Performance Analysis of Traditional and Trilateral Forklifts in Warehouse Material Handling: A Technical-Economic Evaluation and Simulation Study

This study analyzes the technical and economic aspects of selecting different types of material handling equipment within a warehouse and evaluates their impacts on the system’s performance. Specifically, the attention is focused on two main types of equipment used for material handling, namely the traditional forklift and the trilateral forklift. This study starts with a preliminary market analysis, then it simulates the implementation of the equipment types within a warehouse model with a pallet rack layout. The comparative analysis of the two material handling solutions is presented and illustrated so as to investigate the existence of a more efficient solution and on the optimization margins in terms of warehouse performance. Finally, the study suggests possible further investigations to be carried out in future research activities.