Introduction to Material Handling

Four major Material Handling factors which are to be considered- motion, time, quantity and space.

We need to choose the most reasonable material handling equipment which is prudent and can fulfil codes at the minimum feasible cost.

The concept of material management was introduced by manufacturing industries for giving rise to efficient purchase, stocking and consumption of materials.

Material management covers all aspects of material costs, supply and utilization.

The plant layout is a physical arrangement of machines, equipment and service divisions to accomplish the considerable coordination and efficiency of 4 M’s ie. (Men, Materials, Machines and Methods).

1. PRODUCT OR LINE LAYOUT This type of layout comprises the arrangement of machines in one line, relying on operation sequence. The raw material will be provided in the first machine & finalized product will come out of the last machine. The output of the previous machine becomes the input to the next machine. Used in Sugar refineries / Paper mills / Cement plants. 2. PROCESS OR FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT It implicates a grouping together of related machines in one department. This layout type is best suited for the intermittent operation. Machines on the functional layout are named general-purpose machines. Example: If we are performing the drilling operation, then all the machines executing drilling procedures are installed in the drilling department. 3. FIXED POSITION OR LOCATION LAYOUT In this, the major product being manufactured is fixed at one location. Equipment, labour and components are shifted to that location. All the facilities are brought and organized around one work hub. This type of layout is not appropriate for small scale entrepreneur. 4. COMBINATION OR HYBRID LAYOUT It is an assortment of product & process layout with a priority on one of them either. Hence, both categories of layouts are established in an efficient combine form if the output products are similar & not complicated. For fabrication of parts, Process Layout is used and henceforth produce layout is employed for Assembling of parts. 5. GROUP OR CELLULAR LAYOUT In this layout, the arrangement of a facility so that devices used to make analogous parts or families of parts is grouped. Here, the group of equipment is called a “cell”. Hence, the arrangement of cells is called a “cellular Layout”. RECENT TRENDS IN PLANT LAYOUT: The current fads in the layout are – •Using advanced tools and equipment for layout planning like layout dreaming, model equipment, etc. •Use of computerized facilities design: The various techniques have been advanced and used in layout engineering to save time and endeavour in large and problematic layout issues. Some examples are: ALDEP (Automated layout design program), CORELAP (Computerized relationship layout planning), CALP (computer Aided layout planning) etc.

Each of these conveyor systems is designed according to the requirement and usage. It can handle the load, move the products at the required speed, or can handle the material without damaging the machine.

The explanation of most common conveyors are described in this lesson.

ADVANTAGES 1. Enables high capacity for moving a large number of items. 2. Speed is modifiable. 3. Handling incorporated with other activities such as processing & inspection is feasible. 4. Conveyors are versatile & can be used on floor or overhead. 5. Load transfer is computerized & does not need the assistance of multiple operators. 6. Straight-line paths or aisles are not mandated. 7. Have improvised safety features that preclude accidents and injuries while increasing the speed of the conveyor system. 8. Variety of alternatives including the hydraulic, mechanical, and fully automated systems, to run the conveying systems are available. DISADVANTAGES 1. They permit a fixed path, fulfilling only limited regions 2. Bottlenecks or blockages can cultivate in the network. 3. A breakdown in any part of the conveyor halts the entire chain. 4. Since conveyors are stabilized or fixed in position, they impede the movement of the mobile appliance on the base. APPLICATIONS There are innumerable practices and applications of conveyor systems which make this material handling device worthwhile and reliable to carry out several crucial operations in industries. Selection of Conveyor systems counts on product type, speed, elevation change, and on other factors, industry emphasis. They are highly adopted in the following industries: Manufacturing industries Pharmaceuticals Flour mills Ice-cream plants Food producing industries Packaging industries Textile industries Laundries Chemical plants Shipyards Categorizing and gathering the materials Power plants Bakeries and confectioneries Overhead conveyors, at dry cleaners and slaughterhouses

It is implied that single objects too large for manual handling are also regarded as unit loads.”