INTRODUCTION Material handling is the term applied to that aspect of manufacturing that involves storing, protecting, controlling and moving materials destined to be turned into marketable goods and merchandise. Materials handling applies to all stages of the manufacturing process, including cleaning, preparation, the actual putting together and the consumption of raw materials along the way. It also includes waste disposal. A variety of equipment types are used in the handling of materials, including storage systems, engineering systems and industrial trucks. Included under the umbrella of industrial trucks are things like cantilevered crane loading platforms, carts on rails and conveyor belts.
HANDLING AND STORAGE EQUIPMENT The apparatus covered under this description are non-automated. It covers racking, shelving, carts, cages and pallets. Collectively, handling and storage apparatus are called catalog items, because they are all made to a universal standard and may be ordered straight out of the catalog. Everybody knows what a pallet looks like, right?
PALLETIZATION Everything from bricks to bagels, from television sets to toilet paper, spends at least some of its life cycle shrink-wrapped and stored on pallets. Most people are familiar with pallets made from wood, and this is the vision of pallet that springs immediately to mind. However, pallets are also made from steel and other types of material as the need dictates.
ENGINEERED SYSTEMS These are exactly the opposite of catalog systems, in that they have to be designed and engineered to a particular specification depending on the characteristics of the material to be handled. This includes robots, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) and conveyors. When designing this type of apparatus, the designer has to bear in mind whether it is ultimately to come into contact with products that are going to be ingested by humans. This includes things like food, drink and medications, whether taken internally or applied topically. Care must be taken to ensure that nothing that goes into the final product becomes contaminated.
INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS This includes vehicles like stock chasers, tow tractors and the ever-familiar forklift. There are dozens and dozens of different types of forklift, also referred to as powered industrial trucks. They differ in how they are powered (gas vs electricity), in the type of wheels they have (solid or inflatable), whether they are used indoors or outdoors, and the types of terrain and environment in which they are used. All industrial trucks may be fitted with a variety of different attachments, making them incredibly versatile pieces of equipment.
ON-RAILS TRANSFER CARTS These are used to transport bulk materials in heavy industries. They are widely employed in the fields of coal mining, heavy manufacturing and metallurgy. They are able to handle weights in the region of one ton or heavier.
SAFETY Emphasis is placed on occupational health and safety in this aspect of manufacturing. Forklifts, in particular, and have an abominable safety record. For this reason, OSHA regulations particularly stringent, especially with regard to training. Any employer found to have untrained operators on his site is subject to fines that may run into the tends of thousands of dollars. Forklift training procedures have been streamlined so that most of the education may be conducted online. There is still an element of hands-on training and operators must be fully certified on the workplace environment and on the specific type of truck they will be operating.
HANDLING AND STORAGE EQUIPMENT The apparatus covered under this description are non-automated. It covers racking, shelving, carts, cages and pallets. Collectively, handling and storage apparatus are called catalog items, because they are all made to a universal standard and may be ordered straight out of the catalog. Everybody knows what a pallet looks like, right?
PALLETIZATION Everything from bricks to bagels, from television sets to toilet paper, spends at least some of its life cycle shrink-wrapped and stored on pallets. Most people are familiar with pallets made from wood, and this is the vision of pallet that springs immediately to mind. However, pallets are also made from steel and other types of material as the need dictates.
ENGINEERED SYSTEMS These are exactly the opposite of catalog systems, in that they have to be designed and engineered to a particular specification depending on the characteristics of the material to be handled. This includes robots, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) and conveyors. When designing this type of apparatus, the designer has to bear in mind whether it is ultimately to come into contact with products that are going to be ingested by humans. This includes things like food, drink and medications, whether taken internally or applied topically. Care must be taken to ensure that nothing that goes into the final product becomes contaminated.
INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS This includes vehicles like stock chasers, tow tractors and the ever-familiar forklift. There are dozens and dozens of different types of forklift, also referred to as powered industrial trucks. They differ in how they are powered (gas vs electricity), in the type of wheels they have (solid or inflatable), whether they are used indoors or outdoors, and the types of terrain and environment in which they are used. All industrial trucks may be fitted with a variety of different attachments, making them incredibly versatile pieces of equipment.
ON-RAILS TRANSFER CARTS These are used to transport bulk materials in heavy industries. They are widely employed in the fields of coal mining, heavy manufacturing and metallurgy. They are able to handle weights in the region of one ton or heavier.
SAFETY Emphasis is placed on occupational health and safety in this aspect of manufacturing. Forklifts, in particular, and have an abominable safety record. For this reason, OSHA regulations particularly stringent, especially with regard to training. Any employer found to have untrained operators on his site is subject to fines that may run into the tends of thousands of dollars. Forklift training procedures have been streamlined so that most of the education may be conducted online. There is still an element of hands-on training and operators must be fully certified on the workplace environment and on the specific type of truck they will be operating.
About the Author:
Genevive B. Mata has taught plastics molding techniques for over 15 years. He specializes in injection molding and thermoforming. If you are interested in learning more about plastic injection molding services then he recommends you visit his friends at PTM: Custom Plastics Injection Molding Company.
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