4 Types of Materials Handling Equipment
Material handling equipment is any tool used to aid in the
movement, protection, storage, and control of materials and products. The
equipment used to do so can be broken down into four main categories. Each category
has a wide variety of useful equipment that makes safely moving heavy materials
or large volumes of materials easier.
Material Handling Equipment is widely used in man industrial use for performing
various functions. It is required for material movement, storage, protection
and control. Throughout the processes of distribution, manufacturing, disposal
and consumption, this equipment does different type of handling. There are
different kind of handling equipment required for transport, positioning, loading
and storage.
1. Storage and Handling Equipment
The title of this equipment category is
pretty self-explanatory. Storage equipment is used to hold materials while they
wait to be transported from the manufacturer or wholesaler to their final destination.
Having the right storage equipment can increase efficiency on the production
floor and maximize space utilization- two very important factors in any
production environment.
Examples of storage and handling equipment
include:
• Racks: such as pallet racks, drive-through or
drive-in racks, push-back racks, and sliding racks
• Stacking frames: these are interlocking units that
enable stacking of a load so crushing doesn’t occur
• Shelves
• Bins and drawers
• Mezzanines: elevated floor systems that are
installed between the production floor and ceiling in order to provide
additional storage space. Most of these structures can be dismantled and moved
with ease.
2.
Engineered Systems
This type of material handling equipment
are typically automated units that work together to enable efficient storage
and transportation of large materials or large volumes of materials around the
production floor. Examples of engineered systems include:
• AS/RS: Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
(abbreviated as AS/RS) are large automated structures that involves racks,
aisles and shelves that are accessible by a type of mechanized shuttle system
(like a cherry picker) for the quick retrieval of items.
• Conveyor systems:
Automated conveyor systems carry heavy materials to specified destinations
using belts, flexible chain, or live rollers. It is a highly efficient
equipment to move large volumes of material quickly.
• Robotic delivery systems–
These automated systems are ideal for moving products on an assembly line or
transporting goods throughout a plant or warehouse.
• Automatic guided vehicles–
These vehicles are mobile robots that follow specific markers or wires in the
floor to move large materials around a manufacturing facility or warehouse.
Vision, magnets, or lasers can also be used as methods for AGV navigation.
3. Industrial Trucks
Powered industrial trucks, such as
forklifts, are used to move large materials or large quantities of materials
around the manufacturing floor. They are also utilized to efficiently load (or
unload) heavy objects onto delivery trucks. Industrial trucks are very useful
when there is insufficient flow volume to justify the implementation of a
conveyor system. Examples of industrial trucks include:
• Hand trucks– Also known as a dolly, or box cart.
Hand trucks are l-shaped box-moving handcarts with handles at one end, wheels
at the base, and a ledge to set objects on.
• Pallet jacks– These are tools are the most basic
form of a forklift and used to lift and move pallets within a warehouse.
• Pallet trucks– Manual operated or powered
industrial forklifts.
• Walkie stackers– A pedestrian walk-behind stacker
with a mast for lifting pallets to heights.
• Platform trucks–
These are similar to a two wheeled dolly, but with an extended deck.
• Order picker– An electric lift truck specifically
designed for filling individual customer orders. This requires piece-part
picking rather than selecting full pallets or unit loads.
• Side loader–
Automated tool similar to a fork lift that loads and unloads from the side of
the machine rather than the front.
• Automatic guided vehicles
4. Bulk Material Handling Equipment
Equipment that deals with bulk handling
aids in the control and transportation of large volumes of material either in
bulk or loose form. In general, the equipment is used to move loose parts from
one area of the production floor to another. Drums and hoppers can also be used
to funnel loose items so they can be easily manipulated or packaged. Bulk
Material Handling Systems can also utilize conveyor belts for horizontal
transportation and elevators for vertical transportation. Examples of bulk
material handling equipment are:
• Conveyor belts
• Stackers– Similar to forklifts, stackers help to
lift and stack heavy loads on the dock or in the warehouse.
• Reclaimers– These are large machines used to
recover bulk materials from a stockpile.
• Bucket elevators–
Also known as a grain leg. These elevators haul flowable bulk materials
vertically.
• Grain elevators– This type of equipment is used to
store and move grain and other similar materials throughout a production
pathway.
• Hoppers– Hoppers are a container for bulk material
such as grain, that tapers and discharges its materials at the bottom.
• Silos– A tower used to store grain and other
materials such as coal, sawdust, woodchips, and food products.
Top 14 Material Handling Equipment Items
to Increase Efficiency in a Warehouse
The
term ‘material handling equipment’ encompasses a diverse range of vehicles,
tools and storage equipment. Typically, a warehouse is used to store items, and
then move them to where they are needed. The easier it is to move items, the
more efficient your warehouse can be. To increase efficiency, you need to have
the right tools for the job – it will make your employee’s lives easier, and
cut down on the backbreaking strain they’d otherwise be exposed to with
improper equipment.
Leaving
aside storage equipment such as racks, stacking frames, and engineered systems
such as complex conveyors and automatic guided vehicles for a moment, we will
concentrate on two important types of material handling equipment: industrial
trucks and bulk material handling equipment. We’ll take a look at what each
item does, so that you can then decide whether you’d consider adding it to your
warehouse efficiency arsenal.
Industrial
Trucks
An
industrial truck is a transportation device used to move items in material
handling companies. These can range from small, hand-operated trucks to
vehicular lifts. The most commonly found industrial trucks in warehouses are as
follows:
1.
Hand trucks
This
is a simple, two-wheel hand-operated truck or trolley, usually with a metallic
frame and a toe-plate. Hand trucks are designed to ease the transportation of
small items. Some come in a folding variety that packs flat when not in use.
2.
Pallet jacks
A
pallet jack, truck or pump is used to transport materials that have been
stacked on pallets. These jacks have twin forks, which slide under the pallet.
The handle is then used to raise the forks with a pumping force, creating a
hydraulic action that lifts the pallet, and enables transportation.
3.
Walkie stackers
A
walkie stacker is the next stage up from a pallet jack or truck. The basic
design is the same, except that the stacker is motorized. The ‘truck’ aspect of
the walkie stacker is similar to the fork alignment and design of a forklift
truck. The whole assembly can be moved around by hand, and pallets can be
lifted to the second shelf of a warehouse stacking system. They are ideal for
small capacity items, indoor use and on concrete floors. Walkie stackers are
also less expensive than forklift trucks.
4.
Platform trucks
A
platform truck is simply a frame and platform on wheels. The platform can be
stacked by hand when a large number of small items require transportation, or
can be loaded using another item of material handling equipment. This is ideal
for small-to-medium size operations, or as a speedy logistical solution for
large organizations.
5.
Order Picker
The
order picker is a small-sized forklift truck that’s larger than a walkie
stacker and is capable of bearing more weight. Order pickers can typically
retrieve and replace stacked items from heights of between 10 – 30 feet.
6. Side
loader
Side
loaders are used to load and unload from the side of the machine, as opposed to
the front-positioned forks of a standard forklift. Side loaders are best used
in narrow aisles and doorways, but they are not as manoeuvrable as forklifts.
7.
AGV
The
AGV is a mobile ‘robot’ that follows wires, markers or other indicators in the
floor. AGVs can also use lasers, magnets or cameras for guidance. They are
often used in large-scale industrial applications to move materials around a
warehouse.
Bulk
Material Handling Equipment
If
your warehouse involves the movement of a large number of items, then the key
to efficiency is movement in bulk. The more items you can move at one time, the
more efficiently your warehouse will run. Here are some types of equipment that
will enable you to do just that.
8.
Conveyor belts
A
conveyor belt is a motor-driven belt that forms part of a conveyor system.
Items that require transportation are simply placed on one end of the belt, and
the motorized system moves them to their destination.
9.
Stackers
A
small, hand-propelled or motorized truck that’s used to lift items off the
ground and onto shelving. This is deal if you are making the most of your
warehouse space in having a stacking system. They are cheaper to run than
forklifts, and are ideal for small-to-medium applications.
10.
Reclaimers
A
machine that has a rotating scoop at one end of a conveyor system. The scoop
gathers up small, loose items and places them on the conveyor belt. The items
are then transported along the belt until they reach their destination.
11.
Bucket elevators
Also
called a grain leg, a bucket elevator is used to transport small, loose items
vertically. It is usually a motorized device, but can be hand-cranked as well.
A series of small buckets are attached to a belt. The buckets scoop up the
materials when at the bottom of the belt, then lift and disperse the materials
at the top. Some bucket elevators may be inclined.
12.
Grain elevators
Grain
elevators are towers that contain a bucket elevator or a conveyor. The grain is
scooped up from a lower level and safely deposited in the required storage
facility. This is ideal for large-scale operations.
13.
Hoppers
Another
device for handling small, loose items, a hopper is basically a large funnel.
The items are placed in the top of the hopper, and gravity moves them down to
the bottom, which features a narrow aperture, which allows for flow control.
The only disadvantage with hoppers is that they can become blocked fairly
easily.
14.
Silos
Silos
are typically used in agricultural applications. They are used to safely store
grain, or silage (fermented feed). They are also commonly used for the bulk
storage of coal, cement, wood-chips, sawdust and even food products.
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