Between the work areas
The use of forklift trucks is one of the most common forms of material handling, so it is vital that they operate efficiently. What should you look for when designing them? What are the benefits of an optimally designed route?
The forklift route is the route that the forklifts are followed during material handling. If these means of transport follow a properly planned route move to in the work area, there are a number of ways to improve workflow.
Benefits
An an optimally designed track can increase the speed of transport. Fewer delays in the supply chain can lead to increased productivity as workers can complete work processes faster.
Traffic jams or collisions are less likely, and safety is improved. In addition reduce energy consumption (be it fossil fuel or electricity), and shorter operating times mean less for maintenance is needed, so increase the lifetime of equipment.
Something is wrong
A poorly functioning routes can have easily identifiable, strong negative impacts on workflow efficiency.
The most common signs are that forklift trucks are very often late, waiting in traffic jams, or involved in an accident that can cause injury to the equipment, the goods being transported, or even the workers. In such cases, it is necessary to assess where repairs are needed.
The classic way to get a clear picture is to take stock of a floor plan and examine the routes and regular tasks performed by forklifts.
It is also worth asking the opinion of the operators,who can give you useful advice. And if you want a perfectly accurate picture of vehicle movements, you should consider using cameras, sensors or trackers.
What can we do?
Once the problem areas have been identified and the available space allows, the problems can be easily addressed by the following measures and improvements:
- Always aim for forklift trucks to travel a short distance between workstations and as few vehicles as possible on the same route at the same time. Wherever possible, vehicles should follow a straight route, with no dead ends, detours or sharp bends.
- If there is enough space, you can avoid two-way traffic, as this can easily lead to accidents. A pedestrian and forklift traffic as much as possible best to separate, which reduces the risk of injury
- and increase safety at work. This can be done not only with floor tape, but also with handrails or raised walkways for pedestrians.
- Well visible, well positioned, clear signs and signals to guide forklift operators and pedestrians. These can be arrows painted on the floor, floor strips, traffic signs (stop, give way, speed limit), mirrors, marking of zones and areas in large installations.
Education
A key step in the success of the routes is to devote sufficient time and energy to training employees.
It may already be the case that the route we are currently taking is the right one and that the disruption is due to workers not complying with the rules. However, if there is a change in the routes, forklift operators should always be thoroughly trained to ensure that they are able to apply them successfully in practice.
