What Material Handling Carts are and how they are used.

Hamilton has been designing and building quality material handling carts since 1907.  Material handling carts used in manufacturing, warehouses, machine shops and assembly plants. When you have a question about material handling carts, who is better equipped to answer it than the company that has been manufacturing them for over 100 years?

What is a material handling cart?

PW820 all wood tilt type platform truck

A material handling cart is a basic piece of industrial equipment that effectively holds materials and allows for efficient movement through the use of casters and wheels. The cart’s frame serves as the main structure and supports the load.   The cart’s running gear enables the cart to roll.  The handle/coupler is where the forces needed for movement are applied.

While that is the short answer, there is still a lot to discuss on the subject.  Keep reading below, and we talk about other aspects of material handling carts, like the different types, how to use them, where to buy them, ergonomics, safety and so much more.     


Types of material handling carts.

The types of material handling carts can generally be broken down into sub-categories by the shape of the cart, and the load it is intended to carry.  While we will discuss a handful of high-level categories, it is up to the user on how finely they want to segregate the carts.

Platform Carts / Platform Trucks are simply a single platform, with casters / wheels mounted underneath them, and a handle mounted at one or both ends.  Platform trucks are the simplest and most versatile of all material handling carts.  The can handle large boxes, small boxes, skids crates, ect. 

Shelf Carts are simply multiple platforms arranged one on top of the other with space in-between creating a typical shelf.  Casters and wheels added to the lowest level to enable movement.  Handle mounted to the frame to allow they user to push or pull the cart. Commonly used to handle small parts or small boxes.  

A-frame Carts are material handling carts that are made with a tapered upright structure that are used to lean panels or sheets against as they are stored in a near vertical position. Commonly used to handle sheet steel, plywood and drywall. 

Bar Handling Trucks are material handling carts that have cradles that are used to handle long skinny product like pipe, tubing, solid bars and other various cylindrical shaped parts.

Wagon Carts are material handling carts with a platform, similar to a platform truck, but instead of casters and wheels, they utilize a wagon wheel running gear arrangement.  The handle passes pushing and pulling forces to the steering wheels of the running gear.  These type of carts are used a lot in nursery’s and function exactly like the little red wagon that we all used as a child.

Tugger Carts are material handling carts, equipped with a tongue or similar bracket that are designed to be towed or pushed.  Movement is achieved through the use of a powered piece of material handling equipment.

 

Modes of movement.

 

When it comes to moving material handling carts, there are many forms to choose from.  We will choose some of the more common forms to discuss below.

Pushing by hand is by far the most common form of moving a material handling cart.  It is also the most versatile, as you do not require and additional pieces of equipment.  There is no worry about fuel, or charging batteries.  There is no complex navigation system to implement.  There are no mechanical systems that need to be maintained.

Use of a tow tractor is an efficient form of movement when towing a train of carts throughout a facility is desired.  The train can make “milk runs” where certain carts are dropped off at a certain time at a certain location.  Empty carts are picked up and returned to a warehouse where the process starts over again.

Use of a motorized cart starts to make sense when the force required to initiate movement exceeds ergonomic thresholds deemed to be safe. Motorized carts can be expensive when you think about needing motors, batteries and controls for each cart.  When you have many motorized carts sitting around, not moving, loaded down with materials, it is not a very efficient use of capital.

Use of a powered pusher is a more economical version of a motorized cart as you can use one piece of powered equipment to move many carts.  The carts can sit around loaded with materials and the powered pusher is still available to move other carts.

Use of AGV’s and Robots make sense in high volume manufacturing where production closely follows a tact time in a very predictable manner.  The high costs of the AGV system, can be offset by the reduction of workers.

Use of towline material handling carts operated similar to todays AGV, but were powered by a powered transmission chain buried in the floor.  Towlines have largely been replaced by AGV’s. 

  

Using your material handling carts.

 

When it comes down to it, it is the carts performance that that determines how good of an investment your material handling cart is. We can divide that performance into four main areas.  Function, durability, safety, and ergonomics.

Function is simply they measure of how well does the cart allow you to do what you want it to do.  How effectively does it allow you to accomplish your tasks?  For example, if you are sliding cardboard boxes on and off of the deck, a rubber mat or a lip would be counter-productive.

Durability is simply the measure of how robust the design is and to what degree can it withstand damage. It is not an effective piece of material handling equipment if it bends the first time that you use it.

Ergonomics of a material handling cart concentrates on how the human body interacts with the piece of equipment.  Some of the goals we have are reducing the amount of force it takes to push or pull the cart.  Keeping the operator in his “power zone” when loading and unloading by hand.  Prevent reaching or stretching.  Putting handles at the most ergonomic height.  Making the diameter of the pipe handle large enough to prevent injury, small enough the operator can firmly grip and control

Safety is a continuous effort to mitigate potential accidents.  Some examples of tactics to improve safety are as follows.  Position running gear in such a way to ensure the cart remains stable.  Eliminate pinch points.  Add conspicuity tape to improve visibility.  Addition of brakes to minimize the possibility of unintended movement.  Addition of lashing rings, to secure loads. 

 

All applications are not the same. 

 

As you probably already noticed, not all applications are the same.  A cart that is well designed for one application, could be inappropriate for another application. 

The same goes with a company’s standard offering.  Manufactures try to design their carts to appeal to the majority.  Buying an off the shelf product may seem to be the simplest, most economical on the front end, but neglecting a safety or an ergonomic issue could end up costing more in the long run.

Durability is also an area where we could be penny wise and pound foolish.  If a cart cost 20% more, but lasts 3 times as long, which one is the better deal in the long run? 

By the way, Hamilton has a 3 year warranty….in case you was wondering.     

                                                       

Customized material handling carts

 

Under certain circumstances, having your material handling carts customized to your specific needs may make sense.

For example if a change to the cart makes it easier to use, which reduces the amount of labor and therefore saves you money,  you can then compare the potential savings to the increased costs to come up with an ROI, or the return on investment.

If customizing a cart can prevent the likelihood of a certain type of accident, it is easy to compare the additional cost versus the cost of the injury.

If a custom cart can reduce the stress and strain of bending over, or reaching, you then compare the ramifications of a musculoskeletal injury against the increased costs of the customization.

 

Where and how can you buy customized material handling carts

 

Hamilton has made customized material handling carts for years.  Customized carts make up a large portion of the carts and trailer division.  Unlike a lot of other manufacturers, our minimum quantity is 1 piece.

The first step to the process is getting all of the application information to the Hamilton team.  You can do that by phone, fax, email, online forms or chat.

Phone - 888-699-7164

Fax - 800-232-3733

Email – [email protected]

Mail – 1637 Dixie Hwy

            Hamilton, Ohio 45011

Online form - https://www.cartsandtrailers.com/Quote-Request