How Electric Order Pickers Are Transforming Material Handling Operations
In the modern world of logistics and warehousing, time and accuracy are of utmost importance. Meet the electric order picker—a machine that is changing the way companies manage their stock. Unlike traditional forklifts, which are designed for heavy lifting and transportation, electric order pickers focus on one crucial task: reaching for and taking out products from shelves. This change in functionality is seriously affecting the material handling operations in modern society. This article explores the benefits of electric order pickers, their impact on the industry and how companies like Meenyon are leading this revolution.
What Is an Electric Order Picker?
An electric order picker, stock picker, or selector is a type of narrow-aisle truck used in warehouses and distribution centers. While regular forklifts are used to maneuver large pallets, order pickers are equipped with lifts that raise operators to desired inventory locations for manual order picking or placing. This feature is very useful when working on tasks that demand accuracy and maneuverability in confined areas.
Key Features of Electric Order Pickers
Narrow Aisle Operation: Electric order pickers are built for use in narrowly spaced aisles where normal forklifts cannot be of much use. This feature enhances the storage capacity of the warehouse since it allows a denser stocking of shelves.
Elevated Work Platform: Operators are raised to a height of inventory; then it is easier to pick items off the shelves one at a time. This not only helps in improving the accuracy of the work done but also helps in decreasing physical stress on workers.
Electric Power: Electric order pickers usually rely on rechargeable batteries and are environmentally friendly as well as less noisy as compared to their diesel counterparts. They are a more sustainable alternative as they reduce emissions and are much quieter than traditional options.
The Benefits of Electric Order Pickers
Electric order pickers are transforming material handling operations in several key ways:
Enhanced Efficiency
Electric order pickers make pick up easier and faster, thus improving order processing. These machines can access high shelves and areas which are hard to reach by people and thus minimize the time used to move around and look for particular products. This efficiency results in faster order delivery and customer satisfaction as well as higher productivity.
Improved Accuracy
An electric order picker has an elevated platform for its operators, which enables him/her to have a bird-eye view of inventories, thus improving accuracy. This visibility means the picker will be able to collect the right product, resulting in fewer returns from the customer.
Greater Safety
One of the major issues when it comes to warehouses is the issue of safety. Electric order pickers are designed with several safety features, including:
Anti-Roll-Back Mechanism: Ensures that in cases where the machine is used on a slope, it doesn’t roll back hence avoiding an unsafe situation.
In-Built Self-Diagnosis System: Performs diagnostics checks on the operational status of the machine and alerts in case of any defects and problems.
Hydrostatic Power Steering: Helps in better control and avoids uncontrolled ‘running’ of wheels which leads to better control and stability.
All these features play an important role in minimizing the chances of worker injury.
Environmental Impact
Electric order pickers are more friendly to the environment as compared to some of their counterparts like diesel forklifts. They emit no smoke or fumes and run at a fairly low noise level thereby making warehouses more environmentally friendly. As more companies focus on their environmental impact, investing in electric order pickers fits into an overall sustainability strategy.
Types of Electric Order Pickers
There are different types of electric order pickers to choose from and each type is suitable for certain operations in a given warehouse environment. Here’s a closer look at the primary types
Low-Level Order Pickers
These are ideal for picking products from the lower shelves and the lift heights range from 3 to 10 feet. The low-level order pickers are suitable for small sized warehouses or tasks that do not require access to high shelves. Because of their small size, they are easy to maneuver when there is limited space and are suitable for areas with minimal vertical storage space.
Medium-Level Order Pickers
These are machines that are meant to work at mid-level heights, from 10 to 30 feet. Medium level order pickers are more flexible and are often used in warehouses with moderate shelving heights. Due to their ability to reach intermediate heights, they are quite useful in managing inventory and order fulfillment in warehouses with moderate storage capacity.
High-Level Order Pickers
Intended for application in the high racking systems, high level order pickers can reach a height of 45 feet. These machines are mostly used in large warehouses where there is a lot of storage vertically. High-level order pickers are developed to handle high quantities of stock that are positioned at heights in the warehouse to provide the required height and stability for the order picking process.
How Electric Order Pickers Compare to Other Material Handling Equipment
To understand the transformative impact of electric order pickers, it's helpful to compare them with other types of material-handling equipment:
Electric Order Picker vs. Forklift
Functionality: In any warehouse operation, the use of forklifts is for the purpose of lifting and transporting of large pallets and the electric order pickers for the picking of single order.
Use Case: Use a forklift to move or stack several levels of heavy items. For efficient picking of products and compact storage choose an order picker.
Electric Order Picker vs. Reach Truck
Functionality: The reach truck is used in the handling and storage of pallets in high aisles on the other hand the order picker is used in pulling out single items.
Use Case: For full pallets, it is advisable to go for the reach truck. An order picker is better suitable for tasks such as picking of specific items from the high shelves or even from the top shelves.
Electric Order Picker vs. Scissor Lift
Functionality: A scissor lift is a powered lift that raises its platform vertically to be used by workers in maintenance activities. Electric order pickers are meant for picking in narrow aisles and are used for accurate picking.
Use Case: Choose a scissor lift when there are a number of people and/or materials to transport to varying heights. An order picker is a vehicle meant to be used by one operator in enclosed facilities with restricted space.
Safety and Operational Considerations
Using an electric order picker involves adhering to specific safety protocols to ensure a safe working environment:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Material handling operators should wear goggles, slip resistant shoes, gloves, hard hats, and high visibility vests. Recommendations include having protective straps that are used to guarantee that the operators are secure.
Training and Certification: Electric order pickers are electrically driven; therefore, the operators have to undertake certain training and obtain certification to operate the machine. Training enables one to get the best results and ensures that the operators are well informed on how to work with the machine without incurring an accident.
Pre-Operation Checks: Check the order picker for any signs of damage or malfunction from time to time. One should also ensure that the machine is properly maintained since this will determine its right usage.
The Role of Meenyon in Advancing Electric Order Picker Technology
Meenyon has been at the forefront of the material handling equipment sector and is a market leader in electric order picker technology. Meenyon’s electric order pickers are considered to be among the leading ones on the market due to the company’s focus on quality and, particularly, innovations.
Meenyon’s electric order pickers are built to meet or even surpass industry standards. The company's focus on quality and innovation ensures that the equipment offers the following benefit
Advanced Features: The electric order pickers from Meenyon are developed with the most advanced features such as; enhanced maneuverability, high levels of lift and efficient batteries.
Sustainability: Meenyon contributes to green industrial practices by providing electric-powered material handling equipment.
Reliability: Meenyon’s electric order pickers are well known for their reliability and effectiveness in increasing productivity within any warehouse.
Conclusion
Electric order pickers are fast becoming the latest trends in material handling equipment that have boosted productivity, precision, and safety. Because they are capable of moving around narrow aisles, reaching high shelves with ease, and functioning without emission, they are quite useful to modern warehouses and distribution centers. In the end, as businesses grow and become conscious of sustainability and efficiency in operations, electric order pickers shall remain relevant in material handling.
