Material Flow & Conveyor Systems Blog

We have Little Giant Products!

Scottb — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:09:16 +0000

Industrial Carts! Nursery Carts! Hand Trucks! Workbenches and more!

Come see our exceptional selection of Little Giant products. Buy online today or give us a call at 1-800-338-1382. Our friendly staff is here to help you!

Where in the World have Genie® Lifts Been?

Scottb — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:16:58 +0000

One of the neat aspects of working in the material handling industry is being able to see manufacturer products being used in the real world. And Genie® is the A-list celebrity in the industry — as synonymous as Coca-Cola® and Pepsi® are to the beverage industry. Here is a compiled long list of some of the places where Genie® lifts have been spotted:

Sightings

• Marilyn Monroe statue – Chicago, IL
• F1 Grand Prix – New Delhi, India
• Washington State University
• Mineirão Stadium – Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Roma Termini railway station
• Fremont Troll – Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Shanghai Expo – China
• Six Flags Amusement Parks
• CONEXPO Russia
• Downtown Seattle, Washington
• Citi Field (New York Mets baseball stadium)
• Newport Beach, California
• Costco
• Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming
• Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh, Scotland
• 2012 London Summer Olympics construction
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
• AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants baseball stadium) – San Francisco, CA
• Whistler Blackcomb ski resort
• Luton Airport – UK
• Kurik, Kazakhstan
• Duke University
• Hana, Maui
• Las Vegas Strip
• Twilight film set
• Zapote, Costa Rica
• South Africa
• Antarctica
• SeaTac Airport – Seattle, WA
• Mavericks at Sunriver (Oregon)
• Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Tacoma Narrows Bridge
• Vancouver 2012 Winter Olympics
• downtown St. Louis, Missouri.
• Chevron® refinery – Escravos, Nigeria
• Madden 2009 video game
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Washington, DC
• Willis Tower Globe – Chicago, IL
• Finland
• Arezzo, Italy
• Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL
• Texas A&M University
• Downtown Montreal and the Canadian Rocky Mountains
• University of Minnesota
• Kellogg, Idaho
• Singapore
• Monster Truck shows
• Gas Works Park – Seattle, WA
• Good Morning America TV show
• Northern Gold Mine – Alaska
• Crater Lake Lodge – Oregon
• San Francisco 49ers training facility
• Expo Y150 – Yokohama, Japan
• Experience Music Project museum – Seattle, WA
• Seattle Seahawks NFL training facility
• US Navy Aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk

Material Flow carries many of Genie®’s boom lifts, scissor lifts. aerial work platforms and more. Give us a call at 1-800-338-1382. We have a friendly staff with years of experience to help you!

Why Loading Dock Safety is Important

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:59:33 +0000

The video above shows firsthand some of the dangers when a loading dock is ill-equipped with safety measures and procedures. While the worker in this video walked away from the accident, it could have been far worse. And the same could have been far worse for this truck driver below:

What Should I Look for in Loading Dock Safety?
The following video is a good overview of what a normal loading dock inspector keeps an eye out for. Dock barricades, dock traffic systems and wheel chocks are just some of the most essential items all loading docks should never function without.

There is no excuse for overlooking loading dock safety. It is imperative that you and your employees have a safe loading dock environment to complete daily tasks — and enforce safety daily. Because even the smallest mishap can cause serious consequences such as loss of time and productivity.

Our New Catalog is Here!

Scottb — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Request a free catalog today!

It’s finally here, our new Material Flow catalog! We carry storage racking, conveyors, pallet jacks, plastic bins, cranes, hand trucks, and much more from leading manufacturers including Dutro, Roach Conveyors, Genie Industries, Quantum, and Lewis Bins. Visit materialflow.com to request your free (that’s right, FREE) catalog today!

Improve Your Retail Shelving with Metro!

Scottb — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:11:54 +0000

Like a world-class chef preparing exquisite dinners for his guests or an interior designer decorating a space for a special occasion, it’s all about presentation. Presentation isn’t just about how you deliver your speech but how well your concept or meal dish is presented. This is especially important when it comes to organizing products in retail environments. That is why many retailers trust Metro for their shelving needs. Here are a few examples of how Metro shelving makes product display more appealing.

Metro’s qwikSLOT display systems are a proven, effective strategy for mass merchandisers and supermarkets alike.

Drop Mat Shelving can increase your merchandising space up to 30% How? It’s a thinner shelf.

Metro qwikSLOT shelving adjusts in seconds to adapt to your changing merchandising needs. It provides a “clean,” unobstructed view of merchandise.

At 800 lbs. (363kg) per shelf weight capacity, Metro Super Erecta Shelving and Super Adjustable 2 Super Erecta wire shelving can handle heavy merchandise — and display it with style!

Metro’s designer color shelving and flexible configurations adapt to suit any décor or retail theme.

Use cantilevered shelving with Super Erecta or Super Adjustable 2 Super Erecta shelves to add depth to your retail display unit.

Not sure what to do? Material Flow can help! Our staff has years of experience and can help you design a shelving unit that best suits your needs and application. Give us a call at 1-800-338-1382!

The Basics of a PortaFab Building

Scottb — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:33:54 +0000

Modular In-Plant offices provides a long list of advantages over standard construction offices. These in-plant offices not only are easier to construct, they’re also very cost-effective. Here is a basic look at what makes up a standard in-plant office:

The Basics

1. 3070 20 Ga. Steel Door – 1-3/4″ thick, comes pre-hung in frame; optional glazing.

2. Cornice Mold – Sturdy aluminum construction, either anodized or painted; provides handsome finished appearance.

3. Fixed Window – 1/4″ thick tempered safety glass; comes pre-glazed in aluminum window frame.

4. Corrugated Steel Dust Cover – 22 ga. ribbed steel is 1 1/2″ deep; painted and cut to length.

5. 2′ x 4′ Light Fixture – includes 4-lamp light fixture with acrylic lens (Bulbs not included).

6. Acoustical Lay-in Ceiling – consists of prepainted metal grid and lay-in acoustical, noncombustible white fissured mineral board.

7. Exhaust Fan – powerful exhaust fan located in ceiling.

8. Air Conditioning Unit – wall-mounted units provide cool environment for any size office (available in several BTU capacities); optional heat available too.

9. Fire & Sound Panels

10. Hardboard w/ Honeycomb panel – includes 1/8″ vinyl hardboard laminated to both sides of kraft honeycomb core.

11. Thermal Panel – includes 1/8″ vinyl hardboard laminated to both sides of polystyrene insulating core.

12. Steel Floor Track – sturdy channel holds walls securely in place.

13. Corner Post

14. Duplex Receptacle – can be located in any wiring stud.

15. Wiring Stud – permits the installation of electrical service vertically and accepts standard electrical boxes.

16. Brown Vinyl Base – screw-on type is easily removable with no exposed screws or fasteners.

NOTE: The solid construction and quality components found in every PortaFab building are indicated in the photo (at the top of this blog post) of a 4-wall unit with 3″ thick walls. Most components are interchangeable with any PortaFab model.

Contact Material Flow

Material Flow has a great selection of PortaFab modular buildings. Give us a call today at 1-800-338-1382. We have staff with years of experience here to help you design the perfect modular office system for your application!

Dutro Stocking Carts: The Cart of Choice

Scottb — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:33:27 +0000

There are many platform truck options to choose from. Depending on the application, you want the very best platform truck that suits your everyday needs — even if it’s slightly different than a conventional platform truck you’re used to seeing. If you’re looking for something that’s both unique and less of a “cookie cutter” platform truck, Dutro’s line of stocking carts come highly recommended, and here’s why:

What positions Dutro’s stocking carts far and above competitor trucks is not only its long lasting durability, but also its quiet operation. If you’ve found yourself using a platform truck that either is running on less than high quality (or worn) casters or makes unpleasant squeaky noises when being rolled on hard surfaces, you know it’s not fun. With these Dutro stocking carts, these issues are nonexistent.

Plus, Dutro stocking carts provide the smoothest turn ability in times when you need to make quick turns around sharp corners or narrow retail aisles — which can be easily accomplished even with one hand!

If this is the ideal cart you’ve been searching for, Material Flow is here to help. We have a great selection of exceptional Dutro stocking carts in stock. Buy online or give us a call at 1-800-338-1382!

Smooth Rolling with Hamilton Casters

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:45:30 +0000

Hamilton started in 1907 and now, over 100 years of service, has taken the reigns in leading quality and reliable casters. Backed by their 3 year warranty their motto is “Put it on wheels and keep it moving”. Their wheels are produced from the highest quality rubber, polyurethane, metal and plastic.

“Why should Hamilton be my first choice for casters?” They have the most advanced technology when it comes to producing casters. For example, January, 2011 Hamilton engineers released their generational breakthrough in swivel technology: HPI. HPI or Hamilton Precision Integrated is found standard on most caster series. HPI produces a caster that performs with load capacities ranging 600-23,000 lbs. According to Hamilton, HPI is what spells success . It has proven to more than double the number of contact points and is 45% harder and longer lasting then their conventional hardened raceways.

Hamilton has a wide variety of wheels, 31 different wheel choices to be exact. Pick and choose from their gallery of wheels to meet the needs of your business. If you are in need of a caster that resists moisture and corrosive environments, try Hamilton’s Nylast plastic wheels. For a warehouse operation, Hamilton’s PolySoft wheels are the best choice because they work well on rough and >uneven surfaces, turn quietly and protect floors. Polyurethane wheels are longer lasting then rubber and will give you a quiet operation. Rubber-tired wheels possess good cushioning properties and work well when uneven surfaces or rough terrain lay before you. Plastic wheels are moisture and chemical resistant. These wheels are best suited for applications when sanitation is a must. Metal wheels consist of three types of metal – forged steel, cast iron and stainless steel and are suited for high temperatures and corrosive applications. Don’t see the wheels you want, Hamilton does customize to exact specifications that you demand.

Wherever the job is Hamilton has you covered. Clean rooms, pharmaceutical houses, poultry processors, canneries, fisheries, meat packing plants, bakeries, laundries, grocery store shopping carts, warehouses, factories, trailers, hand trucks, platform trucks, dollies, carts, ground support for aircraft and aerospace industries, towing applications and so much more.

And for those who are environmentally conscious, 95% of the waste generated from producing these caster products is recycled. Hamilton recognizes that environmental protection is a top priority. Natural resources and the health of our planet is precious so whether it be steel chips that are recycled to produce more steel or wood chips being used as beds for local horse farms, Hamilton is committed to keeping their products environmentally sound.

Call Material Flow and order your casters today.

The Genie Lift that Helped a Non-Profit Science Group

Scottb — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:13:22 +0000

Who said science, math and engineering was never fun? Not if you’re The Geek Group. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, The Geek Group is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access for people of all ages to explore, create and learn the importance of science, engineering, technology and math — while having fun at the same time. Recently, the time had come for The Geek Group to perform much-needed renovations to their industrial Leonard Street Labs Facility in Grand Rapids. However, the Geek Group knew they needed bigger equipment to tackle certain jobs that couldn’t be reachable through the use of ladders. It was through a generous loan that the Geek Group was able to tackle the renovation project full force with a Genie Z-30 20N Articulating Z-Boom.

With the Genie Lift, the group was able to clean lighting rigs, hang and mount security cameras, remove ducting, and perform general cleaning along the exterior of the shop building and more. So now the group is able to continue providing education to people from all over the world within a spruced up facility.

Material Flow carries a wide selection of Genie Lifts. Buy online or give us as a call today at 1-800-338-1382. We have experienced staff to help you find the right Genie Lift for your needs!

Topper Industrial Carts: Alternative to Forklifts

Scottb — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:57:19 +0000

Forklifts: every warehouse and distribution center in the world has one (or a few or even many). Forklifts are an important part of the material handling and distribution/logistics industry. However, in these tough economic times, forklifts can be very expensive tool to maintain and keep running. So what is the best alternative to forklifts? Wisconsin-based Topper Industrial has the perfect answer: “Go Forklift Free” with their custom Industrial Carts.

Topper Industrial carts come in a variety of models to suit your specific needs ranging from the Transfer Cart (conveyors on wheels) to even Tilt Carts.

Benefits

With a Topper Industrial Cart, you’ll enjoy exceptional benefits including:
• Easier and faster unloading of product from freight trucks
• Reduce travel distances to retrieve material
• Quality of material is preserved without any workers touching it.

Case Study

In recent case study, Topper Industrial helped one company reduce their forklift uses by implementing their industrial carts into daily operations. The following is what Topper discovered after a short period of test runs over 4 to 6 months:
1. Savings on fork truck maintenance and warehousing
2. Material handling in the workplace became more economical and efficient.
2. Overall warehouse traffic dropped
3. Much more transparent flow of material between operations.
4. Rack storage was eliminated, thereby adding up to 4,000 sq. ft. of new manufacturing space.
5. 66% of fork truck use was decreased.
6. Displaced fork truck drivers were promoted to new and more valuable driving positions.
7. Reduced 23 passes per day down to 5 passes per day using a planned workflow schedule.

If these are the ideal carts for you, give Material Flow a call at 1-800-338-1382. We have experienced staff to help you design the perfect Topper Industrial cart that works for you and your bottom line.