Design of Material Handling Equipment Lecture Note

Adama Science and Technology University
College of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

Materials Handling
➢ Materials handling is loading, moving and unloading of materials. To do
it safely and economically, different types of tackles, gadgets and
equipment are used, when the materials handling is referred to as
mechanical handling of materials.
➢ In any industry, be it big or small, involving manufacturing or
construction type work, materials have to be handled as raw materials,
intermediate goods or finished products from the point of receipt and
storage of raw materials, through production processes and up to finished
goods storage and dispatch points.

Cont.……
➢ Materials handling as such is not a production process and hence does not add to the
value of the product. It also costs money; therefore, it should be eliminated or at least
reduced as much as possible. However, the important point in favour of materials
handling is that it helps production.
➢ Depending on the weight, volume and throughput of materials, mechanical handling of
materials may become unavoidable. In many cases, mechanical handling reduces the cost
of manual handling of materials, where such materials handling is highly desirable. All
these facts indicate that the type and extent of use of materials handling should be
carefully designed to suit the application and which becomes cost effective

Cont.……
Based on the need to be of optimum design and application specific to different
type of industries, materials handling can be as diverse as industries themself. As
a consequence, unfortunately, there is no universally accepted definition of
materials handling. One of the definition adopted way back by the American
Materials Handling Society is: Materials handling is the art and science
involving the moving, packaging and storing of substances in any form
▪ Some of the other definitions are:

➢ Materials handling is the movement and storage of materials at the lowest possible
cost through the use of proper methods and equipment.
➢ Materials handling is the moving of materials or product by any means, including
storage, and all movements except processing operations and inspection.
➢ Materials handling is the art and science of conveying, elevating, positioning,
transporting,packaging and storing of materials

important objective of materials handling which is lowest
cost solution
The essential requirements of a good materials handling system may
be summarized as:
(i)Efficient and safe movement of materials to the desired place.
(ii)Timely movement of the materials when needed.
(iii) Supply of materials at the desired rate.
(iv)Storing of materials utilising minimum space.
(v) Lowest cost solution to the materials handling activities.

Cont.………
Functional scope of materials handling within an industry covers the following:
(i) Bulk materials as well as unit materials handing. Bulk handling is particularly
relevant in the processing, mining and construction industries. Unit materials
handling covers handling of formed materials in the initial, intermediate and final
stages of manufacture.
(ii)Industrial packaging of in-process materials, semi finished or finished goods,
primarily from the point of view of ease and safety of handling, storage and
transportation. However, consumer packaging is not directly related to materials
handling.
(iii)Handling of materials for storage or warehousing from raw materials to finished
product stage.

IMPORTANCE OF MATERIALS HANDLING
➢ The foremost importance of materials handling is that it helps productivity and
thereby increases profitability of an industry. Many enterprises go out of business
because of inefficient materials handling practices.
➢ In many instances it is seen that competing industries are using same or similar
production equipment, and one who uses improved materials handling system stays
ahead of their competitors.
➢ A well designed materials handling system attempts to achieve the following:
(i) Improve efficiency of a production system by ensuring the right quantity of
materials delivered at the right place at the right time most economically.
(ii) Cut down indirect labour cost.
(iii) Reduce damage of materials during storage and movement.

Cont.…………
(iv) Maximise space utilization by proper storage of materials
and thereby reduce storage and handling cost.
(v) Minimise accident during materials handling.
(vi) Reduce overall cost by improving materials handling.
(vii) Improve customer services by supplying materials in a
manner convenient for handlings.
(viii) Increase efficiency and saleability of plant and equipment
with integral materials handling features.

Cont.…..
➢ Apart from these, for certain industries, like process industries, heavy manufacturing
industries, construction industries, mining industries, shipbuilding or aircraft
industries etc., the materials are so large and heavy that these industries just can not
run without appropriate materials handling system.
➢ All the above points clearly show the importance of materials handling in an
industry or a material transportation system. However, the negative aspects of
materials handling should also not be overlooked.

These are:
(i) Additional capital cost involved in any materials handling system.
(ii) Once a materials handling system get implemented, flexibility for
further changes gets greatly reduced.
(iii) With an integrated materials handling system installed,
failure/stoppage in any portion of it leads to increased downtime of the
production system.
(iv) Materials handling system needs maintenance, hence any addition to
materials handling means additional maintenance facilities and costs.

SYSTEMS CONCEPT
➢ The term ‘‘system’’ has many meaning depending on the field where applied. A general
definition of the term could be: a complex unity formed of many often-diverse parts
subject to a common plan or serving a common purpose. The important characteristics
of a system is that the parts, called subsystems, are interrelated and guided by an
objective for which the system exists.
➢ In an industry, materials handling is a subsystem (or part) of the production
system. Materials handling itself can also be considered to be a system
whose subsystems are

Cont.………
(i)design or method to be adopted,
(ii) types of materials handling equipment to be used,
(iii) different operations like packing /unpacking, movement and
storage involved,
(iv) maintenance required for the equipment employed,
(v) mode of transportation by the raw materials suppliers, distributors /
customers, waste / scrap collectors etc.
The common objective by which the different subsystems are guided is
the lowest cost solution of the materials handling system for that
industry.

CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
➢ As innumerable 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
(i) Gases,
(ii) (ii) Liquids,
(iii) Semi Liquids and
(iv) Solids.

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. This process is
known as pneumatic conveying.
➢ 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, which is commonly known as hydraulic conveying.
➢ Solids form the majority of materials which are handled in industrial
situation. Solids are classified into two main groups: Unit load and Bulk
load (materials).

➢ Unit loads are formed solids of various sizes, shapes and
weights. Some of these are counted by number of pieces like
machine parts, molding boxes, fabricated items.
➢ Tared goods like containers, bags, packaged items etc. and
materials which are handled en-masses like forest products
(logs), structurals, pig iron etc. are other examples of unit loads.
The specific characteristics of unit loads are their overall
dimensions, shape, piece-weight, temperature, inflammability,
strength/fragility etc. Hoisting equipment and trucks are
generally used for handling unit loads. Certain types of
conveyors are also used particularly for cartons/packaged items
and metallic long products like angles, rods etc.

Unit loads classifications are based on:
(a) Shape of unit loads –
(i) basic geometric forms like rectangular, cylindrical, pyramidal/conical
and spherical;
(ii) typical or usual forms like pallets, plate, containers, bales and sacks;
(iii) irregular forms like objects with flat base dimension smaller than
overall size, loads on rollers/wheels and uneven shapes.
(b) Position of C.G. (stability) of load.
(c) Mass of unit load in 10 steps from 0-2.5 kg to more than 5000 kg.
(d) Volume per unit in 10 steps from 0-10 cm3 to more than 10 m3.
(e)Type of material in contact with conveying system like metal, wood,
paper/cardboard, textile, rubber /plastics, glass and other materials.

(f) Geometrical shape (flat, concave, convex, irregular/uneven, ribbed etc.) and
physical properties (smooth, slippery, rough, hard, elastic etc) of base surface
of unit load.
(g) Specific physical and chemical properties of unit loads like abrasive,
corrosive, dust emitting, damp, greasy/oily, hot, cold, fragile, having sharp
edges, inflammable, explosive, hygroscopic, sticky, toxic, obnoxious,
radioactive etc.
(h) Loads sensitive to pressure, shock, vibration, turning/tilting,
acceleration/deceleration, cold, heat, light, radiation, damp etc.

Bulk materials are those which are powdery, granular or lumpy in
nature and are stored in heaps.
➢ Major characteristics of bulk materials, so far as their handling is concerned, are:
lump-size, bulk weight, specific weight, moisture content, flowability (mobility of its
particles), angles of repose, abrasiveness, temperature, proneness to explosion,
stickiness, fuming or dusty, corrosivity, hygroscopic etc.
➢ Lump size of a material is determined by the distribution of particle sizes. The
largest diagonal size ‘a’ of a particle in mm (see Fig.1.4.1) is called the particle size.
If the largest to smallest size ratio of the particles of a lumpy material is above 2.5,
they are considered to be unsized.

➢ The average lump size of sized bulk material is

➢ Classification and codification of bulk materials based on lump size, flowability,
abrasiveness, bulk density and various other characteristics have been specified by the
BIS specification number IS:8730:1997(3). The alphanumeric codification system as per
this specification is shown below:
➢ In this material code, if any of the above characteristics is not known, corresponding
number or alphabet is dropped from the material code

Table 1.4.1 shows the descriptions and limits of the different classes of material characteristics.
Table 1.4.1 Classification of Bulk Materials

Design of Material Handling Equipment Lecture Note

Unit Two
Principles of Materials Handling

➢ The word principle means, in the context of materials handling, a prescribed
rule or guide to accepted procedures, established through past experience,
which is taken for granted or accepted as authoritative by practitioners.
➢ Many of the materials handling problems may be initially treated by these
principles before undertaking detailed technical analysis. In certain materials
handling problems, these principles may become the only resort to an
acceptable solution where the exact analysis is too costly or difficult.

PLANNING PRINCIPLE
All handling activities should be planned. This is the most basic principle which is
in line with the Materials Handling
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.
➢ 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.

Materials Handling Equation
A simple but useful way of planning and designing a materials handling problem
is described by the materials handling equation: If Materials Handling is
necessary, then MATERIALS + MOVES = METHODS

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.
➢ 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.

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, zig-zag movements
etc.)
➢ Use product layout whenever possible.
➢ Keep related work areas close together.
➢ Combine operations to reduce material movement.
➢ Minimize movement between floors.
➢ Move bulky / weighty materials the least distance.
➢ Process heavy / bulky materials close to receiving.

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.
➢ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
➢ 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.

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,
(f) Excess manual handling,
(g) Replacing large number of persons involved in handling,
(h) Heavy materials,
(i) Scrap removal,
(ii) (j) Feeding/unloading of high-speed automated production machines.
• Do not over mechanize.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.
➢ 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.

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.

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.
➢ Establish preventive maintenance programme.
➢ Maintain adequate spares.
➢ Standardize equipment to reduce spares.
➢ Avoid over maintenance.
➢ Avoid over loading of materials handling equipment.

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.

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.

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.
➢ 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.

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.

➢ There are many materials which by virtue of their size and weight need to be moved
individually and are called unit loads. However, there are many materials whose
individual size and weight is small, but are required to be moved in large quantities.
Such materials, and also bulk materials which are needed in specific quantities, are
generally gathered together to form a load of a definite weight, and then moved as an
unit load.
➢ unit load will mean a single object where unitized load will mean collection of objects
which are being treated as an unit load for handling it. A few examples of unitized load
are:
(i) Bundle of stricks tied together.
(ii) Small castings put inside a container.
(iii) A stack of bricks on a pallet.
(iv) A trailer full of sand et

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
The major advantages of unitization and handling of unit loads are:
➢ It permits handling of larger loads at a time and thereby reduces handling and
transportation costs.
➢ Loading and unloading time of unit load is substantially less than when handled as loose/
individual material.
➢ Unitized loads are less susceptible to damage and loss during movement from one place to
another.
➢ It offers safer handling and transportation compared to those of loose materials.
➢ Unitized load, even made of irregular shaped items, generally become stable and well
shaped. This offers a number of advantages like stable storage, uniform stacking to greate
heights and increased storage space utilization.
➢ For unitized load, individual item labeling may be avoided.
➢ The process of unitization often protects loads from foreign elements.
➢ Unitization generally provides a basis for standardization of handling system and
equipment within the plant as well as at the receiving and shipping points for
transportation.

There are also disadvantages associated with unitization of loads. These are:
➢ There is a cost of unitization and de-unitization.
➢ Unitization generally involves additional support and material for restraining the loose
articles. These unitization medium increase the weight of the final load to be handled.
➢ Unitization essentially means deployment of equipment, which necessitates capital
investment.
➢ Containers are often used for unitization. Movement of the empty containers results in
additional handling cost and problem.
➢ There is possibility of damage due to mishandling of large amount of load.
➢ Movement of unitized materials may get hampered due to absence of transfer equipment.

LOAD UNITIZATION PROCESSES AND HANDLING METHODS
As unitized load is generally of fairly large weight and volume, the method of handling
them, i.e. how to hold, lift and carry them is an important issue. The basic methods of
handling an unit load are:
➢ Putting a lifting device under the load like pallet, skid, tray, rack etc., and then
handling this device along with the load.
➢ Inserting a lifting element into the body of the unit load. This method is particularly
suitable for lifting circular shaped loads, with a hole in it, like coils, wheels, pipes
etc. The lifting element may be a ram type attachment of a forklift truck, or may be
simply a rod or log inserted through the hole of the object.

➢Squeezing the load between two adjustable surfaces. This is equivalent to carrying an
object by squeezing it between two fingers, between fingers and palm or between
palms of two hands by a man. This action is simulated by carton-clamp, or grabbing
attachment of a lift truck or self-closing tong of a lifting equipment.
➢Suspending the load. This can be done by hooking the object, looping slings around the
load, gripping the load with a clamp, using a magnet for magnetic load, using vaccum
cups for handling large flat fragile/delicate object made from glass, plastics etc.

Based on the process of unitizing and methods employed for handling, unitized loads are
generally grouped into following five basic types:
➢ Unit load on a platform: When the load is arranged on a platform which can be lifted and
carried as unit load. Generally, two types of platform are used in industry - pallet and skid
➢ Unit load in a container: When small sized articles are put inside a box like container,
which can be carried easily by trucks, cranes etc. This is a type of unitized load which is
very popularly practiced in manufacturing industries. Different sizes and designs of
containers are used like box, bin, crate, carton, sack / balloon etc.
➢ Unit load on a rack: Specially designed racks are used to hold different types of parts in
desired orientation or relationship to each other. The racks may be provided with inserts,
pegs, or holes to orient parts or to form dividers between layers for easy handling,
counting, inspection etc.

➢ Unit load on a sheet: Unitization is possible on a sheet material and the shape
of the load depends on the character and way the sheet material is used. Flat
sheets like cardboard, chipboard or plywood may be used for unitization of load
on it. Specially formed molded sheets are used for unitization of bulk materials.
➢ Self contained unit load (not requiring major auxiliary aids): Different kinds of
self contained unitized loads are practiced in industry and in everyday use.
There are:
➢ Bundle: Long pieces of unequal shapes tied together by a rope, wire, elastic
band etc. for ease of handling.
➢ Bale: Materials like scrap paper, sheet metal trimmings etc. are compressed in a
bailing press to make the loose materials into a single compact load of reduced
size.

➢ Fastened unit load: Loose items fixed in position by materials like wrapper,
tape, glue etc.
Shrink-wrapping and Stretch-wrapping are two very popular processes which are
used more for packaging than unitization.
➢ (d) Interlocked unit load: Load which consists of individual pieces so shaped by
design that they can be arranged in a fashion to make the assembly interlocked
and self restrained. For example cast aluminum pigs interlocked to build a
stack.
➢ Unrestrained Load: Items stacked on a lifting device without any restraining
member, such that it can be stored as an unit, but requires extra care for lifting
or moving. Stack of bricks or cartons on a pallet are examples of unrestrained
load.

PALLETS, SKIDS AND CONTAINERS
➢ Pallets, skids, and containers are the most commonly used unitization devices,
referred in the previous section. Both pallets and skids are platform type devices used
for forming ‘‘Unit load on platform’’.
➢ Pallet: It is essentially a platform used for assembling, storing and handling of
materials as a unit load. Essential feature of a pallet is that the forks of a lift truck can
be inserted at the bottom side of the platform, while the pallet is resting on floor and
thus can raise the pallet with load and move it to desired place. Pallets, when not in
use, can be stacked one above the other.
➢ Skid: It is essentially a platform provided with legs so that a platform truck may get
inside it and raise it from ground. Skids are thus single-faced and non-stackable.
Pallets and skids may be classified as flat, box or post type.

ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF HANDLING
➢ There are alternative methods of handling unitized loads without using unitizing
devices like pallet, skids, containers and racks. These alternative methods make use
of different attachments used in conjunction with materials handling equipment like
forklift truck, crane etc. The unit load which are handled by these methods are
generally single items or unitized loads of regular size and shape like rolls, bales,
cartons, bags etc.
Advantages of using these alternative methods are:
➢ No need of moving weighty and bulky devices like pallets, containers etc.
➢ Lower operating cost.
➢ Flexibility in storage as warehouses are not limited to a few size of palletized /
containerized loads.
There are also some disadvantages of these methods:
➢ These are not suitable for less than unit loads.
➢ Mixed size loads cannot be stacked effectively.

PACKAGING FOR MATERIALS HANDLING
➢ Packaging of materials has two major aspects. The one is to package individual
product/item to promote sale of soft goods. The other is to protect the materials,
individual or bulk, during storage and transportation of these packaged materials.
➢ The first type of fancy sales packaging which promote the attractiveness of the articles
to the consumer is not directly related with the subject of materials handling. However,
the second type of packaging for protection of the materials including protection of the
sales packaging, has close relationship with some of the materials handling functions
like storage and transportation, and thus forms a part of Materials Handling System.
➢ This type of packaging is called Industrial Packaging or Packing. Both of the terms are
used interchangeably.

➢ Packing is to provide protection for an article or group of articles against physical
damage during shipment/transportation. Such packing/packaging is accomplished by
placing articles in a container and blocking, bracing and cushioning them when
necessary, or by strapping, wrapping the articles or containers on a pallet or skid.
➢ Raw materials from suppliers are often received as unitized load in packed condition.
Similarly the finished goods from an industry is suitably packed and kept in warehouse
prior to shipment to the consumer. The major purpose of packing is to protect the goods
during storage as well as transportation to point of use. A secondary purpose of such
packing is to allow easy/safe handling of some finished goods.
➢ There are many products which are not safe to be handled without suitable packing even
by sophisticated materials handling equipment. For such goods, suitable packing is
prerequisite for any type of handling. These packages often contain more than one
goods/components, and thus serve the purpose of unitizing of load also.

Different types of industrial packaging are practiced in industries, depending on the
items/goods to be packed. Some of these are:
(i) wooden boxes,
(ii)(ii) wooden crates,
(iii)(iii) corrugated paper cartons,
(iv) shrink-wrapping or stretch-wrapping etc.

Design of Material Handling Equipment Lecture Note

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