This article explores the range of pallet truck products for modern industry, discussing the advantages and disadvantages, the latest technology and how they can be used correctly around the work place.
Pallets are perhaps the simplest yet most essential technology in any industrial business. Their uniform structure allows large objects or items to be moved all over the world using mechanical machinery. If you own an industrial business of any size, you will no doubt require a pallet truck at one time or another to transport stored items. Getting the right product depends on the size and the processes that occur on site.
Hand Pallet Truck
A hand pallet truck is perhaps the simplest yet most practical form of pallet truck. These can be steered using a handle and are able to bear a lot of weight. Most hand pallet trucks use a jack system in order to lift the pallet off the ground. This is usually hand powered, however some use hydraulic systems to lift the pallet off the ground. A hand pallet truck is ideal for moving pallets around short distances at ground level, but is unable to lift a pallet very high, i.e. onto an alternative level.
Because Pallets are often heavy, they build up momentum easily, making it difficult to make them stop once they are in motion. A hand pallet truck has a break system and it is essential to test this regularly so that the user does not lose control of the pallet when going downhill or towards an individual or object.
Powered Pallet Truck
Pallets can be incredibly heavy items and are often difficult to move. Even if you have a moderate gradient to navigate, it may be difficult to push your pallet up a slope and even more difficult to control when coming down one. Powered trucks have an electric motor, which either assists the user’s force or powers the truck entirely. They can easily lift and carry heavy weights up to 200 kg. If your employees are regularly manoeuvring pallets of over 1000 kg, it is essential to purchase a powered pallet truck for long term health and safety reasons.
Pallet Stacker
As mentioned previously, pallet trucks are unable to lift pallets very high, therefore are no good for stacking pallets on top of one another. It is also against health and safety to ask staff to stack pallets manually, therefore if you need to stack pallets on top of one another and do not have access to or space for a forklift truck, you will almost certainly require a pallet stacker. A pallet stacker can either be manually or electrically operated. Electrically powered pallet stackers are able to lift weights of up to 1000 kg and can lift them up to 4 metres high. Unlike a forklift truck, a pallet stacker cannot transport pallets horizontally and therefore must always be kept stationary and only ever operated by trained staff.
AUTHOR BIO
Brian Jones has been working in industrial storage and locomotion for twenty years and regularly writes reviews for a range of magazines and online media about the latest industry products available. When reviewing pallet locomotion, transport and trucks, Brian uses http://www.trucksandtrolleysdirect.co.uk/, for the latest technologies and products available.
