More and more corporate social responsibility charters are connecting procurement decisions to environmental performances. They’re powered without a drop of fuel, a waft of exhaust or a single charging station, tick significant boxes in the sustainability game, and many local suppliers make the frames from recyclable Australian steel. Consider that castors and decks are primarily bolt-on sub-assemblies where a single damaged wheel can be refurbished, rather than sending an entire unit into landfill. The fact that the embodied energy per pallet-equivalent shift is orders of magnitude lower than battery electric alternatives over a ten year lifetime appeals to green-minded stakeholders. The financials are very neatly addressed: zero electricity, barely any scheduled maintenance and spare parts required means total cost of ownership is kept skinny. Maintenance costs are saved, as well—substituting platform trolley activity for powered pallet movement cuts background noise, enabling a marginally lighter acoustic insulation specification in new builds and minimizing the run-time of high-wattage high-bay lighting where motion sensors can safely dim the zone between pick waves.
Boost your production efficiency
Every warehouse has a different cocktail of product types, speeds and regulatory requirements, so a one-size-fits-all trolley specification will always fall short somewhere. One manifestation of the industry’s reaction has been an expansion of modular designs. Seafood export facilities are insulated from corrosive brine drips by stainless steel frames; semi-conductors are protected from latent charge by anti-static decks. In addition, for larger items like carpet rolls or kayaks, low-slung twin-axle chassis stop them from tipping over when cornering, and removable stanchions hold loads in place without the need for lashings. Lip-free decks are requested by chilled-goods operators who want to avoid dirt traps in wash-downs; horticulture providers, on the other hand, want perforated platforms that naturally let potting-mix spills run off before they transfer to the conveyor rollers. Even the aesthetics get a look in, with powder-coat colour coding to define despatch zones, and laser-cut branding to reduce walkabout asset loss on shared third-party sites. As Australian manufacturers tend to cut these locally, lead times on custom sizing are in days rather thanmonths, so go-live schedules will not be compromised.
Implementation and Training
Bringing in a fleet of trolleys on the floor adds little value if processes do not change. Benefits during roll-outs commence from cross-functional workshops where supervisors, HSE officers and frontline pickers chart out present day pain points. Out of that session comes a SOP that outlines when to deploy a trolley, how to load it and where to ‘dock’ it once done. Hands-on demonstrationmarking push techniqueare part of induction programmes—employees are instructed to drive from the rear handle with their elbows tucked and not to drag the mower from the side. They have also placed new signage on aisle heads reminding staff to park trolleys clear of evacuation paths, while the WMS emphasises trolley allocation in wave printouts so it becomes habit from the outset. During the first fortnight, mentors walk the floor and provide suggestions, quietly adjusting form before bad habits occur. Management leverages the power of quick feedback loops—celebrating pick-rate upticks at toolbox meetings—to foster enthusiasm, not compliance; speeding up the behaviour adoption from an ‘optional use’ to an everyday reflex.
Care and Maintenance
Platform trolleys offered by equip2go are basic, but they benefit from frequent monitoring. They also have weekly inspections to ensure fasteners are still torqued and the deck is not vibrating, which can cause fatigue of the welds. Food-grade lubricant is given to swivel heads, which prevent squeaks that could drown out reversing beepers. Rotating castors to other positions that carry weight versus those for steering equalizes wear on tyres to increase longevity without additional parts expense, according to technicians. During cleaning, deck surfaces are wiped with neutral detergent, which can also remove tape residue that can be a potential breeding ground for bacteria or can cause slip.
