Material handling

MATERIAL HANDLING

Material Handling• Material handling is the function of

moving the right material to the right place in the right time, in the right amount, in sequence, and in the right condition to minimize production cost.– The cost of MH estimates 20-25 of total

manufacturing labor cost in the United States [The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA)]

Material Handling

• According to American society of material engineers “Material handling is an art & science involving the moving, packing & storing of substances in any form.”

• It involves movement of material mechanically & manually in batches or one by one within the plant.

The most successful brands in the world uses material handling and logistic solutions to gain competitive edge

ToyotaWal-MartDisneyCoca ColaNASAJohn DeereMitsubishiPepsi-Cola

Goals of Material Handling• The primary goal is to reduce unit

costs of production• Maintain or improve product quality, reduce

damage of materials• Promote safety and improve working conditions• Promote productivity

– material should flow in a straight line– use gravity! It is free power– move more material at one time– mechanize material handling– automate material handling

Overview of Material Handling Equipment

• Material handling equipment includes:– Transport Equipment: industrial trucks,

Automated Guided vehicles (AGVs), monorails, conveyors, cranes and hoists.

– Storage Systems: bulk storage, rack systems, shelving and bins, drawer storage, automated storage systems.

– Unitizing Equipment: palletizers – Identification and Tracking systems

I. Cranes and hoists:-

• Over head bridge cranes

o Jib Cranes

• Gantry crane

• Electrical hoists

Automated Guided Vehicles

• Elevators

• Stacker Crane

• Winches

• Monorail

II. Conveyors:-o Belt Conveyors

• Roller conveyors

• Bucket conveyors

• Screw conveyors

• Vibratory conveyors

IV. Trucks

• Tractors

• Trailers

• Rails

V. Ropeways and cableways

VI. Pipelines

VI.Auxiliary equipmentso Weighing equipments

• Containers

• Pallet loader and unloader

• Ramps

• Dock boards

• Dock levellers

20 Principles of Material Handling

1.The Planning Principle– Large-scale material handling projects

usually require a team approach.– Material handling planning considers

every move, every storage need, and any delay in order to minimize production costs.

– The plan should reflect the strategic objectives of the organization as well as the more immediate needs.

2.The systems principle: MH and storage activities should be fully integrated to form a coordinated, operational system that spans receiving, inspection, storage, production, assembly, …, shipping, and the handling of returns.

– Information flow and physical material flow should be integrated and treated as concurrent activities.

– Methods should be provided for easily identifying materials and products, for determining their location and status within facilities and within the supply chain.

3. Simplification principle– simplify handling by reducing, eliminating,

or combining unnecessary movement and/or equipment.

– Four questions to ask to simplify any job:• Can this job be eliminated?• If we can’t eliminate, can we combine movements

to reduce cost? (unit load concept)• If we can’t eliminate or combine, can we

rearrange the operations to reduce the travel distance?

• If we can’t do any of the above, can we simplify?

4. Gravity principle– Utilize gravity to move material

whenever practical.

5. Space utilization principle– The better we use our building cube,

the less space we need to buy or rent.– Racks, mezzanines, and overhead

conveyors are a few examples that promote this goal.

6. Unit load principle– Unit loads should be appropriately

sized and configured at each stage of the supply chain.

– The most common unit load is the pallet• cardboard pallets• plastic pallets• wooden pallets• steel skids

8. Automation principle– MH operations should be mechanized

and/or automated where feasible to improve operational efficiency, increase responsiveness, improve consistency and predictability, decrease operating costs.

– ASRS is a perfect example.

10. Equipment selection principle– Why? What? Where? When? How? Who?– If we answer these questions about each

move, the solution will become evident.

11. The standardization principle– standardize handling methods as well as

types and sizes of handling equipment– too many sizes and brands of equipment

results in higher operational cost.– A fewer sizes of carton will simplify the

storage.

12. The dead weight principle– Try to reduce the ratio of equipment weight to product

weight. Don’t buy equipment that is bigger than necessary.

– Reduce tare weight and save money.

13. The maintenance principle– Plan for preventive maintenance and scheduled repairs of

all handling equipment.– Pallets and storage facilities need repair too.

14. The capacity principle– use handling equipment to help achieve desired

production capacity– i.e. material handling equipment can help to maximize

production equipment utilization.