Materials Handling

Importance of M H
Material handling is a very important area of concern due to following reasons: More than 90% of the time in material spends on shop floor is either in waiting or for being transported. This is a non-value added activity. Nearly 20-30 % of this nonvalue added time is consumed in material handling. Therefore ,efficient handling will save some of this non-value added time.

Importance of M H
Safe handling of material is important in the plant. This reduces wastage, breakage, loss, scrapes, etc. Efficient material handling is needed for less congestion, timely delivery and reduced idle time of machine due to non availability of material. Cost-efficient material handling is an important issue. Material movement usually accounts for 10 to 90% of total factory cost, whose average is, as per one estimate, about25%.

Definitions of Material handling

Defined as the art and science of moving, packing and storing of substances in any form. Creation of time and place utility. Movement and storage of material at the lowest possible cost through the use of proper methods and equipments. Lifting, shifting and placing of materials which effect in saving in money, time and place. Art and science of conveying, elevating, positioning, transporting, packaging and storing of materials

Objectives
Main objective is to reduce the number of handlings as well as the overall cost of material handling equipment and reducing the distances through which the materials are handled.

 Lower unit material handling costs Reduction in manufacturing cycle time through faster movement of materials and by reducing the distance through which the materials are moved. Reduction in manufacturing cycle time results in reduced work in progress inventory costs. Improved working conditions and greater safety in movement of materials Contribute to better quality by avoiding damage to products by inefficient handling Increased storage capacity through better utilization of storage areas. Higher productivity at lower manufacturing cost

The other objectives:

Material handling principles

1.Reduce unnecessary movement: This calls for selecting shortest path to reach the destination. 2. Scientific factory layout: This is to minimize the overall material movement, reduced number of trips, and reduced costs associated with transportation. 3 . Use of standard material handling equipments: This facilitates easy maintenance of material handling equipment, as spares are readily available.

Material handling principles

1.Plan minimum, number of loading/unloading: This reduces, the chances of breakage. It also reduces loading/unloading time and cost. 2.Use gravity to transport material. 3.Use mechanized material handling equipment: This reduces dependence on human labor. 4.Use simple and safe equipments for material handling. Operator safety should be of prime importance. Blinkering light and bell/sound maybe attached to material handling equipments to warn the persons, working nearby.

Material handling principles

8. To minimize the. down-time of the equipments, use preventive maintenance of all equipments. 9. Concept of straight line flow should be employed as zigzag flow causes more congestion and more time. 10. Load should preferably be carried both ways. This means while coming back some material may be picked-up for delivery to an intermediate and originating point.

Organization for materials handling

The structure varies with industry, type of manufacturing process, the product manufactured, its bulk and its value. In small firms, it may be one of the functions assigned to the plant engineer, purchasing manager or production manager. Big firms , a separate dept. itself is developed to study procedures and devise better handling techniques. When thus organized, they form part of industrial engineering division.

Types of material handling equipments

Conveyors
o o o o o

Belt conveyors, Chain conveyors, Roller conveyors, bucket conveyors, gravity conveyors.
Do not require operators, inexpensive to operate

material handling equipments

Cranes, Elevators and Hoists
Cranes overhead rails or ground rails or wheels o Elevators between floors vertically o Hoists - vertically, horizontally limited area electric or chain hoist
o

material handling equipments

Industrial trucks
Pallet truck Fork Lift

material handling equipments

Auxiliary Equipments
o o o

Pallet Box Crates

Miscellaneous Handling equipments

Automatic Guided vehicles
o

Industrial Robots
o

No operators, flexibility in paths, signals through wires on floor. A remote control computer reqd. Built in control can be programmed hence very versatile