Wednesday 10 January 2007
Introduction
In private warehouses, Material Handling Equipment (MHE) purchases takes up a significantly large portion of the total investment. Therefore, the knowledge of MHE is important for you to make the decision on the suitable types of equipment for your warehouse. In this blog, our team will introduce you to the 5 types of MHE: Transport Equipment, Storage Equipment, Positioning Equipment, Unit Load Formation Equipment, and Identification and Control Equipment. In addition, the blog will include the Goals of Material Handling, 20 Principles of Material Handling, latest types and trends of MHE available in the market and the relevant Safety Issues. We hope that our research and findings will widen your knowledge, insights and perspectives in the area of MHE.
Material Handling Equipment
Goals of Material Handling
1. Maintain product quality, reduce damage and provide protection of materials.
2. Promote safety and improve working conditions.
3. Improve productivity through:
Materials should move as short distance as possible
Increase the size of materials handled
Mechanize /Automate Material Handling
Maintain/Improve material handling ratios
Increase throughput by using automated material handling equipment
4. Promote increase use of facilities
Increase cubic utilization
Purchase versatile equipment
Standardize material handling equipment
Maintain, and replace as needed, all equipment and develop a preventive maintenance program
Integrate all material handling equipment into a system
5. Reduce tare weight (describe the weight of packaging material).
6. Control inventory.
Material Handling Equipment
Tuesday 9 January 2007
20 Principles of Material Handling
These principles are guidelines for the application of sound judgment. Some principles are in conflict with others, so only the situation being designed will determine what is correct. The principles will be a good checklist for improvement opportunities.
1. Planning Principle
All material handling and storage activities need to be planned to obtain maximum overall operating efficiency. Material handling planning considers every move, every storage need and any delay in order to minimize production costs.
2. System Principle
The system concept is that all material handling equipment should work together so that everything fits. The system principle integrates as many steps in the process as possible into a single system from the vendor through your plant and out to your customers. It is to integrate as many handling activities as is practical into a coordinated system of operations, covering vendor, receiving, storage, production, inspection, packaging, warehousing, shipping, transportation and customer.
An example will be a oil company purchased plastic bottles from an outside manufacturer. The bottles were packaged in a carton of 12 with separators in between. These cartons were placed on a pallet and shipped out to the company’s oil bottling plant. In the plant, the bottles were dumped onto a filing line and filled with oil. The empty cartons was conveyed to the packout end of the filing line and repacked with 12 bottles, closed, stacked on a pallet and shipped to the customer.
3. Material Flow Principle
It is to provide an operation sequence and equipment layout optimizing material flow.
4. Simplification Principle
Using Cost Reduction Formula to simplify handling (Eliminate, combine and reduce unnecessary movement and/or equipment).
5. Gravity Principle
There are many ways to make use of gravity to move materials between workstations. Thus, utilize gravity to move material wherever possible.
6. Space Utilization Principle
It is to make optimum utilization of the cubic capacity of the warehouse. Racks, mezzanines and overhead conveyors are a few of the material handling equipments that maximize space utilization.
7. Unit Size Principle
Strength, durability, versatility, weight, size, cost and ease of use must all be considered when choosing a unit load. It is to increase the quantity, size, or weight of unit loads or flow rate.
8. Mechanization Principle
It is to add power to eliminate manual moving. Mechanization implies the use of mechanical tools to aid in the movement of material.
9. Automation Principle
Automatic storage and retrieval systems place material into storage racks automatically and remove it when needed. Many machines are automatic because material handling equipment loads and unloads the machine. Automation is the way of the future, thus even users of the manual system must consider when it can be justified. Provide automation to include production, handling and storage functions.
10. Equipment Selection Principle
In selecting handling equipment consider all aspects of the material being handled – the movement and the method to be used.
11. Standardization Principle
It is to standardize handling methods as well as types and sizes of handling equipment. Cost of material handling systems can be grouped into two categories: the cost of ownership of the system (includes the initial purchase price and the subsequent maintenance costs) and the cost of operation of the system (includes cost of training personnel to use the system safely, energy cost and other direct and indirect costs associated with the use of the system). An example will be choosing a material handling equipment and stay with that brand, type and size because spare parts inventory, maintenance and operation of this equipment will be most cost efficient.
12. Adaptability Principle
Use methods and equipment that can best perform a variety of tasks and applications where special purpose equipment is not justified. Examples will be the purchasing of standard size pallets that will handle a range of parts and purchasing of storage equipments that can store a wide variety of products. In this way, change will be less costly.
13. Dead Weight Principle
Do not buy equipment that is bigger than necessary. Tare weight refers to the weight of the packaging material. Products are packaged to prevent damage while moving. However, packaging is expensive and it costs as much as the product to ship this tare weight. Thus, the goal is to reduce the tare weight and save money.
14. Utilization Principle
Material handling equipment and operators should be used fully. Identifying the work required, the number of times per day and the time required per move will help manage the workload of both labour and equipment. Plan for optimum utilization of handling equipment and manpower.
15. Maintenance Principle
Material handling equipment must be maintained. Preventive maintenance (periodic and planned) is cheaper than emergency maintenance. Hence, a preventive maintenance program including schedules must be developed for each piece of material handling equipment.
Pallets, storage facilities need to be repair. Missing slats on pallets can cause product damage and safety problems. Thus, plan for preventive maintenance and scheduled repairs of all handling equipments.
16. Obsolescence Principle
As equipment wears out, good maintenance records will help identify worn-out equipments. Replace obsolete handling methods and equipment when more efficient methods or equipment will improve operations.
17. Control Principle
Materials are costly and material handling systems can be a part of the inventory control system. With the aid of technology (e.g. conveyor, RFID, barcode), quality inspection, inventory control and item tracking can be incorporated into the material handling systems. It will reduce or eliminate the need to count or track the material physically. A good material handling system allows a tremendous savings in operation time and significant improved costs, accuracy and reliability. Hence, use material handling activities to improve control of production inventory and order handling.
18. Capacity Principle
Use handling equipment to help achieve desired production capacity.
19. Performance Principle
It is to determine effectiveness of handling performance in terms of expense per unit handled. Material handling labour moves material and a measurement of output could be units of materials moved. Input is labour hours. Therefore, productivity can be improved by increasing the units of material moved or reducing the labour hours.
Performance of material handling can also be calculated by ratios:
Percent of Material Handling = (material handling hours)/(total labour hours)
Performance includes a lot more than labour. Segregating material handling cost from total operation costs would result in a better ratio.
20. Safety Principle
Manual handling is probably the most dangerous method of material handling. Material handling equipment can also be a source of safety problems, so safety methods, procedures and training must be part of any material handling plan. It is management responsibility to provide a safe work environment. Safety considerations must be a major factor in selecting material handling equipment. Therefore, it is important to provide suitable methods and equipment for safe handling.
Material Handling Equipment
JIB Crane
- Use for positioning materials
- Generally it can handle up to 7.5 tons of materials
- Hoist is use for lifting
- Hoist can be move along the arm
- Arm is able to rotate 360°
- Able to lift up to 5 tons of material
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Bridge Crane
- highly suitable for handling heavy materials
- use for material that are over 10 tons
- enable 3 dimension handling
- under hung cranes can be use for transferring materials
- interface with other material handling equipment
- can be floor support or hang on the ceiling
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Stacker Crane
- Use to store and retrieve unit loads in storage racks
- Able to reach up to racks that are more than 50 feet tall
- Able to travel down the aisle because of the slim design
- Ideal for inventory management
- Can be use to maximize floor space
- Tooling, motors and molds are some of the ideal storage application for stackers cranes.
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Gantry Crane
- Equipped with 4 roller bearing steel wheels for easy maneuverability
- Required assembly before use
- Use to move heavy weighted or huge materials around
- Also being use in other areas such as machines shops or automotive.
- Operators will require licenses to operate Gantry cranes
- Able to travel on runways or be fixed in position
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Introduction to Conveyors
Conveyors are use when:
- materials are move frequently between specific points
- move over fixed path
- there are sufficient flow volume
Conveyors can be classified in different ways:
· Type of product being handled: unit load or bulk load
· Location of the conveyor: overhead, on-floor, or in-floor
· Whether or not loads can accumulate on the conveyor
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Light, Heavy Duty Slider Belt
Light Duty Slider
Heavy Duty Slider
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Conveyors
Gravity Conveyor
- Uses a series of roller wheels and bearings to move boxes and other products from one location to another quickly
- Can be adjusted to various lengths and shapes, depending on the different needs and usage
- Products can be placed on the conveyor and be moved along as additional products are placed on the conveyor
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Conveyors
Slat Conveyor
- Mainly use for heavy load that might damage belt conveyor
- Often use in high wear area which handles filing or bottling operations
- Uses many types of interleaving segments which will form slats type
- Often its stainless stain or low friction
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Conveyors
Pallet and Drums Conveyors
- Uses a variety of conveyors types
- Use for handling large, bulky items
- Suitable for transporting pallets and drums
- It removes human elements therefore increase in efficiently
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Conveyors
Chain Conveyor
- Essential for storage system
- Use chains on which loads are carried directly
- Often use in conjunction with roller conveyors when change of direction is needed
- Able to use for products that are irregular shape or cannot be safely handle
- Provides good positive drives and are economical ways of transporting materials
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Conveyors
Introduction To Industrial Truck
Industrial Truck:
- Used to move materials over variable (horizontal) paths
- Provide vertical movement if the truck has lifting capabilities
- Used when there is insufficient (or intermittent) flow volume such that the use of a conveyor cannot be justified
Characteristics & Considerations:
1. Pallet/Non-Pallet: Does the truck have forks for handling pallets, or a flat surface on which to place loads.
2. Manual/Powered: Does the truck have manual or powered vertical (lifting) and/or horizontal (travel) movement capabilities.
3. Walk/Ride: For non-automated trucks, can the operator ride on the truck (in either a standing or sitting position) or is the operator required to walk with the truck during travel.
4. Narrow Aisle: Is the lift truck designed to have a small turning radius or does it not have to turn at all in an aisle when loading/unloading. For narrow Aisle, greater cost and (usually) standing operator and less aisle space is required. Counterbalance and/or straddle used for load support.
5. Automated: Is the truck automated so that it can transport loads without requiring an operator.
- Non-Automated - direct labor cost of operator is by far the largest cost to operate a non-automated truck.
- Semi-Automated - operator used to control loading/unloading, but automated transport control (e.g., the S/R machine of a Man-on-board AS/RS).
- Automated - no direct labor cost, but higher equipment costs (e.g. Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)).
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Forklift Truck:
Forklift can be rent or purchase at brand-new, used or re-conditioned depending on the needs of the company.
Consider buying a used forklifts if:
• The truck will be used only for a single shift.
• The forklift will be used for no more than five hours a day.
• The forklift will work no more than five days per week.
• The operation is not a high-throughput, nonstop type
Diesel forklift
Electric forklift
Stand-Up Counterbalanced Trucks
- improves productivity when the operator is required to constantly be on and off the truck
Sit-Down Counterbalanced Trucks
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Order Picker
- Use for pallet stacking
- Use for supporting pallet during less than pallet load picking
- Usually powered by battery in distribution centre and electric for outdoor use
- Generally have small polyurethane wheels that only work on smooth surfaces.
Narrow-Aisle Reach Trucks
- revolutionize the way materials are handled when cube utilization is at a premium
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Walkie Stacker
- Able to unload trailers, fast picking and are dockside maneuvering
- Versatile, suitable for all kinds of applications (heavy performance or light duty).
Manual Walkie Stacker
Powered Walkie Stacker
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Pallet Jack
- Powered Pallet Jack - powered for lifting and travel
- Manual Pallet Jack - requires manual lifting and travel
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Hand Truck
- Two Wheel Hand Truck
-Product is titled during travel
Dolly
-Equipped with wheels on flat platform, no handles so manual pushing is required 
- Floor Hand Truck
-Four or more wheeled hand truck with handles for pushing or hitches for pulling
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)
The five main types of AGV are Tow AGV, Unit Load AGV, Assembly AGV, Light Load AGV and Fork AGV.
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Industrial Trucks
Tow AGV
Unit Load AGV
- Comprises of decks for large volumes of pickups and deposits at stations
- Deck can include conveyor or lift/lower mechanism for automatic loading
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Automated Guided Vehicle
Assembly AGV
- Used as platform for assembling purposes
- For example, engines and appliances
Light Load AGV
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Automated Guided Vehicle
Fork AGV
- Generally with sensors on forks for pallet interfacing
Material Handling Equipment
Transport Equipment
Automated Guided Vehicle
Monday 8 January 2007
Storage Equipment
Storage equipments are equipments used for holding materials over a period of time. Some storage equipments may include the move of materials. If materials are stacked directly on the floor, then no storage equipment is needed. Example: racks
The most common reason to store a product allows the other elements of production to operate more efficiently on a per-unit basis because the fixed costs associated with utilizing the element can be spread over more products; e.g., storing up to a truckload of product in a facility reduces the per-unit costs of shipping; and storage of Work-In-Progress makes possible the batch production which reduces the per-unit setup costs.
Other prospective reasons for storage include: time bridging which allows product to be available when it is required (e.g., storing spare machine parts at the facility); processing—for some products (e.g., wine), storage can be considered as a processing operation because the product undergoes a required transformation during storage; and securing—e.g., nuclear waste storage.
There are 14 major types of storage equipment as follows:
Block Stacking (No equipment)
Bulk storage using block stacking leads to minimum cost of storage. Since it is high cubic utilization and no storage medium is required, but low material accessibility since only the top of the front stack is accessible and loads at bottom of a stack must not require support. Storage racks are used when support and/or material accessibility is required.
Selective Pallet Rack
- Most commonly used type of storage rack
- Pallets are supported between load-supporting beams
- Special attachments and decking can be used to make the racks capable of supporting other types of products besides pallets (e.g., coils, drums, skids)
- Selective racks can be used for the different types of storage as follows:
Standard—single-deep storage using a counterbalanced lift truck
Narrow-Aisle—storage using a narrow-aisle lift truck
Deep-Reach—greater than single-deep storage (typically double-deep storage)
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Drive-Through Rack
- Rails attached to the upright beams are to support the loads
- Lift trucks are driven between the uprights beams to extract the first pallet they come to
- Open at both ends thus allowing access from both ends (FIFO)
- Used to store many pallets of a similar SKU or product; in a number of cold storage application
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Drive-In Rack
- Same as drive-through rack, except it is closed at one end, allowing entry from only one end, hence last in first out (LIFO)
- Selectivity is forgone but storage density is outstanding
- Can store up to 75% more pallets in the same space than selective pallet racking – depending on application
- Fewer aisles needed
- Better cubic storage
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Flow-Through Rack
- Loads are supported on an incline to enable gravity-based movement of the loads within the rack (via, e.g., a gravity roller conveyor)
- Loaded at the higher end and unloaded at the lower end (FIFO)
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Push-Back Rack
- Offers the same storage density as drive-in & drive-thru racks but greater selectivity
- All loads are stored and retrieved from the aisle
- Loads in each lane rest on a cart on a rail that slopes gently toward the front
- When a new load is deposited into a lane, it ‘pushes back’ the one already at the face and all those behind. Then, when that load is picked, the contents of the lane all move gently forward again, hence the name "push back rack".
- Remove honeycombing or pick empty faces
- Loads in a lane are identical thus FIFO is not important
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Sliding Rack
- Only one mobile aisle is used to access several rows of racks
- Location of the aisle is changed by sliding the rows of racks along guide rails in the floor
- Normally found in library stack
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Cantilever Rack
- Loads are supported by cantilever "arms" and “columns”
- Used to store long objects (e.g., bar stock, pipes, lumber)
- Similar to pallet racks, except the front upright beams and the front supporting beams are eliminated
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
Stacking Frame
- Interlocking units that enable stacking of a load so that crushing does not occur
- Can be disassembled and stored compactly when not in used
- Pallet frames can be used to enable multilevel block stacking
- Prevents loss due to compression damage
- Utilizes wasted air space
Material Handling Equipment
Storage Equipment
