Material handling

1. ME 8403: MATERIAL
HANDLING DESIGN
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024
FACILITATOR : Dr. WM MWITA
BSc Mech Eng. (UDSM), MTech Mech. Eng. (CPUT-RSA), PhD Mech. Eng. (UJ-RSA)
MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
MBEYA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2. COURSE OUTLINE
• Introduction to Material handling
• Significance of material Handling
• Application Areas of Material Handling
• Objectives of Material handling
• Design of Material Handling
• Maintenance of Material Handling
• Focus: Belt, Roller Bucket-Conveyors, Cranes, Hoists

3. 1.0 Introduction to Material handling

4. 1.1 What is Material handling?
• Material handling is an activity that involves movement of material or
products from one place to another place within an organization
• The activities are usually confined within the boundaries of an
organization.
• The movement of material from one organization to another is
categorized as transportation work, which is not part of material
handling activities.
• MH equipment: Conveyors(Belt, Bucket, Screw), Cranes, Elevators,
Forklifts, hoists, Industrial Trucks, Rail cars, pipe network etc.

5. 1.2 Material handling-Areas of application
• Material movement involves processing, storage, protection, and
control of material while it moves in different departments like a
warehouse, production, and manufacturing departments
• Process Plants, Factories, Mining, Agri-processes, Machines
Assembly-plants, etc.

8. 1.3 Objectives of material handling
• Maximum production at reduced costs
• Reduced wastes of material
• Improved work condition
• Enhanced flow of material and products to in the organization and
finally to whole sellers and retailers
• Optimized space capacity
• Fully equipment utilization
• Improved workers safety

9. 1.4Principles of material handling
1. Orientation Principle: It encourages study of all available system relationships before moving towards
preliminary planning. The study includes looking at existing methods, problems, etc.
2. Planning Principle: It establishes a plan which includes basic requirements, desirable alternates and planning
for contingency.
3. Cost principle: To encourage minimum expenditure while materials handling.
4. Computerization principle: To encourage maximum use of computers and automation as materials.
5. Energy principle: This principle is concerns about the consumption of energy.
6. Ergonomic Principle: To identify the human limitations and capabilities to do the work.
7. Ecology principle: To ensure the least impact on the ecological system because of material handling work.
8. Flexibility Principle: To encourage the use of tools and methods which can be used in different types of
work conditions.
9. Gravity Principle: To promote the consideration of gravity principle in materials handling.

10. Principles of material handling cont.
1. Layout Principle: The layout principle is concerned with the sequential order of material
handling operations.
2. Maintenance principle: The maintenance principle is for regular maintenance and repair
of machinery and device in materials handling.
3. Mechanization principle: Mechanization principle is concerned with the deployment of
mechanization methods to speed up the work and reduce the efforts of humans.
4. Orientation principle: To study the existing processes and problems before getting into
preliminary planning.
5. Planning principles: To plan by including basic requirements and alternative approaches
in materials handling.
6. Standardization principle: The standardization principle encourages the standardization
of tools and techniques.

11. 1.4 Principles of material handling cont.
1. Simplification principle: The simplification principle is concerned with
making the process of material handling as simple as possible.
2. Space utilization principle: The space utilization principle encourages the
optimized use of available space.
3. Systems Principle: The system principle is concerned with material and
storage activities in materials handling.
4. System flow principle: The system flow principle is concerned with the
integration of physical material flow with the data flow.
5. Safety principle: The safety principle is concerned with the rules and
regulations related to the safety of workers working in materials handling.

12. 1.5 Types of material handling
(i)Manual material handling
• The whole work of the movement is dependent on the workers. The workers lift,
carry, deliver, empty the container of material by their hands.
• As a result of which it causes a delay in the production work and not only slows
down the production work but is also hazardous for workers who do the work
and the physical labor affects their health.
• The shoulders and lower back of workers get strained which affects not only their
work capacity but also the overall work capacity of the organization. Moreover,
they are also prone to accidents.

13. (ii) Semi-automated material handling
• The semi-automated material handling is when workers do the work of material
handling with the help of machinery and other carrying trollies and trams
• Semi-automation became popular in industry in the initial days of the introduction of
technology. It is a good alternative for manual handling.
• Semi-automation not only reduced the physical work of workers but also speed up
the production work.
• In semi-automation handling, workers do the work of loading and unloading
themselves but rather than carrying material on their backs or by holding in hands;
they can move the material using trollies or trams.
• It is economical for a company as a company hires a smaller number of workers to do
the same amount of work. Moreover, it also lowers the rate of mis-happenings in the
organization as a result of which the medical expenses of the organizations also reduce.

14. (iii) Automated material handling
• In automated handling, machines and robots perform work. Robots have replaced the
manual work completely. In developed countries like Japan, most industries have replaced
their workforce with worker robots. Automated handling reduces or eliminates manual
work.
• There are several advantages to automated handling. The first benefit is that it increases
the speed of production work. Robots work 100 times faster than a human worker.
Moreover, Automation also reduces the chances of accidents during work. Workers are not
required to do physical work in the gruesome work conditions. They can sit comfortably
and can control robots do all the physical work.
• Automation also reduces the production cost for the company. Rather than hiring many
workers, companies can employ a few workers who can control the robots. This reduces
the expenses of workers’ wages and medical expenses.
• For example, Amazon is replacing its fulfillment center jobs done by a number of
employees with robots to pack orders to send out for delivery.