Best Order Pickers for Your Warehouse: A Buyer’s Guide

Warehouses never sit idle, especially during peak seasons. With bordure orders to fulfill every day, manual operations will never deliver the required efficiency and speed. Even if you employ hundreds of employees to pick and sort the orders, the operational speed cannot be increased. That’s why most modern-day warehouse setups rely on order pickers to speed up order fulfillment. These machinery pieces are designed to retrieve, handle, and transport items from the storage shelves.

Since they form an indispensable part of the inventory, choosing the right product is crucial. Otherwise, you may not be able to carry the desired number of items simultaneously or increase the movement speed.

Having said that, we have prepared a detailed guide here, explaining what you need to consider to find the best order picker. Additionally, we have also talked about its benefits, the types available, and a few maintenance tips.

What Are Order Pickers & Why Do You Need Them?

Order pickers are specialized warehouse machinery used for faster order fulfillment. They are human-operated and designed to be maneuvered in tight spaces. They come with arms for picking and retrieving boxes or single items from the storage shelves.

Some of the major uses of these equipment units in a warehouse facility are:

Increases Operational Efficiency

• Workers can access the items directly without climbing up the storage shelves.
• They don’t have to manually retrieve and transport the heavy boxes. 
• Downtime can be reduced significantly, which further increases operational speed. 

Improves the Accuracy 

• Modern-day order pickers are equipped with barcode scanners. They can also be integrated with inventory management systems. 
• Workers can easily identify the correct items and retrieve them accurately without mistakes. 
• It also decreases the number of round trips to be made per order.

Enhances Worker Safety

• Guardrails, ergonomic controls, and harness points are present in almost all order pickers.
• These ensure optimal safety of the human operator. 
• Additionally, they also make sure items can be handled with care and security.
• The potential risks of workplace injuries can be reduced significantly. 

Easier Handling of Bulk Items

• Most order pickers are designed to handle heavy loads. Hence, workers won’t have to carry the cartons and boxes with their hands. 
• Multiple items can be retrieved and transported simultaneously. It further speeds up the order fulfillment process, ensuring a better customer experience. 

Types of Order Pickers & Their Best Uses

Low-Level Order Pickers

• Retrieves items from the ground level or the first few shelves of the storage racks. 
• Best-suited for FMCG items or picking heavy products from the lower shelves.
• Mainly used in retail, grocery, and eCommerce warehouses.

Mid-Level Order Pickers

• Come with a maximum height limit of 8 to 20 feet, thereby allowing easy access to mid-range inventory. 
• Suitable for multi-tier retrieval operations or when items are stored above the ground level.
• Mainly used in seasonal warehouses where variable inventory has to be handled, like automotive parts and electronics.

High-Level Order Pickers

• Capable of reaching a height of 20 to 40 feet, especially for retrieving items from top shelves or narrow aisles. 
• Better for high-density storage zones and large-scale warehouse facilities.
• Moves swiftly in warehouses with vertical storage spaces without causing any difficulty in maneuvering. 

Key Features to Consider When Buying an Order Picker

Load Capacity

Most warehouses use order pickers to pick up and retrieve bulk items. As a result, you need to consider the maximum load-bearing capacity of the shortlisted products. The limit should be aligned with your expected order weight. 

It will help you avoid strain or potential risks of sudden breakdowns due to excessive weight. The standard load limit of most products is between 1000 lbs and 3000 lbs. 

Lift Height

Choosing the right lift height for the order picker machine is crucial based on the warehouse’s layout. For this, check your inventory arrangement and accordingly decide the equipment type. 

1. Low-level order pickers: Up to 8 feet
2. Mid-level pickers: 8 to 20 feet
3. High-level machine: 20 to 40 feet

Power Source

You also need to check the power source for the order picker. Following are the options available at the market. 

1. Electric-Powered Order Pickers:
   1. Silent operations
   2. Best for indoor facilities 
   3. Eco-friendlier and sustainable 
   4. Requires frequent charging
2. Gas-Powered Order Pickers:
   1. Suitable for outdoor facilities
   2. Can carry out heavy-duty work easily
   3. Noisy operations
   4. Requires fuel for running

Safety Features

Check if the order pickers are reinforced with the following safety features or not. 

1. Operator guardrails: Prevent the operator from falling off from the elevated platforms.
2. Anti-slip platform: Reduces accidents due to sudden slipping.
3. Emergency stop button: Immediately shuts down the machine during a malfunction.
4. Harness attachment points: Allows operators to access high-reach points.

Maneuverability 

Lastly, you have to ensure the order pickers can be maneuvered easily around your warehouse. For this, consider checking the following parameters. 

1. Turning radius: Smaller for moving easily in tighter spaces
2. Control responsiveness: Smooth equipment handling for better control
3. Compact design: Can pass through narrow aisles

Maintenance Tips for Long-Lasting Performance 

Routine Inspections and Safety Checks

• Conduct periodic inspections of the order pickers to identify any mechanical or electrical problems. 
• Check if the safety features are functional or not. 
• Call for professional repair services if necessary without delays.

Battery Care for Electric Order Pickers

• Electric machinery pieces should be taken care of properly to ensure better performance. 
• Follow the charging instructions to avoid any damage to the batteries. 

Lubrication and Part Replacements for Smooth Operation

• Ensure the order pickers are properly lubricated to reduce wear and tear due to friction. 
• Get the worn-out parts replaced at the earliest for efficient operations.

Conclusion 

Having order pickers can help you process orders faster without putting in any manual effort. Your workers can also move swiftly and pick up the items from difficult areas. However, you need to invest in the right product to enjoy the benefits brought on the table. Get a consultation now from Zenith Canada to know which product will be best for your business operations. Visit Us!