Lifting, moving or positioning hazzardous circular containers on one’s own can lead to serious accidents and injuries without the use of proper equipment.
Fortunately, there are various types of drum handling equipment that can provide solutions to these common workplace tasks and can benefit your employees and business overall.
In this article, we will explore what these containers are, five different types of this handling equipment and how to use them, and how they can positively impact your business.
If by the end of this article you're wondering how this equipment can help your business specifically, please get in touch with a member of the Lifting Equipment Store USA (LES USA) team today!
WHAT IS A DRUM?
What is also known as a barrel, is a cylindrical container that is used for shipping bulk cargo, or large quantities of unpackaged goods.
You will find that they are often made out of steel or plastic (also known as poly drums), but they can also be made of dense paperboard (also known as fiber drums). The type used depends on what is to be put in it.
They can be certified for the shipment of dangerous goods or substances that pose a risk to the health, safety, or property of the environment.
We're going to look at a number of benefits below for how you can get massive value from these goods. We do want to highlight to you first that we wrote a more recent article that looks at all the factors you need to consider before using one that includes the different types and safety considerations in the article "Drum handling: important factors you need to consider" which you can give a read.
BENEFITS YOU CAN GET FROM USING ONE
There's a variety of equipment under this category that can help you accomplish any task safely and efficiently. The use of ergonomic versions of this handling equipment makes lifting, moving, and pouring these items easier on your employees – and ultimately your business.
Benefits you can get from using
- Create a safer work environment: Containers that are full are most likely to be heavy and can be filled with hazardous materials. Moving a full one on your own, or even with some help from others, is difficult, and attempting to do so can lead to serious injuries, accidents, and spills. By using proper equipment, the work of moving the goods is much easier and protects employees and the workspace.
- Improve efficiency: Moving and pouring is made much easier with the use of this handling equipment. The less time employees spend struggling with moving or pouring the goods is more time to get the job done.
- Increase productivity: This piece of equipment helps you get the job done quickly with less opportunity for accidents and injuries. Your business can accomplish and produce more during the workday without having to struggle with heavy versions.
- Monetary gains: Your business becomes more profitable when you avoid injuries, improve efficiency, and increase productivity because you’re saving time and money – a win-win situation for all of those involved.
FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES AND YOU CAN USE THEM
GRABS
These are one of the many types of forklift attachments available for handling goods. These offer you an efficient solution to lifting and transporting goods across long distances. These attachments offer single and double capacity.
You will find that some variations of this item are designed to lift in both horizontal and vertical positions for various applications. The grabs are able to grip the barrels by either wrapping around the middle, which is how it gets its name, or by gripping the top of the rim, known as a rim grab or gator grip.
These attachments, and any other forklift attachment for these goods, are simply slipped over the forks of the forklift and are ready to take on any job needed.
MIXERS
What is also known as a rotator, is a machine used for mixing and blending the contents of the barrel that may be prone to separation or need to be mixed during production. These can also eliminate contamination and reduce any clean-up or hazards in the workplace.
There are two types that you can get your hands on to use: a roller and a tumbler.
The roller is used to continuously roll a barrel on its side for a gentle mix within it, think of a cement maker.
A tumbler is used to continuously rotate a barrel end-over-end for a more vigorous mix inside of the item.
PALLETIZERS
You'll find that these hazardous goods storage devices are often stored on top of pallets. Using one of these provides the ability to position and remove the containers on and off pallets with ease, turning this heavy-duty task into a simple and effortless one.
These palletizers are manufactured to maneuver around the sides and corners of pallets with legs in a V formation. They can grab the containment cyclinders by the top rims for simple lifting and moving or they can wrap around the middle, which allows them to tilt and pour the parts or liquids inside as well.
You can get them either as manual or battery-powered versions. Manual palletizers are operated using by pumping a handle, while battery-powered palletizers are operated by controls.
VERTICAL-LIFT POURERS
Sometimes the contents of the barrel may need to be raised and poured out. These effective pourers (also known as tippers, tilters, or dumpers) make this an easy task as the operator is able to control the pouring angle and height while the contents are dispensed, especially useful if you and the team are dealing with hazardous goods as it creates a layer of safety with controlled motion of goods.
As just touched on, these allow you to control the pouring angle and height while dispensing the contents. You can even turn the containing cylinders 360° in either direction.
- A Single-Stage Vertical-Lift Pourer allows you to pour from up to 60” high
- A Two-Stage Vertical-Lift Pourer allows you to pour goods from the container from up to 106” high
- Dispensing the contents is made easier with the use of drum faucets and drum cones.
Vertical-Lift Pourers are also available with:
- Power Lift and Power Tilt – A motor powered hydraulic lift and tilt
- Power Lift with Manual Tilt – A motor powered hydraulic lift and a hand crank or pull chain for tilting
- Manual Lift and Manual Tilt – A hand pump for lifting and a hand crank or pull chain for tilting
Whichever vertical-lift pourer you choose is bound to make pouring a quick and efficient task.
MOVERS
There are different variations of these movers that include dollies, trucks, and cradles with each of them being designed to move your goods short distances away. This item is a simple and economical solution for moving goods when they don’t need to be poured or mixed.
Dollies are basically a small cart with rolling castors that the containment cylinder sits on top of. A lifter is necessary for lifting the goods on top of and off of the dolly. Dollies are ideal for moving through narrow aisles. We wrote about this item in detail in the article "drum dollies: everything you need to know" which you can give a read if you want to find out more about how this small yet sturdy item can benefit your business.
Trucks, also known as trolleys, are designed to pick up and roll the barrels around in one swift move. You will find that they can have 2-4 wheels – the more wheels the truck has, the less weight the operator has to support.
Cradles are carts that carry the cargo on its side for pouring or other applications. Some cradles can also act as a truck capable of vertically lifting the goods and rolling into the horizontal position. If the cradle is not equipped to lift on its own, a lifter must be used.
DO YOU NEED ANY OF THIS GEAR FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
We've gone through the different types of this equipment and how each one can benefit businesses and how each one can be used to give you an idea of whether your business could do with this solution or not.
If you think your business can benefit from equipment like this, please get in touch with an experienced member of the Lifting Equipment Store team today.
