Chapter One MHE

DEBRE-MARKOS UNIVERSITY
Institute of Technology
School of Mechanical and Industrial engineering
Materials Handling Equipment (MEng 4251)

Chapter one: Basics of Materials Handling Equipment
U AS
AGM
U W. &
AR
MAM
Y: A.
RE DB
PA
P RE
1 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

CHAPTER 1
Part-1
Introduction to
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT

1.1 - Introduction to Material Handling
o Every modern and ancient wonder has one common

factor between them, i.e., the Time, which had taken to
complete these wonders.
o Take example
- Lalibela, Axum, Yiha, , Pyramids or Eiffel Tower.
o They all had taken many years to complete.
o If at present if we wish to construct all these wonders
they may take few months.
So where is the difference arises?

o In Ancient Times material handling is
Cont’d
not a concept but it is only formal
work which is needed in any activity.
- Elephants, Horses, Bulls, Oxen etc.

also Human Being is the most
important material transporter.
o In Middle Age history, Wheels were

invented.
o The job of material handling become
easier than earlier.

o As we turn towards Modern Age materials Cont’d
handling gained lots of importance.
o Modernization of Industries and
Civilizations needs MHE;
 Handle Heavy Loads
 High Speed
 Great Reliability and Safety
o The first assembly line at the Ford Motor
Company, within a short time, number of
other production assembly had been set
upon various types of Conveyors.

Material Handling (MH)- Defined ….
The Movement of Raw Materials,

Semi-finished Goods, and Finished
Products through various stages of
Production and Ware housing.

What do we mean Material handling is art and science (5
minutes)?
Materials Handling: can be defined as the art and science of conveying, elevating,
positioning, transporting and packaging and storing of materials regardless of
size, form and weight which effect a saving in money, time and place.
 Art : To most of the materials handling problem no unique solution exists and
more than one solution may be agreed.
 Lot of subjective considerations of the materials handling engineer go into it
(based on personal opinions/experience, interpretations, points of view,
emotions and judgment).
 For specific handling problem, multiple solutions could be provided based on
an individual perspective, experience and judgment. This makes MH an art.
 The Experience and Judgment of individual materials handling engineer.

Science :
 At the same time many scientific factors are also
considered to arrive at the solution (fact-based,
measurable and observable).
 data, computational programs, animations, statistics
and standards are being used to arrive at the solution.
This makes MH scientific.
Analytical Methods and Engineering Data, Formula,
Statistics and Standards

MH means Providing:
The right Materials
In the right Amount
In the right Condition
At the right Place
Non power driven/manual driven
In the right Position
In the right Sequence
In the right Time
For the right Price
By the right Method
Power driven

1.2 - Material Handling System
o A materials handling system can encompass an Entire

Plant and in some cases, even it Facilities the suppliers
and customers.
o In a manufacturing plant for example, it may begin at
the Receiving Dock, and continue through Inspection,
Storage, Processing, Packing, and Shipping.
o Materials handling system should contain two parallel
flows-the Physical Flow of Materials, and a
corresponding Flow of Information.

Materials Handling and Productivity
Materials handling is increasingly being recognized as a primary tool for
improving Productivity.
Importance of MHE in Modern Industries:
•Work force –up to 30% of the total work force
•Area- 50 to 60% of the factory floor
•Time–more than 85% of the total production time
•Total cost –15 to 70% of the total cost in a company
Assignment #1
o Do you think that Material Handling adds value to the product.? If so,
give brief reasoning and if not justify it.
•N.B: MH only adds to the cost of a product but not value.

Cont.….
o Though MH adds no value to a material being handled, it is estimated
to cost 20 to 35 % of the total expense of a manufacturing facility.

o A MHE is not a production machinery; that is it does not add value to
a product.
o It is an auxiliary equipment that improves the flow of material within
facilities
o It can link various processes together and synchronizes them
o Hence, it is desirable to plan and manage movement and related
facilities in order to maximize its effectiveness as related to the total
costs of the firm.
Cont’d
o In a manufacturing process raw material passes
through
1. Basic processing,
2. Assembly,
3. Materials handling
4. Inspection and test and
5. control
o MHE is a non value adding activity with a major cost
contributor to cost of the final product.

Material Handling Equipment‘s(MHE)
o Materials handling uses different equipment and mechanisms
called Materials Handling Equipment

o Starting from the time, the raw material enters the factory gate
and goes out of the factory gate in the form of finished product
MHE can link various processes together and synchronize
them in a manner not possible by any other means.
In many cases, materials handling equipment is the only
possible means of moving materials.

Cont’d
INPUT OUTPUT
INDUSTRIAL
FACILITY
CONTROL
Flow of Materials in an Industrial Facility

Stages of Material Handling Operation Performed
 Unloading the Incoming Material

 Moving the Unloaded Material to assigned storage
places in Warehouses
 Lifting the Material from its Storage Place during
Order picking
 Moving the Material for Processing, Inspection and
Packaging
 Loading Packages/Boxes/Cartons on to Transport
Vehicles

Characteristics Of Materials
o Basic characteristics of material is made on the basis of
forms, which are:

☞Gases,
☞Liquids,
☞Semi Liquids (Slurry, Sewage, Sludge, Mud, Pulp,

Paste etc.) and
☞Solids (Unit load and Bulk load (materials)).

Unit Loads: are formed solids of Various Sizes, Shapes and Weights.
Some of these are counted by number of pieces like Machine Parts,
Molding Boxes, Fabricated Items. Goods like Containers, Bags, Packaged
Items etc. and materials which are handled in-masses like forest products
(logs), structural, pig iron etc. are other examples of unit loads.
 The Specific Characteristics of Unit Loads are their Overall Dimensions,
Shape, Piece-Weight, Temperature, Inflammability, Strength/Fragility etc.
 Hoisting Equipment and Trucks are generally used for handling Unit
Loads. Certain types of Conveyors are also used particularly for

Cartons/Packaged Items and Metallic Long Products like Angles, Rods etc.

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.
 Major characteristics of Bulk Materials, so far as their handling is
concerned, are: Lump-Size, Bulk Weight, Specific Weight, Moisture

Content, Flowability (mobility of its particles), Angles of Repose,
Abrasiveness, Temperature, Proneness to Explosion, Stickiness, Fuming
or Dusty, Corrosivity, Hygroscopic etc.
o Selection of the Most Effective and Economical Unloading Equipment
Unloading and Feeding Equipment for Bulk Materials
depends on:
☞ Type of Carrier to be Unloaded (Car, Cargo Ship, …)
☞ The Characteristics and Condition of Material
☞ The Unloading Rate
☞ Annual Tonnage
☞ The means of Moving Cars of barges to and from the unloader
☞ Cost of Demurrage (Cost of Delay in Time for Large Ships)
o Sluggish and Sticky Materials often require Car Shaker for Quick, Clean
Discharge of Hopper Cars or Rotary Dumper for higher capacity.
o Frozen Coal or Ore may require Thawing(Substance becoming Liquid or
Soft as a result of Warming up).

Unloading Equipment's

Cont’d

Cont’d
After the Unloading Process, the material is stored and
then A Uniformly Controlled Feed is necessary

depending upon the required Capacity, as well as the
Size, Flowability, Moisture Content and other
Characteristics of the material.

Feeding Equipment's

Benefits of Good MH system
i. Reduce Cost
Utilizing space to better advantage
Increasing productivity
Making a few effective movements
ii. Reduce Waste
Eliminating damage during handling.
Maintaining proper control over the in-and-out of
stock handling process
iii. Improve Working Conditions
Providing safer working conditions
Reducing worker fatigue
iv. Improve the Efficiency of the Plant
Providing a better organization of storage facilities

Goals of MH System
☞Reduce Unit Costs of Production
☞Maintain or Improve Product Quality by reducing
Damages
☞Promote Safety and Improve Working Conditions
☞Promote Productivity
☞Promote Increased Use of Facilities
☞Control Inventory
MH System Equation
☞ Materials + Moves + Methods = Preferred System

1.3 - Classification of MHE

According to Functional Groups
☞ Bulk Handling
Example: Bulk Materials, Gases and Liquids, Semi-Liquids and Solids
☞ Unit Loads
Materials that can be handled as a Single Mass. Example: Car
☞ Packaging
Design, Selection and Use of In Process Containers,
☞ Warehousing
Receiving, Storing and Shipping of Materials
☞ Carrier Handling
Covers the Loading, Securing, Transporting, Unloading and Transfer of all

Kinds of Materials in Highway Trucks, Railway Cars, Barges, Ships,
Airplanes and at Carrier Terminals

According to Design
☂ 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.
Example: Hoisting Machinery, Cranes and Elevators
☂ 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.
Examples: Pneumatic and Hydraulic Conveyors
☂ Surface and Overhead Equipment
A group of machines which may not be provided with lifting gear and which
usually handle loads in batches.
Examples: Trackless Trucks, Narrow – Gauge Cars,
Industrial Trucks
MHE Classification Based on Types of Equipment
 The Nature of Industries, Manufacturing Processes Involved and
Types / Designs of Machines and Plants in Operation are
numerous.
 Consequently the variety of materials handling equipment and
systems used in industry is also very large in number and diverse
in concept and design.
 MHE can be classified based on the following basic types of
equipment:
i. Industrial Vehicles/Trucks
ii. Conveyors
iii.Hoisting Equipment
iv. Robotic Handling System

Industrial Vehicles/Trucks
o Suitable for the movement of mixed or unitized load,
intermittently, where primary function is Maneuvering or

Transporting.
o Manual or Power Driven
o The three categories of industrial vehicles are Walking,
Riding and Automated Guided.

Walking Industrial Vehicles
o Walking industrial vehicles can be classified as Hand

Driven and Power Driven.
 Two Wheel Hand Truck
Bent-Noise Truck Heavy-Duty Truck Single-grip Handle Single-

for Bags for Boxes Truck for Beverage Cylinder Truck

 Hand Lift Trucks Cont’d

Power Driven Trucks
It is used to lift, maneuver, and transport material for

short distance.
Its Battery Powered for both lifting and transporting.
Pallet Lift Truck(Battery)

Riding Industrial Vehicles
Allow the vehicle operator to ride to, form, and between
locations.
They are typically used for Longer Moves than walking
vehicles and also offer additional Weight and Storage
Height capacity.
stand-up counterbalanced fork truck double reach fork truck

Cont’d
Fork Lift Trucks
These are Self Loading, Counterbalanced, Powered,
Wheeled Vehicles, with the operator seating on the

vehicle.
Designed for Lifting, Lowering, Loading and
Unloading and Maneuvering of medium to large
weight, uniform shaped unit loads, intermittently.

Cont’d

Powered Industrial Trucks and Unit Load Handling Pallets

Cont’d
The Limitations of these equipment are
i. Usually requires Pallet/Skid/Container,
ii. Requires Skilled Operator,
iii. Equipment needs Maintenance Facility,
iv. Capacity of these equipment vary from 1ton up to
about 60 tons,
v. Slow Travel Speed (10-15 km/h) ,
vi. Suitable for Short Hauls(Pull or Drag) (hundreds of
meters).

Automated Guided Vehicles(AGVs)
o The AGVs belongs to a class of highly flexible, intelligent
and versatile material handling systems used to transport

materials from various loading locations throughout a facility.
o An AGV is a material handling system that is Independently
Operated, Steerable, Wheeled Vehicle, driven by electric

motors using Storage Batteries; and it follows a Predefined
path along an aisle.

Cont’d
Components of AGV’s
 The Vehicle
 The Guide Path
 The Control Unit
 The Computer Interface

Types of AGV’s
Cont’d
Some commonly used AGVs are:
Driverless Train (Towing vehicle)
Unit Load Vehicles
Pallet Trucks
Fork Trucks
Work Platforms

Cont’d
Driverless Train
Pallet Truck
Unit Load Vehicle

Cont’d
AGV

Management of AGV’s
Some of the important issues that must be considered for

the proper management of AGVs:
Guidance Systems
o Wire guidance system
o Non-wire guidance system
Routing (direction finding or steering)
AGVs Control Systems
Vehicle Dispatching
Interfacing with other Subsystems

Conveyors
These are Gravity or Powered equipment commonly
used for Moving Bulk Materials in process industries

or unit load continuously or intermittently, uni-
directionally from one point to another over fixed
path.

Conveying Equipment

Screw Vibratory
Conveyor Conveyors
Chute Drag
Conveyor Conveyor
Conveying Equipment

Bucket Elevators

Conveying Equipment

Conveying Equipment

Conveying Equipment

Conveying Equipment

Surface and Overhead Equipment

Hoisting Equipment
Hosting equipment are usually powered equipment
used for Lifting and Lowering unit and varying loads

intermittently.
The primary function of hoisting equipment is
Transferring through lifting and lowering operations.

Hoisting Equipments
Jacks

Hoisting Equipments
Winches
• The means of traction employed into
rope winches and chain winches;
• The way of mounting, into stationary
winches and mobile winches;
• The number of drums, into single
drum, twin-drum, and multi-drum
winches; and
• The type of drum used, into grooved-,
smooth-, and whelped-drum winches.

Hoisting Equipments
Capstans

Hoisting Equipment

Hoisting Equipments
Hoists

Hoist, Elevator and Crane
Hoisting Equipment Bridge Crane

Cent…
Monorail Crane Gantry

Crane
Cntd…
Jib Crane Car Mounted Crane

Hoisting Equipment

Hoisting Equipments
Lifts

Hoisting Equipments
Travelling Cantilever Wall Cranes

Hoisting Equipments
Bridge crane

Hoisting Equipments
Tower crane

Hoisting Equipments

Hoisting Equipments

Hoisting Equipments

Robotic Handling System
Designed to move Material, Parts, Tools, Or

Specialized Devices through Variable Programmed
Motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.

Robotic Handling System

Area of Application
1. Manufacturing Industry
2. Building Construction Industry
3. Heavy Construction Industry
4. Mining Industry
5. Food Industry
6. Automotive and Transportation Industry

1.4 - Selection of Proper Equipment
o Usually there are various alternative methods for handling
materials in any given facility.
o The question is how does one go about selecting the right
approach.
o Recommended Sequence of Steps to Solve Materials Handling
Problems are:
1.Identify and Define the Problem
2.Collect Relevant Data
3.Analyze the Data
4.Evaluate Alternative
5.Choose the Preferred Solution
6.Apply the Solution

1. Identify and Define the Problem
Problem identification sample Check list used as starting point and aid in spotting handling problems
in an existing plant. ☞ Unused Building Cube Space
☞ Crowded Operating Condition ☞Excessive Re-Handling
☞ Cluttered Aisles (Disordered Things are Separated as Sections) ☞Single Pieces handled instead of Unit
☞ Cluttered Docks(Disordered Place to Load or Unload the Materials ) Loads
☞ Poor Housekeeping ☞Production Delays
☞ Jam-ups in Service Departments ☞Idle Equipment and Machines
☞ Backtracking in Materials Flow ☞High Damage Rate
☞ Obstacles in Materials Flow ☞High Demurrage Charges
☞ Manual Loading and Unloading ☞High Indirect Labor Costs
☞ Two Man Lifting Jobs ☞Skilled Employees Waste Time
☞ Excess Temporary Storage Handling Materials
☞ Excess Time Spend in Retrieving
☞Materials Handling Equipment more
than 10 years old
Stored Goods

Defining the Problem
•What is the Scope of the problem?

Is it limited to the Work Area?....How many Square
Meters?
Is it attributed to the On-site Storage Facilities?
Is it caused by poor Workplace Practice?
Is it because of the way Materials are Delivered?
Is it because of the Adjacent Department? … How Far is
the Adjacent Department?
Is it because of poor Layout of Production Area?
This phase should be based on Quantitative Information.

2. Collecting Relevant Information
✎Be careful !
o Answers to some of the necessary question may not be
immediately available.
o Data Collection may take long time and care must be taken
to ensure that the data generated and collected are reliable.
o Solutions are based on the Collected Data
3. Analyze the Data
o As a first step in analyzing the data, It is advisable to
consider the 20 Principles of materials handling

The Twenty Principles of Materiel Handling
1. PLANNING PRINCIPLE : All handling activities should
be planned.
2. SYSTEMS PRINCIPLE: Integrate as many handling
activities as possible encompassing full scope of
operations like receiving, storage, production, inspection,
packaging, warehousing, shipping/transportation.
3. MATERIAL FLOW PRINCIPLE : Plan operations
sequence and equipment arrangement to optimize
material flow.
4. SIMPLIFICATION PRINCIPLE: Reduce, combine or
eliminate unnecessary movement and/or equipment. It
increases efficiency of materials handling.
Cant…
5. GRAVITY PRINCIPLE : Utilize gravity to move material

whenever practicable.
6. SPACE UTILIZATION PRINCIPLE : Make optimum use of
building volume.
7. UNIT SIZE PRINCIPLE : Increase quantity, size, weight of loads
handled.
8. SAFETY PRINCIPLE : Handling methods and handling
equipment use must be safe.
9. MECHANIZATION/AUTOMATION PRINCIPLE : When
appropriate, use mechanized or automatic materials handling
equipment.

Cont…
10. EQUIPMENT SELECTION PRINCIPLE : Before selecting
materials handling equipment, consider all aspects of materials
handling, e.g., materials to be handled, moves to be made, methods
to be utilized.
11. STANDARDIZATION PRINCIPLE : Materials handling
methods and equipment should be standardized to the extent
possible.
12. FLEXIBILITY PRINCIPLE : Use methods and equipment,
which can perform different tasks and applications.
13. DEAD-WEIGHT PRINCIPLE : Reduce the dead-weight
movement.
14. MOTION PRINCIPLE : Stoppage of mobile equipment should
be minimum.

Cotd…
15. IDLE TIME PRINCIPLE : Reduce idle or unproductive time of
both materials handling equipment and manpower.
16. MAINTENANCE PRINCIPLE : Do schedule maintenance and
repair work of all materials handling equipment to minimize outage.
17. OBSOLESCENCE PRINCIPLE : Replace obsolete handling
methods and equipment by more efficient methods or equipment to
improve operations.
18. CONTROL PRINCIPLE : Use materials handling equipment to
improve production & inventory control and order handling.
19. CAPACITY PRINCIPLE : Use Materials Handling so that full
production capacity can be achieved.
20. PERFORMANCE PRINCIPLE : Select materials handling
systems with higher efficiency, measured in terms of expenses per
unit load handled.
4. Evaluating Alternatives
Once appropriate data have been assembled and
analyzed, the engineer can begin developing and
evaluating alternative solution plans.
Evaluating alternative solutions rely on the elements of
MHE
✍People - How many operators are needed?
✍Equipment - What type of equipment is required?
✍Facilities- Will a new additional building required?
✍Money - How much will it cost?
✍Time - How long will it take?

5. Choosing the Solution
o The proper choice of MHE requires knowledge of the operational
characteristics of the various MHE and a thorough understanding

of the production process and organizational setup of the enterprise.
o All alternatives should be tested either by Quantitative
Techniques or using some Simulation Models.
☞ Feasibility Test
☞ Economical Test
☞ Operational Characteristics

 The principal technical factors for the choice of types of MHE
are the following:
1. Kinds and Properties of Load
2. Required Hourly Capacity
3. Direction and Length of Travel
4. Methods of Stacking Loads
5. Characteristics of Production Process involved in Moving
Loads
6. Economic and Other Considerations

6. Applying the Solution
o Once a preferred solution has been identified, the major
task and challenge is developing the implementation plan.

o Generally, the following steps are involved in
implementing a materials handling systems project.
1. Develop Specifications
2. Evaluate Supplies
3. Evaluate Bids
4. Select Supplies
5. Award Contracts

Advantage and disadvantages of MHE
Advantages Disadvantages
• Improvement in the
productivity • Initial cost of the equipment in
• Better use of floor space and the most of cases is high
facilities • Skilled labour or operator is
• Reduced cost of required to operate almost all
transportation types of material handling
• Less fatigue to the workers system.
• Improved work environment • If not operated well there are
• Reduction in bottlenecks concerns of horrible accidents
• Greater flexibility and hazards.
• Improvement in the safety • Regular maintenance is
and reduction in the accident required.
• Installation and operating cost
89 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. is high. 07/07/2023
PART TWO
Principles of Materials Handling

Principles of Materials Handling

Introduction
o The word Principle means, in the context of materials handling, a
prescribed Rule or Guide to accepted procedures, established through
past experience, which is taken for granted or accepted as
authoritative by practitioners.
o Certain fundamental principles for Analyzing and Designing Solutions
to materials handling problems have been developed over a period of
time based on experience of many materials handling experts.
o These can be used as general guide by any fresh materials handling
practitioner, for analyzing a materials handling problem and arriving
at a solution to same.
o Many of the materials handling problems may be initially treated by
these principles before undertaking detailed technical analysis. In
certain materials handling problems, these principles may become the
only resort to an acceptable solution where the exact analysis is too
costly or difficult.
20 Principles of Material Handling
1. The PLANNING PRINCIPLE : All Handling activities should
be Planned.
 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.
 Material should be placed on support and not the floor directly.
 Provide sufficient storage space at the work-place.
 Plan for scrap removal means
 Minimize movement of men and material

2. The Systems Principle:
o Integrate as many Handling Activities as possible encompassing
full scope of operations like Receiving, Storage, Production,

Inspection, Packaging, Warehousing, Shipping/Transportation.
 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.
 Integrated activities into the handling system
 Material flow between work areas be planned.

3. The Material Flow Principle :
o Plan Operations Sequence and Equipment Arrangement
to Optimize Material Flow.

o Implementation Activities:
✎ Avoid overcrowding
✎Eliminate obstacle in the flow
✎Move in the direct path and avoid backtracking
✎Minimize movements between floors and buildings
✎Plan proper location of sub-assemblies
✎Plan related work areas close together

4. The Simplification Principle:
o Simplify handling by Reducing, Combining or Eliminating
unnecessary Movement and/or Equipment. It increases

Efficiency of materials handling.
✎ Reduce variety of equipment
✎ Eliminate re handling
o 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?
5. The Gravity Principle :
o Utilize Gravity to Move material whenever practicable.
✈Use roller conveyors, slides, chutes between
equipment/processes.
✈Use ramps between varying work or floor levels.
✈Use sloping floor when materials movement by hand truck
is mainly in one direction.

✈Use spiral chutes to feed machines at different floors

6. The Space Utilization Principle :
o Make Optimum use of Building Volume.

☞ 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.
☞ Equipment for work area may be kept in reasonably close
position.
☞ Inventory at temporary stores must not kept too much.
☞ Dispose obsolete or scrape items in time.
☞ Utilize height of building and use rack to permit higher
stocking.

7. The Unit Size Principle :
o Increase Quantity, Size, Weight of Loads handled. Since Larger
the Load, Lesser will be the Cost per unit handled.

o Implementation activities:
☞Handle unit loads
☞Use standardized containers and pallets
☞ Examine possibility of unitization of loads.
☞Use containers for unitization of loads.
☞Procure materials in larger units.
☞ Design load size to make optimum use of handling equipment
capacity.

8. The Safety Principle :
o Handling methods and Handling Equipment use must be Safe.
o Implementation Strategy
✍Provide adequate guards and other safety devices
✍Handling equipment should be kept in good operating condition
✍Highlight danger areas
✍Emergencies switches or controls be provided
✍Provide good housekeeping
✍Do not overload materials handling equipment.
✍Maintain floor in good condition and clean.
✍Provide adequate shop lighting
✍Materials handling equipment operators should be properly trained.
✍Keep materials handling equipment in proper condition and do not use defective
equipment.
✍Use mechanical handling equipment for difficult handling activities and to
handle dangerous/hazardous materials.
100 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

9.The Mechanization/Automation Principle :
o When appropriate, use Mechanized or Automatic materials
handling equipment.
o Consider Mechanized System in the following cases:
☞ Large quantities or volumes of materials,
☞ Repetitive movement,
☞ Long moves,
☞ Hazardous move/materials,
☞ Two man lifting, moving tasks,
☞ Excess manual handling,
☞ Replacing large number of persons involved in handling,
☞ Heavy materials,
☞ Scrap removal,
☞ Feeding/unloading of high speed automated production machines.
o But Do not Over Mechanize.
101 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

10. The Equipment Selection Principle :
o Before selecting materials handling equipment, consider all aspects of
materials handling, e.g., Materials to be Handled, Moves to be made,

Methods to be Utilized.
 Select versatile equipment
 Cost per unit to be handled should be compared
 Equipment should be economical on long term basis
 Select standardized equipment.
 Consider unitization of load for handling.
 Select capacity judiciously. Provide additional capacity based on future
plan.
Why? What? Where? When? How? Who?

102 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
11. The Standardization Principle :
o Materials handling Methods and Equipment should be
Standardized to the extent possible.

 Standardize the equipment, containers etc.
 Standardized methods
 Trained employees
 Purchase standard types and sizes of equipment.
 Use standard sizes of pallets to fit products, bay sizes,
equipment and transport trucks.
103 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

12. The Flexibility Principle :
o Use Methods and Equipment, which can Perform Different

Tasks and Applications.
 Buy flexible equipment like Fork Lift Truck, Conveyor etc.
 Use variable speed drives.
 Make use of attachment & accessories.
 Use four ways pallets, skids and containers.
 Utilize mobile in favour of fixed equipment (e.g. trucks in
favour of fixed conveyors)
 Cost per unit to be handled should be compared
104 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

13. The Dead-weight Principle :
o Reduce the Dead-Weight Movement or Reduce Weight
of Equipment:
✎ Movable materials handling equipment should be made
of lightweight materials like aluminum, magnesium etc.
✎Use lightweight, pallets, skids, containers etc.
✎Consider expendable pallets, containers etc.
✎Select lightweight equipment for light load.
105 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

14. The Motion Principle :
o Stoppage of Mobile Equipment should be Minimum. The
handling principle should be kept in Motion i.e. minimum

period of loading and unloading.
o Implementation:
 Reduce loading/unloading time
 Load/unload while materials handling equipment is in motion, if
possible.
 Use mechanized loading/unloading equipment.
 Use self-loading/unloading equipment like lift truck.
 Use devices like bottom discharge containers etc.
106 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

15. The Idle Time Principle :
o Reduce Idle or Unproductive Time of both Materials Handling
Equipment and Manpower.

o Implementation:
 To avoid idle manpower, deliver material at a desired rate.
 Do not use productive labour for handling or Use indirect labour
for materials handling.
 Equipment should be fully utilized.
 Combine jobs i.e. one man handles two or more machines or
jobs.
 Install handling equipment to reduce labour.
107 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

16. The Maintenance Principle :
o Do Schedule Maintenance and Repair Work of all materials
handling equipment to minimize outage.

o Implementation:
 Train operators/maintenance personnel properly.
 Follow maintenance procedures as per manufacturers' recommendations.
 Operators should check conditions daily and report.
 Do repair/maintenance to avoid breakdowns.
 Establish preventive maintenance program.
 Maintain adequate spares.
 Standardize equipment to reduce spares.
 Avoid over maintenance.
 Avoid over loading of materials handling equipment.
108 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

17. The Obsolescence Principle :
o Replace Obsolete Handling Methods and Equipment

by more Efficient Methods or Equipment to Improve
Operations.
o Implementation:
Establish a definite replacement policy.
Rent or lease new equipment to tryout.
Keep up-to-date as to what is new in the market
through books, journals, expositions, factory visits,
conference, manufacturers' representatives etc.
109 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

18. The Control Principle :
 Use materials handling equipment to improve production &
inventory control and order handling.

 Implementation:
 Provide direct mechanical paths for material movement
 Materials should be moved in predetermined quantity and size.
 Material should be moved as per schedule.
 Move materials in lots, batches, containers of a predetermined quantity
and size.
 Synchronize materials handling with production.
 Coordinate materials handling program with purchasing and production.
 Use mechanized handling.
110 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

19. The Capacity Principle :
o Use Materials Handling so that full Production Capacity can
be achieved.
o Implementation:
 Use mechanical handling systems for uniform flow of materials.
 Operate equipment at optimum rate.
 Plan to utilize return run of the materials handling equipment.
 Make full use of building volume or Utilize overhead space
 Change size, shape of unit load to utilize space, equipment and
manpower.
 Use outdoor or rented storage space, when necessary.
 Widen aisle ways to speed materials movement.
111 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
20. The Performance Principle :
o Select materials handling systems with higher efficiency,
measured in terms of expenses per unit load handled.
o Performance of handling be measured in terms of COST PER
UNIT HANDLED, SAFE WORKING CONDITION,
INCREASE IN PRODUCTION RATE or REDUCE
MANPOWER FOR HANDLING.
o Implementation:
 Identify all possible units, which could be used as a basis for
comparison.
 Select common, convenient, standard equipment.
 Use versatile equipment.
112 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Part Three
Materials Handling Equipment Safety
113 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

What is Safety
o Safety is the state of being "safe" (from French sauf).
o The condition of being protected against physical,
social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional,
occupational, psychological, educational or other types
or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents,
harm or any other event which could be considered non-
desirable. This can take the form of being protected
from the event or from exposure to something that
causes health or economical losses.
114 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

SAFETY
SAFETY
DOESN'T COME
BY ACCIDENT
115 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Introduction
o Handling and storing of materials involve diverse

operations such as hoisting tons of steel with a crane;
driving a truck loaded with concrete blocks; carrying
materials manually; and stacking palletized bricks or
other materials such as drums, barrels.
o Materials handling equipment is used to move a load and
is found in a variety of workplaces. It can range in size
and design from the humble office trolley to a 1000 tone
mobile crane.
116 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
 Workers must be aware of both manual handling safety
concerns and safe equipment operating techniques.
 When moving materials through a mechanical means,
avoid overloading the equipment by letting the weight,
size, and shape of the material being moved and dictate
the type of equipment used for transporting it.
 Applying general safety principles such as proper work
practices, equipment, and controls can help reduce
workplace accidents involving the moving, handling,
and storing of materials.
117 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Principles of MHE Safety
The basic principles for reducing risk of injury that may be

applied to mechanical hazards are as follows:
Identification of the hazard;
Elimination or reduction of hazards by design;
Use of safeguards;
Use of safe working practices.
118 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
o When designing a material handling equipment,
knowledge of possible mechanical hazards will aid the
designer and manufacturer.
o Where the creation of a hazard cannot be avoided, it
may still be possible to reduce the scale of injury that
can be caused, e.g. by reducing speeds or forces.
o Providing safeguards and safe working practices can
reduce the scale of injury.
o The avoidance of injury depends on the reliability of
these measures.
119 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Mechanical Hazards in MHE
 Movement of material handling equipment parts

consists basically of rotary, sliding or reciprocating
motion or a combination of these.
 These movements may cause injury by entanglement,
friction or abrasion, cutting, shear, stabbing or
puncture, impact, crushing, or by drawing a person
into a position where one or more of these types of
injury can occur.
120 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Entanglement
 Bodily contact with the following features may lead to
entanglement(mess/embarrassing situation). E.g.
couplings, spindles, chucks, lead screws, mandrels,
bars, or rotating work pieces.
121 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
o Entanglement can also caused by catching on
projections or in gaps, e.g. fan blades, spiked pulleys,
chain wheels, gear wheels and flywheels, mixer and
beater arms, spiked cylinders, belt fasteners, projecting
keys, set screws, cotter pins on shafts or slat conveyors.
122 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
 Another two possibilities of entanglement are by catching
between two counter rotating parts, e.g. gear wheels, rolling
mills, and mixing rolls.
 Secondly catching between rotating and tangentially moving
parts, e.g. a power transmission belt and its pulley, a chain and
chain wheel, a rack and pinion, etc.
123 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Friction and Abrasion Hazards
 Friction burns can be caused by relatively smooth parts
operating at high speed e.g. periphery of an abrasive wheel, belt
sanding machines, material running on to a reel or shaft, a
conveyor belt and its drums or pulleys, and fast moving ropes or
belts.
124 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cutting Hazards
o Examples of cutting hazards include all kinds of cutting tool,
rotating gears, rotary knives, disc blades, or edges of moving
sheet material.
o Each of these forms is very dangerous and is capable of cutting
by virtue of its own speed of movement when it comes into
contact with the body.
125 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Shear Hazards
 Parts of the body may be sheared between two material handling

equipment parts, e.g. nip points between connecting rods or links
and rotating wheels, or oscillating pendulum movements.
126 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Impact Hazards
o Impact hazards are caused by objects which act against the
inertia of the body but do not penetrate it e.g. the traversing
motion of equipment part, oscillating pendulum movements,
striking by projections or moving counterweights.
127 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Crushing Hazards
o Crushing occurs when one part of material handling equipment
parts moves against another with a part of the body in between.
o The traversing motion of a material handling equipment part and
a fixed structure not being part of the equipment may also create
this type of hazard.
128 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Drawing-in Hazards
o Shearing or crushing injuries can be caused when a part of the
body is drawn into a running or in-running nip formed between
two counter-rotating parts, e.g. meshing gears, in-running nips
between a rotating surface and a tangentially moving surface,
power transmission belt and pulley, chain and chain wheel.
129 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Safety Requirements of MHEs
o Workers who must handle and move materials often use
lifting devices, cranes and hoists, automatic storage and
retrieval system, fork trucks, platform lift trucks,
motorized hand trucks, automatic guided vehicle, and
other specialized industrial trucks powered by electrical
motors or internal combustion engines.
o The potential for serious injury and/or property damage
underscores the need for appropriate operator training
and knowledge of specific procedures for the safe use
of these devices.
130 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Industrial Truck
o Powered industrial trucks must meet the design and

construction requirements for powered industrial trucks.
o Approved trucks shall also bear a label or some other
identifying mark indicating acceptance by a nationally

recognized testing laboratory.
o Modifications and additions that affect capacity and safe
operation of the trucks shall not be performed without the

manufacturer's prior written approval.
131 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
Conveyors
o To reduce the severity of an injury, an emergency switch is

installed at the employee's work station.
o Continuously accessible conveyor belts should have an
emergency stop cable that extends the entire length of the
conveyor belt so that the cable can be accessed from any
location along the belt.
o Before starting the conveyor appropriate personnel must
inspect the conveyor and clear all obstacles.
o Operators must never ride on a materials handling conveyor.
132 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
Where a conveyor passes over work areas or aisles, it
must be guarded to protect employees and either

marked with a warning sign or painted a bright color.
Screw conveyors must be completely covered except at
loading and discharging points. At those points, guards

must protect employees against contacting the moving
screw.
133 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Lifting Devices
An industry that uses lifting devices must:

Ensure that all lifting devices are inspected by a
qualified person according to the frequency
recommended by the device's manufacturer or at least
annually;
Ensure that only a qualified person operates a lifting
device;
Ensure that the maximum load capacity is clearly
marked on the device; and
Keep records of inspections of all lifting devices and
training of workers.
134 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
Cont’d
Operators of lifting devices must:
Be competent and operate all lifting devices in such a
way that no person is endangered by the load or device;
Not load the lifting device beyond the maximum rated
load capacity which must marked on the device;
Perform a pre-operational inspection of the lifting device
before use;
Report any defects/malfunctions in the lifting device of
which they are aware; and
Not permit passengers on lifting devices.
135 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Crane and Hoists
To reduce the severity of an injury, employers must take
the following precautions:
Post load rating charts in the cab of cab-operated cranes.
Require workers to always check the crane’s load chart
to ensure that the crane will not be overloaded by
operating conditions.
Instruct workers to plan lifts before starting them to
ensure that they are safe.
Tell workers to take additional precautions and exercise
extra care when operating around power lines.
136 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
o Direct workers to always keep hoisting chains and ropes
free of kinks or twists and never wrapped around a load.
o Train workers to attach loads to the load hook by slings,
fixtures, and other devices that have the capacity to
support the load on the hook.
o Teach workers to maintain proper sling angles so that
slings are not loaded in excess of their capacity.
o Ensure that all cranes are inspected frequently by persons
thoroughly familiar with the crane.
137 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
Ensure that the critical parts of a crane - such as crane
operating mechanisms, hooks, air, or hydraulic system

components and other load-carrying components - are
inspected daily for any maladjustment, deterioration,
leakage, deformation, or other damage.
138 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Automated Guided Vehicles
The following points should be considered for AGV

safety:
o AGV travels paths should be clearly marked, including
turning areas.
o Workers should be trained to watch out for AGVs and to
keep clear of an AGV path if a vehicle is approaching.
o Virtual bumper systems can increase productivity and
system flexibility, and, improve plant safety with regard
to object detection/avoidance.
139 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Important Safety Measures
o Designers should aim to produce material handling
equipments for efficient operation, namely to be
economic in use and to be safe to construct, operate and
maintain, consistent with the requirements of current
legislation.
o Entanglement hazards may be reduced by reducing
speed or distance of movement, by avoiding projections

and recesses, by restricting force, torque and inertia, and
by aiming for smooth polished surfaces .
140 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Cont’d
Friction and abrasion hazards are reduced by reducing
speed or distance of movement, force, torque and

inertia, and by use of surfaces that are as smooth as
possible.
A fixed enclosure guard shall, when in position,
prevent access to a danger point or area by enclosure.
141 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

3rd place
142 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

2nd place
143 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
1st place
Winner!!!
144 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023
Exercise
Identify the following figures as Drawing, abrasion or friction, entanglement,
cutting, shear hazards?
Fig. a
Fig. b
Fig. d Fig. e
Fig. c
145 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

.
146 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

one
h ap ter
of c
en d
147 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Chapter One MHE

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Chapter One MHE

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter One MHE

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DEBRE-MARKOS UNIVERSITY

Materials Handling Equipment (MEng 4251)

1 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

2 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

o Every modern and ancient wonder has one common

3 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

- Elephants, Horses, Bulls, Oxen etc.

o In Middle Age history, Wheels were

4 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

5 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

The Movement of Raw Materials,

6 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

7 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

8 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

9 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

o A materials handling system can encompass an Entire

10 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

•N.B: MH only adds to the cost of a product but not value.

11 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

to cost 20 to 35 % of the total expense of a manufacturing facility.

13 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

o Materials handling uses different equipment and mechanisms

called Materials Handling Equipment

14 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Flow of Materials in an Industrial Facility

15 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

 Unloading the Incoming Material

16 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

o Basic characteristics of material is made on the basis of

forms, which are:

☞Semi Liquids (Slurry, Sewage, Sludge, Mud, Pulp,

17 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

 The Specific Characteristics of Unit Loads are their Overall Dimensions,

Shape, Piece-Weight, Temperature, Inflammability, Strength/Fragility etc.

Loads. Certain types of Conveyors are also used particularly for

18 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Materials (Gravel, Sand, Clay etc.) Processed Materials (Cement, Salt,

concerned, are: Lump-Size, Bulk Weight, Specific Weight, Moisture

Discharge of Hopper Cars or Rotary Dumper for higher capacity.

o Frozen Coal or Ore may require Thawing(Substance becoming Liquid or

Soft as a result of Warming up).

21 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

22 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

After the Unloading Process, the material is stored and

then A Uniformly Controlled Feed is necessary

23 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

24 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

25 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

☞Reduce Unit Costs of Production

☞Maintain or Improve Product Quality by reducing

☞Promote Safety and Improve Working Conditions

☞Promote Increased Use of Facilities

☞ Materials + Moves + Methods = Preferred System

27 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

28 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

Covers the Loading, Securing, Transporting, Unloading and Transfer of all

29 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

31 Mamaru W. & Agmuas A. 07/07/2023

o Suitable for the movement of mixed or unitized load,