Material Handling

1. INTRODUCTION
Need of the present day is for the equipments to handle heavy load with fast speed,
reliability, safety and economy. In order to meet the variety of requirements, equipments of
different types and sizes have been developed and are being manufactured. Application of
material handling devices is a prime consideration in designing new plants and for modifies
existing plants. These device increase output, improve quality, speed up the deliveries and
therefore, decrease the cost of production. Utility of these devices have further been increased
due to increase in labour costs and problems related to labour management.

Material handling equipments are mechanically, electrically, hydraulically or

pneumatically operated or use their combination. Material handling equipments are not
production machinery. These are auxiliary equipments which improve the flow of materials
which in turn reduce stoppages in production machines and thus increase their production.

Materials handling may be defined as the art and science of movement, handling and
storage of materials during different stages of manufacturing considered as material flow into,
through and away from the plant. It is in fact, the technique of getting the right goods safely, to
the right place, at the right time and at the right cost.

Material Handling is the movement, storage, control and protection of materials, goods and
products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal. The
focus is on the methods, mechanical equipment, systems and related controls used to achieve
these functions.

The material handling industry manufactures and distributes the equipment and services
required to implement material handling systems. Material handling systems range from
simple pallet rack and shelving projects, to complex conveyor belt and Automated Storage and
Retrieval Systems . Material handling can also consist of sorting and picking, as well
as automatic guided vehicles.

Material handling is an invariable part of any manufacturing or service operation, and there is
always a significant human input to those operations in terms of physical load. The physical load
is the effect of force inputs during material handling operations coming from the interaction with
material handling equipment or the material.

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2. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE SELECTING

MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENTS

2.1 Material to be handled

a) Size and shape

b) Quantity and weight of material

c) Characteristics of material

2.2 Plant buildings

a) Temporary or permanent

b) Width of doors

c) Height of ceilings

d) Level of floors

2.3 Speed requirements

a) Minimum, maximum and average speed required to meet desired rate of production

2.4 Distance over which material is to be moved

a) Fixed distance

b) Long distance

c) Work station

2.5 Installation and operating cost

a) Initial investment

b) Operating cost

c) Maintenance cost

d) Finance available for investment.

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3. TYPES OF MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT

3.1 Wheel barrows and Hand trucks

Fig. 5.1(a) Hand truck Fig. 5.1(b) Wheel barrow

A hand truck, also known as a two wheeler, stack truck, trolley, trolley truck, sack
barrow, sack truck, dolly, or bag barrow, is an L-shaped box-moving handcart with handles at
one end, wheels at the base, with a small ledge to set objects on, flat against the floor when the
hand-truck is upright. The objects to be moved are tilted forward, the ledge is inserted
underneath them, and the objects allowed tilting back and resting on the ledge. Then the truck
and object are tilted backward until the weight is balanced over the large wheels, making
otherwise bulky and heavy objects easier to move. It is a first-class lever.

Some hand trucks are equipped with stair climber wheels, which, as the name implies, are
designed to go up and down stairs. Stair climber wheels can sometimes be problematic when
trying to turn on flat ground as four wheels in a fixed position will be in contact with the ground.

Hand trucks are fabricated from many different types of materials, tube steel,
aluminum tube, aluminum extrusion and high impact plastics. Most commercial hand trucks that
are used for beverage and food service deliveries are rugged and very light weight. They are
usually designed from two extruded aluminum channel side rails and cast aluminum or
magnesium parts. Some of the options that may be considered are the types of wheels, stair
climber, handle type and size of wheels. Hand trucks are sometimes used as baggage
carts by porters in train stations and skycaps at airports.

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3.2 CRANES AND HOISTS

Fig. 5.5(a) Crane Fig. 5.5(b) Hoists

A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains,
and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is
mainly used for lifting heavy things and transporting them to other places. It uses one or
more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal
capability of a man. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and
unloading of freight, in the construction industry for the movement of materials and in the
manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy equipment.

The first construction cranes were invented by the Ancient Greeks and were powered by
men or beasts of burden, such as donkeys. These cranes were used for the construction of tall
buildings. Larger cranes were later developed, employing the use of human tread wheels,
permitting the lifting of heavier weights. In the High Middle Ages, harbor cranes were
introduced to load and unload ships and assist with their construction – some were built into
stone towers for extra strength and stability. The earliest cranes were constructed from wood,
but cast iron and steel took over with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.

For many centuries, power was supplied by the physical exertion of men or animals,
although hoists in watermills and windmills could be driven by the harnessed natural power. The
first 'mechanical' power was provided by steam engines, the earliest steam crane being
introduced in the 18th or 19th century, with many remaining in use well into the late 20th
century. Modern cranes usually use internal combustion engines or electric motors and
hydraulic systems to provide a much greater lifting capability.

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3.3 MONORAILS

Fig. 5.4 Monorails

A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole
support and its guide way. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or
the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track. The term originates from joining mono (one)
and rail (rail), from as early as 1897, possibly from German engineer Eugen Langen who called
an elevated railway system with wagons suspended the Eugen Langen One-railed Suspension
Tramway (Einschieniges Hängebahnsystem Eugen Langen). The transportation system is often
referred to as a railway.

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4. ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS

4.1 Advantages
 It eliminates unproductive handling of materials.
 It reduces the machine capacity thus ensuring better turnover of investment.
 It reduces the ideal time of labors.
 It eliminates the factory hazards and thus increases the safety of operations.
 The quality of material is maintained through minimum human touches, elimination of
breakages etc.
 The factory area is used most effectively, unproductive overhead and floor areas are used
most productively.
 Helps in maintaining in effective production control.

4.2 Disadvantages
 Material handling adds to the cost of product and not to its value.
 It has been estimated that at least 15-25 % of the cost of the product is attributable to
materials handling activities.
 The material is very soft and easily broken.
 A poor plant layout results in congestion, wastage, delays, frustration and inefficiency in
production process.
 Frequent breakdown of material handling equipment.
 Machines and are transferred to particular place, heavy and sophisticated equipment cannot
be used in such case.

4.3 Applications

 Automobile.
 Manufacturing.
 Building and Construction.
 Healthcare and Pharma.
 Automated order-filling stations.

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5. CONCLUSION
Material handling is an integral part of manufacturing activity. It does not add value to
the product but adds to its cost. Material handling problems are largely due to problems of bad
plan layout. Many a problems of materials handling can be avoided by improving the existing
plant layout.

Material handling activity can be made efficient by using some of the principles of
material handling. Mechanization of material handling is an important aspect and as such
selection of the proper material handling equipment must receive proper attention.

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REFERENCE
[1]. Mukalu Sandro Masaki, Lijun Zhang, Xiaohua Xia. A Comparative Study on the Cost-effective
Belt Conveyors for Bulk Material Handling.

[2]. Ivana Sulirova, Ludmila Zavodska, Miroslav Rakyta, Vera Pelantova. State-of-the-art
approaches to material transportation, handling and warehousing.

[3]. Rajesh R, Manual material handling: A classification scheme.

[4]. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material handling REFERANCE.

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