Continental/Midland increases productivity with enhanced operator accessibility

There are two basic approaches to picking and put-away with lift trucks—man-down and man-up. With the former, the operator remains at floor level as the truck moves the load, perhaps as much as 25 feet or higher in racks.

With man-up, the operator travels along with the load to the rack position for a bird’s eye view of what’s going on. Each approach is effective and has its supporters. Fastener supplier Continental/Midland happens to use both at its 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Park Forest, Ill. However, the company most recently saw some significant improvements when it went with the man-up approach.

Traditionally, Continental/Midland’s man-down forklifts move product and perform picking duties over multiple shifts six days per week. While effective, man-down trucks have a major drawback. They require operators to handle products twice to pull product from the racks, fill orders and replace the unused product.

This led to reduced productivity and increased risk of handling damage. The company realized it needed a forklift that would enable them to pick and fill orders faster but was also capable of operating within their narrow-aisle racks.

As a result, Continental/Midland purchased three very-narrow-aisle turret stockpickers (Crown) to enhance operator comfort, ergonomics and productivity. These man-up trucks deliver advanced features to improve operator comfort.

To begin, the seat offers flexibility and comfort to pivot within a tight space. In addition, the cabin is well lit and they can see their work,” says Ken Breiner, warehouse manager for Continental/Midland. “Overall, the operators like the new trucks a lot better than being on man-down vehicles.

With them, they had to turn their head each time and look 25 feet in the air to see what they were moving.” Breiner adds, “With the man-down trucks, we can pick what is needed and only handle the product once instead of twice. This helps cut down on any damage and moves our product twice as fast.”