Tugs consume less energy than forklifts because forklifts require two electric motors—one to lift and another to operate the drive—while tugs need only one motor. Most of the energy forklifts consume is lifting loads. Because tugs and carts handle more load volume per move, less energy is consumed than by the multiple trips a forklift must make to deliver the same amount of materials.
Since tuggers and industrial carts deliver several containers in a single trip, they use less energy compared to forklifts that must travel back and forth just to finish the same delivery. This reduced energy consumption also leads to less waste emission, supporting best-practice lean manufacturing principles.
In addition to reduced energy consumption, there is a significant reduction in labor required in each delivery. With the traditional delivery system, several people are required because one person must drive the vehicle and another person to unload the cargo, then more people to load a new cargo. Tugger cart solutions require only one person for all three jobs.
Tugger trains of Topper Industrial carts have more than doubled in popularity in the past five years as many manufacturing plants recognize the numerous advantages over customary forklifts. Delivering items from one location to another efficiently, and in half the time used by forklifts, makes so much sense with the Topper guaranteed durability and efficiency.
While there are many different types of tuggers that can pull Topper’s carts, Vecna Robotics includes IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) 24/7 monitoring which becomes increasingly important with lights-out operations, triple shifts, and staging.
Throughout the automotive supply chain, 2018 will see more operations shift to tuggers which can carry six or seven skids at a time and pull multiple carts, substantially increasing delivery times to the assembly line as well as the number of parts delivered per hour. Delivering parts in smaller quantities more frequently, significantly reduces inventory of commonly used parts.
Because the tuggers are narrower than traditional forklifts, plants are also able to shrink the aisle width, reducing the total footprint for the assembly area. The vehicles’ ergonomic and easy-to-operate design has also improved operator safety and comfort. Maintenance is far easier and less frequent while realizing these energy savings.
Topper Industrial (www.topperindustrial.com) is a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment. Topper provides lean material handling solutions to the supply chain.
Topper Industrial is able to engineer and design Industrial Carts (Mother / Daughter Cart Systems, Quad Steer Carts or Tracking Carts, Specialized Delivery Carts, Transfer Carts with Roller Deck, Static Carts, Rotation Carts, Tilt Carts or Kitting Carts), Industrial Cart Components (Parts Department), Industrial Containers (Corrugated and Wire Mesh Containers), Pallets, Lift/Tilt Systems, and Racking. Topper Industrial designs all products with ergonomics in mind, focusing on ease of use and best positioning of material to get the job done.