Storage trolleys are essential equipment for storage areas and warehouses, and choosing the best is important to make efficient use of the area.
The purpose of storage trolleys
Storage trolleys have a dual purpose, they are there to store items until they are needed, and they have wheels to make it easy to move them to other locations. If items do not need to be moved, then static shelves or racks are the best solution to store items.
With the rise of internet sales, many retailers are needing extra storage space and more storage trolleys. Clothing retailers like Joules and Crew Clothing are dealing with the financial difficulties of high street trading by expanding their e-commerce operations. This requires the reorganisation of their warehouses and the equipment they need.
Strength, durability and practicality
The three main factors to look for in storage trolleys are strength, durability and practical design. Strength comes from the tubular steel used in the construction of trolleys. These should be welded together using strong joints that will not come apart.
The strength in terms of the maximum load will be specified by the storage trolleys manufacturer and should not be exceeded. Buy shelves that are capable of holding the weight of the items regularly stored on them.
Durability is how long the trolleys last under heavy use. Expect quality trolleys to last many years. Most well-made tubular steel trolleys will have a long lifetime. It is a mistake to buy cheap storage trolleys, as they will not last well in a busy warehouse. Like all warehouse equipment, storage trolleys should be regularly inspected. If a vehicle or other trolley hits them, it could cause weaknesses that mean the trolleys need replacing.
The wheels on trolleys should be sound, with swivel casters that make pushing or pulling storage trolleys easy.
The trolley design should easily be capable of storing items. For small items that are boxed, simple shelf trolleys should be sufficient. Other goods such as plates of glass and sofas need specialised storage trolleys because storing them on standard trolleys could be unsafe.
Where to use storage trolleys
A storage trolley manufacturer has a variety of trolley types suitable for a number of uses. Picking trolleys are built for operators to take to warehouse shelves to pick items for orders. They usually have shelves and some come with tote boxes for small items. For items that could fall over when moving, trolleys with sides are useful. Though picking trolleys are not specifically designed for storage, they can be used for this. A large warehouse will have racks and shelves as the main way to store items, but storage trolleys are useful for temporary storage or for high demand larger items that can be easily moved to the packing station.
Storage trolleys can be used to temporarily store return items ready for putting on the shelves. They are also useful at packing stations to hold items picked in error, damaged goods or part order items. Periodically, these storage trolleys can be used to take items to the appropriate storage area of the warehouse.
Choosing the best type of storage trolleys
Standard storage trolleys are suitable for storing a wide variety of small to medium items. These can have two or more shelves or carry boxes that sort small items.
Some items are either very heavy or have an awkward shape. An example of this is sofas which, without a special trolley, cannot be stored one above the other. Specialist sofa trolleys store these bulky furniture items in two rows. Though sofas are heavy, sofa trolleys are designed for one or two workers to be able to move them without strain.
Many furniture manufacturers are still based in the UK. They need storage trolleys to hold the components needed to make their furniture. Seat backs, cushions, headboards, mattresses and more need to be stored ready for use. Many of these items, such as curved seat backs, need specialist storage trolleys designed to keep them organised. Components are stored until needed, then moved to the manufacturing area.
There are items that are not safe to store on conventional storage trolleys. Large plate glass and metal sheets, for example, need to be stored in a way that is safe so that they cannot fall and hit someone. Workers should be able to remove one or more sheets safely. The solution for this is an A-frame storage trolley, which holds the sheets upright but at an angle.
Thin but long items such as pipes and lengths of steel need their own storage trolley designs to hold them safely and enable easy access.
Bespoke solutions
A storage trolleys manufacturer makes a wide variety of storage trolleys, but sometimes none of their trolleys meets the exact requirements of a business. If they have unusual, awkward shaped and heavy items, they may need bespoke solutions designed to fit their needs.
In these cases, a business should enlist the help of a British storage trolleys manufacturer with an in-house designer/engineer who can visit the workplace to look at the storage trolleys requirements, In consultation with the business owners or management, they can come up with a bespoke solution. They will probably also talk to the workers who will use the trolleys, as their input on the design could be valuable.
Sometimes, the solution is to use an existing storage trolley design but modify it, changing the size or adding items like extra shelves. Sometimes an original design is needed. The design/engineer will design a bespoke storage trolley and have a prototype constructed ready for testing.
After the prototype has been accepted or modified, a number of storage trolleys can be manufactured. Normally, minimum order are lows. Storage trolleys are not usually mass-produced so small production runs are financially practical.
Partly due to the expansion of online businesses, there is a high demand for warehouse space. Storage trolley manufacturers are ready to meet the demand for more storage trolleys that help keep warehouses organised and efficient.
Looking for a specific or bespoke storage trolley for your workplace? Contact us with your requirements, and we’ll be in touch.
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