Material handling systems are made up of continuous or discrete resources that are used to transport entities from one point to another. They are more prevalent in production systems than in service systems. Material movement happens before, throughout, and after processing at a plant or warehouse. This chapter examines equipment types, how to choose product handling equipment, a material handling operational model, and warehousing difficulties. It concludes with a study case that addresses some of these concerns. Material handling tasks should be reduced without jeopardising productivity or the operation’s quality of service. Material handling processes should be mechanised and/or automated whenever possible to improve business processes, responsiveness, consistency and predictability, reduce operating costs, and remove repetitive or possibly hazardous human work. Where suitable, computerised powder handling systems should be explored for optimal flow of material and management information integration.
What are material handling systems?
Material handling involves the transport, preservation, preservation, and administration of materials and components during manufacturing, warehouse, redistribution, consumption, and disposal. Material handling, as a process, encompasses a wide variety of mechanical, semi-automated, and automated devices and infrastructure that supports logistics and the supply chain. Their application can help with:
- Forecasting
- Allocation of resources
- Production scheduling
- Flow and process control
- Inventory control and management
- Customer service
- After-sales service and support
Powder handling systems and methods are implemented in production, distribution, and transportation to enhance customer service, minimise inventory, shorten delivery times, and cut total handling costs.
What Is the Function of Material Handling Equipment?
A wide range of manual, semi-automated, and automated handling equipment and facilities are available to help with the transportation, protection, storage, and management of products and materials during manufacture, distribution, consumption, and disposal. These are some examples:
- Autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs)
- Automatic data gathering and identification
- Wheels and casters
- Controls
- Conveyors
- Dock machinery
- Ergonomics
- Hoisting apparatus
- Robots in the workplace
- Material handling systems that are integrated
- Systems for fulfilling item orders
- Forklifts
- Workstation cranes and monorails
- Cranes in the sky
- Racks for packaging protection
- Software
- Sortation
- Storage
Where Does Material Handling Use?
Material handling technologies are employed in every industry, including:
- Aerospace
- Appliance
- Automotive
- Beverage
- Chemicals
- Consumer items in construction
- E-Commerce
- Food
- Hardware
- Hospital
- Manufacturing
- Material processing
- Paper
- Retail warehousing and distribution
When developing a material handling network, it is critical to follow best practices to guarantee that all of the equipment and operations in a facility—manual, semi-automated, and automated—work together as a coherent system.
