Finally, before purchasing a new system, it is worth making sure people can use it safely without too much added difficulty or exceeding your organization’s risk tolerance. This brings us to the final question – and final episode – in this limited-run series. For example, once you hoist a load into the air, as with a crane, your operation will become instantly subject to a host of safety regulations that otherwise wouldn’t apply. Are you prepared to deal with the new compliance mandates? Similarly, how safe will it be to touch or interact with the load while it's attached or hooked up to the move system? Can the load be attached without manual interaction? Will visibility be compromised by the proposed system? Are there ergonomic risks due to the force required by the proposed movement method? Is there inherent balance or overhang issues to address? Beyond human safety, how safe is the move system for the load itself? Could the move system cause damage or de-calibration? Could the proposed system lead to inadvertent production losses due to safety issues?

Loadability refers to how to get the load onto the load system in the first place. Some systems are self-loading, but not all. Sometimes cradles or external support structures must be developed to give the load system something to grab onto. Sometimes the item changes shape as it goes through the line, and offset loads have to be addressed. It’s equally important to ask how the system is to be used. Some move systems are actually pretty complicated to operate, and in some cases, even dangerous. So, it’s advisable and sometimes required to use trained and certified operators. This can create an additional requirement for training and of course, additional cost. Some systems are less complicated and do not require extensive training. The answer to these questions affects the total system setup and overall cost.

This is the big question: what is the cost of the equipment, and is the move system even financially viable for your situation? This is a complicated question to think about. There is initial cost, installation cost, training cost, potential facility upgrade cost, the cost of actually operating the material handling system, the cost to keep the system running and replace wear parts, and so on. It’s a lot to think about! Then, anyone trying to pick a material handling system needs to make sure they consider both upfront cost and total cost of ownership in their analysis. You obviously need to know if purchasing the system fits into your budget right now, but you also want to know how it’s going to compare cost-wise over a period of years or over its total lifespan. In this episode, we do a deep dive into all of the cost considerations.

Once we’ve eliminated load movement systems that cannot handle the weight of the load or the maneuverability requirements, the next question is about timing and distance. Do you need to move products continuously or infrequently? How much time is spent at each station if there are multiple workstations. What impacts occur if one station is delayed? How far is it from station to station? Are there limiting factors due to the type of floor or weight of the load on the floor? These issues can have a profound impact on what load movement system will work for your needs.

This question is more nuanced and complex than it might first appear. In this episode, we break this big question down into smaller ones, including: can the material handling system traverse the path the load needs to travel? Is the path fixed or variable? Do you need flexibility to travel between a wide variety of points or in-and-out of a manufacturing line? What is the impact if one station is offline? Do you need to maximize space utilization or maneuver into corners, along edges, around obstacles or fit into hard-to-reach spots? Are there obstructions or height restrictions to overcome? Let's ask all the questions now so we can make sure the system can handle your needs today and in the future.

The first and most fundamental question when selecting a load movement system is always: what does the load weigh? The point of asking questions like this is to go through a process of elimination, removing material handling systems that won’t work for your situation. Since some systems just plain won’t work at some weights, if you know the weight of the load to be moved, you can usually cross off at least a few options from the list and immediately start narrowing down your options.

What are the seven key questions to consider when choosing the right material handling system for industrial manufacturing? In this introductory episode, we’re talking about load movement system options for components that can weigh tens or even hundreds of tons, yet we still need to find a way to get them from place to place in a factory. We can use these questions to narrow down the best method between cranes, conveyors, air cushion vehicles,

forklifts and other industrial trucks, wheeled transfer carts, drag chains, rails, and more. Determining the best load movement system can be extremely high stakes. By the time you get to the last question in the series, you should be confident that you have your answer.