3 Ways Industrial Transfer Carts Can Help You Optimize Resource Costs
As a manufacturer that’s faced with increasing margin pressure, you’re always looking for opportunities to optimize resource costs. After all, wages and training costs aren’t decreasing any time soon.
One way leading manufacturers are minimizing labor costs while improving productivity is with more effective material handling solutions including industrial transfer carts.
Also known as Self-Propelled Modular Transporters, wheeled transfer carts, transporters and manually guided vehicles, industrial transfer carts are material handling vehicles that operate on shop floor level to transport large or heavy materials, parts and machinery.
Industrial transfer carts are typically battery-powered, self-loading and manually guided. They lift and move loads of up to 100 tons, operate in 360° of travel, and rotate within their own footprint.
Industrial transfer carts help you lower your resource costs in three significant ways.
1. Reduced labor costs
Moving large, heavy loads around a shop floor with a forklift truck often creates visibility and safety issues that require a spotter in addition to the driver.
Then there’s the added cost of the operator who is required to load and unload traditional material handling systems. With drag chains, for example, loads must be placed onto carts using another system, such as a crane. This means the act of placing a large, heavy load onto a cart might take three workers: one to operate the crane, one to attach and detach the hook, and one to act as a safety spotter
Industrial transfer carts, on the other hand, are operated by just one worker in a standoff position. The solo operator walks alongside the unit and has an unobstructed view of the path ahead, beside, behind and above the load. This means replacing forklift trucks and overhead cranes with industrial transfer carts has the potential to slash your labor costs by up to two thirds.
2. Lower training costs
Teaching a worker to operate an industrial transfer cart takes less time and costs less than teaching that same worker to operate a forklift truck or overhead crane as industrial transfer carts are simpler and present nearly zero risk to operate.
3. Fewer workplace incidents
It is well documented that the safety costs, direct and indirect (The American Society of Safety Engineers puts the ratio of indirect to direct costs anywhere from 1:1 to 20:10), associated with overhead cranes, forklift trucks, conveyors and other traditional material handling systems can be high.
For example, forklifts result in an average of 85 fatalities and nearly 35,000 injuries annually in the U.S. An average of 41 crane-related fatalities occur annually in the U.S. Conveyors create tripping hazards, and with frequently or continuously moving parts, users risk getting fingers caught.
Industrial transfer carts, on the other hand, lift their loads only a few inches off the floor.
One operator can safely move loads of up to 100 tons. Radio remote operation allows 100% walkaround visibility because the operator walks beside the unit as it travels, giving the operator a clear line of sight at all times. Ground level movement also protects workers and payloads, since low-profile operation eliminates dangerous overhead moves.
This means safety risks are low with industrial transfer carts, which translates into reductions in workplace injuries and fatalities, not to mention reductions in the costs associated with workplace safety infractions and fines.
Conclusion
Your path to resource optimization can take you in many directions. With industrial transfer carts, that direction can be in 360°. They lower your training costs, reduce your labor costs, and lower your number of costly workplace injuries and fatalities.
AeroGo is a proven world leader in the engineering, design, manufacturing and support of material transport systems. Learn more at www.aerogo.com.
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