Capital Equipment News June 2016

MATERIALS HANDLING

INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS HANDLING By Pierre Sanson

T he term materials han- dling refers to specific industrial activity in the field of engineering and tech- nology. Materials have to be handled as intermediate or finished goods and raw mate- rials, from point of receipt and storage through production processes to finished goods and despatch points. Mate- rials handling, as such, does not add value to the product but rather helps in the pro- duction flow. The nature of materials han- dling is based on optimum de- sign and application, specific to different types of industries and can be as diverse as the industries themselves. As a consequence, there can be no universally accepted defi- nition of materials handling. Methods to be adopted and choice of equipment for a materials handling system, primarily depend on the type of material/s handled. It is important to know the dif- ferent types of materials and their characteristics and their relation to the methods and equipment used for their handling.

equipment and extends its economic life.

loading speeds are key factors in vehicle turnaround time.

In the supply chain and logistics industry there is a growing challenge to improve the flow of commodities in and out of factories and warehouses. Unfortunately not enough is being spent on building new warehouses and distribution facilities and this has led to many a logistic bottleneck in major cities. Logistics in South Africa is on a growth path and requires a distribution infrastruc- ture that will provide the highest levels of service. The diversity of products means that there has to be more emphasis on the equipment used and its suitability for the task it has to perform – without losing sight of safety requirements. The country has an abundant supply of labour. However, global standards of warehousing, transport and distribution dictate that mechanisation cannot be ruled out as storage heights have increased and

Materials handling improves the productiv- ity and increases the profitability of an in- dustry. Many enterprises go out of business because of inefficient materials handling practices. A well designed system can give a company an advantage over its competi- tors by ensuring adherence to some basic business principles such as: • The right quantity of material delivered to the right place, at the right time. • Reduction of indirect labour costs. • Reduction of damage to materials during storage and movement • Maximisation of space use of materials and goods. • Minimisation of accidents during materials handling • Ensuring finished goods are well packaged and secure for handling • Ensuring equipment is compatible with the type of product being handled. b

The demand for quicker lead times in inter- national markets has led to an increase in e-business and the internet has become a major contributor to all logistic operations. In South Africa, the hands-on concept still exists and ultimately the use of handling equipment is still paramount. Materials handling equipment distributors abound in South Africa, but relatively few are geared to offer full solutions in line with clients’ requirements, and it is the repre- sentatives of international companies that are geared to offer international standards of quality and service. Safety has expanded beyond mere equip- ment upkeep: the right equipment has to be used for an application and cannot be operated beyond its safety design criteria. This reduces unnecessary failures to the

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