How to Choose Material Handling Equipment

Choosing the right material handling equipment can improve productivity, reduce unnecessary movement, make better use of available space, and help employees handle materials more safely.

The challenge is that there is no single piece of equipment that is right for every facility.

A warehouse moving palletized inventory has very different requirements from a manufacturing plant positioning components beside an assembly line. A distribution center processing thousands of outbound orders may require an entirely different material handling system.

If you are trying to determine how to choose material handling equipment, the best place to start is not with a product catalog. Start with the material, the movement, and the work that needs to be performed.

What Is Material Handling Equipment?

Material handling equipment includes the equipment and systems used to move, position, store, protect, and control materials throughout a facility.

MHI's educational taxonomy groups material handling equipment into five functional categories:

• Transport equipment

• Positioning equipment

• Unit-load formation equipment

• Storage equipment

• Identification and control equipment

In practical industrial environments, this can include everything from carts, pallet jacks, lift tables, and conveyors to pallet racks, shelving, modular cabinets, mezzanines, cranes, and automated systems.

The right solution often combines several types of equipment rather than relying on a single product.

1. Start With the Material Being Handled

Before choosing equipment, define exactly what you need to move or store.

Important factors include:

• Weight

• Length, width, and height

• Shape

• Fragility

• Stability

• Temperature

• Packaging

• Whether the load is palletized

• Whether the material can be stacked

• Frequency of movement

A 2,000-pound pallet requires a very different solution from a 25-pound component that must be positioned repeatedly at an assembly workstation.

Long materials such as pipe or bar stock may require cantilever-style storage or specialized carts, while small parts may be better suited to bins, shelving, or modular drawer cabinets.

The equipment should fit the material rather than forcing the material into an inefficient handling process.

2. Map the Material Flow

Next, determine where materials come from, where they go, and how often they move.

Follow the material through the entire facility.

For example:

Receiving → inspection → storage → production → finished-goods storage → shipping

In a warehouse, the flow may look more like:

Receiving → putaway → reserve storage → replenishment → picking → packing → shipping

Every unnecessary movement consumes labor and time.

MHI's material handling principles specifically emphasize minimizing unnecessary material-handling work while considering the entire system rather than individual pieces of equipment in isolation.

Look for:

• Excessive travel

• Repeated lifting

• Double handling

• Congested aisles

• Materials stored far from where they are used

• Products repeatedly moved into temporary staging areas

• Employees waiting for equipment

• Production stations running out of components

These problems often reveal where better equipment can have the greatest impact.

3. Match the Equipment to the Task

Different material handling tasks require different equipment.

Moving Materials

Common solutions include:

• Platform carts

• Dollies

• Hand trucks

• Pallet jacks

• Powered trucks

• Conveyors

• Tow systems

Lifting and Positioning

Options may include:

• Lift tables

• Scissor lifts

• Work positioners

• Hoists

• Cranes

• Manipulators

Storing Materials

Storage equipment can include:

• Pallet rack

• Industrial shelving

• Modular drawer cabinets

• Bins

• Mezzanines

• Specialty racks

Supporting Production

Manufacturing operations may also benefit from:

• Ergonomic workstations

• Mobile workstations

• Tool storage

• Parts cabinets

• Workbenches

• Line-side storage

The question should always be: What function does this equipment need to perform?

4. Consider Load Capacity

Never select material handling equipment based only on average load weight.

Consider the maximum expected load and verify the manufacturer's rated capacity for the specific configuration.

Capacity becomes especially important with:

• Pallet racks

• Shelving

• Lift tables

• Cranes

• Hoists

• Carts

• Work platforms

• Mezzanines

Also consider how loads are distributed. A uniformly distributed load can behave differently from a highly concentrated load.

5. Evaluate Your Facility Layout

The equipment must work within the physical limitations of the building.

Measure:

• Ceiling height

• Door openings

• Aisle width

• Column spacing

• Dock dimensions

• Floor space

• Production-line clearances

• Overhead obstructions

Do not think only in terms of floor space.

Vertical space is often one of the most underutilized resources in industrial buildings.

Pallet racks, shelving, mezzanines, and multi-level storage systems can help businesses use more of the building's available cubic space.

6. Calculate How Frequently the Equipment Will Be Used

Usage frequency has a major impact on equipment selection.

A cart used twice per day has different requirements from equipment performing hundreds of movements per shift.

Consider:

• Moves per hour

• Loads per shift

• Distance traveled

• Number of operators

• Number of shifts

• Peak demand

Higher-frequency applications may justify powered or semi-automated equipment even when manual equipment could technically perform the task.

7. Consider Ergonomics

Material handling equipment should reduce unnecessary bending, reaching, carrying, twisting, and repetitive lifting whenever possible.

Examples include:

• Adjustable-height workstations

• Lift tables that bring materials closer to working height

• Carts that transport loads instead of requiring employees to carry them

• Drawer cabinets that organize tools near the point of use

• Positioners that reduce awkward handling

Ergonomics is not simply about employee comfort. A poorly designed handling process can also slow production and increase fatigue.

8. Decide Between Manual and Powered Equipment

Manual equipment is often appropriate for lighter loads, shorter distances, lower-frequency tasks, and flexible operations.

Examples include:

• Hand carts

• Dollies

• Manual pallet jacks

• Hand trucks

Powered equipment becomes increasingly valuable as load weight, travel distance, or movement frequency increases.

Examples include:

• Powered pallet trucks

• Forklifts

• Powered lifts

• Conveyors

• Automated transport systems

The best solution is frequently a combination of both.

9. Think About Storage Density Versus Accessibility

Storage systems involve a tradeoff between capacity and accessibility.

For example, maximizing the number of pallets stored in a given area may reduce direct access to individual loads.

Ask:

• How many SKUs are stored?

• How quickly does inventory turn?

• Is FIFO important?

• Does every pallet need immediate access?

• How frequently are products replenished?

• Are full pallets or individual items being picked?

A storage system should support the inventory strategy rather than simply maximize rack positions.

10. Plan for Future Changes

Material handling requirements change.

New product lines, higher order volumes, additional employees, automation, or facility expansions can quickly make a rigid system obsolete.

Look for solutions that can be:

• Expanded

• Reconfigured

• Relocated

• Integrated with other systems

Modular equipment can provide valuable flexibility for growing operations.

11. Evaluate Total Cost, Not Just Purchase Price

The least expensive product is not always the least expensive solution.

Consider total lifecycle cost, including:

• Purchase price

• Installation

• Maintenance

• Energy

• Labor

• Operator training

• Repairs

• Downtime

• Replacement parts

• Expected service life

A more expensive piece of equipment may produce a lower overall operating cost if it eliminates labor-intensive movements or supports significantly higher throughput.

Material Handling Equipment Selection Checklist

Before purchasing equipment, answer these questions:

1. What materials are being handled?

2. What is the maximum load?

3. Where does the material begin and end?

4. How far must it travel?

5. How frequently does it move?

6. How will operators interact with it?

7. What aisle and floor space is available?

8. How much vertical space can be used?

9. Does every load require immediate access?

10. Could the operation grow or change?

11. What maintenance will the equipment require?

12. What is the total lifetime cost?

If those questions are answered before equipment is selected, it becomes much easier to identify the correct solution.

Common Material Handling Equipment Selection Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes is purchasing individual pieces of equipment without considering the complete workflow.

Other common mistakes include:

• Buying equipment based only on price

• Ignoring maximum load capacity

• Failing to measure the facility

• Overlooking vertical storage space

• Automating an inefficient process

• Using powered equipment where a simple manual solution would work

• Using manual handling for high-frequency heavy loads

• Designing storage without considering picking requirements

• Failing to plan for future expansion

Material handling works best when the system is designed as a whole.

Get Help Choosing Material Handling Equipment

At MHE Equipment, we help businesses select material handling solutions for storage, organization, lifting, positioning, and workspace efficiency. Current solutions include pallet rack systems, shelving and storage products, mezzanines, modular drawer cabinets, hydraulic lifts, ergonomic workstations, and other industrial equipment.

If you are unsure what equipment fits your application, start with the material you need to handle, your available space, and the movement you are trying to improve.

Contact MHE Equipment to discuss your application or request a quote for a material handling solution designed around your facility.