DIFFERENT TYPES AND USES FOR MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Material handling equipment and systems are crucial to many companies that need to handle and store bulk material. Generally, material handling equipment refers to equipment designed to move, control, protect or store material through various processes at warehouses and facilities. You can find this equipment used across many different industries, making it very versatile. By knowing more about material handling equipment, you can better outfit your facility with the right equipment and systems for your company’s needs.

TYPES OF MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Material handling equipment usually falls under four main categories: bulk handling material equipment, engineered systems, storage and handling equipment and industrial trucks.

BULK HANDLING MATERIAL EQUIPMENT

Bulk handling material handling equipment covers equipment that transports, stores and controls bulk materials. Generally, manufacturers design bulk handling material equipment to move and store materials in a loose form. You can find these pieces of equipment handling food, liquid, metal items and minerals.

If you want a clear idea of what bulk material equipment is, review some of the main types below:

Hoppers: Hoppers are large funnel-shaped objects with openings that close. Companies use hoppers to pour loose materials into containers.
Reclaimers: Reclaimers are large machines designed to pick up loose materials from a company’s stockpile.
Conveyor belts: Conveyor belts are an essential part of a conveyor system. They use drums or pulleys to rotate their belts and move materials in bulk from one location to another.
Stackers: Stackers are key to bulk material handling. This automated equipment can move loose materials to stockpiles on their own.
Bucket and grain elevators: Sometimes referred to as grain legs, bucket elevators vertically move bulk materials. They’ll transport these materials on a production pathway and sometimes store them.

ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

Otherwise known as automated systems, engineered systems refer to automated bulk material handling equipment made to help transport and store materials. Usually, automated systems feature several pieces of equipment. They’re very popular since they remove the need for manual labor to complete various tasks. Here are some of the primary kinds of engineered systems:

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): An AS/RS is a very popular type of engineered system, as it can handle lots of work. It utilizes a shuttle to pick up loose materials and then place them on needed parts of the system, and the picking process can be manually operated or automated. These systems also feature racks, shelves and aisles for easy processing. They can also be connected to a company’s network, making it easy for managers to monitor their stock.
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs): AGVs are computer-operated trucks featuring sensors and detectors. These vehicles can be entirely autonomous, moving materials safely around your facility on preset pathways.
Robotic delivery systems: Many facilities utilize automated robotic delivery systems to transport materials. Companies typically use these systems to transport materials on an assembly line.
Conveyor systems: Conveyor systems feature several devices and mechanical assemblies that automatically transport materials throughout a facility. These conveyor systems come in multiple varieties, like apron, cleated, chain, overhead and vehicle conveyor systems.

INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL HANDLING TRUCKS

Industrial trucks (material handling trucks) refer to the different kinds of transportation items and vehicles used to move materials and products in materials handling. These transportation devices can include small hand-operated trucks, pallet jacks, and various kinds of forklifts. These trucks have a variety of characteristics to make them suitable for different operations. Some trucks have forks, as in a forklift, or a flat surface with which to lift items, while some trucks require a separate piece of equipment for loading. Trucks can also be manual or powered lift and operation can be walk or ride, requiring a user to manually push them or to ride along on the truck. A stack truck can be used to stack items, while a non-stack truck is typically used for transportation and not for loading.

There are many types of industrial trucks:

Hand trucks, one of the most basic pieces of material handling equipment, feature a small platform to set the edge of a heavy object on, and a long handle to use for leverage. Whatever is being moved must be tipped so that it rests on the handle, and is carried at a tilt to its destination.
Pallet Trucks, also known as pallet jacks, are a type of truck specifically for pallets. They slide into a pallet and lift it up to move it. Pallet trucks come in both manual and electrical types.
Walkie Stackers transport and lift pallets like a forklift, though they don’t include a place for the operator to ride in. They come in both powered or manual versions.
Platform trucks are hand trucks low to the ground, with a wide platform for transporting goods.
Order pickers lift the operator several feet above the ground on a platform so they can retrieve or store goods on high shelves.
Sideloaders, also known as VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) trucks, are meant to fit in narrow warehouse aisles, as they can load objects from different directions. They’re also good for long, awkward products that need moving.
Many types of AGV, or automatic guided vehicles, as discussed above, shuttle products along a route automatically, without human guidance.

STORAGE AND HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Equipment that is used for storage usually only encompasses items that are not automated. Storage and handling equipment that is automated falls under the term ‘engineered systems’

Storage equipment is equipment that is used to hold products and materials when they are not being used, or when they are waiting to enter or leave the production process. These periods could be long-term, or short-term in order to allow a suitable build-up of stock or finished items.

Most items that can be described as storage and handling equipment refers to pallets, racking or shelves. Materials are stored in a neat and convenient manner to await transportation, or their entry into the production process if necessary.

Having suitable storage equipment will add to any company’s production efficiency. The efficiency of any production system is maximized by the ease at which each stage of the entire system operates. Any inefficient section creates a bottleneck that will have an effect on all other sections of the system further down the production line. Space is also at a premium if you run a production environment. The better utilized your available space is, the more items you’ll be able to store. This means you can keep your workflow in operation for much longer without worrying about re-stocking. This helps further increase your efficiency.

Types of storage and handling equipment

Drive-through or drive-in racks
Pallet racks
Push-back racks
Shelving
Sliding racks
Stacking frames

DIFFERENT USES FOR MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Given the broad range of machinery and equipment that material handling equipment covers, many companies in various industries use it. Here are some common uses of material handling equipment in different industries:

Agriculture: When you work in agriculture, you have to move lots of loose materials, like crops, fertilizer, seed and feed. Several kinds of agricultural material handling equipment are available, like telehandlers, aerial lifts and forklifts designed to haul and load materials. Additionally, hoppers and grain elevators are popular.
Construction: Many construction companies use material handling equipment designed to assist with loading and hauling materials around a project’s site. Some common equipment used in the construction industry include forklifts, aerial lifts and telehandlers.
Distribution: Those in the distribution industry need material handling equipment to move products down their supply chain. Some of the main distribution material handling equipment include AGVs, electric forklifts and stackers.
Landscaping: Landscaping companies rely on material handling equipment to lift heavy materials, like loose soil or pallets containing plants, and move them to needed destinations. Lift trucks and hand trucks are both popular pieces of landscaping material handling equipment.
Manufacturing: Manufacturing is one of the industries most dependent on material handling systems and equipment. Some manufacturing material handling equipment includes pallet trucks, order pickers, forklifts and AGVs.
Warehousing: Companies that operate warehouses regularly turn to material handling equipment to help them process materials and store them. Popular warehouse material handling equipment includes reach trucks, stackers, pallet trucks and order pickers.