As the push for sustainable business practices continues to grow stronger, more and more warehouses are adopting “green” initiatives. Toyota has been practicing sustainable business practices, led by the guiding rules of the Toyota Production System, and continues to improve our impact on the environment. Practices such as Just-In-Time and Jidoka have helped Toyota Forklifts’ manufacturing site achieve a zero-landfill facility status.

With benefits ranging from positive environmental impacts to substantial cost savings, making changes in your facility is worth your while. Here are a few of the ways you can bring green warehousing practices to your own facility:

Sustainable Warehouse Management: Recycle

Recycling, by definition, means reusing material. This might mean converting waste into material that is usable or finding a new purpose so they can be used again. However, when it comes to manufacturing, recycling is about more than just throwing plastic cups and used paper into their respectively labeled bins. It is about making recycling initiatives part of the core of your manufacturing process.

Start off small. Send your used packaging material to a recycling center. Take metal shavings from the welding department and recycle them as scrap metal. Dispose of batteries and chemicals in ways that are environmentally sound, including working with a battery recycler to dispose of worn forklift batteries.

Sustainable Warehouse Equipment: Use Green-Manufactured Products

The efficiency and reliability of your equipment has a tremendous impact on your warehouse processes. Choosing electric products can increase your uptime due to their lower maintenance requirements. They also cut fuel exhausts – and fuel costs! Toyota offers a full line of electric products – everything from pallet jacks to THDs – to keep your facility running smoothly.

Aside from forklifts, you can also opt for eco-friendly conveyor systems that cut energy use and maintenance while maintaining a productive workflow.

Sustainable Warehouse Sensibility: Check Your Lighting

Do the lights always need to be on in every part of your facility? Probably not. Install an energy management system that knows which lights need to be on, and when. Additionally, swap out those old bulbs for energy-efficient LED fixtures to boost energy efficiency and save on electricity costs.

There are many ways to bring sustainable practices to your facility. Monitor your efforts and find ways to continuously improve. The gradual implementation of a variety of these techniques over time can transform your facility into green warehouse.

Original Post: Anastasia Sistevaris, Communications Copywriter, Toyota Material Handling, USA

Multiple load handlers are used to double or triple a forklift's productivity level by adding a second or third pair of forks to a truck. Operators can pick up more than one load at a time and transport them side by side.  Designed for any application using pallets or containers to transport product, Cascade's Single Double Pallet Handler allows single pallet handling without protrusion outside the truck profile. Spreading the forks hydraulically allows handling of two pallets side by side. Sideshifting provides added flexibility for aligning forks or pallets in tight areas.

Features:

• superior visibility through and over the frame for damage free handling at all stacking heights
• all steel frame
• bolt-on interchangeable forks 
• Dual class II and III mountings
• Adjustable fork set spread for ability to handle different types of pallets
• Full-length, fully enclosed wrap around UHMW plastic bearings
• RapidSync option for ultra fast equal fork movement 

View the Multiple Load Handler brochure HERE

Cascade manufactures a variety of products that enable the conventional forklift to become a more versatile and efficient material handling tool. Cascade offers a full line of products that enable a lift truck to pull, push, clamp, lift, sideshift and rotate practically any load imaginable.

Cascade designed the 20G Ag Rotator specifically for seasonal use in agriculture

Features:

• 180 degree rotation to quickly dump or invert a load and immediately return to the pick-up position.
• Compact build doesn't decrease the net capacity of lift trucks, so your customers handle more without needing to invest in a larger truck.
• High visibility through the bin hold-down gives drivers excellent line of sight for reliable, accurate operation
• Hydraulically operated bin retainer designed to securely clamp on top of the bin and hold it in place while rotating. 
• Good torque performance ensures smooth, positive rotation of the load.
• Designed for handling plastic, wooden and metal bins used in the agricultural market.

Options:

• Multiple fork lengths
• Rotator may be ordered with or without a bin hold-down

View the 20G Ag Rotator with Bin Hold Down Spec Sheet HERE

Running a material handling business is a tall task – not only do you have to monitor your product, your sales, and your employees, you also have to ensure your forklift fleet is operating at its best capacity. Malfunctioning and overheating forklifts can skyrocket your operating costs and require expensive repairs. So what do you do if you’ve followed all maintenance suggestions and they are still overheating? Here are three areas that may be the cause of your forklift running hot:

Maintenance

The first area to check is also the easiest to fix: are routine maintenance tasks being completed correctly? Issues such as low coolant levels or worn hoses can contribute to a forklift’s overheating. If your on-site tech stretches parts past their optimal use, such as clogged filters, your forklifts could be choking on thick, dusty air. Worn fans or damaged radiators can also contribute to high running temperatures in material handling equipment.

Environment

The same advice for workers in high temperatures applies to your forklifts – give them frequent breaks and make sure their fluids are topped off.

Is your work yard paved or on packed dirt? Excessive dust, debris, and rough terrain can put additional demands on your forklifts and cause unforeseen maintenance problems. If this is a recurrent summer problem then the outside temperature can even be to blame. The same advice for workers in high temperatures applies to your forklifts – give them frequent breaks and make sure their fluids are topped off. If your forklifts are overheating indoors then you’ll want to survey your work area to find issues. Is the floor dusty or dirty? Are pieces of paper, pallet wrap, or other debris being left on the ground where they can clog filters? Once you find these issues then you can optimize your work areas to prevent damage.

Operation

If it’s not maintenance or environmental issues causing your overheating problems, then you need to check on how you are driving the equipment. If you are overloading the forklift with loads above capacity, this can cause overheating and create unnecessary risks for product damage and accidents. Are you driving forklifts constantly at top speeds? This can also contribute to high heats.

Many IC forklifts come equipped with an inching pedal to use when maneuvering your forklift while raising the mast to retrieve loads. If you are “riding” this pedal while driving it can cause many problems, as it slightly applies the brakes. The inching pedal should only be used when retrieving loads.

Once you’ve identified the cause of the problem and put a fix in place, ask why it arose in the first place. Are you overworking forklifts due to high expectations? Should your work area floor upkeep be added to existing maintenance plans? Don’t just solve the problem. Find a solution to keep it from happening again.

When a forklift is down and in need of repair, operators and managers are tasked with ensuring, first, the safety of those in their warehouse, and, second, that no further damage to the forklift or moved product occurs. When a forklift goes down, lockout tagout procedures should be initiated to help operators address both requirements simultaneously.

What does the OSHA lockout tagout standard refer to?

The OSHA Lockout Tagout Standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Title 29 CFR, outlines the required procedures for disabling machinery to help protect operators and other associates from unexpected bursts of energy or startup while maintenance activities are being performed on a piece of equipment.

Commonly, lockout tagout procedures included attaching a locked box to the forklift and a red and white warning tag hanging from the steering wheel. The box is a lockout box that isolates the forklift power source to the forklift so it cannot be operated and the tag provides information about why this forklift is locked out from its power source. Information you might see on the tag is the last date someone was working on the forklift, who last worked on the forklift, and the type of repair that is being performed. The procedure is meant to protect both the operators of the forklifts and the technicians performing maintenance on the forklifts. It’s to your benefit to fully understand this procedure as OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.333 requires lockout and tagout procedures be used on all equipment that uses electric energy for industrial purposes. This standard is meant to control hazardous energy such as electrical or hydraulic energy sources in forklifts. A typical lockout tagout procedure might follow these steps.

Lockout Tagout Steps

Step 1: Detail your procedure in full, including location

Step 2: Communicate the breakdown to ALL impacted associates

Step3: Shut down your equipment following detailed shutdown procedures

Step 4: Use lockout box or other procedure to interrupt energy output

Step 5: Follow procedures to eliminate any residual energy sources

Step 6: Attempt to start the equipment to make sure it will not start

Step 7: Perform maintenance

Step 7 b: Make sure to communicate breakdown across shifts

Step 8: Employ reverse lockout tagout procedures to reintegrate equipment into operation

To protect both operators and technicians, keep in mind these three tips about your lockout tagout procedure:

Lockout Tagout Procedures: Understand that removing the key is not enough

Removing the keys from the ignition is not enough to lockout your forklift. The forklift is still connected to the power source. It does not matter whether the forklift is powered by a liquid propane gas (LPG) tank or a battery, the hazardous energy is not isolated. Because the energy source is not isolated, there is potential for an unexpected release of energy, making both operators and technicians vulnerable to an accident.

Lockout Tagout Procedures: Document, Communicate, and Train Lock Out Tag Out

Your lockout tagout procedure should be well documented. The documented process also makes it easier to communicate and train employees. If employees need clarity, the documented procedure is the first resource to turn to for answers. Once the procedure is documented, communicate the procedure and set up routine training to keep lockout tagout top-of-mind.

Lockout Tagout Procedures: Inspect and re-evaluate procedures at least once per year

The success of your lockout tagout procedure cannot truly be assessed until the procedure is implemented. It allows you to gauge if the procedure is working, where improvements can be made, and how the procedure can change or evolve to become safer.

Original Post: Kenny Trusnik, Toyota Material Handling, USA

What is a Site Survey?

A site survey is when a trained warehouse consultant visits a work space to help maximize the business’ work place through racking, equipment, and a multitude of other factors. Their job is to help a business work as efficiently as possible and utilize all the space a company owns. But why should you think about getting one? Below are a few reasons.

Warehouse Operation Efficiency

Once a warehouse consultant comes on the scene at the time and date arranged specifically for the site survey, it doesn’t take long for them to identify opportunities that can carry already profitable business even further.

For example, let’s say a company is using reach trucks to grab pallets, bring the pallets down, remove the product, and then put the pallet back up onto the racking unit. In this case, an order picker may be a more optimal equipment choice to get the job done.

Often times, companies have already thought of this, but their response as to why they haven’t done it yet is usually: “We’ve always done it this way.” Those words echo through warehouses and distribution centers nationwide, and often deter operations managers from making the moves they must make in order to meet the changing demands of the modern-day distribution environment.

For those companies that do embrace change, a site survey typically starts by inventorying all forklifts and determining how that equipment is being used in the facility.

Warehouse Storage

On the warehouse floor, a site survey can help detect storage problems (e.g., stacks of pallets that are pushed into corners using hand pallet jacks), inventory management issues, and poor use of vertical space. There are times when managers say they don’t have enough space, but only have product stacked 12 feet high in a building with 25 foot ceilings. This is an opportunity for the warehouse to grow up, instead of out. The site survey will also help determine the best equipment for this type of application, such as order pickers, reach truck, or a combination of both.

All of these steps culminate into a complete warehouse optimization package designed to help operations achieve and exceed their customer service, safety, and profitability goals. By getting material handling professionals involved early in the process, these operations may be able to optimize their space and equipment in a way that they may not have been able to handle on their own.

If you would like to learn more about site surveys and warehouse consultations, download our free E-book, “Making the Case for Warehouse Consultants.”

DOWNLOAD E-BOOK

Deciding which material handling provider and equipment you want to go with can be a difficult and drawn out process. Determining what purchasing method to use to procure that equipment, however, doesn’t have to be. Buying, renting, and leasing forklifts all have their own unique advantages. The points outlined in this article will help identify which method is best for your operation so that you can get those forklifts on order as soon as possible.

Advantages of Buying a Forklift

1. Return on Investment – This is the only option that will allow you to resale the forklift, which can be a valuable way to increase your return on investment depending on the residual value of the forklift and how well it is maintained. Purchasing forklifts is generally provides better return on investment compared to long-term rentals since rental fees are higher than monthly financing costs.
2. Customization – Buying a forklift means you have ownership of it, similar to owning a car. This allows you to make more modifications to the forklift than you could with a rented or leased vehicle. Ordering a new forklift allows you to customize it with factory installed options tailored for your application.
3. Tax Deduction – Forklifts that are purchased can be eligible for tax deductions, unlike rented or leased vehicles.
4. Liability – Rental and lease vehicles must be returned after a set period of time and are expected to be in a reasonable condition based on the verbiage in your contract. Purchased vehicles are yours to keep, so cosmetic damage isn’t as much of a concern.

Advantages of Renting a Forklift

1. Seasonality – Renting additional forklifts only as needed for seasonal purposes can be a great economic way to have additional equipment only during the times that you need it.
2. No Long Term Commitment – Since rentals are usually payed for on a month-to-month basis, you have the ability to return the forklift or swap it out for a different one from your dealer’s stock.
3. Short Lead Times – Most forklift dealerships have ample stock of a variety of material handling equipment, so you don’t have to wait for a new forklift to be built and shipped to you from the factory.
4. No Financing Required – Renting forklifts requires no capital financing, eliminating an extra step in the approval process.
5. Reduced Maintenance Costs – Planned maintenance is generally built into the rental contract, meaning any time your forklift is down due to normal wear and tear, a technician will come to repair it at no added cost.

Advantages of Leasing a Forklift

1. Predetermined Replacement Cycle – Leasing allows you to set the number of years for the term of the lease based on your operation’s needs. Shorter leases tend to work better for companies that want to be more fluid and for high-cycle, high-throughput applications that will put more wear and tear on the forklifts more quickly.
2. Lower Monthly Costs – Leasing offers lower monthly payments compared to buying or renting, allowing you to pocket more cash on a monthly basis.
3. Less Paperwork – Owning a forklift or fleet of forklifts requires additional paperwork and fleet management duties than leasing does.
4. Latest Models and Features – Leasing allows you to keep a rotating stock of new forklifts in your fleet so that you can utilize the latest and greatest models and technology. Similar to purchasing, these models can also be custom built for your application.
5. Flexibility – When the terms of the lease are up, you can make adjustments as needed to increase or decrease your fleet size, change the product mix, modify lease terms, and more to fit your constantly changing needs.

Marked advancements in technology have made it possible for autonomous vehicles to become a distinct reality.  Today, many different types of equipment such as AGVs and industrial robotics are used to handle monotonous tasks such as building and horizontally transporting pallets. The next logical step in this transition is to automate stacking and storage of products, something that current AGV models are incapable of performing.

Toyota’s new automated 3-wheel electric, on display at ProMat 2019, was built to do just that. Natural features navigation allows the truck to learn the layout of your facility and continually update mapping of the facility over time – no costly reflectors or wearable magnetic tape required. And the ability to operate the truck manually when needed adds a valuable level of versatility that is ideal for developing facilities and those that are just beginning their journey into automation.

Although this forklift is still in the design phase, it is an initial step in a series of technological advancements planned by Toyota to bring fully integrated automation solutions to the forefront of the material handling industry.

Also on display at ProMat 2019 were Toyota’s center-controlled rider AGV, automated moving mast reach truck, and mouse tug-cart AGV. Seeing these machines in action demonstrates how a real-life application can benefit from multiple different types of automated equipment handling horizontal and vertical placement of pallets in a facility.

Toyota’s strategic partnership with Toyota Advanced Logistics allows for a comprehensive solution that marries advanced systems and robotics with forklifts to maximize efficiency at the parcel level. Also on display at ProMat 2019, a palletizing robot that can build pallets for forklifts to pick up and move to their next destination. This is just one example of how an integration between traditional and automated material handling solutions can benefit your business.

Though you likely won’t see any super heroes using forklifts as a means to thwart crime anytime soon, automated forklifts meeting all or most of your material handling challenges may not be as far away as you think.

Whether you are just beginning to automate some of your material handling processes or you are looking for advanced solutions to complete tasks, our Warehouse Solutions team is here to help you carry the load.
 
Original Post: Trinton Castetter, Product Marketing Specialist, Toyota Material Handling