While carts are not a new idea in the warehouse, how they’re used and what they can do has really evolved. They’re being built with specific functions in mind, like the ability to lift or tilt to provide an easier, more ergonomic process. They are replacing forklifts and used to convert to lean manufacturing. Carts… Read more

On April 23, 2013, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar posted that manufacturing, which creates over 292,000 jobs in the state, is on the rise in Minnesota. This industry has been considered the backbone of the state, and according to MPR news, “…has been one of the big engines of economic recovery after the recession.” However, at… Read more

New Equipment vs Ergonomic Posture on Old Equipment in Manual Material Handling Most manual material handling (MMH) requires some cognitive and physical multitasking. The ability to multitask is such a given these days that managers gloss over it on resumes. Still, multitasking is a skill in which many people pride themselves. However, according to Stanford… Read more

Material Handling and Logistics’ 2013 Annual Salary Survey results are in, and there is a lot to look at. According to the MH&L website, respondents were asked, “What is the biggest challenge facing the material handling and logistics industry today?” While several consistent themes surfaced, we want to focus on one in particular in this… Read more

Green and lean manufacturing are two terms that go hand-in-hand. Green manufacturing is a response to the growing knowledge of the impact of environmental pollutants. It seeks to minimize waste that negatively affects air, water, and/or soil. Lean manufacturing also strives to eliminate waste from a process. However, the intent of lean may not really… Read more

When researching the most innovative and successful manual material handling (MMH) solutions, results consistently point to automotive giants. Toyota is credited for having pioneered today’s Lean manufacturing. Lean, along with Just in Time, focuses on increasing efficiency and decreasing waste. Many businesses are finding success with these models. As with anything, however, one model does… Read more

Most of the articles written on our site involve material handling in manufacturing or warehousing.   These are certainly areas of heavy lifting, pushing and pulling.   But they are by no means the only industry that requires pushing or pulling material.   The hospitality, healthcare and gaming industries also require some heavy moving. In the hospitality industry… Read more

Safety issues with the use of lift tricks have prompted a new paradigm in manual material handling (MMH). Consequently, “forklift-free” is no longer a foreign term in MMH, but people still need convincing when it comes to making the switch. While everyone is all for eliminating injury and death caused by forklift accidents, not everyone… Read more