Reduce Movement Delays in Your Fabrication Shop without Forklifts



Fabrication shops can be a flurry of activity. Between shipping and receiving, the materials floor, and employee workstations, there is a lot of in-plant movement. There’s also potential for congestion, delays, and friction between different areas of the plant.

How can you improve fab efficiencies and reduce delays without adding a forklift or other obstructions? The answer may be as simple as equipping your team with an electric dolly or heavy duty aluminum hand truck.

Delivery worker in a face mask standing beside a Magliner hand truck next to a loaded delivery van.

Smaller, nimble tools help maintain worker safety, maximize floor space, and improve daily efficiencies.

Why Put the Focus on Reducing Movement Delays?

In any fab, large or small, even the smallest movement delays add up. Friction between the materials floor and fab stations can mean time and money wasted. Delays can stem from many sources, including forklift use.

It’s easy to become overly reliant on the forklift, even when it’s not strictly necessary. From moving minor materials to covering short distances, using a forklift can seem efficient, but it can lead to small, unnecessary delays.

Why It’s Time to Invest in Smaller Material Handling Tools

Some fab shops invest in additional forklifts and similar equipment when inefficiencies hinder productivity. In large fabs, investing in an additional forklift may make sense, but when it comes to easing congestion and maintaining adequate floor space, it’s time to look at smaller options.

Magliner motorized hand truck with black steel frame, red toe plate, and large pneumatic drive wheels.

An electric dolly is one example. Electric dollies come in many configurations. There are models with a weight capacity up to 1,000 pounds that move at around 4 miles per hour. Electric dollies keep your team moving without compromising floor space. They’re also more maneuverable than a forklift.

Create a Floor Strategy That Makes Sense for the Fab

Smooth and efficient material transfers are one way to optimize fab efficiency. Look at internal movement patterns. Where do the most inefficiencies arise? How are tools, like forklifts, being utilized? Where can you shop hand truck carts to fill in gaps?

Warehouse employee converting a Magliner hand truck between configurations while moving boxes.

When you avoid traffic conflict and keep your team coordinated across all areas of the fab, you keep the shop optimized to get deliverables ready and out the door on time. It’s all about establishing a floor strategy that reduces movement conflict and maximizes efficiency.

About Magline

Set a new standard for excellence with Magliner material handling equipment. Countless businesses across several industries rely on Magliner equipment every day. From last-mile deliveries to warehousing, Magliner tools get the job done. You can find the ideal tool for your business, including durable 2 wheel dollies, heavy duty appliance hand trucks, and an array of convertible hand carts. Improve day-to-day efficiencies and employee safety with a Magliner hand truck.

Maximize efficiency in your fabrication shop with https://www.magliner.com/

This article was originally published on magliner.com’s blog here.

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