Lecture One: Basics of Materials Handling Equipment

MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
LECTURE ONE
Introduction
Basics of Materials Handling Equipment
Outlines
 Definitions of MHE
 Benefits & Limitation of MHE
 Classification and Application of Material
handling
 Design considerations in MHE
By: Amanuel DIriba.

9/7/2019 By: Amanuel Diriba 1
1.1 Material handling definition
 Material Handling is the movement, storage, control and
protection of materials, goods and products throughout the
process of manufacturing, distribution process including their
consumption and disposal.
 MH is the art and science of moving, storing, protecting, and
controlling material.
 Materials handling is the movement and storage of materials at
the lowest possible cost through the use of proper methods and
equipment.
 Materials handling is the art and science of conveying, elevating,
positioning, transporting, packaging and storing of materials.

Cont..
 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.

Cont..
The essential requirements of a good materials handling
system may be summarized as:
(i) Efficient and safe movement of materials to the desired place.
(ii) Timely movement of the materials when needed.
(iii) Supply of materials at the desired rate.
(iv) Storing of materials utilizing minimum space.
(v) Lowest cost solution to the materials handling activities.

Importance Of Materials Handling
• A good material handling system may have the following benefits.
1. Reduce cost by
– Utilizing space to better advantage
– Increasing productivity
– Making a few number of effective movements
2. Reduce waste by
– Eliminating damage to materials during the handling process
– Maintaining proper control over the in- and out of stock handling process
3. Improve working conditions by
– Providing safer working conditions
– Reducing worker fatigue
4. Improve the efficiency of the plant by
– Providing a better organization of storage facilities

Limitations Of Materials Handling
I. Additional capital cost involved in any materials handling
system.
II. Once a materials handling system get implemented, flexibility
for further changes gets greatly reduced.
III. With an integrated materials handling system installed,
failure/stoppage in any portion of it leads to increased
downtime of the production system.
IV. Materials handling system needs maintenance, hence any
addition to materials handling means additional maintenance
facilities and costs.

Classification and Application of MHE
• The material handling technically divided into five distinct
functional divisions or spheres of activity are:-
1. Bulk handling
– It involves the extracting, handling and storage of bulk materials
including gases liquids, semi-liquids and solids.
– These processes apply particularly in the processing, basic
heavy industries, and in the mine and construction industries.

2. Unit handling
– In manufacturing operations it covers the handling of
formed materials in the initial, intermediate and final stages
of manufacture.
– It involves the handling of unit loads ranging from pins to
locomotives.

3. Packaging
– Covers the design, selection and use of in process

containers, and included packing of semi-finished and
finished products

4. Warehousing
• The area covered by warehousing includes the receiving, storing,
shipping of materials in any form, and at any point in the process
of manufacture and distribution.

5. Carrier handling
– It covers the loading , securing, transporting , unloading
and transfer of all kinds of materials in highway trucks
railway cars, barges, ships, airlines and at carrier terminals.

Material handling equipment can be classified into five major
categories:-
1. Transport Equipment:-
– Equipment used to move material from one location to another
– e.g. between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area, etc.
– The major subcategories of transport equipment are conveyors, cranes,
and industrial trucks.
– Material can also be transported manually using no equipment.

Cranes

Industrial trucks

2. Positioning Equipment:-
– Equipment used to handle material at a single location

– e.g. to feed and/or manipulate materials so that are in the
correct position for subsequent handling, machining,
transport, or storage.
– Unlike transport equipment, positioning equipment is
usually used for handling at a single workplace.
– Material can also be positioned manually using no
equipment

Cont..
3. Unit Load Formation Equipment:-
– Equipment used to restrict materials so that they maintain
their integrity when handled a single load during transport
and for storage.
– If materials are self-restraining (e.g., a single part or
interlocking parts), then they can be formed into a unit
load with no equipment.

4. Storage Equipment
– Equipment used for holding or buffering materials over a

period of time.
– Some storage equipment may include the transport of
materials (e.g., the S/R machines of an AS/RS, or storage
carousels).
– If materials are block stacked directly on the floor, then no
storage equipment is required.

Cont..
5. Identification and Control Equipment:-
– Equipment used to collect and communicate the
information that is used to coordinate the flow of
materials within a facility and between a facility and
its suppliers and customers.
– The identification of materials and associated control
can be performed manually with no specialized
equipment.

Cont..
• The three groups of materials handling equipment classified by
their design features
a. Hoisting equipment:
– A group of machines with lifting gear intended for moving
loads mainly in batches.
– This type of equipment is intended mainly for unit loads
– Hoisting machinery , cranes and elevators belong to this
group.
b. Conveying equipment:
– A group of machines, which may have no lifting gear and
which move load in a continuous flow.
– They are intended for bulk and unit loads one at a time

Cont..
c. Surface and overhead equipment:
– A group of machines which may not be provided with
lifting gear and which usually handle loads in batches.
– Trackless trucks, narrow-gauge cars belong to this group.
Unit loads are formed solids of various sizes, shapes and

weights.
Bulk materials
– are those which are powdery, granular or lumpy in nature and are
stored in heaps.
– Example of bulk materials are: minerals (ores, coals etc.), earthly
materials (gravel, sand, clay etc.) processed materials (cement,
salt, chemicals etc.), agricultural products (grain, sugar, flour
etc.) and similar other materials.
Some Application area of MHE
The application of materials handling is very wide. It is worthwhile
to list a few of them.
1. Manufacturing industry
2. Building construction industry
3. Heavy construction industry
4. Mining industry
5. Food industry
6. Automotive and transportation industry

1.4 Design considerations in Material handling
I. Material characteristics
II. Flow rate
III. Plant layout
IV. Unit load principle

1. Material Characteristics
• Material characteristics affect type of transport and storage
equipment required
Category Measures
Physical state Solid, liquid, or gas
Size Volume; length, width, height
Weight Weight per piece, weight per unit volume
Shape Long and flat, round, square, etc.
Condition Hot, cold, wet, etc.
Safety risk and risk of Explosive, flammable, toxic; fragile, etc.
damage

Considerations …cont.
2. Flow rate
Quantity of
material
moved
Conveyors Conveyors
High AGV train
Manual handling Powered trucks

Low
Hand trucks Unit load AGV
Short Long Move Distance

Considerations …cont.
3. Plant Layout
Layout Type Characteristics Typical MH Equipment
Fixed – position Large product size, low Cranes, hoists, industrial trucks
production rate
Process Variation in product and Hand trucks, forklift trucks,

processing, low and medium AGVs
production rates
Product
Limited product variety, high Conveyors for product flow,
production rate trucks to deliver components to
stations.
4. Unit Load Principle
• The unit load should be as large as practical for the material
handling system that will move and store it.
• A unit load is the unit to be moved or handled at one time.
• A unit load includes the container, carrier, or support that will be
used to move materials.

Cont..
• Factors for determining unit load/ container:
– Size of carrier
– Size and weight of items
– Space for storing loaded/unloaded container
– Equipment used for moving
– Cost, supply and maintenance
– Aisle widths, door sizes, and clear stacking heights
– Environmental regulations

Cont..
Reasons for using unit loads in material handling:
– Multiple items handled simultaneously
– Required number of trips is reduced
– Loading/unloading times are reduced
– Product damage is decreased
Unit Load Disadvantages

– Time spent forming and breaking down the unit load
– Empty containers/pallets may need to be returned to their
point of origin.
– Cost of containers/pallets and other load restraining materials
used in the unit load

Cont..
The major advantages of unitization and handling of
unit loads are:
(i) It permits handling of larger loads at a time and
thereby reduces handling and transportation
costs.
(ii) Loading and unloading time of unit load is
substantially less than when handled as loose/
individual material.
(iii) Unitized loads are less susceptible to damage and
loss during movement from one place to another.
(iv) It offers safer handling and transportation
compared to those of loose materials

Lecture One: Basics of Materials Handling Equipment

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MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT

By: Amanuel DIriba.

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– Covers the design, selection and use of in process

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– Equipment used to handle material at a single location

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– Equipment used for holding or buffering materials over a

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Unit loads are formed solids of various sizes, shapes and

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Manual handling Powered trucks

Short Long Move Distance

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Process Variation in product and Hand trucks, forklift trucks,

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Unit Load Disadvantages

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