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.
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

Considerations in Material Handling System Design

1. Material Characteristics

2. Flow rate

3. Plant Layout

1. Between fixed points over a fixed path

1.

Belt conveyor

2.

Roller conveyor

3.

Chute conveyor

4.

Slat conveyor

5.

Screw conveyor

6.

Chain conveyor

7.

Overhead monorail conveyor

8.

Trolley conveyor

9.

Wheel conveyor

10. Tow conveyor

11. Bucket conveyor
12. Cart-on-track conveyor
13. Pneumatic tube conveyor
2. Over limited areas

Hoists

Overhead cranes

Hydraulic scissors lift

3. Over large areas

Handcart/truck

Tier platform truck

Hand lift truck / pallet jack

Power-driven hand truck

Power-driven platform truck

Forklift truck

Narrow aisle truck

Tractor-trailer truck

Material lift

Drum truck

Drum lifter

Dolly

Automated guided vehicle system

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.

3.

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.

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 cant eliminate, can we combine movements to reduce cost? (unit load concept)

If we cant eliminate or combine, can we rearrange the operations to reduce the travel
distance?

If we cant do any of the above, can we simplify?

4. Gravity principle

5.

Utilize gravity to move material whenever practical.

Space utilization principle

6.

8.

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.

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

11.

cardboard pallets

plastic pallets

wooden pallets

steel skids

Automation principle

10.

MH operations should be mechanized and/or automated where feasible to improve operational

efficiency, increase responsiveness, improve consistency and predictability, decrease operating
costs.

Equipment selection principle

Why? What? Where? When? How? Who?

If we answer these questions about each move, the solution will become evident.

Look at pp 160-161.

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. Dont 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.

Material handling is the technique of moving goods or persons in an optional direction and over limited distances.
This lecture (Material Handling Engineering) should show you the machines and devices which you need for
material flow and logistic systems to realize the functions

Convey

Distribute

Collect

store

The lecture explain to you the application areas, advantages, disadvantages, details of designs, bases of
calculation of this machines and devises
Definition materials handling
Materials handling is the technique of moving goods and persons in an optional direction and over limited
distances.

Materials handling devices are the technical devices (machines), which are necessary to move goods and
persons over limited distances (e.g.) in the internal area of the conveyor

The 5-R-Rules of logistics

1.

Right objects (material, goods, information, service, energy, ...) at the

2.

Right time in the

3.

Right quantity and quality, provided with the

4.

Right information (not more than necessary!) at the

5.

Right place allocate economical (that means to minimal costs).

SAFETY SLOGAN
Is better to lose one minute in life... than to lose life in a minute.
WHAT IS MATERIAL HANDLING?

Material handling is the art and science of moving, storing, protecting and controlling material.

Includes both Mechanical and Manual methods

DANGERS OF MATERIAL HANDLING

Unsafe storage and materials movement

can lead to:

Back injuries (the number one cause of worker compensation claims).

Struck-by or crushed by falling loads due to rigging failures.

Electrocutions due to power line contact.

Injury from falling materials.

Injury from slipping, tripping and falling.

Sling: An assembly which connects the load to the material handling (lifting) equipment.

Understand safe sling use.

Be able to identify and describe conditions necessitating slings replacement.

Understand how load angle effects rigging capacity.

Chain Sling Inspection Items

Cracks, stretches, severe nicks, gouges, welding splattered or deformed master links, coupling links, chains
or other components.

One leg of a double or triple chain sling is longer than the others.

Hooks have been opened more than 25% of the normal throat opening measured at the narrowest point or
twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook.

Documented Inspections must be performed and maintained for each chain sling. Inspection
data must be compared with previous inspections.

Wire Rope Sling Inspection Items

Three randomly distributed broken wires in one strand, in one rope lay.

Wear or scraping of 1/3 the original diameter of outside individual wires.

Kinking, crushing or any damage resulting in distortion of the wire rope.

End attachments that are cracked, worn or deformed.

Corrosion of the rope or end attachments.

Synthetic Web Sling Inspection Items

Acid or caustic burns on the sling.

Melting or charring of any part of the slings surface.

Snags, punctures, tears, or cuts.

Stitching is broken or worn.

The sling is stretched. To assist operators in determining if a sling is stretched, manufacturers incorporate a
colored wear cord inside of the sling. When this red wear cord can be readily seen upon inspecting the
sling, the sling has been stretched and is to be removed. The web sling may need to be removed from
service before the wear indicator is showing.

The Hazards of Rigging

Possible contact with power lines.

Rigging failures due to overloaded, improper, or defective rigging.

Out of control loads.

Being struck by the cranes swing radius

Can Anyone Rig or Lift Loads?

Rigging must be done under the supervision of a Competent Person.

The crane operator must be highly qualified and certified.

Improper rigging or unqualified operators can be deadly!

The Riggers Duties

The rigger selects the rigging.

The rigger sets-up the rigging.

The rigger directs the lift.

Working Safely Around Rigging

General safety guidelines:

Keep at least ten feet away from power lines.

Never hoist loads over workers.

Never stand too close or under a load.

Never ride a load.

Use sling angles greater than 45 degrees.

Attach tag lines to control loads while lifting.

Test lift the rigging.

Use proper equipment, make sure it is marked, not home-made, and in good shape.

Safe Usage Practices

Never shock load slings.

Keep loads balanced to prevent overloading slings.

Always lift loads straight up.

Never rest a load on a sling, or pinch a sling between the load and the floor.

Slings should be stored off of the floor and hung on racks whenever possible in a clean, dry environment.

Never drag slings across the floor.

A sling should not be pulled from under a load when the load is resting on the sling.

Make sure the hook is always over the center of gravity of the load before lifting it.

Do not apply a load to a twisted, knotted or kinked chain.

Do not force or hammer hooks or chains into position.

Always hook with a closed hook arrangement (hooks facing out).

Hands and Fingers shall not be placed between the sling and the load while the sling is being tightened
around the load.

Clean chains regularly as dirt and grit can cause excessive wear at the link bearing points.

Never shorten a sling with knots, bolts or other makeshift devices. Knots in slings reduce the capacity by as
much as 50%!!

Protect the chains surface from contact with sharp corners, which can cause permanent damage through
gouging or abnormal stress and wear.