Material Handling Systems - 1

CHAPTER 5

Material Handling
Right Definition
Material handling uses the right method to provide the right amount of the right material at the right place, at the right time, in the right sequence, in the right position, in the right condition, and at the right cost.
This is a relatively broad definition of material handling.

Material handling ...

involves handling, storing, and controlling material adds value through time and place utility impacts space requirement, profits, quality, safety, and productivity
2

Objectives of MH
1. Increase efficiency of material flow

2. Reduce material-handling cost 3. Improve facility utilization 4. Improve safety and working conditions

5. Facilitate the manufacturing process

6. Increase productivity

Material Handling Principles

1. Planning 2. Standardization 3. Work 4. Ergonomic 5. Unit Load 6. 7. 8. 9. Space Utilization System Automation Environmental

10. Life Cycle Cost

Material Handling Checklists

Facilitate identification of opportunities to improve existing material handling systems Ensure everything has been accounted for Contain conditions where possible improvement opportunities may exist
5

Material Handling Checklists

MH System Design Process

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Define the objectives and scope of the MHS Analyze the requirements for handling, storing, and controlling material Generate alternative designs for meeting MHS requirements Evaluate alternative MHS designs Select the preferred design for handling, storing, and controlling material Implement the preferred design
Selection of suppliers Training Installation, debug, and start-up Performance audits

Material Handling System Equation

Why?

What?

Where?

When?

How?

Who?

Which?

Materials +

Moves

Methods

Preferred System

Material Handling System Alternatives

8

Material Handling Planning Chart

Main purpose: gather information for a specific material handling problem and provide a preliminary examination of the solution alternatives Each MH activity should be listed
Operation, Transport, Storage , Inspection

Sequence of activities, sizes of loads, amount, frequency, method, distance should be included
9

f05_02

Material Handling Planning Chart

Study each move
Can the move be eliminated? Can the move be combined with another or with an in-transit operation? Can the move be simplified? Is re-sequencing the moves possible?
Is it advantageous?

If the move must take place, then determine the best method.
11

Unit Load Principle and Design

Unit load is the unit to be moved or handled at one time. Advantage: handle multiple items -- reduce the number of trips Unit loads can be contained in totes, cartons, pallets, pallet boxes, etc. Enclosure and stabilization is provided by strapping, shrinkwrapping, and stretch-wrapping Unit load specification is an integral part of material handling and storage system design
Small Load vs Large Load
12

Small Load vs Large Load

MH Equipment Space WIP Inventory

Moves
Total Time for Production
13

14

MH Performance
Support efficient production operations Throughput Response time Cost Space and cube utilization Flexibility Expandability
15

Estimating MH Costs
Remember right definition: right cost What is the right cost?

Be careful with the rule-of-thumbs!!

Estimating MH costs is not so trivial!!
Initial Purchasing Costs Installation Costs Operating Costs Maintenance Costs Operator Training Costs

16

MH Equipment Selection

17

MH Equipment Selection

18

MH Equipment Selection

19

MH Equipment Selection

1. The characteristic of the material

2. The physical workplace

characteristic

of

the

3. The nature of the process using the equipment

20

Fixed Path MH Models

Uniformity principle Materials uniformly distributed over conveyor Capacity principle Carrying capacity at least equal to throughput Speed principle Carriers per unit time within allowable range

21

Material Handling Equipments

A. Conveyors B. Hoists & Cranes C. Trucks

22

A. CONVEYORS
Used for moving materials continuously over a fixed path

A.1 TYPICAL CONVEYORS

1. Roller Conveyor
2. Belt Conveyor 3. Wheel Conveyor 4. Chain Conveyor Flight, Slat, Apron, Bucket
23

A.2 TYPICAL ACCESSORIES

1.Pallets 2.Boxes 3.Tote pans 4.Skids 5.Optical code or bar code reader

24

25

26

27

Unit Load Containers

(a) Wooden pallet, (b) pallet box, (c) tote box

Material Transport Equipment

Five categories: 1. Industrial trucks 2. Automated guided vehicles 3. Monorails and other rail guided vehicles 4. Conveyors 5. Cranes and hoists

Industrial Trucks
Two basic categories: 1.Non-powered
Human workers push or pull loads

2.Powered
Self-propelled, guided or driven by human Common example: forklift truck

Nonpowered Industrial Trucks (Hand Trucks)

(a) Two-wheel hand truck, (b) four-wheel dolly, (c) handoperated low-lift pallet truck

Powered Trucks: Walkie Truck

Wheeled forks insert into pallet openings No provision for riding; truck is steered by

Powered Trucks: Forklift Truck

Widely used in factories and warehouses because pallet loads are so common Capacities from 450 kg (1000 lb) up to 4500 kg (10,000 lb)

Powered Trucks: Towing Tractor

Designed to pull one or more trailing carts in factories and warehouses, as well as for

Automated Guided Vehicles

An Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) is a material handling system that uses independently operated, selfpropelled vehicles guided along defined pathways in the facility floor Types of AGV:
Driverless trains Pallet trucks Unit load AGVs

Vehicles: Driverless Automated Guided Train First type of

AGVS to be introduced around 1954 Common application is moving heavy payloads over long distances in warehouses

Automated Guided Vehicles: AGV Pallet Truck

Used to move palletized loads along predetermined routes Vehicle is backed into loaded pallet by worker; pallet is then elevated

Automated Guided Vehicles: Unit Load Carrier

Used to move unit loads from station to station Often equipped for automatic

AGVs Applications
1. Driverless train operations - movement of
large quantities of material over long distances 2. Storage and distribution - movement of pallet loads between shipping/receiving docks and storage racks 3. Assembly line operations - movement of car bodies and major subassemblies (motors) through the assembly stations 4. Flexible manufacturing systems -

Vehicle Guidance Technology

Method by which AGVS pathways are defined and vehicles are controlled to follow the pathways Three main technologies:
Imbedded guide wires - guide wires in the floor emit electromagnetic signal that the vehicles follow Paint strips - optical sensors on-board vehicles track the white paint strips Self-guided vehicles - vehicles use a combination of
Dead reckoning - vehicle counts wheel turns in given direction to move without guidance Beacons located throughout facility - vehicle uses triangulation to compute locations

Vehicle Guidance Using Guide Wire

Vehicle Management
Two aspects of vehicle management: Traffic control - to minimize interference between vehicles and prevent collisions
1. Forward (on-board vehicle) sensing 2. Zone control

Vehicle dispatching
1. On-board control panel 2. Remote call stations 3. Central computer control

Zone Control

Zone control to implement blocking system. Zones A, B, and D are blocked. Zone C is free. Vehicle 2 is blocked from entering Zone A by vehicle 1. Vehicle 3 is free to enter Zone C.

Vehicle Safety
Travel velocity of AGV is slower than typical walking speed of human worker Automatic stopping of vehicle if it strays from guide path
Acquisition distance

Obstacle detection system in forward direction

Use of ultrasonic sensors common

Emergency bumper - brakes vehicle when contact is made with forward object

Rail-Guided Vehicles
Self-propelled vehicles that ride on a fixed-rail system Vehicles operate independently and are driven by electric motors that pick up power from an electrified rail Fixed rail system
Overhead monorail - suspended overhead from the ceiling On-floor - parallel fixed rails, tracks generally protrude up from the floor

Overhead Monorail

Conveyor Systems
Large family of material transport equipment designed to move materials over fixed paths, usually in large quantities or volumes 1. Non-powered
Materials moved by human workers or by gravity

2. Powered
Power mechanism for transporting materials is contained in the fixed path,

Conveyor Types
Roller Skate-wheel Belt In-floor towline Overhead trolley conveyor Cart-on-track conveyor

Roller Conveyor
Pathway consists of a series of rollers that are perpendicular to direction of travel Loads must possess a flat bottom to span several rollers Powered rollers rotate to drive the

Skate-Wheel Conveyor
Similar in operation to roller conveyor but use skate wheels instead of rollers Lighter weight and unpowered Sometimes built as portable units that can be used

Belt Conveyor
Continuous loop with forward path to move loads Belt is made of reinforced elastomer Support slider or rollers used to support forward loop Two common

(Support frame not shown)

In-Floor Tow-Line Conveyor

Four-wheel carts powered by moving chains or cables in trenches in the floor Carts use steel pins (or grippers) to project below floor level and engage the chain (or pulley) for towing

Overhead Trolley Conveyor

A trolley is a wheeled carriage running on an overhead track from which loads can be suspended Trolleys are connected and moved by a chain or cable that forms a

Cart-On-Track Conveyor
Carts ride on a track above floor level Carts are driven by a spinning tube Forward motion of cart is controlled by a drive wheel

Powered Conveyor Operations and Features

Types of motions
1. Continuous - conveyor moves at constant velocity 2. Asynchronous - conveyor moves with stopand-go motion
They stop at stations, move between stations

Another classification of conveyors:

1. Single direction 2. Continuous loop 3. Recirculating

Conveyor and (b) Continuous Loop Conveyor

(a) Single direction conveyor

Cranes and Hoists

Handling devices for lifting, lowering and transporting materials, often as heavy loads Cranes
Used for horizontal movement of materials

Hoists
Used for vertical lifting of materials

Cranes usually include hoists so that the crane-and-hoist combination provides

Horizontal transport

Hoist
Hoist with mechanical advantage of four: (a) sketch of the hoist (b) diagram to illustrate mechanical advantage

(a)

(b)

Bridge Crane

Gantry Crane
A half-gantry crane

Jib Crane

Roller Conveyor
Rollers attached to side rails supported by a steel frame. The type of roller (steel, rubber, and wood) and the spacing of rollers

depend on the type of load to be carried. It can be gravity-operated or power-driven. Gravity-operated conveyors have a slight downward slope. On the power-driven conveyor, some of the rollers are driven by chains or belts to provide the motion for the material on the conveyor

62

Belt Conveyor
It is an endless belt, driven by power rollers or drums at one or both ends and supported by flat beds or rollers. The belt is made of rubber, woven wires, metal or fabric. Occasionally it can be magnetic. Portable belt conveyors are so popular they come in standard units.

63

Wheel Conveyor
It consists of wheels attached to side rails supported by a steel frame. The load is carried on the wheels, each of which rotates about a fixed axis. It can be gravity-operated or power-driven. Wheels can be made of steel, aluminum, or plastic. Most flat-bottomed surfaces will convey satisfactorily on wheel conveyors. If the part does not have a flat surface, it may ride in a box or on a small pallet.
64

Chain Conveyor
An endless chain transmits power from a motor to a carrying surface or unit. The carrying unit can be quite varied. Specific examples of chain conveyors are
flight conveyors (flights are "blades" attached perpendicular to the chain), slat conveyors apron conveyors, bucket conveyors An apron conveyor is similar to a slat conveyor, the only difference being the partial overlapping of the slats in the apron conveyor to provide a continuous moving surface.

65

66

Chute Conveyor
A chute conveyor is a slide, generally made of metal, which guides materials as they are lowered from a higher-level to a lower-level workstation. The shape of the chute can be straight or spiral to save space.

67

Tow Conveyor

Trolley Conveyor

68

fapp05b_18

fapp05b_19

fapp05b_22

fapp05b_23

fapp05b_24

fapp05b_25

fapp05b_26

fapp05b_28

fapp05b_30

fapp05b_31

fapp05b_32

fapp05b_33

fapp05b_37

fapp05b_38

Overhead Monorail
A track to transport carrying devices such as trolleys and hooks. The track itself can form a closed loop. Often used in transporting units to spray paint booths or baking ovens. Generally placed at 8 to 9 feet from floor

Telpher
A light car suspended from and running on aerial cables. It is usually propelled by electricity.

83

A.3 ADVANTAGES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Adjustable speed High capacity (moving a large number of items) Permits other activity (processing & inspection) Versatile (floor or overhead) Temporary storage of loads between work stations Automatic load transfer (less supervision) Straight line paths or aisles are not required Utilization of the cube (overhead conveyors)

A.4 DISADVANTAGES
1. 2. 3. Fixed paths serve limited areas Bottlenecks can develop Hinder movement of mobile equipment on factory floor

84

B. CRANES
Equipment for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

B.1 TYPES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Hoist (Palanga) Jib crane (Kollu Vinc) Bridge crane (Koprulu Vinc) Gantry crane ( Makas Koprulu Vinc) Tower crane (Kule Vinc) Stacker Crane (Istifleme Vinci)

85

Hoist
It is a lifting device attached to monorails, cranes, or a fixed point. It can be powered manually or by electric or pneumatic motors.
86

Jib Crane
Lifting device (hoist) traveling on a horizontal boom mounted on a vertical mast. The horizontal boom can rotate to achieve a wide range of coverage

87

Bridge Crane
Lifting device mounted on a bridge, which is supported at each end by tracks riding on or suspended from runways installed at right angles to the bridge

88

Gantry Crane
Basically a bridge crane with the boom supported at one or both ends by vertical gantry legs traveling on rails installed at ground level (instead of on an overhead runway)

Tower Crane
A hoist that travels on a horizontal boom attached at one end to a vertical post, with the other end of the boom being supported by a guy line to the top of the post

89

Stacker Crane
A crane with a vertical beam suspended from a carriage, mounted on a device similar to a bridge crane, and fitted with forks or a platform to permit it to place items into or retrieve items from storage racks on either side of the aisle it traverses
90

B.2 ADVANTAGES
1. Lifting as well as transferring of materials 2. Heavy loads 3. Loading & unloading operations

B.3 DISADVANTAGES
1. Large investments 2. Serve limited area 3. Utilization not very high (used for short periods)

91

C. INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS

Equipment for carrying loads over varying paths.

C.1 TYPES
1. Lift trucks 2. Hand trucks 3. Fork trucks 4. Trailer trains
92

Hand Carts/Trucks
A handcart or hand-truck is a wheelmounted platform with handles to manually push or pull the unit

93

Hand Lift Truck/Pallet Jack

This is a hand-operated truck that can raise loads hydraulically or mechanically to clear the floor before transporting them to the desired destination

Tractor-Trailer Train
This is a series of carts pulled by a self-propelled tractor. It is mainly used for stop&go operations carrying loads within 200 to 300 feet

94

Power-Driven Platform Truck

A much larger device than the power-driven hand-truck. It carries load and operator. A diesel or gasoline engine or an electric motor supplies power

Forklift Truck
A forklift truck is an operator-ridden, powerdriven truck with forks in front that lift and carry heavy loads on skids or pallets

95

Side-loader Truck
Forks on the side

Turret Truck with forks that can rotate left or

right to place or pick up a load without the truck having to turn in an aisle

96

Narrow Aisle Straddle Truck with out-riggers to balance loaded truck Narrow Aisle Reach Truck fork truck with
telescoping forks

97

C.2 ADVANTAGES
1. Not required to follow fixed paths 2. Capable of loading, unloading & lifting, as well as transferring 3. Highly utilized due to their flexibility

C.3 DISADVANTAGES
1. 2. 3. 4. Cannot handle heavy loads Limited capacity per trip Most must be driven by an operator Cannot combine handling with processing & inspection
98

Automated Guided Vehicle System

An AGV is a computer-controlled vehicle that moves along a predetermined path and performs certain duties, according to instructions sent by a system operator located at a station.

99