The Material Handling Blog

Safely and efficiently accessing and exiting variable height platforms is important for operators who spend their days going between levels. Here are 5 of the most popular methods for variable height access and the pros and cons of each.

The lifting, bending and twisting that often comes with manual labor in our field, can quickly cause neck, back, and other upper body injuries. One easy solution to help with ergonomics is industrial lift tables. Here is a quick review of the 3 most popular types of lift tables...

When in review of some of the most demanding and extreme conditions that material handling equipment (MHE) can be subjected to, the applications can be quite daunting. But despite all the smoke, fumes, dirt, grease, and grime, perhaps the most extreme applications for MHE can be found in one of the cleanest industries of all: meat and poultry processing plants.

I regularly hear from manufacturing business leaders about how hard it is to attract and retain top skilled workers for manufacturing. I know firsthand how hard it is to bring on the next generation of craftsmen in our plant. There are many reasons for this shortage, but I think a lot of it stems back to lack of a successful career path for our young people coming out of high school...

How do you test and prove functionality of a piece of equipment that has never been designed or built before? The answer is an obvious one: custom automation requires custom acceptance testing...

It is easy to look back and say how different technology was fifteen years ago. It’s also not a stretch to say that technological innovations like laptops, broadband Internet, and USB drives have made the workplace more efficient. But what comes next? Below are 4 emerging technologies that should, in the next 15 years, make as much of an impact as the laptop computer had on the last.

There have been many discussions regarding Americans losing jobs to overseas manufacturers and to increased use of robotic automation, and with fair wage employment on the rise in many other countries, there has also been an increase in the use of robots there. Amid these discussions and trends, recent studies show that, in fact, industrial robotics actually positively impact jobs and the economy.

As an independent systems integrator, Bastian Robotics is able to source virtually any technology. Some technologies are strategically sourced, and some we manufacture. For the ones not manufactured on our own shop floor, we rely on an array of excellent distributors...

Enclosed track overhead conveyors have been around for many years, some dating back to 1919 when they were used in automotive assembly plants. However, this type of conveyor is not just for moving automotive parts or clean clothes. It provides a host of other benefits as well...

Weekend cutovers are becoming more popular as demand for system reliability, increasing throughput, and ever-changing products drive facility managers to find new system solutions, while avoiding the headaches of taking down their current system during business hours. I have helped in a few material-handling cutovers, so I would like to share my thoughts on how to complete one successfully. Here are a few of the fundamentals...

Have you ever heard the saying “You get what you pay for”? This is usually synonymous with the thought that you need to spend more money to get higher quality products. However, this is typically not aligned with the majority of consumers who want more for less. The higher quality products are expected...

I spend much of my time in manufacturing facilities dealing with material handling issues related to moving and positioning pallets, plastic bulk box containers, steel racks, and multi-footed thermoformed pallets. Often times, we are given very little information on these objects, let alone the details of the bottom surface. This prompted me to write about the importance of this often skipped over, yet extremely important topic.