Materials handling, conveyers, pallets & forklifts
Materials handling in wineries and vineyards covers a wide range of materials handling equipment. Manufacturers and suppliers of hoists, winches cranes, hydraulic lifting equipment or vacuum lifting equipment listed.
Manufacturers of conveyor systems for wineries including gravity conveyors, chain conveyors, belt conveyors and screw conveyors. Suppliers of conveyor parts such as conveyor rollers and conveyor belts.
If your wish to hire materials handling equipment or packaging equipment, you will find hire companies listed under materials handling equipment or hire services.
In the vineyard forklifts and backhoes and front loaders are typical of materials handling in the field.
Pallets
Transporting and storing wine requires the use of pallets in the tens of thousands so there is an opportunity to make considerable savings by using the right pallet at the right price. Many pallet companies offer a lot of experience and knowledge to serve your needs but you can also use pallet brokers also called pallet pricing services and their job is to source the best deals be that for purchasing pallets or hiring pallets.
Pallets are made from a wide range of materials to meet industry requirements. Chief amongst them are wood pallets, the main ones being hardwood pallets and pine pallets. Then there is a range of plastic pallets, the most common being manufactured from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Spill containment pallets are made of plastic and as the name implies they contain liquid spills. Metal pallets are also fairly common, most notably steel pallets. Steel is often the material used to build pallet cages to secure loads. Other pallet types include cardboard pallets and press wood pallets (made from wood fines).
There are standard pallets that come in a number of different pallet sizes; however if you have special requirements customised pallets can be made to order. Pallets can also vary in forklift entry points from 2 up to 4 sided.
Your needs may be best met by secondhand pallets. Recycling pallets is common as a number of companies repair pallets.
If you are exporting wine you are required to use export pallets which comply with International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures commonly referred to ISPM 15. Pallets for export are fumigated or heat treated to control plant and animal pathogens – this is particularly the case with timber pallets when used for exporting wine.
There are also associated pallet products. These include pallet racking, pallet feet, pallet converters in timber or steel and cages (also called stillages) and thermal wraps for palleted products to control temperature and ventilation.
The other variable to consider is whether to purchase or hire pallets and associated palletising equipment. Pallets and pallets systems including palletisers and depalletisers can be purchased or hired.
Forklifts, pallet lifters & pallet turners
Forklifts are the most common way of moving palletised goods. Forklift trucks come in a range of sizes and weight capacities. Moving pallets is not just about picking them up with forklifts. There are pallet lifters and pallet turners (used for shrink wrapping palletised goods) that can be manually or electronically operated. There are also pallet lifting attachments for hoists.