What is Material Handling Equipment?

by Abhinav G. Movie Enthusiast

Warehouses use lots of Material handling equipment, from the simplest shelf to complex lighting-out systems (warehouse automation that can work in the dark), Although it is difficult to remember the various types of equipment, they can be grouped under four main categories.

What are the different types of Material handling equipment in Melbourne? What is Material Handling?

Dictionary.com defines material handling as the loading, unloading and movement of goods within a warehouse or factory, with the help of mechanical devices. Material handling equipment is a device that helps a warehouse move and store goods.

Type 1: Storage and handling equipment

This is the simplest, and you may not consider it equipment. These shelves and racks are used to store your material between shipping and receiving it. These racks are designed to maximize vertical space, so that more items can be stored in the warehouse. This category also includes bins, drawers and stacking frames.

Type 2: Bulk Material Handling Equipment

Thomas Network defines bulk material handling as the storage, transportation, and control of materials in loose bulk. Bulk material handling equipment is used if there's lots of material. A silo is a large cylindrical container that can hold things like grain.

Others include:

Stackers or reclaimers: These large machines are used to stack things in piles and pick them up again. It can be difficult to see them so let's make an animation showing how they work.
Hoppers Imagine a large, metal funnel. It can store material and release a precise amount out the bottom.
Grain elevators are Buildings that were used to store grain. These include a set of buckets that are connected to a track and automatically transport the grain up the building's top, where it can then be channeled into different silos.
Bucket elevators This device is similar to a grain elevator but has buckets that can transport large quantities of material.
Conveyor Belts - Belts used to transport material. These belts can be combined to create more complex conveyor systems that are engineered. DCS can help you design a conveyor system that will work for your business.
Dump trucks: Also, a type industrial material transport vehicle.
Screw Conveyor A device with a screw-shaped design inside a tube which turns to move material.
Rotary car dumper This device turns a railroad car to dump its contents.

Type 3: Industrial Trucks

These vehicles and equipment are used to move materials. They can be operated by workers or they can be automated. Both industrial trucks and engineered systems include automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

These are just a few examples:

Hand trucks - Also known as dollies. These simple L-shaped devices allow you to transport material at a tilt.
Side-loaders These can be used to load materials into narrow aisles that are too narrow for other trucks.
Pallet trucks These are hand-operated or electrical devices that slide into pallets in order to transport them.
Walkie stackers. Thomas Network explains these pallets are similar to a forklift but don't have a ride-in area. You can choose from either powered or manual versions.
Order pickers These vehicles raise workers off the ground to grab large packages.
Platform trucks Similar to a dolly, but with a larger platform.
Forklifts Operational vehicles that lift and transport heavy objects.

Type 4: Engineered Systems

This type of material handling equipment is more complex and has many components. Usually warehouse automation.

AGVs, conveyor belts or robotic delivery systems are some examples. Automated Storage and Retrieval System is (AS/RS) an automated system that automates warehouses and incorporates AGVs. This makes warehouses more efficient. It basically moves materials around the warehouse so that workers don't have too.

This equipment category is the most expensive and complicated. It often incorporates elements from other categories to create larger, more complex systems. These systems are complex and require extensive research before you make an investment.

A Material Handling Integrator Can Help

Each warehouse is different and needs a unique solution. Contact us if you are looking for material handling equipment to upgrade your warehouse. We are a system integrator that designs, engineers, and integrates a system to meet your specifications.