Material handling in heavy industry, chemical manufacturing, and the energy sector frequently requires the transport of volatile or fragile products. Developing custom motorized solutions for these types of applications is one of our specialties.
The Usual Material Handling Solutions Won’t Work
Let’s rule out some common material handling equipment that you shouldn’t opt for when transporting hazardous, volatile, or otherwise fragile materials and products.
- Fork lifts are often too bulky and ill-fitted to transport hazardous materials without damaging equipment and products, or putting staff at risk of injury.
- Manual carts frequently carry loads too heavy to be safely transported by employees, and productivity typically suffers.
Why We Prefer Custom Motorized Carts for Hazardous Materials
Motorized carts speed up productivity without compromising ergonomics. The center wheel drive of a motorized cart provides better maneuverability in tight spaces than a tugger, without the safety risks of forklifts and manual carts. They can also be easily maneuvered with minimal training and zero certifications required.
Real Case Study Results for Hazardous Material Handling
In one case study, Electro Kinetic Technologies helped a large energy provider in British Columbia design and implement a custom ergonomic motorized cart for the transport of
500-pound batteries at their space-limited hydroelectric facility. To accomplish this, we built a motorized platform cart outfitted with a custom removable container to protect and secure the potentially hazardous batteries. Our engineers also added a custom lift for ergonomic loading and unloading of the cart. This solution not only measurably improved workplace productivity, it upgraded the overall safety of the operation.
For another customer in the nuclear power industry, we built a custom locking container for exceptionally heavy hazardous materials and mounted it to an EU compliant motorized flatbed cart. This container had to be reinforced with additional structural steel, because the 
existing design wouldn’t allow for even weight distribution of the 4,000 lb. material. The cart itself required a safety bumper to prevent collisions. Electro Kinetic Technologies also developed an ergonomic docking system for safer loading and unloading using a solenoid to lock the containment door until the cart is properly docked.
When handling hazardous or fragile materials, it’s true that bigger isn’t always better. At EKT, we often see that sophisticated motorized solutions have a far better ROI than either inferior manual trolleys or faster, more heavy duty material handling equipment. Protecting your people, your product, and your bottom line is our priority.
For more information on how we develop total custom solutions for handling any type of material, get in touch with one of our engineers via the Contact Page.
