Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Department

Material Handling Equipment

December, 2021
 CHAPTER 5

Designing the Unit Load System

 Lesson Learning Outcome

On completion of this lesson, the students will be

able to:
 Identify the concept, characteristics, types and
advantages of unit load system;
 Designing the unit load system
 5.1. Concept of Unit Load
• Principle of unit load states that, “it is quicker and
economical to move a lot of items at a time rather
to move each one of them individually”.
• In other words this principle suggested that, the
larger the load handled, the lower the cost per unit
handled.
• For small parts, or parts where machines are
engaged for handling, movements are made in
containers.
• When machines are used for materials handling,
units can be made machine size rather man size.
 5.1. Concept of Unit Load
• Unit load principle implies that materials
should be handled in most efficient, maximum
size unit, mechanical means to reduce the
number of moves needed for a given amount of
material.
• A number of items, or bulk material, so
arranged or restrained that the mass can be
picked up and moved as a single object too
large for manual handing, and which upon
being released will retain its initial
arrangement for subsequent movement.
5.2. Basic Ways of Restraining a Unit Load
 Self-restraining—one or more units that can
maintain their integrity when handled as a
single item (e.g., a single part or interlocking
parts)
 Platforms—pallets (paper, wood, plastic,
metal), skids (metal, plastic)
 Sheets—slipsheets (plastic, cardboard,
plywood)
 Reusable containers—tote pans, pallet boxes,
skid boxes, bins, baskets, bulk containers (e.g.,
barrels), intermodal containers
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
1. Self-restraining (no equipment)

 One or more items that can maintain their

integrity when handled as a single item (e.g., a
single part or interlocking parts)
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
 Unit load formation equipment is used to
restrict materials so that they maintain their
integrity when handled a single load during
transport and for storage.

 If materials are self-restraining (e.g., a single

part or interlocking parts), then they can be
formed into a unit load with no equipment.
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
2. Pallets
• Platform with enough clearance beneath its top
surface (or face) to enable the insertion of
forks for subsequent lifting purposes
• Materials: Wood (most common), paper,
plastic, rubber, and metal
• Size of pallet is specified by its depth (i.e.,
length of its stringers or stringer boards) and its
width (i.e., length its deckboards)—pallet
height (typically 5 in.) is usually not specified
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
2. Pallets
• Orientation of stringers relative to deckboards of
pallet is specified by always listing its depth first and
width last: Depth (stringer length) × Width
(deckboard length)
• 48 × 40 in. pallet is most popular in the US (27% of
all pallets—no other size over 5%) because its
compatibility with railcar and truck trailer
dimensions; e.g., the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers
of America) pallet is four-way and made of hardwood
• 1200 × 800 mm “Euro-Pallet” is the standard pallet in
Europe Single-face pallets are sometimes referred to
as “skids”
 5.3. Basic Ways of Moving a Unit Load:
 Use of a lifting device under the mass of the
load (e.g., a pallet and fork truck)
 Inserting a lifting element into the body of the
load (e.g., a coil of steel)
 Squeezing the load between two lifting
surfaces (e.g., lifting a light carton between
your hands, or the use of carton clamps on a
lift truck)
 Suspending the load (e.g., hoist and crane)
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
Types of Wooden Pallets
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
3. Tote pans
• Reusable container used to unitize and protect
loose discrete items.
• Typically used for in-process handling.
• Returnable totes provide alternative to cartons
for distribution.
• Can be nested for compact storage when not in
use.
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
3. Tote pans
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
4. Pallet/skid boxes
• Reusable containers used to unitize and protect
loose items for fork/platform truck handling.
• Pallet box sometimes referred to as a “bin
pallet”
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
5. Cartons
• Disposable container used to unitize and protect
loose discrete items.
• Typically used for distribution.
• Dimensions always specified as sequence: Length ×
Width × Depth, where length is the larger, and
width is the smaller, of the two dimension of the
open face of the carton, and depth is the distance
perpendicular to the length and width.
• Large quantities of finished carton blanks or
knocked-down cartons can be stored on pallets until
needed.
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
5. Cartons
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
6. Bags
• Disposable container used to unitize and
protect bulk materials.
• Typically used for distribution.
• Polymerized plastic (“poly”) bags available
from light weight (1 mil.) to heavy weight (6
mil.) in flat and gusseted styles.
• Dimensions of bag specified as: Width ×
Length, for flat bags, and Width × Depth (half
gusset) × Length, for gusseted bags
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
6. Bags
 5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :
7. Bulk load containers
• Reusable container used to unitize and protect
bulk materials.
• Includes barrels, cylinders, etc.
• Used for both distribution and in-process
handling
8. Crates
• Disposable container used to protect discrete
items.
• Typically used for distribution.
5.4. Unit Load Formation Equipment :

Bulk load containers Crates

 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
• Unit loads can be used both for in-process
handling and for distribution (receiving,
storing, and shipping).
• Unit load design involves determining the:
1. Type, size, weight, and configuration of the
load.
2. Equipment and method used to handle the
load.
3. Methods of forming (or building) and breaking
down the load.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
a) Factors considered for designing:
For designing (planning) the unit load system
following factors should be considered:
1. Material and its characteristics.
2. Quantity to be handled and duration.
3. Starting point and destination.
4. Loading and unloading techniques.
5. Objective of space utilization.
6. Environment, storage requirements in route.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
a) Factors considered for designing:
7. Limitations of aisles, doors, height, column,
machine arrangement, and storage space di-
mensions, etc.
8. Weight limitations.
9. Volume limitations.
10.Cost of handling equipment and other handling
aids.
11.Cost of consumable (expendable) unitizing
materials.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System

a) Factors considered for designing:

12. Labour cost.

13. Time consumed in preparing the unit load.

14. Cost of entire handling system.

 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
b) Criteria for unit load design:
1. Mechanical strength.
2. Low cost.
3. Disposable.
4. Optimum size.
5. Universal in application.
6. Stackable.
7. Easy to store.
8. Versatility.
9. Ease of unitising or de-unitising.
10. Low maintenance
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System

c) Unit Load Design:

• After having understood the factors and

criteria for unit load design, next step is to
design (or plan) the unit loads.

• A logical approach must be followed to solve

the unit load problem.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
For designing the unit load system the following
guidelines must be followed:
1. Whether unit load concept is necessary:
• First of all it is necessary to determine whether
there is need for unitizing at all?
• For this purpose size, volume, frequency of
movement, distance, equipment used, cost
justification, and customers’ acceptance are the
main considerations.
• If it is found necessary to have unit load design,
we should move to next step.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
2. Selection of type of unit load:
• Type of unit load is selected by considering the
materials whether it can withstand load, and
whether its irregular shape is strong enough to
support the load.
3. Establish distribution requirement:
• Objective of designing a unit load is more
efficient shipping and subsequent handling,
storage and disbursement.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
4. Determining the size of unit load:
• Size and shape of the unit load is decided
considering the size and shape of the product, size
of the shipping container.
5. Configuration of the unit load:
• This includes the shape and pattern of the loading,
shape and dimensions of the items to be unitised
and whether the items are unstackable, whether
auxiliary attachments like sides, ends or corners,
or some kinds of container can be provided to
unitize the load.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
6. Method of building the unit load:
• Method of building the load is decided
considering different factors along with some
additional factors, like, unitising aids, methods
of building unit load i.e. manual, semi-
mechanised or palletizers, and method of
securing the unit load e.g. steel strap, wire,
rope, tape of cloth or paper, adhesives, chip
board or paper sheets, rubber bands, filament
tapes, storage aids, interlocking etc.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
i. Selecting unit load size for in-process handling:
• Unit loads should not be larger than the
production batch size of parts in process—if
the unit load size is larger, then a delay would
occur.
• if the load is forced to wait until the next batch
of the part is scheduled to start production
(which might be days or weeks) before it can
be transported.
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
i. Selecting unit load size for in-process handling:
• Large production batches (used to increase the
utilization of bottleneck operations) can be split into
smaller transfer batches for handling purposes, where
each transfer batches contains one or more unit loads,
and small unit loads can be combined into a larger
transfer batch to allow more efficient transport (e.g.,
several cartons at a time can be transported on a hand
truck, although each carton is itself a unit load and
could be transported separately); thus:
• Single part ≤ Unit load size ≤ Transfer batch size ≤
Production batch size
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
i. Selecting unit load size for in-process handling:
• When parts are transferred between adjacent
operations, the unit load may be a single part.
• When operations are not adjacent, short
distance moves ⇒ smaller unit load sizes, and
long distance moves ⇒ larger unit load sizes.
• The practical size of a unit load may be limited
by the equipment and aisle space available and
the need for safe material handling (in accord
with the Safety Principle).
 5.5. Designing the Unit Load System
ii. Selecting unit load size for distribution:
• Containers/pallets are usually available only in
standard sizes and configurations.
• Truck trailers, rail boxcars, and airplane cargo
bays are limited in width, length, and height.
• The existing warehouse layout and storage rack
configuration may limit the number of feasible
container/pallet sizes for a load.
• Customer package/carton sizes and retail store
shelf restrictions can limit the number of feasible
container/pallet sizes for a load.
 5.6. Advantages of Unit Load Concept:
1. Possible to handle large loads.
2. Reduce handling cost of one unit.
3. Reduce packaging costs.
4. Maximize space utilization.
5. Faster movement of materials.
6. Reduces loading and unloading time.
7. Reduces pilferage/damage during transit or
storage.
8. Safer handling.
9. Reduces cost of transportation.
5.7. Disadvantages of Unit Load Concept:

1. Time spent forming and breaking down the

unit load.

2. Cost of containers/pallets and other load

restraining materials used in the unit load.

3. Empty containers/pallets may need to be

returned to their point of origin.
End of Chapter Five