An Expert Opinion on Material Handling Trolleys and Carts

No matter what kind of factory, warehouse, or logistics centre you look in, you can expect to find packages, goods, and materials that need to be moved safely.

Forklifts, tugs, and side loaders are great for heavy lifting, but how effective are they in close quarters or controlled environments? They’re not suitable for servicing kitting rooms, or production or assembly lines, and they’re completely out of the question for any type of sterile setting, cleanroom facility, or corporate distribution point.

It’s no surprise then that trolleys and carts are the dominant material handlers at locations where space or circumstances don’t allow other options. They’re clean, convenient, and most importantly, they’re safe to handle. That’s why if you’re responsible for overseeing your company’s material handling functions, you need to look at what these simple alternatives have to offer.

Material Handling With Trolleys and Carts

Although it doesn’t always seem like it, you’d be hard-pressed to find any type of material movement activity where keeping things small and simple isn’t the best option. Small and simple keeps costs, damages, and injuries down, which is why compact material handling equipment solutions like trolleys and carts are ideal for conditions where you need mobility on a scale that can be tailored to satisfy specific performance and handling requirements.

Unlike other types of facility and warehouse equipment, trolleys and carts can quickly and securely move large quantities of small consumables, accountable items, and even heavier objects without the risk of damaging fixed equipment, or jeopardizing the health or safety of employees due to mishandling, overloading, or improper hand carrying. In fact, with their ease of navigation through aisles and hallways, around corners, and even traversing stairs, they’re also the most efficient handlers when it comes to getting material precisely where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

The Widest Range of Material Handling Uses

If you’re wondering whether trolleys or carts would be a good investment for your company, perhaps the first thing to do is to consider their broad range of uses. They’re much more than your ordinary warehouse handling equipment: they’re genuine material handlers in every sense of the term, and are ideal for all types of industrial and commercial environments, including:

• Healthcare. Utility and special-purpose trolleys are perfect for the controlled dispensing of medication, meals, and linen at healthcare facilities.
• Hospitality. Cleaning and laundry trolleys are optimum platforms for supplies and materials used in hotels and restaurants, and by professional hygiene specialists and facility cleaning teams at public venues.
• Automotive. Easy-to-clean bin and shelf trolleys with capacities up to 250kg provide all the extra tools and parts space that mechanics need to keep everything within arm’s reach.
• Retail. Plumbing, home hardware, and timber outlets prefer 900kg-rated sheet and panel, and heavy-duty hand trolleys for moving pipes, plasterboard, and oversized paint tins.
• Repositories. Anyplace where records, documents, or other objects are stored and archived, platform and tiered service trolleys are ideal for densely packed items like books and boxes of paper.

These are only a few of the traditional and nontraditional material handling equipment functions that these compact carriers are capable of filling. Their construction has a lot to do with their wide-ranging functionality though, and you can expect the best trolleys and carts to be built using only the best techniques and materials.

Sturdy Trolley and Cart Construction  

If you want to buy the best material handling equipment Australia has to offer, you have to be on the lookout for the sturdiest designs, constructed from the best materials. There’s a huge selection of top quality, Aussie-made trolleys and carts to choose from for indoor or outdoor use; and depending on which models are best suited for your company’s needs, you’ll always have the benefit of:

• Aluminium, 304 stainless steel, or zinc plated frames and hinges that won’t corrode or rust if left outside, if used in cool rooms or exposed to corrosive environments;
• 304 or 201 stainless steel, or 19mm marine grade timber deck bases;
•  High-strength, food-grade polyethylene bins, organizers, and cases ranging from stackable 0.5ltr. boxes up to 150ltr. tubs;
• Precision swiveling casters for quiet, effortless movement and control; and,
• A wide variety of pneumatic, full polymer, or temperature-hardened aluminium or cast iron wheels.

With a range of materials this extensive, it reflects just how highly trolleys and carts are regarded as both material handling gear and standard production equipment. For the most specialized trolleys and carts, however, there’s almost no distinction whatsoever between handling and production gear; and that illustrates just how irreplaceable they are in niche businesses and special activities.

Special and Custom Trolleys and Carts

When it comes to single-function material handlers, trolleys and carts set the standard for specialized usage. And if your company is one of those businesses that work strictly with just one type of product or service, then you can rest assured that there’s a material handling equipment supplier who has precisely what you need.

These are just a few examples of specialized trolleys and carts that are more than just basic material movers.

• Bakery trolleys.

The high volume, food-grade material handling requirements found in bakeries means that their trolleys are regularly used in both production and storage handling equipment capacities. That’s why fully-welded, Z-framed 9 – 12 shelf bakery rack trolleys are available. 304 stainless steel construction, high-temperature casters, and a choice of aluminium or stainless steel baking trays make these trolleys a necessity if you’re in the baking business.

• Stair climbing appliance trolleys.

The material loading equipment used by removalists is pretty basic, but when it comes to moving appliances like fridges, washing machines, and stoves, standard hand trolleys don’t do the job. With ratings up to 250kg, toe plates designed to scoop up heavy appliances, and 150mm stair climber wheels, professional removalists prefer to use appliance trolleys to move white goods rather than risking needless damages or personal injury.

• Gas bottle trolleys.

Not only are compressed gas bottles heavy, with ordinary service pressures up to 2,000psi, but they can also be explosive if mishandled. Australian Standard (AS) 4332 prescribes the correct procedures for ensuring the safety of compressed gas bottles at all times, and it begins with using the proper material handling tools during transport. Gas bottle trolleys with a load capacity of 200kg and puncture-proof tires are designed to securely hold two G-size gas bottles whenever they need to be moved around a worksite or workshop. The risk from using a nonprescribed method of transporting a heavy bottle is too high, making gas bottle trolleys essential pieces of safety equipment.

And if you can’t find a trolley or cart that suits your special needs, you can even order your own custom-built material handling products solution online from quality merchants right here in Australia and have it delivered directly to you. No matter what kind of unique needs you have, a trolley or cart can be designed to satisfy them.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, when you or your company have material that needs to be moved, you can’t afford to invest time and resources into trying to make ineffective material handling solutions work. It’s lost productivity that could easily result in equipment or material damage, or injured personnel.

A compact material handling equipment solution utilizing trolleys and carts will allow you to keep everything moving efficiently, safely, and to a scale that you can instantly modify to satisfy changing demands or facility configurations. Your company has everything to gain by keeping its material handling activities small and simple, and you’ll immediately see how trolleys and carts can help you do that.

 

---