Custom material handling devices are becoming more and more common in the modern-day workplace. They allow workers to transport and manipulate loads faster and more efficiently while simultaneously minimizing the risk of injury. To learn more about custom material handling devices along with some of their most common uses, keep reading.

Lifting Drum Barrels 

Many workers underestimate the difficulty of manually lifting drum barrels. It’s not uncommon for a standard 55-gallon drum container that’s filled with oil to weigh upwards of 500 pounds, making it virtually impossible for any single worker to lift. Even with assistance, attempting to move a full drum barrel is just asking for trouble. The cylindrical shape can injure a worker if he or she isn’t careful. So, what’s the best way to lift a drum barrel? Use a mobile drum lifter. This custom material handling device is designed to handle the otherwise tedious and dangerous task of lifting and manipulating drum containers.

Vacuum Lifting 

In a perfect world, every item that required lifting would be a convenient square shape, allowing workers to easily grab hold of it. But unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for certain items to have an awkward shape. Whether it’s an airplane fuselage panel, a large piece of sheet metal, pre-fabricated building parts, etc. The good news is that custom material handling devices like vacuum lifters can easily lift and manipulate objects of all shapes and sizes. Vacuum lifters work by creating a powerful suction on the top surface of the object, at which point it can then lift and manipulate it according to the operator’s commands.

Handling Dangerous Objects

Does your job require you to lift and/or manipulate potentially dangerous objects? A piece of jagged metal could easily cut a human worker. By investing in custom material handling devices, however, workers can lift and manipulate objects such as this without risking their own safety.

Manipulate Panels into Place

Custom material handling devices do more than just lift. While lifting is one of their many functions, they are also capable of manipulating objects into the appropriate area. If a company is constructing an airplane, for instance, it may need to lift heavy panels high up into the air, securing them in the appropriate area. Tasks such as this is next-to-impossible for workers to manually perform, but it’s a breeze for custom material handling devices.