How to Replace Aging Material Handling Systems
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Material handling equipment helps streamline workflows, improves ergonomics for workers, and protects large, heavy, or awkward materials from damage. Over time, gradual wear and tear can make this equipment more difficult to use or more prone to maintenance and repair. The result is a loss of system efficiency and greater risk of injury or damage to equipment or materials.
If your equipment has been in use for a long time, or is not working as well as it once was, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Here, we’ll look at some of the key signs that equipment needs to be replaced, as well as tips for assessing your current system and operational needs.
Signs Your Equipment Needs Replacing
When a piece of material handling equipment breaks or fails, it’s clear that a repair is needed, or it may be time for a new or upgraded unit. However, when equipment has been in place for years and used daily without incident, it can be easy to overlook problems and inefficiencies that start small and gradually build.
There are some signs that indicate your equipment is aging and your operations might benefit from new components or a new system. These include:
Frequent Breakdowns and Maintenance
If shutdowns and maintenance become more frequent, costs increase and unscheduled downtime impacts productivity.
Increased Safety Risks and Non-compliance
An increase in safety hazards, accidents, or near-misses involving material handling equipment can result in OSHA rule non-compliance or fines.
Production Bottlenecks
When equipment can’t safely keep up with increased demand, it has downstream effects on overall plant efficiency.
Increased Labor Costs
If equipment isn’t performing as needed, workers may need to compensate by performing additional manual tasks, which can increase labor expenses and risk injuries or material damage.
Higher Energy Expenses
Inefficient equipment uses more energy than newer, energy-efficient models, making them more expensive to operate over time.
Planning for a Seamless Equipment Swap
Replacing or upgrading material handling equipment always has a slow-down effect on operations, but with careful planning it’s possible to minimize the disruptions.
1. Assess Your Current Capabilities
Start by making a list of each piece and what it is used for. Don’t assume your entire system needs an overhaul with all new equipment.Instead, identify which specific pieces need to be replaced entirely, which are working well as they are, and which might need certain components to be updated. This is also a good time to determine if your system is still meeting your material handling needs in terms of speed, volume, safety, or other factors.
2. Look for Opportunities
Prior to selecting specific replacements, take advantage of the opportunity to evaluate potential changes, such as ways to improve safety or incorporate powered or automated equipment into your system. Investing in new equipment is also a great way to consolidate inefficient processes, improve energy efficiency, or scale your system up or down. This is also the time to set a project budget and timeline.
3. Review the Options
Once you know which pieces or tasks are not working well and what you hope to accomplish with new or different equipment, it’s time to look for replacements. Unidex carries a comprehensive selection of mobile lifts, industrial manipulators, work positioners, and portable lifts that simplify many material handling tasks. We can also work with you to create a custom, pre-engineered system that fits your facility and operations.
4. Develop a Comprehensive Plan
With your needs and resources determined and potential solutions identified, the next step is planning things like:
- How will you phase out existing equipment?
- What changes and upgrades are needed to the facility or work area to accommodate new equipment?
- When can equipment be installed and brought online?
- What impact will this changeover have on operations (including for how long and how personnel will adjust their work during this time)?
- What training will personnel need to use the new equipment?
- What is the timeframe for getting the new system fully up to speed?
Thinking through the details and potential consequences, as well as how your organization will address them gives you the best odds of a smooth and efficient transition.
Customers Rely on Unidex Time and Again
Material handling equipment is an investment in your operations, productivity, and employee safety. When it loses efficiency or contributes to downtime and delays, partnering with Unidex makes it less overwhelming to find the right solutions for your facility.
Unidex offers a comprehensive selection of material handling equipment for all different shapes, sizes, and types of parts, objects, and equipment. We’ll work with you to understand how your facility, operations, and employees work so we can find a solution that fits. Whether it’s a single standard piece of equipment or a fully customized system, we can be your trusted, go-to partner now and as needs change over time. Contact us today to schedule a consultation for your retrofit, replacement, or upgrade project.
