $59.95. The process is split up into two sections: educational and practical. The focus for the education section will be operation and safety, while the practical portion examines your actual handling of the machinery. This practical portion is typically executed by the proposed employer. With this short time frame and affordable price, you’ll be working the lift in no time!

What to Expect

Aside from actually operating the forklift, there are various benefits to becoming a forklift operator. Hourly pay ranges an average of $15 to $20 an hour. This job is not as isolating as people think, because forklift operators work regularly within teams. Another perk is that these jobs typically operate between regular business hours, allowing you to have a set schedule and a stable career!

Product Spotlight: 1101 Linde Electric Walkie / Rider Pallet Truck

With over 30 years in this industry, Linde knows warehousing. With a combination of this industry knowledge and the needs of warehouse operators, Linde has released the new 1101 Linde Electric Walkie / Rider pallet truck.

We understand that warehousing isn’t easy and this truck is designed to withstand the most demanding duty cycle. Matching performance with ergonomics, the 1101 Linde Electric Walkie / Rider pallet truck is a high performing and comfortable pallet truck designed to get the job done.

Intuitive Controls

With the latest technology in the controller and design of the motor, the Electric Walkie / Rider pallet truck gives the operator smooth control of the truck. A variety of drive tire options provides smooth movement of the pallet truck, along with the ergonomically designed, impact resistant, aluminum reinforced control handle with twist grip control.

These intuitive controls make for smoother operations and less strain on the operator. To achieve even more effortless control, there is an option to add electric power steering to reduce steer effort. This truck is equipped with traction and lift controls grouped on a tiller head, allowing for control with either hand. Linde’s Easy Pick with Coast Control drastically improves case picking efficiency.

Maintenance

A one-piece cover provides noise reduction and full access to key components on the truck. The low maintenance AC traction motor with built-in thermal protection is enclosed for protection against damage, debris or moisture. Regenerative braking minimizes the use of the service brake and relieves heat from the traction motor increasing the life of the truck.

For easy maintenance, the CANbus design and diagnostics can be controlled through a single point plug. Fault codes are shown on the multi-function display for easy identification and quick repair.

Reliability

The solid frame construction and the fork linkage design are proven in the most demanding applications. The solid steel tie bars are maintenance-free with load wheel bearing block assemblies designed to support shock loads over the entire width of the forks. Fork wear or bending are not an issue.

Performance

With a proven history in warehousing, you can expect the 1101 Linde Electric Walkie / Rider pallet truck to exceed expectations. Whether you use this truck occasionally or constantly, you can rest assured that the high performing, low maintenance, reliable vehicle will work best in your application.

For more information or to request a demo, contact your authorized local dealer today.

 

5 Warehouse Resolutions for 2019

Making a New Year’s Resolution is something we all plan for and it gives us time to reflect on the past and look forward to new goals and changes. Whether or not you follow through with your personal or professional resolutions, it is best to reevaluate improvements within your business. Start your 2019 off with a productive and safe warehouse with the following goals in mind:

Process Improvement

A goal that most warehouses are very adamant about is process improvement. We recommend testing your workflow by having a customer place an order so the manager can see where advancement is needed.

Facility Space

We suggest that you persistently check your workspace and facility to see what needs repairing or changing. Sometimes warehouses need expansion for more products or machinery to be able to fit comfortably. Also, this allows you to look for out-of-date inventory that may be lying around your warehouse.

Inspect the Floors

There are three things that you always want to be checking up on in the distribution center; those three things are space utilization, workflow, and product flow. The way to make sure that these three things are consistently being examined is by active floor supervision. With active floor supervision, you can ensure that the performance of your warehouse will continually be progressing.

Product Flow

Make sure that all of your products are still flowing smoothly through your warehouse. This should be a regular inspection, but if it isn’t, make it a goal for 2019. By inspecting the flow of your inventory, you are making sure that the flow stays rational and continuous.

Monitor Operations

Measurements are vital when observing your overall performance. Make sure to keep a log of deliveries and shipments, so you are aware and up-to-date on where your inventory is coming from and the location they are headed to.

We hope you have found this useful in making sure that your warehouse improves and advances in 2019. If you have any questions or concerns, contact us via our website or by calling us at 843-875-8000. Have a safe and happy new year!

 

8 Forklift Winterization Tips

With the colder months approaching quickly, equipment must adapt to the new circumstances. Winterizing equipment isn’t hard to do if you do it correctly. The following tips are helpful for properly preparing to winterize your forklift to ensure better productivity and a longer lifespan.

Batteries

Batteries are vital to the operation of an electric forklift, however, with winter bringing harsh weather conditions batteries will become more susceptible to a shorter lifespan. Have your batteries and charging system checked regularly during the colder months.

Cooling System

Checking on the cooling system is imperative. We recommend adding anti-freeze to the system. Be sure that the system is cleaned out and flush before adding the anti-freeze.

Tires

Before winter comes, look into getting tires specialized for snow and ice if you are located in an area with these weather conditions. If you prefer not to purchase specialized tires for the weather, be sure to check the tire pressure and tire tread depth, this way you can make sure there isn’t a decrease in performance of your forklift.

Braking System

Inspecting your braking system is a must all year round but especially in the next few months. Your brakes are extremely important, and if they aren’t functioning correctly, then you may run into a safety dilemma. To avert this, examine your brake system before you use your forklift.

Oil Change

It’s best to have an experienced technician change your oil. Make sure they check other critical components which include: fuel, air, transmission, and hydraulic filters as well. It is essential to try and have this done before winter arrives.

Lights

Since it is getting darker outside earlier, lights are a big part of the overall forklift check. Look at the warning lights, work, and tail lights, and make sure that they are all running and working satisfactorily.

Exhaust System

It isn’t safe to operate a forklift if the exhaust system isn’t checked thoroughly. Be aware of any carbon monoxide leaks in your exhaust system. If you spot any, please call a technician immediately for further assistance.

Tune It Up

Winter will decrease the overall performance of your forklift. To ensure that this won’t happen or be an issue, give your equipment a tune-up as soon as possible.

We hope you have rendered this information useful. If you have any questions or concerns with the preparation of winterization or your forklift in general, you can contact us via our website or by calling us at 843-875-8000.

 

Steps to an Energy-Efficient Warehouse

Having trouble trying to figure out ways to reduce your overall warehouse costs? We have some easy steps you can take! From recycling, lighting, to different types of forklifts, we have you covered. While lowering costs with these steps, you will also be making a positive impact on the environment.

Motion Activated/Solar Lighting
If you want to decrease your electricity usage, we recommend motion activated and solar-powered lighting. With motion activated lighting, the lights will come on only when the lights sensor motion and will turn off after a few minutes once the employee leaves the area. With solar lighting, you can easily eradicate electric lighting. Both types of lighting are great ways to reduce your costs and help the environment!

Recycle
A full warehouse also means you have tons of boxes! One of the easiest ways to save money, and the planet, is by using cardboard shredders. This a simple way to change your cardboard scrap into recyclable packing which can later be used as packaging material for any shipments you need to send off. Another step you can take when it comes to recycling is reusing your bubble wrap. The bubble wrap you receive from shipments can be saved to act as a cushion in the future for products that you’ll need to ship off to customers.

Air Conditioning
Air conditioning can be very expensive, especially when you need to cool down an entire warehouse, for this reason, many warehouses aren’t cooled. To keep your employees working at a comfortable temperature, we recommend looking into evaporate cooling. Evaporate cooling doesn’t require much power and can reduce the temperature to more than 10 degrees. This is a popular and inexpensive way to keep your warehouse cool.

Electric VS Propane Forklifts
Forklifts are extremely vital and can be found in most warehouses. With electric forklifts, you won’t have any exhaust fumes, which enhances air quality and saves you money. Propane forklifts use about $20 worth of propane. If you cut out propane forklifts and switch to electric forklifts, you will be saving about $4,000 annually. This also helps improve conditions in your warehouse and the environment.

Our hope is to reduce your costs and contribute to saving the environment with these four steps. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via our website or by calling us at 843-875-8000.

How Planned Maintenance Saves You Money

To avoid expensive and unexpected repairs, you’ll want to plan maintenance. It will cost you more to service your forklift than to preserve the equipment properly. We want you to take the appropriate steps in caring for your forklifts. Hopefully, these three simple tips can help you schedule your maintenance successfully beforehand to prevent spending more than you need to.

Investment
You will want to protect your investment, which is your forklift. The first step is to make sure that you check your forklift periodically, no matter what type of forklift you own. Regular maintenance checks can increase the lifespan of your forklift. These are expensive pieces of machinery, proper care is crucial.

Never Pay Twice
You should never pay twice for service. Many owners of forklifts who don’t sign up for planned maintenance get charged anyway. Messing up payment is an easy error to avoid, by asking the service you take your forklift to if they could call you ahead of your appointment to double check if you will be using the service.

Planning
When you plan an appointment for maintenance, you won’t have to worry about any breakdowns or remembering to arrange to get service done. This keeps your forklift running and ensures the safety of both the operator and the forklift. Keep reminders on hand of when to create maintenance appointments.

With planned maintenance, this will minimize downtime, enhance productivity, expand the forklift’s lifespan and reduce costs. If you have any questions or want to know more about owning a forklift, contact us via our website or by calling us at 843-875-8000. We hope to hear from you soon!

How to Prevent Accidents When Using a Pallet Truck

The most important thing in any work site is the safety of all employees. Many accidents can occur while actively working on loading docks, so it’s important to take the necessary steps in safety. The following will help to prevent accidents when using a pallet truck.

Loading Dock and Lorry
When you begin working with the pallet truck, you must lessen the variance between the loading dock and the floor of the warehouse. This way the pallet truck can move efficiently in and out of the lorry, which decreases the chances of an accident transpiring. It is never a bad idea to invest in a good dock leveler as well.

The Use of Traffic Lights
These traffic lights are just like the traffic lights we see on regular roads, they are used to avoid a collision. You can install them on both the interior and exterior of a warehouse. Like a car, the pallet truck has the authorization to enter the lorry at a green light only.

Suspended Castor or Drive Wheels
You will want to look into suspended castors or drive wheels for your pallet truck. These types of wheels will take in shocks and vibrations. However, the suspended castors give the truck much more solidity, this is a good safety characteristic to have.

Brakes
While space is more restricted on the dock, this makes it more important that a pallet truck is able to maneuver well and also brake quickly. The power pallet truck, for example, is able to slow down much quicker and is easier to brake on command. You’ll want to make sure that your brakes are properly working before operating a pallet truck.

We hope you find this useful and if you have any questions or regards to the operation of a pallet truck or would like to find out more, you can reach us through our website or call us at 843-875-8000.

Importance of Watering a Forklift Battery

When it comes to handling the maintenance of your forklift, you’ll want to be certain that you are taking the proper measures to ensure that your forklift remains in good shape for your use. One of the key components to the forklift is its battery. Maintaining the battery is a responsibility you’ll want to prioritize, more specifically, watering the battery. The following points will help boost the battery’s performance.

Why, When, How
You water a battery because you don’t want your battery to burn out. If batteries aren’t watered down, then this will decrease the lifespan and safety of the battery. You’ll want to water the battery before a work shift. When watering the battery, you’ll want to water each cell within the battery until it is at the maximum height of the lead-acid plates. Try not to over water the battery because it will cause leaks. With that being said, don’t underwater either. If the battery is under watered, it will cause the battery to dry-out, which then requires downtime and extra upkeep.

Clean Distilled Water
We recommend that you use clean distilled water that is between 5-7 on a PH scale. The battery should always be clean and unadulterated. If you use water that is contaminated with other substances, it can cause battery damage, which leads to having to spend a fortune to either repair the battery or purchase an entirely new battery.

Battery Plates
It is suggested that you keep the forklift battery plates below the water-line when you are charging. This is to assure that your battery doesn’t overheat and also doesn’t dry out. If the battery overheats or dries out, this makes it inoperable or unsuitable for your forklift. If the plates go above the water line, then add water to a quarter of an inch aloft the plates, and try not to go over that.

We hope you have rendered this useful to understand the significance of watering your battery and the consequences that will occur if you don’t do it accurately. If you have any questions or regard, please contact us either through our website or by calling us at 843-875-8000.

Product Spotlight: Baoli KBD40/KBD50

The Baoli Series 6012 is the latest addition to KION North America’s Baoli product line. With the introduction of this series, KION North America offers Baoli forklifts with load capacities ranging from 3,500 lbs., all the way up to 10,000 lbs. to provide you with a range of models to get the job done.

Offered in two different models, KBD40 and KBD50, the Baoli Series 6012 is a diesel, four-wheel truck equipped with single or dual SE or pneumatic drive tires, making it suitable for a variety of environments. KBD40 lift capacity is 8,000 lbs. KBD50 lift capacity is 10,000 lbs. Both models have excellent residual capacity at height.

Performance and Value

The Baoli KBD40/KBD50 is an extremely versatile truck that can operate outdoors even in inclement weather with an optional, fully-enclosed and heated cabin. This truck is a perfect match if you need for a sturdy, quality forklift that delivers great value.

Built using proven components, the performance of these trucks is outstanding. The powerful Kohler Tier 4 turbodiesel engine delivers 74 HP and plenty of torque to more easily handle heavy loads. With Kohler’s advanced, common rail direct injection system and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) with fuel mapping, these trucks are very fuel efficient. You can also expect lower maintenance costs and less downtime, with no requirement for a Diesel Particulate (DPF) or Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).

Since no two operations are the same, the Baoli KBD40/KBD50 models offer a multitude of options to meet your operation’s specific needs. Some of these include 4th function hydraulics for special attachments, multiple mast options, and tapered and polished forks.

Reliability

As with any piece of equipment, routine maintenance is crucial to maximizing efficiency and performance. To help you get the most out of your investment, performing operator checks and doing routine maintenance on this truck has never been easier. The hood opens to a nearly 90-degree angle allowing the operator to easily access the engine compartment. Removable floor plates provide access to a majority of truck components. Taking reliability a step further the KBD40 and KBD50 are DEF and DPF free. They do not use diesel exhaust fluid or have a diesel particulate filter that requires downtime for regeneration and periodic service. This saves your business time and money, and helps keep your operation running smoothly.

Even though the KBD40/KBD50 trucks have outstanding quality and reliability, it never hurts to have a good warranty you can rely on. All Baoli forklifts are backed by KION North America’s standard 2-year warranty which covers standard equipment for the first year and unlimited hours, in addition to standard powertrain coverage for two years or 4,000 hours. An optional extended warranty for one additional year or 2,000 hours can also be purchased.

Baoli brand equipment is fully integrated into KION North America’s supply chain and service system. The company’s South Carolina-based warehouse is stocked with a variety of spare parts. Sales and support for the KBD40/50 is provided by a network of authorized dealers throughout the United States.

Comfort

The Baoli KBD40/KBD50 is equipped with a host of standard comfort features at no extra cost including a tilting, adjustable steering column and a comfort suspension seat with a high-visibility orange seat belt. A roomy, cushioned operator compartment makes these trucks comfortable for any size operator.

Confidence

These trucks are not just comfortable. They also offer standard operator assist features like forward-facing twin LED spotlights, dual external mirrors, and separate brake and inching pedals. Treaded entry steps, an overhead guard mounted entry grab bar, and a handgrip built into the seat’s side bolster, give the operator three-point stability when getting on and off the forklift. The seat side bolsters help keep the operator secure when operating the truck.

The standard, amber warning light and backup alarm help create a more confident workplace for everyone.

If you are looking for a quality counterbalanced forklift with the performance, value, reliability and operator confidence your workplace needs, look no further than the Baoli KBD40/KBD 50. For more information or to request a demo contact your authorized local dealer today.