Material Handling Equipment - Industrial and Systems Engineering

3. LOAD FORMATION EQUIPMENT3. SkidsPlatform (typically metal) with enough clearance beneath its topsurface to enable a platform truck to move underneath forsubsequent lifting purposesForks can also be used to handle skids since the clearance of a skid is greater than that of a palletCompared to a pallet, a skid is usually used for heavier loads and when stacking is not requiredA metal skid can lift heavier loads than an equal-weight metal pallet because it enables aplatform truck to be used for the lifting, with the platform providing a greater lifting surface tosupport the skid as compared to the forks used to support the pallet4. SlipsheetsThick piece of paper, corrugated fiber, or plastic upon which a loadis placedHandling method: tabs on the sheet are grabbed by a specialpush/pull lift truck attachmentAdvantages: usually used in place of a pallet for long-distance shipping because their cost is 10–30% of pallet costs and their weight and volume is 1–5% of a palletDisadvantages: slower handling as compared to pallets; greater load damage within the facility;special lift truck attachment reduces the vehicle’s load capacity5. Tote pansReusable container used to unitize and protect loose discrete itemsTypically used for in-process handlingReturnable totes provide alternative to cartons for distributionCan be nested for compact storage when not in use6. Pallet/skid boxesReusable containers used to unitize andprotect loose items for fork/platformtruck handlingPallet box sometimes referred to as a “binpallet”Pallet boxSkid box11