Forklift scales for inventory management

[dms074s]

I was put in charge of looking into the feasability of using forklift scales to monitor inbound and outbound inventory in a very large Wharehouse. We want to be able to compare known product weights against a total pallet weight to verify if the products are really there, without physically counting the product. The products weigh between 1.2lbs/case to 50+ lbs/case. As you can see the scales must be very accurate to be able to differentiate products in the 1-2 lb range. I was wondering if anyone else had used such a system and what where the results? How accurate was it, and would you have any other suggestions concerning such a system.
Thanks
Dan Simons

Reckit Benkiser

 

[automatic2]

I've not heard of anyone having good accuracy with a truck mounted scale. Floor scale would be the choice. Consider the variance in product/packaging density. It may render this approach impractical.

 

[chartist]

Hello dms074s,

Successfully used forklift and floor scales for warehousing applications.

Major source of errors is inconsistent pallet or container weight.

Focus on sorting tare consistency and regular reference checks.

 

[dms074s]

We are going to lease a system for one forklift so we can give it a trial run. I am going to have people double check the system for a month or so so we can evaluate the effectiveness. If we can improve our order filling accuracy we stand to save many thousands of dollars per month in interest on accounts put on hold. I will let you know, how it works.

Thanks for your replies,
Dan