Warehouse Equipment & Material Handling
Choose the lift that removes the most bending, carrying, or repeated repositioning from the task.
A forklift can deliver a pallet, but workers still have to reach its contents. A cart can move parts, but workers may still have to lift them onto a bench. The right lift or positioner addresses those repeated handling steps.
Southworth’s five product families below serve different needs: powered height adjustment, pallet-jack access, automatic leveling, mobile handling, and container tilting.
| Product | Main Benefit | Ideal Use |
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Adjusts load height as work progresses, reducing repeated lifting from low levels. Optional conveyor tops support transfers between equipment. |
Powered positioning at a fixed workstation
Pallet breakdown beside a conveyor or packing bench, where workers need frequent height changes. |
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Accepts a hand pallet truck at floor level, then raises the pallet for handling. Avoids needing a forklift just to place a pallet onto an elevated lift platform. |
Pallet-jack loading and unloading
A receiving or replenishment station already supplied by hand pallet trucks. |
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Automatically adjusts height as load weight changes. Its rotating top brings the working side closer, reducing bending, reaching, and walking around the pallet. |
Repeated carton stacking and unstacking
Repeated handling of similar cartons with a load pattern suited to the spring setup. Requires no electricity or compressed air. |
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Combines a mobile cart with foot-pump height adjustment, reducing carrying and allowing material to be presented at the receiving work surface. |
Short transfers of smaller loads
Moving components between nearby inspection, kitting, and assembly stations, with occasional height adjustments. |
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Independently adjusts height and tilt angle to improve access to contents as a container empties. |
Picking from deep containers
Feeding parts from a suitable container to a picking or assembly station, where raising the container alone leaves an awkward reach. |
Ergonomic handling for product movement beside a conveyor
The application: At a pallet-breakdown station, an employee transfers cartons to a conveyor or packing bench. The first layer may be easy to reach, but each layer removed leaves the next one lower. Repeating that process across a shift creates frequent bends and longer lifts from the bottom of the pallet.
How it helps: A Backsaver supports the pallet while the operator raises the remaining cartons to a useful working height. The operator chooses when and how much to adjust, which is valuable when carton sizes, pallet heights, or handling tasks vary. A dedicated lift handles these changes after the pallet has been delivered.
Where it fits: Consider receiving, repacking, machine feeding, or assembly stations where material stays in one place while people work through it. Southworth also offers conveyor tops for supported transfers between compatible equipment, as shown in the photo.
What to compare: Choose this approach when direct control of elevation matters. Match the platform, lift travel, loading method, and controls to the workstation; a conveyor top is an application-specific option.
Floor-level pallet loading with powered positioning for receiving and replenishment
The application: A receiving team brings pallets to an inspection or replenishment station with hand pallet trucks. If cartons stay on the floor, workers must bend farther as the pallet empties. A conventional elevated platform can add another handling step if a forklift is needed to place the pallet on it.
How it helps: The pan-style platform lowers to floor level so a compatible hand pallet truck can place the load. The platform then raises the pallet for unpacking, counting, labeling, or inspection. As cartons are removed, staff can adjust the height to keep the remaining work accessible.
Where it fits: This arrangement suits areas already served by pallet jacks, including receiving bays, replenishment points, and packaging stations. It can also support larger products during assembly, as the refrigerator application illustrates. The shared requirement is floor-level loading followed by height adjustment.
What to compare: Select it when the delivery method is a deciding factor. Confirm pallet dimensions, truck clearance, platform size, working height, and approach space so the lift fits the existing route and station.
Explore Floor-Height Lift options
Automatic load leveling and rotation for repeated carton stacking and picking
The application: At the end of a packing line, employees build pallets one carton at a time. The bottom layers require low placements, while cartons on the far side invite reaching or walking around the load. The same movements occur in reverse when a pallet is broken down.
How it helps: The PalletPal 360 uses springs to lower the platform as weight is added and raise it as weight is removed. Its rotating top lets the worker bring the next side of the pallet closer. With the spring setup matched to the load, height adjustment happens without repeated control inputs or an electricity or compressed-air supply.
Where it fits: Repeated stacking or unstacking of similar cartons is a useful application, particularly where load patterns are predictable. Several units can support multiple picking or pallet-building positions, as the warehouse photo shows.
What to compare: Review carton weight, layer height, total load, and spring configuration together. Automatic leveling responds to weight changes. Where loads vary widely or the task requires a specific selected height, compare it with an operator-controlled powered lift.
Mobile lifting and height adjustment for parts moving between nearby workbenches
The application: Components move from inspection to kitting and then to a nearby assembly bench. Carrying each batch adds effort; a fixed-height cart still leaves workers lifting between the cart and work surface. Different bench heights make that transfer less convenient.
How it helps: A Manual Dandy combines a wheeled cart with a foot-pump lift. It carries the load between stations and provides an adjustable working surface at the destination. Where the component and receiving surface permit a supported transfer, matching their heights can reduce the amount of manual lifting.
Where it fits: Consider short transfers of parts, tooling, or assemblies, along with tasks that benefit from a movable work surface. The photo shows how Dandy carts can support a specialized factory workflow; the appropriate platform or fixture depends on the load.
What to compare: Check capacity, load footprint, height range, travel route, and transfer arrangement. Foot-pump operation is useful for occasional adjustments without a power connection. If a task calls for frequent raising and lowering, compare a powered cart against the effort and time required for manual pumping.
Adjustable height and angle for easier access to parts in deep containers
The application: An assembly operator repeatedly picks components from a deep container beside the workstation. Early in the batch, parts are near the top. As the container empties, the worker must reach farther down and across it, even if the container itself is already raised.
How it helps: A Lift + Tilt table provides independent adjustment of elevation and angle. Raising the container sets its overall position; tilting it changes how the opening and contents are presented to the worker. That combination can improve access as the supply runs down.
Where it fits: Consider feeding parts to assembly, inspection, or machine-tending stations where container depth is a persistent obstacle. Independent height and angle adjustment helps present the container opening and contents to the worker.
What to compare: Choose this approach when elevation alone leaves an awkward reach. Evaluate container dimensions and strength, the way contents shift, load stability, retention, and the required tilt angle. The container and its contents must be suitable for tilting; the right configuration depends on the complete load and the workstation.
The right Southworth lift starts with the task:
Backsaver provides powered height adjustment at a workstation.
Floor-Height lifts accommodate pallet-jack loading.
PalletPal 360 levels and rotates suitable pallet loads.
Manual Dandy carts move and position parts between nearby stations.
Lift + Tilt tables improve access inside deep containers.
Match the equipment to your load, delivery method, and working position to reduce repeated bending, reaching, and carrying. Forklifts can handle pallet transport while a dedicated lift supports the hands-on work between moves.
Share your load details and a short description of the current process with Conveyor Handling Company to discuss the appropriate lift, leveler, or positioner.