MATERIAL HANDLING
Material handling tip: finding a load’s center of gravity
Learn the importance of finding the center of gravity of a load along with step-by-step instructions on calculating the center of gravity (CoG) or balance point of unusually shaped loads. In material handling, having a wellbalanced pallet can often make the difference between a smooth trip from point A to point B and a costly tipover. Finding this equilibrium is fairly intuitive if you’re moving items that are uniform in shape and weight. However, what do you do when moving objects that don’t
have an obvious middle? What is the center of gravity of a load? In physics, an object’s center of gravity, center of mass, or balance point is an imaginary point where there is an equal mass on all sides. In the context of material handling,
the Center of Gravity (CoG) refers to the single point of the load or object where it can be carried perfectly balanced. To look at it another way, it’s also the point at which all the load’s weight is concentrated. Finding the location of the center of gravity While there is always the trial and error method, picking different spots and doing test lifts until you find the right location, there are shortcuts you can take to finding the center of gravity on a load without an apparent midpoint. Here are step-by-step instructions on finding the center of gravity of an object or load you need to move around the warehouse using lift scales, a tape measure, and a calculator: Determine load weight distribution Determining weight distribution is where the lift scale comes into play. First, you’ll need to weigh one side of the load, then the other. This will give you the object’s left end weight (LEW), Right End Weight (REW),
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Lifting Africa - Sep/Oct 2024