During a recession, the reality is that many companies are forced to made do with aging material handling equipment until business improves and funds become available for new equipment. It is possible to improve equipment performance while cutting costs by following three cost-saving strategies, says Cliff Holste, Supply Chain Digest’s material handling editor, in a June 11, 2009 article on SupplyChainDigest online. Holste’s magic formula for decreasing downtime and increasing equipment service life without straining your budget: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Reduce. Performing preventative maintenance will extend the life of your material handling equipment and can effectively reduce equipment repair costs. Setting a schedule for regular maintenance checks of your material handling equipment will ensure that it is running properly and allow any problems to be discovered and repaired before breakdown occurs. Regular preventative maintenance will keep equipment running at peak performance, minimizing expensive downtime and high-cost emergency repairs.
Reuse. Retrofitting current equipment so it can be reused in new applications is a cost-effective alternative to replacement. Modernizing existing equipment by upgrading components, increasing speed, improving capacity, augmenting safety features or adding new technology can increase its versatility, value and useful work life. A well-considered retrofit can allow existing material handling equipment to be used in new settings or perform new tasks at considerable savings. Retrofits can also bring older equipment into compliance with changing federal and state safety regulations. Ergonomic retrofits can be performed to improve the safe operation of existing equipment, reducing worker injuries and the medical, insurance and workers’ compensation expenses that accompany them.
An excellent example is DJ Products’ new ergonomically-designed Retrofit Cart Kit. This motorized retrofit cart kit can be adapted and mounted to almost any cart and can be customized to any application or environment from transporting hospital linens to moving oversized lumber. The powerful, heavy-duty, battery-powered 24-volt motor is capable of powering carts up to 4,000 pounds. Ergonomic variable-speed twist grips eliminate the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome while allowing operators to easily maneuver loads both forward and backward at speeds from 0 to 3.2 mph. DJ Products’ motorized retrofit cart kit can be field installed by the customer or DJ Products can provide onsite installation services. Visit the DJ Products website to find out more about our new motorized retrofit cart kit and to watch a video of this product in action.
Recycle. A fairly new offshoot of the “green” environmental movement, remanufactured material handling equipment can be an affordable alternative to buying new equipment for some. In the remanufacturing process, used equipment is disassembled and cleaned and worn parts are replaced before the unit is refinished and reassembled. Remanufactured equipment generally comes with a warranty.