Page 4 of Material Handling

Hand tools for material handling

The essential tool group for material handling includes utility knives and blades for cutting through plastic strapping and taped boxes. Many knives have contoured, molded-rubber barrels for safe, easy handling while others feature die-cut aluminum for durability and milled edging for grip. Many knives have retractable blades; others have blades that fold back into the handle. Some have spring-activated guards that automatically closes after cuts. Several knives store replacement blades inside their barrels. Others use scored blades with cutting tips that snap off as they become dull. Material handling equipment also includes smaller, precision X-ACTO® knives for stripping or trimming.

Material handling supplies for protecting boxes

Box edge and corner protectors ensure stacked bulk-supply shipping boxes don’t crush while being stored on pallets. They also provide a rigid packing framework for the entire pallet. Protectors come in corrugated cardboard, hard foam rubber, and fiberboard.

Gear for securing bulk supplies

A variety of shipping, packing, and mailing supplies are available to secure packages. For pallets, poly strapping, flexible cords, and tie-down straps keep shipping boxes tied securely in place. Stretchable, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber straps (bungees) are available as are hand-ratcheting tie-down straps made of strong double-webbed polyester, with double J or flat hooks to latch on to pallet anchoring points.

Equipment for moving material

Gear for maneuvering heavy loads into place includes aluminum-alloy hoist winches and hardened-steel chain-lever hoists with weight-rating capacities of up to 1.5 tons. Also available are load binder ratchets to tighten binder chains around packing boxes, and half- and one-ton grip clamps for vertical lifts or horizontal pulls.

Material handling carts include those with shelving or customizable bins for carrying supplies, and steel-frame carts that fold up for convenient storage. Heavy-duty half- and one-yard tilt trucks, molded from medium-density polyethylene, are strong enough to use with hoisting equipment. Several carts are also suitable for moving large acetylene cylinders.

Additional supplies for bulk material handling

Accessory equipment for bulk-supply moves includes:

• Screw-pin shackles and wire-rope clips for anchoring and fastening
• Jack stands to stabilize boxes temporarily for stacking
• Furniture pad sliders for moving steel desks and file cabinets over hard flooring

Check out cutting tools, protective edging, fastening straps, and transporting equipment available to manage bulk-supply moves.