An Approach for Selection of Material Handling

Equipment and Material Handling System Pre-design

A project presentation on

By,Soumyodeep Mukherjee

Department of Industrial Engineering & ManagementW.B.U.T In House

What is it ?MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM

handling of material in warehouse solving the problems involving the movement control and protection of materials, goods and products applied in both manufacturing and distributional operations

does not add value to the

product but it usually adds a

significant value to the product

These early methods treated the three basic stages of handling—a. materials collectionb. Manufacturingc. product distribution

Modern materials-handling systems, by contrast, emphasize

the integrated flow of goods from the source of raw materials to final

user

This can be achieved by transporting goods in large quantities and in standardized units; by handling procedures using cranes, conveyor belts, and other machines; and by the careful coordination of the movement of goods with production, processing, and distribution schedules

MATERIAL HANDLING GUIDELINES

a. Designing the system for continues flow of material, i.e. idle time should be zero.

b. Going in for standard equipment, which ensures low investment and flexibility in case of changes in material handling requirements in the future.

c. Incorporating gravity flow in material flow system

d. Ensuring that the ratio of the dead weight to the payload of material handling equipment is minimum.

Various material handling systems are in use, right from those that are fully manual to the ones that are fully automatic. However, the selection of a particular system depends in factors such as:

i. Volumes to be handledii. Speed in handlingiii. Productivityiv. Product characteristics

(weight, size, shape)v. Nature of the product

(hazardous, perishable, crushable)

1. Planning Principle: where the needs, performance objectives, functional specifications of the methods

2. Standardization Principle: should be standardized within the limits of achieving overall performance objectives

3. Work Principle: should be minimized without sacrificing productivity

The Ten Principles of Material Handling

The Key to Greater Productivity, Customer Service and Profitability

4. Ergonomic Principle: Human must be recognized and respected in the design of material-handling tasks

5. Unit Load Principle: can be stored or moved as a single

6. Space Utilization Principle: All available space must be used effectively and efficiently.

7. System Principle: Material movement and storage activities should be fully integrated to form a coordinated, operational system that spans receiving, inspection, storage, production, assembly, packaging, unitizing, order selection, shipping, transportation, and the handling of returns.

8. Automation Principle: operations should be mechanized and/or automated where feasible to improve operational efficiency

9. Environmental Principle: total energy consumption should be an evaluation criterion

10. Life Cycle Cost Principle: A complete economic analysis should account for the entire life cycle of all material-handling equipment and the resulting systems.

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS TYPES

Lifting and Transport EquipmentEquipment that falls into this category is fork lift trucks, order picking trucks, overhead cranes, tower cranes and belt, chain and overhead conveyors.

fork lift trucks overhead conveyors

Storage Equipmentwithin this category are pallet racks, mobile shelf units, and plastic, wood and steel containers

Automated Handling Equipmentautomated guide vehicles, storage and retrieval equipment, conveying systems and product sorting equipment

Material Handling Equipment Selection

Goal In Equipment Selection

Properly Match: The Material Characteristics The Move Requirements The Equipment Capabilities/Requirements

Other factors to be considered include: Labor skills available Capital available Return on investment Expected life of installation

STUDY ON THE APPROACHES OF THE SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT AND DESIGN OF THE MHS

Problems to overcome : minimizes cost and maximizes reliability.

Layout Design

MHS Design

Modifications of Layout

MHS Design

Layout Design

Review of the MHS Design

The Solution Sequence and Preferable Relations Between MHS and Facility Layout Design

[ Sequence A ] [ Sequence B ]

The selection of equipment and design of the MHS can be done using four ways:

by means of a traditional selection method, using an analytical model, by knowledge-based approaches, Hybrid approaches (analytical and knowledge based approaches).

Traditional Selection Method1. the designer relies principally on handbooks and experience2. approach may not be cost-effective

Analytical Model1. generally consider only quantifiable factors such as cost and utilization2. often difficult to implement

Knowledge-based Approaches1. involves the use of expert guidelines.2. allows extensive matching of equipment characteristics to application

requirements

PRODUCT AND PROCESS SPECIFICATIONS AND MHS EQUIPMENT SELECTION FOR EACH PRODUCT

Main Features of the MHS Equipment Selection

1. Product Type (bar stock, package, pallet load, unit)

2. Product Weight3. Product Size (Cubic Volume)4. Product nature (Sturdy, Fragile)5. Product Volume

1. 1.Speed Requirements2. Accumulation Requirements (Yes or

No)3. Distance for Transfer4. Frequency of Movement5. Flexibility of Process Route6. Loading and Unloading Requirements7. Safety Aspects

The choice of MHS equipment depends on the product and process requirements. For this reason, MHS equipment can be selected according to the product and process specifications.

MHS Equipment Selection

Rationalastion of the Selected MH Equipments

Utilisation and Detail Design of Material Handling System

MHS Design Stages Finding appropriate equipment for a handling problem involves

extensive matching of product and process features and material

handling equipment specifications.

The Rationalization of the MHS between departments (nodes)

Why Rationalization required ?

Different product types are likely to require different details. reducing the total investment and operating cost of the MHS.

Rail Guided Vehicle (RGV) Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)

If there are material transfers between two departments and they require these two types of equipment at the same time, the equipment types and their alternatives have been considered and alternative choices must be established and arranged in a form.

If the requirement of MHS types is more than one and these types of equipment can replace each other then select the dominant one.

Implementation Of The Approaches

The approach comprises three stages which are represented by two different knowledge-bases and one external program.

• The knowledge-base contains all the rules and the objects which describe a particular topic.

• function of the external program is to reorganize the data for the MHS selection phase and has been developed using FORTRAN.

Product Process Routes

Product Database

MHS.EXE

MHS-DEP.DAT

Specifies MHS equipment types for each product

Flow Chart of the Arrangement Procedure

Obtain Product and Process features for MHS Equipment Selection

Program of Rule Set for Material Handling Equipment Selection

MHS Equipments for Each Product

Organization of Selected Equipment (External Program)

Rationalisation

Pre-Designed MHS

Utilisation and DETAIL DESIGN

The Main Flow Chart

of the Approach

MHS EQUIPMENT SELECTION FOR PRODUCTSIn a MHS equipment selection, the selection procedure can be carried out as follows:

If the distances, the event intervals between arrival times and the components are relatively large, an AGV system is likely to prove appropriate. For generalization, each MHS equipment has been taken as a member of a class, which has a certain number of features and which can be represented by slots in a program. example, an AGV may be represented using a class object and the details are given [Leonardo Expert System Shell (Creative Logic, 1989)]

1: Name: AGV2: Long Name:3: Type:4: Value:5: Certainty:6: Derived From:7: IsA: mhs8: Member Slots:8: load_type: discrete

9: we_ran: high10: load_size: mdm11: req_speed: high13: req_acc: very high14: req_diss: high15: frequ_req: often16: path_flexi: high17: load_un_ab: high

MHS Equipment

TypeLoad Type

Load Capacity

Size NatureSpeed Of System

Accumulation Required

DistanceFrequency Of Move

Flexibility Of Path

Loading & Unloading

Ability

Robots DiscreteLow-

MediumMedium

Solid-Fragaile

Low-Medium

No short often low high

AGV Discrete Medium MediumSolid-

FragaileMedium No medium often high high

RGV (Rail Guided

Vehicle )Discrete High

Medium-Large

Solid High No long low low medium

Fork Lift Discrete High Large Solid Medium No long high high high

Conveyors ContinuousLow-

MediumSmall -

MediumSolid

High-Medium

Yesshort-

mediumlow low medium

Manual Discrete Low Medium Solid Low No short high high high

Main Classes and Attributes of Material Handling Equipment

These suggested alternatives will clearly need development with experience of operating the design system.

Probem : An MHS is going to be pre-designed for a plant. The plant is designed for 6 processes and 4 different parts. The parts and process routes and their specifications are presented in Table . When the part and process routes and their MHS equipment information have been gathered, the first stage can be carried out for MHS equipment selection. In this selection, for example, heavy loads, Far trips, and very big in size for Part 3, suggests the use of a Rail Guided Vehicle (RGV). Another example can be given for Part 1. This part is of medium weight, medium in size and has a fragile nature; these requirements can be satisfied using an AGV.

Case Study

1 2

3

4 5 6

Network Analysis andPart Root Process of the case study

Product and Process Feature for MHS Equipment Selection

Part Number

Part Volume

Part Route Process

Load Type

Load Capacity Size Nature Speed Of

SystemAccumulation Required

Distance

Frequency Of Move

Loading & Unloading

Ability

1 50 1-2-4-5-6 Discrete medium medium Fragile Low No Medium High Rare

2 40 1-5-6-0 Discrete high small Solid Medium No Short Low No

3 70 1-3-4-5-6 Discrete very high very big Solid High No Far Low Frequently

4 20 1-2-3-5-6 Discrete low medium Fragile Medium Yes Medium Medium Frequently

MHS Equipment for Parts

Product Number Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4MHS Equipment RGV Man Fork-Lift AGV

1 2

3

4 5 6

From Department

To Department

Required MHS Equipment

Rationalized MHS

Equipment

1 2 RGV, Fork Lift, AGV RGV1 3 RGV, Man, AGV, RGV1 5 AGV AGV2 4 Man Man2 3 Fork Lift, AGV Fork Lift3 2 AGV AGV3 4 Man Man3 5 AGV, Man AGV4 2 AGV, Man AGV4 5 RGV, Man, AGV, RGV5 6 Fork Lift Fork Lift

MHS Equipment Requirements Between Departments

Product Number Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4MHS Equipment RGV Man Fork-Lift AGV

Observations on This Approach On Design Of A

Material Handling System

Responsive Flexible Autonomous Highly automatic

Multi-functional Modularized Multi-level Compatible

FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK IN MATERIAL HANDLING

The most possible objectives to do in future are:

•• High-speed, high-value material handling and logistics processes for challenging environments•• Low-cost, low-impact material handling and logistics capabilities to maintain high service levels•• The workforce of tomorrow and what is needed to develop it.

The field of materials handling remains still to be fully to be fully explored.

Material handling techniques are not only industry’s biggest opportunity — they are industry’s biggest necessity.

Competition is beginning to force this new technology upon industry.

FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK IN MATERIAL HANDLING

Conclusions This study describes a decision aid which may be used by a designer who is

not very familiar with selection of material handling systems.

The case study exemplifies the selection of MHS equipment using the approach and a recommended rationalization procedure.

A knowledge based approach can overcome the limitations of analytical approaches which are generally limited with only quantifiable factors.

Rationalizations of MHS equipment will reduce total investment and operation costs.

It highlights the importance of the material handling system design and facility layout problem, requiring an integrated solution strategy.

It'll help to work a system with full automation and there it'll create a scope for future work on knowledge based programmed Material Handling System Design.

THANK YOU