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Materials Handling
Introduction
Materials handling is an important part of Logistics activities, and it is closely related to
Warehousing and Trasportation.
Materials handling -expressed in simple language- is loading, moving and unloading of
materials. To do it safely and economically, different types of equipment are used, when the
materials handling is referred to as mechanical handling of materials. Since primitive men
discovered the use of levers and wheels, they have been moving materials mechanically.
Any human activity involving materials need materials handling. However, in the field of
engineering and technology, the term materials handling is used with reference to industrial
activity. In any industry, be it small or big, involving manufacturing or construction type
work, materials have to be handled as raw materials, intermediate goods or finished products
from the point of receipt and storage of raw materials, through production processes and up to
finished goods storage and dispatch points.
We can briefly define it:
Materials handling is a short distance movement of goods or materials (raw materials,
semifinished, finished) within e.g. factory; using mechanical devices;
to, through, and from productive processes; in warehouses; and in receiving and
shipping areas involving loading and unloading.
Materials handling as such is not a production process and hence does not add to the
value of the product. It also costs money; therefore it should be eliminated or at least reduced
as much as possible. However, the important point in favour of materials handling is that it
helps production.

Objectives of Material Handling

Based on the need to be of optimum design and application specific to different type of
industries, materials handling can be as diverse as industries themself. One of the definition
adopted way back by the American Materials Handling Society is: Materials handling is the
art and science involving the moving, packaging and storing of substances in any form.
Some of the other definitions are:

Materials handling is the movement and storage of materials at the lowest possible
cost through the use of proper methods and equipment.
Materials handling is the moving of materials or product by any means, including
storage, and all movements except processing operations and inspection.
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In one of the definitions, all the functions of materials handling have been refered to
which are conveying, elevating, positioning, transporting, packaging and storing. Materials
handling uses different equipment and mechanisms called Materials Handling Equipment.
One definition also covers the important objective of materials handling which is lowest cost
solution.
The essential requirements of a good materials handling system may be summarized as:

Efficient and safe movement of materials to the desired place.

Timely movement of the materials when needed.

Supply of materials at the desired rate.

Storing of materials utilizing minimum space.

Lowest cost solution to the materials handling activities.

For increasing efficiency we need to reduce the number of times a company handles
goods. A company usually moves products into a warehouse and places them in a storage area
then moves them to an order selection area to be "picked" and made up into orders and finally
moves the products again to ready them for shipment to customers. This process needs some
unavoidable movements. In some warehouses, a company have to move goods several times
between each other. For efficient operate the company must avoid this extra movement. In
this way, the design of any materials handling system and its activities should minimize
movements to, within, and from a storage area.
Extra movement is unescapable because of overcrowding, any company may have to
temporarily store and later move products. However, an efficiently designed materials
handling system should minimize the number of movements and allow products to flow
through the warehouse rapidly and efficiently.
The objective of effective working conditions has a number of significant part in the
logistics area, including safety. All materials handling systems, whether in connection with
logistics or manufacturing, should minimize danger to nearby workers while increase
productivity. A materials handling usually combines automation and manual activities. Most
manual effort usually occurs in the order picking area. A company has to create an
environment that motivates people to get the job done.
Another part of this objective is to reduce as much as possible the heavy manual work
and monotonous short-distance warehouse movements. Completely eliminating all routine
movements or boring warehouse work is difficult, but the materials handling system should
strain after it as much as possible.
Because of logical consideration, companies should automate warehouses as much as
possible. For some reasons, e.g cost efficiencies, firms try to eliminate warehouse labor
personnel.
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Using of the available storage capacity is an important part of efficiency. A warehouse

has fixed inside length, width, and height - that is, cubic capacity. Utilizing as much of this
space as possible will minimize the warehouse's operating cost.
The use of warehouse space usually has two aspects. One is the ability to use the
building's height as much as possible. Horizontal warehouse space is usually the most obvious
and easiest to fill. But the vertical dimension is also a cost factor, and a warehouse operation
must utilize this space. The vertical dimension, is therefore, the biggest challenge. Warehouse
managers must focus on cubic space, not just on floor space.
A second aspect of space utilization is to minimize aisle space as much as possible while
avoiding aisles narrow enough to inhibit movement in the warehouse. The type of applied
materials handling equipment will affect aisles width. Forklift trucks, for example, very often
require turning space, and they need much wider aisles than other type of materials handling
equipment.

IMPORTANCE OF MATERIALS HANDLING

The foremost importance of materials handling is that it helps productivity and thereby
increases profitability of an industry. Many companies go out of business because of their
materials handling system is non efficient. In many instances it is seen that competing
industries are using same or similar production equipment, and one who uses improved
materials handling system stays ahead of their competitors.
A well designed materials handling system attempts to achieve the following:

Improve efficiency of a production system by ensuring the right quantity of materials

delivered at the right place at the right time most economically.

Cut down indirect labour cost.

Reduce damage of materials during storage and movement.

Maximise space utilization by proper storage of materials and thereby reduce storage
and handling cost.

Minimise accident during materials handling.

Reduce overall cost by improving materials handling.

Improve customer services by supplying materials in a manner convenient for

handlings.

Increase efficiency and saleability of plant and equipment with integral materials
handling features.

Apart from these, for certain industries, like process industries, heavy manufacturing
industries, construction industries, mining industries, and shipbuilding or aircraft industries

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etc., the materials are so large and heavy that these industries just can not run without
appropriate materials handling system.
All the above points clearly show the importance of materials handling in an industry or a
material transportation system. However, the negative aspects of materials handling should
also not be overlooked.
These are:

Additional capital cost involved in any materials handling system.

Once a materials handling system get implemented, flexibility for further changes gets
greatly reduced.

With an integrated materials handling system installed, failure/stoppage in any portion

of it leads to increased downtime of the production system.

Materials handling system needs maintenance, hence any addition to materials

handling means additional maintenance facilities and costs.

CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS

Method to be adopted and choice of equipment for a materials handling system primarily
depends on the type of materials to be handled. It is, therefore, very important to know about
different types of materials and their characteristics which are related to methods and
equipment used for their handling.
As innumerable different materials are used and need to be handled in industries, they are
classified based on specific characteristics relevant to their handling. Basic classification of
material is made on the basis of forms, which are Gases, Liquids, Semi Liquids and Solids.
Following characteristics of gases, liquids and semiliquids are relevant to their handling.
For gases it is primarily pressure, high (172 kPa and more) or low (less than 172 kPa).
Chemical properties are also important. For liquids the relevant characteristics are density,
viscosity, freezing and boiling point, corrosiveness, temperature, inflammability etc.
Examples of common industrial liquids are: water, mineral oils, acids, alkalies, chemicals.
Examples of common semi-liquids are: slurry, sewage, sludge, mud, pulp, paste.
Gases are generally handled in tight and where required, pressure resisting containers.
However, most common method of handling of large volume of gas is through pipes by the
help of compressor, blower etc. This process is known as pneumatic conveying.
Liquids and semiliquids can be handled in tight or open containers which may be fitted
with facilities like insulation, heating, cooling, agitating etc. as may be required by the
character of the liquid. Large quantities of stable liquids/semiliquids are generally conveyed
through pipes using suitable pumps, which are commonly known as hydraulic conveying.
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Solids form the majority of materials which are handled in industrial situation. Solids are
classified into two main groups: Unit load and Bulk load (materials). Unit loads are formed
solids of various sizes, shapes and weights. Some of these are counted by number of pieces
like machine parts, molding boxes, fabricated items. Tared goods like containers, bags,
packaged items etc. and materials which are handled en-masses like forest products (logs),
structurals, pig iron etc. are other examples of unit loads. The specific characteristics of unit
loads are their overall dimensions, shape, piece-weight, temperature, inflammability,
strength/fragility etc. Hoisting equipment and trucks are generally used for handling unit
loads. Certain types of conveyors are also used particularly for cartons/packaged items and
metallic long products like angles, rods etc.
Unit loads have been classified by Bureau of Indian Standards' (BIS)
specification number IS 8005:1976.
The classifications are based on:

Shape of unit loads basic geometric forms like rectangular, cylindrical,

pyramidal/conical and spherical; typical or usual forms like pallets, plate, containers,
bales and sacks; irregular forms like objects with flat base dimension smaller than
overall size, loads on rollers/wheels and uneven shapes.
Position of C.G. (stability) of load.
Mass of unit load in 10 steps from 0-2.5 kg to more than 5000 kg.
Volume per unit in 10 steps from 0-10 cm3 to more than 10 m3.
Type of material in contact with conveying system like metal, wood,
paper/cardboard, textile, rubber /plastics, glass and other materials.
Geometrical shape (flat, concave, convex, irregular/uneven, ribbed etc.) and physical
properties (smooth, slippery, rough, hard, elastic etc) of base surface of unit load.
Specific physical and chemical properties of unit loads like abrasive, corrosive, dust
emitting, damp, greasy/oily, hot, cold, fragile, having sharp edges, inflammable,
explosive, hygroscopic, sticky, toxic, obnoxious, radioactive.
Loads sensitive to pressure, shock, vibration, turning/tilting,
acceleration/deceleration, cold, heat, light, radiation, damp.

Bulk materials are those which are powdery, granular or lumpy in nature and are stored in
heaps. Example of bulk materials are: minerals (ores, coals etc.), earthly materials (gravel,
sand, clay etc.) processed materials (cement, salt, chemicals etc.), agricultural products (grain,
sugar, flour etc.) and similar other materials.
Major characteristics of bulk materials, so far as their handling is concerned, are: lumpsize, bulk weight, specific weight, moisture content, flowability (mobility of its particles),
angles of repose, abrasiveness, temperature, proneness to explosion, stickiness, fuming or
dusty, corrosivity, hygroscopic. Bulk materials are generally handled by belt-conveyor, screw
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conveyor, pneumatic conveyor, bucket elevator, grab bucket, skip hoist, stacker-reclaimer,
dumper-loader etc. It can be handled by cranes or trucks when collected in containers or bags.
Small lump (powdered or granular) materials can be handled pneumatically or hydraulically.
Bulk materials are generally stored on ground or floor in the open or under shed, and also in
bunkers or silos.

Categories of Equipment
Material handling equipment are equipment that relate to the movement, storage,
control and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of
manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal. Material handling equipment is the
mechanical equipment involved in the complete system. Material handling equipment is
generally separated into four main categories: storage and handling equipment, engineered
systems, industrial trucks, and bulk material handling.

Dock Equipment
The first material handling process is to unload a truck when it arrives to the warehouse.
It is important to be fast, because it improves the capability. That is why most warehouses
utilize dock equipment

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Forklifts
A forklift truck is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The
modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission
manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing. The
forklift has since become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and
warehousing operations. Forklifts are a critical element of warehouses and distribution
centers. Its imperative that these structures be designed to accommodate their efficient and
safe movement. Warehouses usually use them in conjunction with pallets.

They are sold at a very reasonable price so most of the firms can provide them. One of
their disadvantages is that most of the maneuvers require well-trained operators.
Companies can select from a wide selection of forklift trucks to satisfie all requirements.
They can choose from various lifting capacity, power source, lifting height etc.

Dock Bumpers
A dock bumper is a piece of rubber located at the floor level of a dock opening to cushion
the building from truck trailer impact.

Dock Levelers
A dock leveler is a manually, hydraulically, or electrically operated plate, located at the
dock entrance, that can be raised and lowered to accommodate varying trailer floor heights.
Dock levelers can also enhance safety and productivity on the dock through a variety of
design features. Different types of levelers may be used, depending on the industry served or
tasks required.

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Dock Seals
A dock seal is a rubber or canvas covering that extends out from a dock face to seal the
gap between the dock and the trailer's entrance.

Pallets
A pallet, sometimes referred to as a skid, is a piece of transportation equipment utilized in
the movement of unit loads, typically made of wood, although plastic or metal pallets are also
available. Pallets are usually forkliftable in that they are designed to accept forks between the
top and bottom platforms of the unit. Pallets are used for assembling, storing, stacking,
handling and transporting goods as a unit load, and are often equipped with a superstructure.

There are six pallet types:

Type I pallet: Single-faced, nonreversible pallet.

Type II pallet: Double-faced, flush-stringer or block, nonreversible pallet.

Type III pallet: Double-faced, flush-stringer or block, reversible pallet.

Type IV pallet: Double-faced, single-wing, nonreversible pallet.

Type V pallet: Single-faced, single-wing, nonreversible pallet.

Type VI pallet: Double-faced, double-wing, reversible pallet.

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Other Materials Handling Equipment

Conveyors
A conveyor is a horizontal, inclined, or vertical device for moving or transporting bulk
material, packages, or objects in a path predetermined by the design of the device, and having
points of loading and discharge, fixed or selective. Conveyors can be either gravity powered
or live.

Conveyors can be classified using the following criteria:

Load: The type of product being handled (unit load or bulk load)
Location: Location of the conveyor (overhead, on-floor or in-floor)
Accumulation: Whether or not loads can accumulate on the conveyor
Conveyors offer a wide range of benefits, many of which are readily apparent. Before the
invention and implementation of conveyors, warehouse and factory workers needed to
physically travel with an object from place to place. Not only was this cumbersome for the
employee, it was inefficient for the company and, essentially, a huge waste of time. The
conveyor brings a project to the worker, rather than a worker having to travel to a project.
Conveyors can be used to transport parts to workers or locations throughout a plant or
warehouse and, eventually, to the shipping dock for delivery.
Besides the obvious benefits of increased efficiency, conveyors can serve to increase
quality control at a manufacturing or storage location. The use of automated production lines
allows individual parts to be moved to and from automated machinery, allowing workers who
were once designated to transporting parts to perform tasks that cannot as easily be
automated, such as quality control or or supervision/management processes. In addition,

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conveyors can increase the safety of a facility. Specialty conveyors are designed to transport
heavy or hazardous products, keeping workers out of harm's way.

Cranes
A crane is a machine used for lifting and lowering a load, and moving it horizontally. A
crane's drives may be manual, powered or a combination of both. Cranes are typically used
when there is insufficient (or intermittent) flow volume such that the use of a conveyor cannot
be justified. They provide more flexibility in movement than conveyors, and less flexibility in
movement than industrial trucks. Loads handled by cranes are more varied with respect to
their shape and weight than those handled by a conveyor. Most cranes utilize hoists for
vertical movement, although manipulators can be used if precise positioning of the load is
required.

Many different types of cranes are used for material handling applications. These include
overhead cranes as well as cherry picker type boom lifts, mobile and self-propelled cranes,
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straddle and counterbalanced (cantilevered) cranes. Portable and mobile floor cranes can be
equipped with fixed or telescopic booms as well as mast rotation when equipped with
outriggers. Lifting can be performed with the boom itself or a winch operated cable lift.
The major types of cranes are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Jib crane
Bridge crane
Gantry crane
Stacker crane
Portable crane
Mobile crane

Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS)

An automatic guided vehicle system (AGV), or AGVS, consists of one or more
computer-controlled, wheel-based load carriers (normally battery powered) that run on the
plant floor (or if outdoors on a paved area) without the need for an onboard operator or driver.
AGVs have defined paths or areas within which or over which they can navigate. Navigation
is achieved by any one of several means, including following a path defined by buried
inductive wires, surface mounted magnetic or optical strips, or by way of inertial or laser
guidance.
Two means of guidance systems can be used for AGV systems:
1. Fixed path: Fixed path guidance refers to a physical guidepath (e.g., wire, tape,
paint) on the floor that is used for guidance.
a. Wire-guided
b. Rail-guided
2. Free-ranging: Free-ranging guidance has no physical guidepath, thus it is easier to
change the vehicle's path (in software), but absolute position estimates (from, e.g.,
lasers) are needed to correct dead-reckoning error.
a. Optical-guided
b. Laser-guided
Order Picking
Order picking, or order selection, is the process of retrieving individual items (from
storage locations) for the purpose of fulfilling an order for a customer. Schemes by which to
achieve efficient order picking will vary widely. However, in all cases it involves locating the
items in storage; creating a plan for retrieving the items; physically picking the items (either
automatically or manually); sorting and/or assembling them into discrete orders; and in the
end even packaging the orders for delivery. Although defined as a process, order picking
cannot be achieved without the appropriate computer software and mechanical equipment,
including the storage medium, such as pallet racks, shelving, AS/RS(including carousels) and
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flow delivery racks, and a means for transporting items from receiving to storage and from
storage to packaging and shipment. A variety of industrial trucks and conveyors will be found
in most order picking applications. Order picking may also involve robotic like devices for
physically picking discrete items from their storage location.

Sources:
1. Bolz, H. A and Hagemann, G. E (ed.), Materials Handling Handbook, Ronald Press.
2. IS 8005:1976, Classification of Unit Loads, Bureau of Indian Standards.
3. IS 8730:1997, Classification and Codification of Bulk Materials for Continuous Material
Handling Equipment, Bureau of Indian Standards.
4. Apple, J.A., Material Handling System Design, John Wiley & Sons
5. Allegri, T.H., Materials Handling: Principles and Practice, CBS Publishers &
Distributors,N. Delhi.
http://www.wikimheda.org/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.answers.com/topic/materials-handling-military

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