Page 238 - DMGT551_RETAIL_BUSINESS_ENVIRONMENT

Unit 12: Warehouse Management

General Equipment Notes

Elevators and Lifts: These are used to raise or lower material in the vertical direction. They are
just like lifts of a multi-storied building, but carry material.

A freight elevator (or goods lift) is an elevator designed to carry goods, rather than passengers.
Freight elevators are often exempt from some code requirements and from some of the
requirements for fire service. However, new installations would likely be required to comply
with these requirements. Freight elevators are generally required to display a written notice in
the car that the use by passengers is prohibited, though certain freight elevators allow dual use
through the use of an inconspicuous riser. Freight elevators are typically larger and capable of
carrying heavier loads than a passenger elevator, generally from 2,300 to 4,500 kg. Freight
elevators may have manually operated doors, and often have rugged interior finishes to prevent
damage while loading and unloading. Although hydraulic freight elevators exist, electric elevators
are more energy efficient for the work of freight lifting.

A special type of elevator is the paternoster, a constantly moving chain of boxes. A similar
concept moves only a small platform, which the rider mounts while using a handhold and was
once seen in multi-story industrial plants.
A different kind of elevator is used to transport material. It generally consists of an inclined
plane on which a conveyor belt runs. The conveyor often includes partitions to prevent the
material from sliding backwards. These elevators are often used in industrial and agricultural
applications. When such mechanisms (or spiral screws or pneumatic transport) are used to
elevate grain for storage in large vertical silos, the entire structure is called a grain elevator.
Hydraulic elevator systems lift a car using a hydraulic ram, a fluid-driven piston mounted
inside a cylinder. They are quite common for low and medium rise buildings (2-8 floors) like
warehouses, attain speeds of up to 200 feet/minute (1.0 m/s), and use a hydraulically powered
plunger to push the elevator upwards. Modern freight elevators have elaborate systems with
advanced mechanical systems to handle the substantial weight of the elevator car and its cargo.

Industrial Trucks: These are manual or external powered vehicles, which can move on a variety
of paths. These are particularly useful for the following situations:

1. Uneven (intermittent) supply of material
2. Varying paths of movement

3. Job-shop production units
Industrial carts and industrial trucks are used to transport equipment or materials. There are
many different types of products. Cabinet carts have compartments with doors or drawers.
Container carts or utility carts are suitable for general-purpose applications. Drum carts or
drum trucks are designed to lift and move drums. Hand trucks, appliance trucks, and instrument
carts are used to move equipment. Janitorial carts, cleaning carts, linen carts and laundry carts
are often used in hotels or restaurants. Office carts or mail carts contain shelves or racks for office
materials such as mail and files.

Forklifts

Forklifts are used to move parts through varying paths. Because they have drivers, these vehicles
are very flexible. Forklift trucks are available in many variations and load capacities. In a typical

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