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Forklift-free Initiative: Using Casters To Pull Towards Lean


Consequently, forklift-free companies are using casters to pull towards lean manufacturing principles.

FORKLIFT-FREE SYSTEMS COMPLEMENT LEAN MANUFACTURING

Lean manufacturing’s primary focus is to identify and deliver value to customers.

In this case, a tugger cart system is a forklift-free system that compliments lean manufacturing by:

  • Shortening lead times
  • Minimizing waste of the production line
  • Maintaining an even flow of activities

A tugger cart system reduces the need for many forklift trips. One employee can operate a tugger to tow a chain of loaded dollies in one go.

Tugger-Cart-System

Tugger Cart System

IMPLEMENTING A FORKLIFT-FREE SYSTEM INTO YOUR FACILITY

A forklift-free system improves efficiencies of moving materials within the plant. Dollies need to bring active parts and kits to the assembly line. All these dollies are moving on industrial casters, making casters one of the most significant investments of material handling carts.

Purchasing an incorrect caster for a dolly can lead to decreased business profits by:

  • Carts being taken out of circulation
  • Slowing down production
  • Increasing MRO (maintenance, repair and operating supply) expense

CASTERS AND TOWLINE APPLICATIONS

As mentioned earlier, casters are one of the most significant investments of material handling carts. A caster's overall value is measured by its Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) rather than its initial cost.

Casters with low total cost of ownership can prevent overspending, returns, or frequent repurchasing. Casters with high total cost of ownership may cause downtime maintenance and pricey rework.Check out our complete guide (article and video) to selecting casters for towlines.

forkilift-free solution: CC Apex with the CC Peak

CC Apex with the CC Peak

Both the CC Apex and CC Peak are excellent examples of reaping amazing value beyond the initial cost. The CC Apex has proven to handle high load capacities, reject debris and maintain grip in a towline. The CC Peak offers industry-leading performance to towing applications. Unlike kingpin or kingpinless rigs, CC Peak’s construction allows for even dispersion of load to reduce push-pull efforts by 25-50%.

The CC Apex and CC Peak both have a low TCO with benefits of:

  • Less downtime
  • Fewer production interruptions
  • Maximizing production capacity

Reach out to Caster Connection if you need help choosing the right product for your application the first time.