Why Your Warehouse Needs A Table Lift
Material handling methods are key in any warehouse environment – and not just for horizontal movement, but vertical as well. That’s where table lifts, or lift tables, come into play. Ideal for any warehouse task that needs to move products from the ground to an elevated position, a table lift takes manual labor out of the process and can help enhance safety and efficiency to boot. In this post, we’ll further discuss the importance of the table lift in the warehouse setting, the various types of table lifts, and more. Here’s a closer look:
Table Lifts 101: What You Need to Know
As the name implies, table lifts are table-like components that are programmed to raise and lower. They’re typically used to lift pallets, heavy loads of supplies or even people in a safe and effective way. Some of the common uses in the warehouse environment include:
- Vehicle loading and other docking tasks
- Pallet loading and storage
- Load positioning
- Materials storage and retrieval
Table lifts are designed to work in demanding environments and are highly repeatable. In the forthcoming sections, we’ll get into the various types of table lifts and some of the key benefits of these components.
Types of Table Lifts
There are various different types of table lifts, and knowing these various types and the lift table mechanism that would suit your warehouse best is important to making the right selection. Here’s a look at the table lifts warehouse managers can select from:
- Manual vs. powered lift tables: There are both powered and non-powered table lifts. Manual table lifts are ideal for lifting light loads and tend to be very easy to operate. Powered tables are the more efficient and effective type of lift table, offering maximum repeatability and the ability to raise and lower heavier loads.
- Hydraulic lift tables: These are the most common type of lift table. Powered by a hydraulic cylinder, these tables are known for their strength and efficiency.
- Pneumatic lift tables: These air-powered lifts are also common in warehouses and other industrial environments. Since they work via compressed air, they’re ideally integrated into a warehouse that already has such a system in place.
- Electric lift tables: Electric lift tables help promote a higher degree of cleanliness in the warehouse environment. Unlike hydraulic lift tables, electric table lifts don’t require any specialized fluids to operate. If hygiene is important, electric lift tables are the best bet.
Key Benefits of Table Lifts
While lift tables are designed to enhance efficiency in the warehouse environment, they are most important when it comes to health and safety. When correctly used, lift tables help reduce exertion and muscular-skeletal injuries, which are among the most common type of injury experienced in the warehouse environment. From strains and sprains to overexertion, lift tables allow workers to more safely and effectively handle heavy loads and reduce stress on the “power zone’ between their knees and shoulders where bending, reaching, or lifting can lead to serious injury. Using table lifts and other material-handling equipment in the warehouse helps reduce injury, improve productivity, and keep worker morale high.
Other benefits of table lifts include:
- Ergonomics: Though it ties into the safety benefits, the ergonomic lift table is part of an ergonomically-optimized workplace that reduces stress and strain on the worker to enable a healthier and more productive workforce.
- Versatile: There are various different types of lift tables to select from for your warehouse, from hydraulic to electric to pneumatic. Lift tables can also be used outdoors and indoors, and they’re designed to operate in demanding environments.
- Productivity: Lift tables are designed to help a warehouse enhance its productivity – and when any type of business can achieve this, it leads to a trickle-down effect throughout the rest of its operations. It can help streamline the supply chain, benefit the end customer, and also enhance worker morale.
Contact A-Lined Handling Systems Today
To learn more about the benefits of lift tables and what type of table is right for your warehouse environment, contact A-Lined Handling Systems today. We carry a range of lift tables and other material handling equipment to select from. Contact us today for more information.