This document discusses material handling systems and advancements in the textile industry. It covers various departments in apparel manufacturing like fabric and trims, spreading and cutting, sewing, finishing and packing, and warehousing. Different types of material handling equipment used in each department are described, along with objectives of using manual hanger systems, intelligent storage systems, and intelligent hanger systems like ETON and INA. Factors affecting the selection of material handling equipment and advantages of using advanced technologies over traditional methods are also summarized.

1. Material Handling
Systems &
Advancements
BY:
SHREYA ANAND
TANYA GUPTA

2. Material Handling
Material Handling is defined as: “art and science of conveying,
elevating, positioning, transporting, packaging and storing of materials.”
In textile industry, a lot of material handling is required as there are
many processes involved in conversion of raw materials to the final
product.

3. Objectives of Material
Handling
To increase the
capacity.
To improve the
working
conditions.
To improve the
customer
services.
To increase the
equipment and
space
utilization.
To reduce the
cost.

4. Principles of Material Handling
All handling
activities should
be well planned.
Plan a system
with maximum
optimization in
terms of
operators and
equipment.
Use the
methods and
equipment that
can perform a
variety of tasks
and
applications.
While selecting
the equipment,
all the aspects
of the material
to be handled
should be
considered.
Reduce idle or
unproductive
time of both the
manpower as
well as the
equipment.

5. Material Handling Equation
Since the material handling is a broad and serious concept, so there is a
need of the concept on which the analysis of the handling can be based
upon.
The Material Handling Equation has proven successful in visualizing
many aspects of the handling problems.

6. Material Handling Equation
6 Questions
Why do
this at
all?
What?
Where?
When?
How?
Who?

7. Unit Load Concept
The number of items, or bulk material, so arranged that the mass can
be handled as a single object, and upon being released will retain its
initial arrangement for subsequent movement.
Here, the unit load implies for the object that is too large for manual
handling.

8. Handling Systems
The systems described here are basic and may be used exclusively in a
plant or may be used as component of an integrated plant handling
system.
There are four basic systems which are subdivided into the groups of
equipment.

9. Handling Systems Types
Equipment
Oriented
System
Function
Oriented
System
Material
(Load)
Oriented
System
Method
(Production)
Oriented
Systems

10. Departments in
Apparel Industry

11. Departments in Apparel
Industry
Fabric and
Trims
Spreading
and
Cutting
Sewing
Finishing
and
Packing
Warehouse

12. Material Handling Equipment
Fabric and Trims
Department
Hand Trolley
Baker’s Trolley
Spreading and Cutting
Department
Chute and Roller
Assembly Stand Systems
Power Feed Systems
Turn Table
Plastic Trays and Trolleys
Racks
Fabric or Plastic Bag
Stitching Department
Side Table
Centre Table
Trolleys
Plastic Crates
Tow Conveyor
Flat Belt Conveyor
Finishing and Packing
Department
Trolleys
Bench
Hangers and Stands
Small Wardrobes
Warehouse
Chute
Roller Conveyor
Fork Lift Trucks

13. Fabric and Trims
Department

14. Hand Trolley
•Move heavy loads from one
placed to another.
•Trolley can protect people from
back injuries and other health
problems occurring due to lifting
up of heavy loads.
•Size:- 1320*809*990mm
•Capacity :- 1000Kg.
Baker’s Trolley
•Used to transport trims to
stitching department.
•Capacity :- 1000Kg
•Minimize the time spent in
transporting heavy rolls of fabric
and also help in reducing the
tiredness of the labours.
HTTPS://WWW.ALIBABA.COM/PRODUCT-DETAIL/STEEL-FOLDABLE-
COTTON-FABRIC-ROLL-

15. Spreading and
Cutting
Department

16. Chute and Roller Assembly Stand Systems
•Easy handling of roll for spreading onto the cutting system.
•Alignment of each ply controlled by a photo-electric edge control unit.
•Specifications :-
•Maximum weight – 136 kg.
•Maximum diameter – 20 inch.
•Available starting – 72 inch
Power Feed Systems
•Automatic material handling and maintaining consistent tension
•Alignment of each ply controlled by a photo-electric edge control unit.
•Specifications:
•Width - 78- 108 inch
•Max. Roll Diameter -30 inch
•Weight - 680 kg
Fabric or Plastic Bags
•Cutting pieces are kept in fabric or plastic bags and carried out to
stitching department.

17. Turntable
• Lightweight, easy-to-use spreader.
• Material is manually spread across the table.
• Spreader adjusts for face-up-one way, face-to-face-nap-
one-way and face-to-face spreading.
• To improve efficiency while the time of spreading Falcon
end cutter is used.
Racks
• Used for storing cutting bundles.
• It is framework designed to facilitate the storage of loads,
usually consisting of upright columns and horizontal
members for supporting the loads.
• May be fixed or adjustable in shelf height.
Plastic Tray and Trolley
• For storing cut pieces on tray.
• load capacity of 175Kg.
• size 920 x 640 x 975mm
• Shelf quantity: 3 tray
HTTP://WWW.EASTMANCUTS.COM/WP-
CONTENT/UPLOADS/2015/02/EASTMAN-TURNTABLE-10-25-13.PDF

18. Stitching
Department

19. Side Table
•Used for loading and storing stitched garments
Plastic Crates
•Placed near the sewing table.
•Generally placed for better storage of the finished
works.
Centre Table
•Placed in between two rows of sewing table.
•Generally placed for better and fast movement of the
product to the other table.
Trolley
•Cutting bundles are kept in trolley and trolley is moved
in a line.
Flat Belt Conveyor
•An endless fabric, rubber, plastic, leather or metal belt
operating over suitable drive.
•Used for carrying objects (units, cartons, bags and
bulk material), Used in assembly lines
Tow Conveyor
•An endless chain having trolleys supported by the
track.
•Types:Overhead & Underfloor
•Used for carrying boxes, barrels, crates and cartons,
Mainly used for the intra plant movement.

20. Finishing and
Packing
Department

21. Trolley
• Transporting garments from one workstation
to another workstation.
Small Wardrobes
• Used for packing up of garments.
• Specifications:
• Size – 20 x 18 x 47”
• Capacity – 8 pieces.
Hangers and Stands
• Sometimes garments are not folded and
shipped in full length in hangers.
• Pressed garments are hanged on hangers and
stored in a stand.
Bench
• Used for stacking pressed garments
Boxes
• Boxes Use for packaging of garments for
shipment.
• SIZE - 24 x 16 x 4“
• Also used in other departments.
HTTP://WWW.ONLINECLOTHINGSTUDY.COM/2016/06/DIFFERENT-KIND-
OF-MATERIAL-HANDLING.HTML

22. Warehouse

23. Fork Lift Trucks
• This is a self-loading, counterbalanced, self-propelled,
wheeled vehicle. It is designed to carry an operator and
consists of the fork for lifting and stacking of loads. The
fork is attached to a mast placed in front of the machine.
Roller
• A conveyor which is supported on the series of rollers.
• Types: Gravity and Live
• Used for moving the materials between areas, machines
and buildings.
Chute
• A slide made of metal or other material and is differently
shaped so that it guides the objects or materials while it is
moved.
HTTPS://TOYOTA-FORKLIFTS.EU/

24. Auxiliary
Equipment
USED IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.

25. Pallet
•A horizontal platform device used as a base for
assembling, storing and handling materials as a unit load.
Usually consists of two flat surfaces, separated by
stringers.
Used for reducing the individual handling of the items.
Shipping Container
•A large container designed for consolidating material or
goods to facilitate shipment by common carrier classified
as cargo and van containers.
•Used for over the road, rail and air shipment.
Shop Container
•A small container used for handling a small amount of
material on the shop floor.
•Used for consolidating items, and also helps in the
reduction of the handling of the individual items.
Ramps
•The ramp is an inclined surface that guides the materials
to the required place without disturbing its arrangement.
•Used for guiding the materials without disturbing the
stack.

26. Factors Affecting Selection of
Material Handling Equipment
PRODUCTION
PROBLEM
• Volume of production
• Plant layout and building facilities
• Type of material to handle
HUMAN ELEMENT
INVOLVED
• Capacity of man power
• Safety of personnel
CAPABILITES OF
THE EQUIPMENT
AVAILABLE
• Speed
• Space
• Supervision required
• Cost
• Maintenance
• Flexibility

27. Manual Hanger System
The Hanger System is an overhead storage, transport, and sortation
system for fast and easy storage, retrieval, sortation, and consolidation
of customer orders.
The Hanger System is considered manual when the garments are fed
into the system manually by the operators.

28. Objective of Manual Hanger
System
Transportation without hampering.
Optimum use of floor space.
Improve production efficiency.
Reduce labour intensity.
Light and flexible.
Suitable for transportation of fabric accessories.
Improvement of Quality of product.

29. Advantages of Material
Handling
Reduces the labour fatigue.
Helps in better storage.
Minimizes the time spent in transporting.
Improves efficiency.
Increases production.
Reduces the material handling time.

30. Advancement of
Material Handling

31. Why To choose advanced
technologies over traditional ones
Better Manufacturing KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Better Labour Management
Connected Factory
Flexible Manufacturing
Improved Customer Experience

32. Electronic Transportation
System
Improve Site Management: Saving in cartons and other transportation
tools, so no dust issues.
Improvement in the Quality of Product: Single mounting on conveyor and
avoid crease marks in a garment due to improved delivery.
Improvement in Production Efficiency: Lightweight block design, quick
transmission and efforts, single transport is a freedom.

33. Intelligent Storage System
3D storage
mounted
type, neat
and
beautiful.
It can be
customized.
Electrically
controlled, so
reduce
manpower
cost.
Can
categorize
product
according to
color or size.
Automatically
deposited
into or
extract.
HTTP://WWW.INA-
INA.COM/EN/SHOWPRODUCT.ASP?PRO_ID=201509190001

34. Companies Providing
Intelligent Hanger System
INA ETON

35. ETON System
It is a
flexible
material
handling
system.
It is
specially
designed to
reduce
manual
works and
improve
the
handling.
It ensures
the optimal
work flow.
The system
consists of
overhead
conveyers
with
individual
product
carriers
which finds
its own way
to their
respective
operations.
It is
monitored
using the
monitors
which
provides all
the
programs
required
for optimal
work flow.
It is flexible
as the
changes
can be
done in the
programs
based on
the
operations.
HTTPS://WWW.ETONSYSTEMS.COM/EN/INDUSTRIES/APPAREL

36. Objectives of ETON System
Minimize material handling.
Increases productivity.
Highly flexible system.
Optimal Work flow.
Possibility of Online Monitoring.
Automatic as its finds its own way to the respective operation.

37. Advantages of ETON System
Improves the
Unit
Production.
Increases
efficiency.
Reduces WIP.
Improvement
in the quality
of garment.
Reduce the
Cost of
Production.
Decreases
the handling
of materials.

38. INA System
This is a type of intelligent hanger system developed by INA Intelligent
Technology Zhejiang Co.Ltd. , now known as INA Zhejiang.
This system helps the manufacturers to improve production efficiency
and increase the service quality as well making the enterprise to
achieve more informationization management.
HTTP://WWW.INA-
INA.COM/EN/SHOWPRODUCT.ASP?PRO_ID=201509190002

39. Objective of INA System
Reduction in
WIP.
Reduction in
direct labour
cost.
Reduction in
Production
time.
Eliminate the
use of floor
space.
Improve the
quality of the
product.
Improvement
in the
finishing of
the product.

40. Intelligent Hanging Systems
Rapid transforming
which helps user to
transfer, shift and classify
hanger faster.
System can sorting
station as required,
applicable to customized
type and customer
priority.
Multipoint dispatch,
parallel simultaneous
production.
Equipped with RFID, QR
and barcode device it
bridge data between
front lime and back line.
System is connected to
internet in production
department, so
information interaction
with customer.
Each station is equipped
with intelligent terminal
with screen.

41. Comparison Table
DESCRIPTION ETON INA
Hanger Memory Technology Barcode Chip
RFID Technology for Hanger Yes Yes
Inline QC Software No Yes
Customization Yes Yes
Alternate Routing during
Production
No Yes
Speed 9.1 m/min 16 m/min
Elevator Mechanism Plastic Belt
Conveyor Chain Type Plastic Stainless
Chain Tension Control Spring Air
Emergency Switch in line No Yes
Distance between two
stations
1.80m 1.68m

42. Video- ETON System
VIDEOSEton Systems_ Installation at Eton Fashion - YouTube
(480p).mp4

43. Video- Forklift
VIDEOSForklift Special Model Designs, Options & Clamps.mp4

44. Video- INA System
VIDEOSina intelligent hanger system video www.skimpex.org garment
manufacturing process automation video.mp4

45. Bibliography
•Glock, R. and Kunz, G. (1995). Apparel manufacturing. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson/Prentice Hall, p.334.
•James M. Apple. Plant Layout And Material Handling, John Willey & Sons
•Systems, E. (2017). Apparel | Eton Systems. [online] Etonsystems.com. Available at:
https://www.etonsystems.com/en/industries/apparel [Accessed 22 April, 2018]
•Ina-ina.com. (2017). MTS手动吊挂系统-MTS Manual hanging system-Hanger system-
products-INA Hanger system-INA Canada Twin Star Group Singapore. [online] Available at:
http://www.ina-ina.com/en/showproduct.asp?pro_id=201509190002 [Accessed 24 April,
2018].
•Inasystem.bg. (2017). Ina System Bulgaria - Professional garment machinery and equipments.
[online] Available at: http://inasystem.bg/en/index.html [Accessed 22 April, 2018].
•Your Article Library. (2017). Functions and Objectives of Material Handling. [online] Available
at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/ergonomics/material-handling/functions-and-
objectives-of-material-handling/34673 [Accessed 22 April, 2018].
•Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: http://https:/toyota-forklifts.eu [Accessed 25April, 2018].
•Introduction to work study. (1969). 3rd ed. p.109.

46. Thank You!!!