MATERIAL HANDLING AND

IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Material Transport Systems

Storage Systems
Automatic Identification and Data Capture
Material Handling Technologies
in the Production System
 Material Transport Systems

Sections:
1. Introduction to Material Handling Equipment
2. Material Transport Equipment
3. Analysis of Material Transport Systems
 Material Handling Defined

The movement, storage, protection and control of

materials throughout the manufacturing and distribution
process including their consumption and disposal
(The Material Handling Industry of America)
Estimated to represent 20-25% of total manufacturing
labor cost in US
The proportion varies depending on type of
production and degree of automation
 Material Handling

Handling of materials must be performed

Safely
Efficiently
At low cost
In a timely manner
Accurately (the right materials in the right quantities to
the right locations)
And without damage to the materials
 Logistics
Concerned with the acquisition, movement, storage, and
distribution of materials and products as well as the planning and
control of these operations to satisfy customer demand
Two categories of logistics:
External logistics - transportation and related activities that
occur outside of a facility (between different geographical
locations)
Five traditional modes of transportation: rail truck, air, ship,
and pipeline
Internal logistics - material handling and storage within a facility
 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
 Goals of Material Handling

Promote increased use of facilities

Reduce tare weight (dead weight)
Control inventory
 Overview of Material Handling
Equipment

Material handling equipment includes:

Transport Equipment: industrial trucks, Automated
Guided vehicles (AGVs), monorails, conveyors, cranes
and hoists.
Storage Systems: bulk storage, rack systems,
shelving and bins, drawer storage, automated storage
systems.
Unitizing Equipment: palletizers
Identification and Tracking systems
 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.
 Principles of Material Handling
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.
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.
 Principles of Material Handling

3. 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?
 Principles of Material Handling

4. Gravity principle
Utilize gravity to move material whenever practical.
5. Space utilization principle
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.
 Principles of Material Handling

6. 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
cardboard pallets
plastic pallets
wooden pallets
steel skids
 Principles of Material Handling

8. Automation principle
MH operations should be mechanized and/or
automated where feasible to improve operational
efficiency, increase responsiveness, improve
consistency and predictability, decrease operating
costs.
ASRS is a perfect example.
 Principles of Material Handling

10. Equipment selection principle

Why? What? Where? When? How? Who?
If we answer these questions about each move, the
solution will become evident.
11. 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.
 Principles of Material Handling

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.
 Categories of
Material Handling Equipment
1. Material transport equipment - to move materials
inside a factory, warehouse, or other facility
2. Storage - to store materials and provide access to
those materials when required
3. Unitizing equipment - refers to
(1) containers to hold materials, and
(2) equipment used to load and package the
containers
4. Identification and tracking systems - to identify and
keep track of the materials being moved and stored
 Design Considerations
in Material Handling
Material characteristics
Flow rate, routing, and scheduling
Plant layout
Unit load principle
 Material Characteristics

Material characteristics affect type of transport and storage

equipment required
Solid, liquid or gas
Size
Weight
Shape - long, flat, bulky
Condition - hot, cold, wet, dirty
Risk of damage - fragile, brittle, sturdy
Safety risk - explosive, flammable, toxic, corrosive
 Flow Rate, Routing, and Scheduling

Flow rate - amount of material moved per unit time

Examples: pieces/hr, pallet loads/hr, tons/hr
Whether the material must be moved in individual units,
as batches, or continuously (pipe line)
Routing - pick-up and drop-off locations, move distances,
routing variations, conditions along the route (surface,
traffic, elevation)
Scheduling - timing of each delivery
Prompt delivery when required
Use of buffer stocks to mitigate against late deliveries
 Plant Layout

Material handling equipment considerations must be

included in the plant layout design problem
Correlation between layout type and material handling
equipment:
Plant layout type Material handling equipment
Fixed-position Cranes, hoists, industrial trucks
Process Hand trucks, forklift trucks, AGVs
Product Conveyors for product flow
Trucks to deliver parts to stations
 Unit Load Principle (unitizing)
In general, 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 mass that is to be moved or otherwise
handled at one time
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 Containers

(a) Wooden pallet, (b) pallet box, (c) tote box

 Material Transport Equipment

Five categories:
1. Industrial trucks
2. Automated guided vehicles
3. Monorails and other rail guided vehicles
4. Conveyors
5. Cranes and hoists
 Industrial Trucks

Two basic categories:

1. Non-powered
Human workers push or pull loads
Quantity of material moved and distances travelled are
low
2. Powered
Self-propelled, guided or driven by human
Common example: forklift truck, walkie truck
 Nonpowered Industrial Trucks
(Hand Trucks)

(a) Two-wheel hand truck, (b) four-wheel dolly, (c) hand-

operated low-lift pallet truck
 Powered Trucks:
Walkie Truck

Wheeled forks insert into pallet openings

No provision for riding; truck is steered by worker using
control handle at front of vehicle
The forward speed is limited to around 5 km/hr
 Powered Trucks:
Forklift Truck
Widely used in factories
and warehouses because
pallet loads are so
common
Consists of modest cab
for worker to sit & drive
Capacities from 450 kg
(1000 lb) up to 4500 kg
(10,000 lb)
Power sources include
on-board batteries and
internal combustion
motors
 Powered Trucks:
Towing Tractor

Designed to pull one or more trailing carts in factories and

warehouses, as well as for airport baggage handling
Powered by on-board batteries or IC engines
Find applications in air transport operations for moving
baggage & air freight in air ports
 Automated Guided Vehicles

An Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) is a

material handling system that uses independently
operated, self-propelled vehicles guided along defined
pathways in the facility floor
AGVS is appropriate where different materials are moved
from various load points to various unload points
Types of AGV:
Driverless trains
Pallet trucks
Unit load AGVs
 Automated Guided Vehicles:
Driverless Automated Guided Train
First type of AGVS to
be introduced around
1954
Common application
is moving heavy
payloads over long
distances in
warehouses and
factories without
intermediate stops
along the route
 Automated Guided Vehicles:
AGV Pallet Truck
Used to move
palletized loads along
predetermined routes
Vehicle is backed into
loaded pallet by
worker & pallet is
then elevated from
floor
Worker drives pallet
truck to AGV guide
path and programs
destination
 Automated Guided Vehicles:
Unit Load Carrier

Used to move unit loads from station to station

Often equipped for automatic loading/unloading of pallets
and tote pans using roller conveyors, moving belts, or
mechanized lift platforms
 AGVs Applications

1. Driverless train operations - movement of large quantities

of material over long distances
2. Storage and distribution - movement of pallet loads
between shipping/receiving docks and storage racks
3. Assembly line operations - movement of car bodies and
major subassemblies (motors) through the assembly
stations
4. Flexible manufacturing systems - movement of workparts
between machine tools
5. Miscellaneous - mail delivery and hospital supplies
 Vehicle Guidance Technology

Method by which AGVS pathways are defined and vehicles are

controlled to follow the pathways
Three main technologies:
1)Imbedded guide wires
2)Paint strips
3)Self-guided vehicles
Imbedded guide wires - Electrical wires are placed in a small
channel cut into the surface of the floor.
guide wires in the floor emit electromagnetic signal that the vehicles
follow
The guide wire is connected to a frequency generator, which emits a
low-voltage, low-current signal with a frequency in the range 1-15 kHz.
which induces a magnetic field along the pathway that can be followed
by sensors on-board each vehicle.
Vehicle Guidance Using Guide Wire
 Vehicle Guidance Technology

Paint strips - Paint strips are used to define the pathway & the vehicle
uses an optical sensor system capable of tracking the paint.
-The strips can be taped, sprayed, or painted on the floor
-Optical sensors on-board vehicles track the white paint strips
Self-guided vehicles - vehicles use a combination of
Dead reckoning - Dead reckoning refers to the capability of a vehicle
to follow a given route in the absence of a defined pathway in the floor
-vehicle counts wheel turns in given direction to move without
guidance
-Movement of the vehicle along the route is accomplished by
computing the required number of wheel rotations in a sequence of
specified steering angles.
-The computations are performed by the vehicle's on-board computer.
 Vehicle Guidance Technology

Beacons located throughout facility There are various types of

beacons used in commercial SGV systems.
One system uses bar-coded beacons mounted along the aisles &
these beacons can be sensed by a rotating laser scanner on the
vehicle.
Based on the positions of the beacons, the on-board navigation
computer uses triangulation to update the positions calculated by dead
reckoning.
vehicle uses triangulation to compute locations
 Vehicle Management

Two aspects of vehicle management:

Traffic control - to minimize interference between vehicles and
prevent collisions
1. Forward (on-board vehicle) sensing
2. Zone control
Forward (on-board vehicle) sensing: involves the use of one or
more sensors on each vehicle to detect the presence of other vehicles
and obstacles ahead on the guide path.
Sensor technologies include optical and ultrasonic devices.
When the on-board sensor detects an obstacle in front of it, the
vehicle stops. When the obstacle is removed, the vehicle proceeds.
zone control:the AGVS layout is divided into separate zones, and
the operating rule is that no vehicle is permitted to enter a zone if that
zone is already occupied by another vehicle.
 Zone Control

Zone control to implement blocking system. Zones A, B,

and D are blocked. Zone C is free. Vehicle 2 is blocked
from entering Zone A by vehicle 1. Vehicle 3 is free to
enter Zone C.
 Vehicle Management

Vehicle dispatching
1. On-board control panel
2. Remote call stations
3. Central computer control
 Vehicle Safety

Travel velocity of AGV is slower than typical walking

speed of human worker
Automatic stopping of vehicle if it strays from guide path
Acquisition distance
Obstacle detection system in forward direction
Use of ultrasonic sensors common
Emergency bumper - brakes vehicle when contact is made
with forward object
Warning lights (blinking or rotating red lights)
Warning sounds of approaching vehicles
 Rail-Guided Vehicles

Self-propelled vehicles that ride on a fixed-rail system

Vehicles operate independently and are driven by
electric motors that pick up power from an electrified rail
Fixed rail system
Overhead monorail - suspended overhead from the
ceiling
On-floor - parallel fixed rails, tracks generally
protrude up from the floor
Routing variations are possible: switches, turntables,
and other special track sections
Overhead Monorail
 Conveyor Systems

Large family of material transport equipment

designed to move materials over fixed paths, usually
in large quantities or volumes
1. Non-powered
Materials moved by human workers or by gravity
2. Powered
Power mechanism for transporting materials is
contained in the fixed path, using chains, belts,
rollers or other mechanical devices
Powered conveyors are commonly used in
automated material transport systems in
manufacturing plants, warehouses, and
distribution centers.
 Conveyor Types

Roller
Skate-wheel
Belt
Chain
In-floor towline
Overhead trolley conveyor
Cart-on-track conveyor
 Roller Conveyor

Pathway consists of a series of rollers that are

perpendicular to direction of travel
Loads must possess a flat bottom to span several
rollers
Roller conveyors can either be powered or non-
powered.
Powered roller conveyors are driven by belts or chains
Powered rollers rotate to drive the loads forward
Non-powered roller conveyor, are often driven by
gravity
 Roller Conveyor

Roller conveyors are used

in a wide variety of
applications, including
manufacturing. assembly,
packaging, sortation and
distribution
 Skate-Wheel Conveyor

Similar in operation to
roller conveyor but use
skate wheels rotating on
shafts instead of rollers
Lighter weight and
unpowered
Sometimes built as
portable units that can be
used for loading and
unloading truck trailers in
shipping and receiving
 Belt Conveyor

Continuous loop with forward path to move loads

Belt is made of reinforced elastomer (rubber)
At one end of the conveyor is a drive roll that
powers the belt.
The flexible belt is supported by a frame that has
rollers or support sliders along its forward loop.
Two common forms:
Flat belt (shown): flat belts for pallets, individual
parts. Or even certain types of bulk materials
Troughed belts for bulk materials
 Belt Conveyor

Inthe case of troughed belt conveyors the rollers and

supports give the flexible belt a v-shape on the forward
(delivery) loop to contain bulk materials such as coal,
gravel, grain, or similar particulate materials.

(Support frame not shown)

 Chain Conveyors

Chain conveyors consist of chain loops in an

over-and-under configuration around powered
sprockets at the ends of the pathway.
One or more chains operating in parallel may
be used to form the conveyor
The loads are dragged along the pathway
using bars that project from the moving chain
 In-Floor Tow-Line Conveyor

Four-wheel carts powered by moving chains or

cables in trenches in the floor
Pathways For the conveyor system are defined by
the trench and cable and the cable is driven as a
powered pulley system.
Carts use steel pins (or grippers) to project below
floor level and engage the chain (or pulley) for towing
This allows the carts to be disengaged from towline
for loading, unloading, switching, accumulation of
parts, and manually pushing a cart off the main
pathway.
 In-Floor Tow-Line Conveyor

Towline conveyor systems are used in manufacturing

plants and warehouses
 Overhead Trolley Conveyor

A trolley is a wheeled
carriage running on an
overhead track from which
loads can be suspended
Trolleys are connected and
moved by a chain or cable
that forms a complete loop
Often used in factories to
move parts and assemblies
between major production
areas
They can be used for both
delivery and storage.
 Cart-On-Track Conveyor

Carts ride on a track

above floor level
Carts are driven by a
spinning tube
Forward motion of
cart is controlled by a
drive wheel whose
angle can be
changed from zero
(idle) to 45 degrees
(forward)
 Other Conveyors
Screw conveyors are based on the Archimedes screw,
the water-raising device devised in ancient times (circa
236 B.C.).
Consisting of a large screw inside a cylinder, turned by
hand to pump water up-hill for irrigation purposes.
Vibration-based conveyors use a flat track connected to
an electromagnet that imparts an angular vibratory
motion to the track to propel items in the desired
direction.
This same principle is used in vibratory bowl feeders to
deliver components in automated assembly systems
Other conveyor types include non-powered chutes,
ramps and tubes, which are driven by gravity.
 Powered Conveyor
Operations and Features
Conveyor systems are divide into two basic types in terms
of the characteristic motion of the materials moved by the
system
1.Continuous - conveyor moves at constant velocity
along the path eg. belt, roller, skate-wheel. overhead
trolley, and slat conveyors
2.Asynchronous - conveyor moves with stop-and-go
motion in which loads, usually contained in carriers (e.g.,
hooks, baskets, carts), move between stations and then
stop and remain at the station until released.
Examples of this type include overhead power-and free
trolley, in-floor towline, and cartoon-track conveyors.
 Powered Conveyor
Operations and Features
Reasons for using asynchronous conveyors include:
(1) to accumulate loads
(2) temporary storage
(3)to allow tor differences in production rates between
adjacent processing areas
(4)to smooth production when cycle times vary at stations
along the conveyor
(5)to accommodate different conveyor speeds along the
pathway
 Powered Conveyor
Operations and Features
Another classification of conveyors:
1. Single direction
2. Continuous loop
3. Recirculating
Single direction: Single direction conveyors are used to
transport loads one way from origination point to
destination point
These systems are appropriate when there is no need to
move loads in both directions or to return containers or
caners from the unloading stations back to the loading
stations. eg. roller, skate wheel, belt. and chain-in-floor
types
 Powered Conveyor
Operations and Features
Continuous loop: Continuous loop conveyors form a
complete circuit
A continuous loop system allows materials to be moved
between any two stations along the pathway.
The empty carriers are automatically returned from the
unload station back to the load station.
Recirculating: allow parts to remain on the return loop for
one or more revolutions
In providing a storage function, the conveyor system can
be used to accumulate parts to smooth out effects of
loading and unloading variations at stations in the
conveyor.
 (a) Single-Direction Conveyor and
(b) Continuous Loop Conveyor

(a) Single direction

conveyor

(b) Continuous loop

conveyor
 Cranes and Hoists

Handling devices for lifting, lowering and transporting

materials, often as heavy loads
Cranes
Used for horizontal movement of materials
Hoists
A hoist is a mechanical device that can be used to
raise and lower loads
Cranes usually include hoists so that the crane-and-
hoist combination provides
Horizontal transport
Vertical lifting and lowering
 Hoist

Hoist consists of one or more fixed pulleys, one or

more moving pulleys, and a rope. cable, or chain
strung between the pulleys.
A hook or other means for attaching the load is
connected to the moving pulley(s).
The number of pulleys in the hoist determines its
mechanical advantage, which is the ratio of the load
weight to the driving force required to lift the weight.
 Hoist

Hoist with mechanical

advantage of 4.0
(a) sketch of the hoist
(b) diagram to illustrate
mechanical advantage

(a) (b)
 Bridge Crane
A bridge crane consists of one or two horizontal girders or
beams suspended between fixed rails on either end which
are connected to the structure of the building
 Bridge Crane

The hoist trolley can be moved along the length of the

bridge, and the bridge can be moved the length of the rails
in the building.
Large bridge cranes have girders that span up to 36.5 m
(120 ft ) and are capable of carrying loads up to 90,000 kg
(100 tons)
Applications include heavy machinery fabrication, steel
and other metal mills, and power-generating stations.
 Gantry Crane

A gantry crane is distinguished from a bridge crane by

the presence of one or two vertical leg, that support the
horizontal bridge.
Gantries are available in a variety of sizes and
capacities. the largest possessing spans of about 46 m
(150 ft) and load capacities of 136,000 kg (150 tons)
double gantry crane has two legs, other types include
half gantries and cantilever gantries.
A cantilever gantry crane is identified by the fact that its
bridge extends beyond the span created by the support
legs.
 Gantry Crane

A half gantry crane

 Jib Crane
A jib crane consists of a hoist supported on a horizontal
beam that is cantilevered from a vertical column or wall
support
The horizontal beam is pivoted about the vertical axis
formed by the column or wall to provide a horizontal
sweep
Standard capacities of jib cranes range up to about 5000
kg.
Wall-mounted jib cranes can achieve a swing of about
180,while floor-mounted jib cranes using a column or post
as its vertical support can sweep a full 360
Jib Crane
 Analysis of
Material Transport Systems
Charting techniques
Charting techniques are helpful for visualizing the
movement of materials. and quantitative models are
useful for analyzing material flow rates, delivery
cycle times, and other aspects of performance.
From-to charts and network diagrams
From-To Charts is a table used to indicate material
flow data & distances between multiple locations
Network diagram indicates movement of materials
and corresponding origination and destination points
of the moves.
It consists of nodes & arrows, nodes represent
locations & arrows represent material flow and/or
distance between the stations
 Network Diagram Showing Deliveries
between Load/Unload Stations

Network diagram showing material deliveries bet load/unload

stations. Nodes rep the load/unload stations & arrows are labeled
with flow rates & distances
 Analysis of
Material Transport Systems

Analysis of vehicle-based systems

Types of systems: industrial trucks, AGVS, rail-guided
vehicles, and asynchronous conveyor operations
Mathematical equations can be developed to describe
the operation of vehicle-based material transport
systems
Conveyor analysis
Single-direction conveyors
Closed loop conveyors
Recirculating conveyor systems