Introduction to Material

Handling System
Subject: Material Handling System (03609285)
Semester: 4th
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Prepared by: Hitendrasinh Chauhan
College: Parul Polytechnic Institute
Material Handling:
 Material handling is defined as movement of material of any
form (raw, finished, packaged, loose, solid, liquid, gas, light
and heavy) from one location to another location either in
restricted or unrestricted path by manual or mechanical aids.
 The movement may be horizontal, vertical or may be
combination of both.
 In simple language, materials handling is loading, moving and
unloading of materials.
 Material handling is a necessary and significant component of
any productive activity.
Material Handling:
 Material handling at any level is necessary in daily household
activities, in commercial trades, in industrial processes, in
production processes.
 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 (1) solids (2) liquids, (3) semi liquids and (4) gases.
 Solids are classified into two main groups: Unit load and Bulk
load.
Material Handling:
 Unit loads are formed solids of various sizes, shapes and
weights.
 Some of these are like machine parts, molding boxes, and
fabricated items.
 Some of these are like containers, bags, packaged items etc.
Some of these are various structural materials like forest
wood, big iron sections, etc. All these are examples of unit
loads.
 The specific characteristics of unit loads are their overall
dimensions, shape, piece-weight, temperature, inflammability,
strength/fragility etc.
Material Handling:
 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, gravel,
sand, clay, cement, salt, chemicals, grain, sugar, flour and
similar other materials.
 Major characteristics of bulk materials, so far as their handling
is concerned, are: lump-size, bulk weight, specific weight,
moisture content, mobility of its particles, abrasiveness,
temperature, proneness to explosion and fire, stickiness,
fuming or dusty, corrosiveness, etc.
Material Handling:
 For liquids important characteristics, related to material
handling, are density. viscosity, freezing and boiling point,
corrosiveness, temperature, inflammability etc.
 Examples of common industrial liquids are: water, mineral
acids, alkalis, chemicals etc. Examples of common semi-
liquids are: slurry, sewage, sludge, mud, pulp, paste etc.
 Liquids and semi liquids 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 quantity of stable liquids/semi liquids are generally
conveyed through pipes using suitable pumps.
Material Handling:
 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.
Need of Material Handling:
 The prime importance of material handling is that it helps
efficiency and thereby increases profitability of an industry.
 Many industries or businessmen had leaved the business
because of situation, which rose due to inefficient materials
handling.
 The movement of material from the place, where it is, to the
place, where it is needed, can be time consuming, expensive,
and troublesome.
 The material can be damaged or lost in transit. It is important,
that materials handling should be done smoothly, directly, with
the proper equipment and so that it is under control at all
times.
Need of Material Handling:
 Material handling is the back bone for any civilization from
ancient time till today.
 In a manufacturing concern the product is received, stored to
the production departments, moved from machine to machine
and processing form dept. To dept. and further moved to final
assembly section. The final products are then moved to
inspection dept, and then to dispatch section.
 Thus, in every manufacturing organization material handling
has an important role. Everywhere there is movement of raw
material, semi-finished product or finished product.
 Some examples are given below to understand various types
of material handling in industrial fields.
Need of Material Handling:
 Material handling is necessary for excavating coal, metal
ores, limestone, marble, granite, etc. from their mines and for
loading them into transportation systems.
 Material handling is necessary for removing soil, stones at
suitable place during excavation process of coal, metal ores,
lime stones, marble, granite, etc.
 Material handling is necessary in exploration of crude oil from
its wells and for supplying it to the refinery.
 Material handling is necessary to load or unload all types of
material which are exported or imported by any type of mode
like rail way, road way, air ways or by sea way to foreign
countries.
Need of Material Handling:
 Material handling is necessary to load or unload in suitable
vehicles for transporting them from place of availability to the
place of utilization within the country itself.
 Material handling is necessary for transportation of raw
material, semi-finished components or finished product from
factory store to shop floor, from one machine to another
machine, from one shop to another shop M b and shop floor
to store.
 Material handling is necessary to transport waste material like
metal chips, pieces and other types of wastage during the
manufacturing process to appropriate storage or place of
disposal.
Need of Material Handling:
 Material handling is necessary for transporting construction
materials like sand, gravel, stones, bricks, steel bars, cement,
etc. from one place to another place.
 Thus, Material handling is the moving of material or product
by any means, including storage, and all movements except
processing operations and inspection.
 Often materials handling extends beyond the boundary of the
industry in the form of movement of raw materials from the
sources to the plant or in the form of finished goods from the
plant to the points of consumption.
 These long-distance movements of materials are generally
termed as transportation of materials through various modes
of transport like, road, rail, ship or air.
Positive Aspects of Effective Material
Handling System:
 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.
 Maximize space utilization by proper storage of materials and
thereby reduce storage and handling cost.
Positive Aspects of Effective Material
Handling System:
 Minimize 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 of plant and equipment with integral
materials handling features.
Negative Aspects of Material Handling
System:
 Additional capital cost involved in any material 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.
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
 The nature of industries, manufacturing processes involved
and types designs of machines & plants in operation are very
large, consequently the variety of materials handling
equipment and systems used in industry is also very large in
number and different in concept and design.

 The different material handling systems can be classified

according to the type of equipment used, material handled,
method used or the function performed.
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
 Depending upon the type of equipment used, material
handling systems can be classified into different categories
like Overhead systems, Conveyor systems, Tractor-trailer
system, Fork lift truck-pallet system, Industrial truck systems
and Underground systems.

 Depending upon the type of material handled, material

handling systems can be classified into different categories
like Unit handling systems, Bulk handling systems, Liquid
handling systems and gas handling systems.
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
 Depending upon the type of method used, material handling
systems can be classified into different categories like Manual
systems, Mechanized or automated systems, Job-shop
handling systems and Mass-production handling systems.

 Depending upon the type of function performed, material

handling systems can be classified into different categories
like Transportation systems, Conveying systems, Transferring
systems and Elevating systems.
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
 It is difficult to mention all types of materials handling
equipment being used. However, material handling
equipments/ systems can be generally classified in following
ways.

1. According to types of movement:

a) Hoisting equipments
b) Conveying equipments
c) Surface and overhead equipments
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
2. According to working area
a) For limited or restricted movement
Area restricted
Line restricted
Position restricted
b) For unlimited or unrestricted movement

3. According to position
a) Portable equipment
b) Fixed equipment
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
4. According to power source
a) Non-powered equipment
b) Powered equipment
5. According to special application
a) Can conveyor
b) Bottle conveyor
c) Wire and cable conveyor
d) Drag conveyor
e) Sortation (Sorting=grouping) conveyor
f) Trolley conveyor
Main Types of Material Handling
System:
6. According to direction of movement
a) For horizontal movement (transportation equipment)
b) For vertical movement (lifting and lowering equipment)
c) For mixed direction of movement (lifting and lowering plus
transportation equipment)
Principles of Material Handling System:
1. Planning Principle.
All handling activities should be planned. Suggestions for
carrying out planning principles are:

• Consider the plant layout before equipment/system design.

• Plan correct location for materials supply and disposal. Plan
for scrap removal.
• Assure adequate storage space at the workplace.
• Avoid placing materials directly on the floor. Place product
on a pallet, skid etc. at the beginning of the process.
Principles of Material Handling System:
1. Planning Principle.
• Use same container throughout the materials movement,
as far as practicable.
• Observe principles of motions economy.
• Plan productive operations and inspections during material
movement, if possible.
• Use judicious amount of manual handling.
Principles of Material Handling System:
2. Systems Principle.
Integrate as many handling activities as possible
encompassing full scope of operations like receiving,
storage, production, inspection, packaging, warehousing,
shipping/transportation.
Suggestions:
• Consider the entire scope of the handling activities, beyond
the scope of immediate concern.
• Integrate operations into handling systems like processing,
inspection, packaging etc.
Principles of Material Handling System:
2. Systems Principle.
• Avoid/minimize intermediate storage.
• While designing a materials handling system, the
practices/requirements of the suppliers, clients and
transporters are to be considered.
• Allow necessary flexibility considering future
requirements/emergencies.
Principles of Material Handling System:
3. Material Flow Principle.
Plan operations sequence and equipment arrangement to
optimize material flow. Suggestions:

• Eliminate obstacles from material flow.

• Plan material movement in a direct path (avoid
backtracking, zigzag movements etc.)
• Use product layout whenever possible.
• Keep related work areas close together.
Principles of Material Handling System:
3. Material Flow Principle.
• Combine operations to reduce material movement.
• Minimize movement between floors.
• Move bulky/weighty materials the least distance.
• Process heavy/bulky materials close to receiving
Principles of Material Handling System:
4. Simplification Principle.
Reduce, combine or eliminate unnecessary movement
and/or equipment. It increases efficiency of materials
handling. Suggestions:

• Apply principles of motions economy. Avoid unnecessary

handling. Eliminate re-handling as much as possible.
• Plan direct moves. Reduce or eliminate long, awkward or
complicated moves.
• Deliver materials at correct location first time.
Principles of Material Handling System:
4. Simplification Principle.
• Use material out of original container.
• Avoid use of variety of equipment types, sizes and makes.
• Plan adequate material handling equipment capacity.
• Do not mechanize unnecessarily.
Principles of Material Handling System:
5. Gravity Principle.
Utilize gravity to move material whenever practicable.
Suggestions:

• Use roller conveyors, slides, chutes between

equipment/processes.
• Use ramps between varying work or floor levels.
• Use sloping floor when materials movement by hand truck
is mainly in one direction.
• Use spiral chutes to feed machines at different floors.
Principles of Material Handling System:
6. Space Utilization Principle.
Make optimum use of building volume. Suggestions:
• Space equipment/processes close together.
• Eliminate or reduce temporary storage of materials.
• Stack materials to use building height.
• Use racks to permit higher stacking.
• Use stacking containers to permit stacking.
• Exercise economic order quantities to reduce inventory.
• Clean storage areas and dispose scrap regularly.
• Use narrow aisle handling equipment to reduce aisle width.
Principles of Material Handling System:
7. Unit Size Principle.
Increase quantity, size, weight of loads handled.
Suggestions:

• Examine possibility of unitization of loads.

• Use containers for unitization of loads.
• Procure materials in larger units.
• Design load size to make optimum use of handling
equipment capacity.
Principles of Material Handling System:
8. Safety Principle.
Handling methods and handling equipment use must be
safe. Suggestions:
• Provide adequate guards & safety devices on materials
handling equipment.
• Do not overload materials handling equipment.
• Maintain floor in good condition.
• Provide adequate shop lighting.
• Provide good housekeeping.
• Use mirror at aisle intersections.
Principles of Material Handling System:
8. Safety Principle.
• Materials handling equipment operators should be properly
trained.
• Stack/unstuck materials safely.
• Keep materials handling equipment in proper condition and
do not use defective equipment.
• Use mechanical handling equipment for difficult handling
activities and to handle dangerous/hazardous materials.
• Use proper personal protective gears during handling
materials
Principles of Material Handling System:
9. Mechanization/Automation Principle.
When appropriate, use mechanized or automatic materials
handling equipment. Suggestions:
• Consider mechanized system in the following cases:
(a) Large quantities or volumes of materials,
(b) Repetitive movement,
(c) Long moves,
(d) Hazardous move/materials,
(e) Two man lifting, moving tasks,
Principles of Material Handling System:
9. Mechanization/Automation Principle.
f) Excess manual handling,
g) Replacing large number of persons involved in handling,
h) Heavy materials,
i) Scrap removal
j) Feeding/unloading of high speed automated production
machines.

• Do not over mechanize.

Principles of Material Handling System:
10. Equipment Selection Principle.
Before selecting materials handling equipment, consider all
aspects of materials handling, e.g., materials to be handled,
moves to be made, methods to be utilized. Suggestions:

• Select versatile equipment.

• Select standardized equipment.
• Consider unitization of load for handling.
• Select capacity judiciously. Provide additional capacity
based on future plan.
• Compare alternatives based on cost of handling.
Principles of Material Handling System:
11. Standardization Principle.
Materials handling methods and equipment should be
standardized to the extent possible. Suggestions:

• Use standardized containers.

• Purchase standard types and sizes of equipment.
• Use standard sizes of pallets to fit products, bay sizes,
equipment and transport trucks.
Principles of Material Handling System:
12. Flexibility Principle.
Use methods and equipment, which can perform different
tasks and applications. Suggestions:

• Buy flexible equipment like Fork Lift Truck, Conveyor etc.

• Use variable speed drives.
• Make use of attachment & accessories.
• Use four ways pallets, skids and containers.
• Utilize mobile in favour of fixed equipment (e.g. trucks in
favour of fixed conveyors)
Principles of Material Handling System:
13. Dead-weight Principle.
Reduce the dead-weight movement. Suggestions:

• Movable materials handling equipment should be made of

lightweight materials like aluminum, magnesium etc.
• Use lightweight, pallets, skids, containers etc.
• Consider expendable pallets, containers etc.
• Select lightweight equipment for light load.
Principles of Material Handling System:
14. Motion Principle.
Stoppage of mobile equipment should be minimum.
Suggestions:

• Reduce loading/unloading time.

• Load/unload while materials handling equipment is in
motion, if possible.
• Use mechanized loading/unloading equipment.
• Use self-loading/unloading equipment like lift truck.
Principles of Material Handling System:
14. Motion Principle.
• Plan materials movement on both ways movement of
materials handling equipment.
• Use equipment where carrying device is attached to motive
unit like platform-type trucks, trailers etc.
• Use pallets, skids etc. to hasten loading/unloading.
• Use devices like tipplers, bottom discharge containers etc
Principles of Material Handling System:
15. Idle Time Principle.
Reduce idle or unproductive time of both materials handling
equipment and manpower. This principle is similar to motion
principle, so far as materials handling equipment are
concerned, hence same suggestions are applicable.
Additional suggestions for ‘‘manpower’’ are:
• Deliver materials at proper rate so that operators are not
idle for materials.
• Use indirect labour for materials handling.
• Install handling equipment to reduce labour.
• Combine jobs i.e. one man handles two or more machines
or jobs.
Principles of Material Handling System:
16. Maintenance Principle.
Do schedule maintenance and repair work of all materials
handling equipment to minimize outage. Suggestions:

• Train operators/maintenance personnel properly.

• Follow maintenance procedures as per manufacturers'
recommendations.
• Operators should check conditions daily and report.
• Do repair/maintenance to avoid breakdowns.
Principles of Material Handling System:
16. Maintenance Principle.
• Establish preventive maintenance programme.
• Maintain adequate spares.
• Standardize equipment to reduce spares.
• Avoid over maintenance.
• Avoid over loading of materials handling equipment.
Principles of Material Handling System:
17. Obsolescence Principle.
Replace obsolete handling methods and equipment by more
efficient methods or equipment to improve operations.
Suggestions:

• Establish a definite replacement policy.

• Rent or lease new equipment to tryout.
• Keep up-to-date as to what is new in the market through
books, journals, expositions, factory visits, conference,
manufacturers' representatives etc.
Principles of Material Handling System:
18. Control Principle.
Use materials handling equipment to improve production &
inventory control and order handling. Suggestions:

• Move materials in lots, batches, containers of a

predetermined quantity and size.
• Use containers with wire mesh for visual checking/counting.
• Synchronize materials handling with production.
• Coordinate materials handling programme with purchasing
and production.
• Use mechanized handling.
Principles of Material Handling System:
19. Capacity Principle.
Use Materials Handling so that full production capacity can
be achieved. Suggestions:

• Use mechanical handling systems for uniform flow of

materials.
• Operate equipment at optimum rate.
• Plan to utilize return run of the materials handling
equipment.
Principles of Material Handling System:
19. Capacity Principle.
• Make full use of building volume.
• Change size, shape of unit load to utilize space, equipment
and manpower.
• Use outdoor or rented storage space, when necessary.
• Widen aisle ways to speed materials movement.
Principles of Material Handling System:
20. Performance Principle.
Select materials handling systems with higher efficiency,
measured in terms of expenses per unit load handled.
Suggestions:

• Identify all possible units, which could be used as a basis

for comparison.
• Select common, convenient, standard equipment.
• Use versatile equipment.