PRINCIPLES OF MATERIAL HANDLING

Principles are guidelines for the application of sound judgment. Some

principles are in conflict with others, so only the situation being designed will
determine what is correct. The principles will be a good checklist for
improvement opportunities.
1. Planning Principle
All material handling and storage activities need to be planned to obtain
maximum overall operating efficiency. Material handling planning considers
every move, every storage need and any delay in order to minimize
production costs.
2. System Principle
The system concept is that all material handling equipment should work
together so that everything fits. The system principle integrates as many
steps in the process as possible into a single system from the vendor
through your plant and out to your customers. It is to integrate as many
handling activities as is practical into a coordinated system of operations,
covering vendor, receiving, storage, production, inspection, packaging,
warehousing, shipping, transportation and customer. An example will be an
oil company purchased plastic bottles from an outside manufacturer. The
bottles were packaged in a carton of 12 with separators in between. These
cartons were placed on a pallet and shipped out to the company’s oil bottling
plant. In the plant, the bottles were dumped onto a filing line and filled with
oil. The empty cartons was conveyed to the pack out end of the filing line
and repacked with 12 bottles, closed, stacked on a pallet and shipped to the
customer.
3. Material Flow Principle
It is to provide an operation sequence and equipment layout optimizing
material flow.
4. Simplification Principle
Using Cost Reduction Formula to simplify handling (Eliminate, combine and
reduce unnecessary movement and/or equipment).
5. Gravity Principle
There are many ways to make use of gravity to move materials between
workstations. Thus, utilize gravity to move material wherever possible.

6. Space Utilization Principle

It is to make optimum utilization of the cubic capacity of the warehouse.
Racks, mezzanines and overhead conveyors are a few of the material
handling equipments that maximize space utilization.

7. Unit Size Principle

Strength, durability, versatility, weight, size, cost and ease of use must all be
considered when choosing a unit load. It is to increase the quantity, size, or
weight of unit loads or flow rate.

8. Mechanization Principle
It is to add power to eliminate manual moving. Mechanization implies the use
of mechanical tools to aid in the movement of material.

9. Automation Principle
Automatic storage and retrieval systems place material into storage racks
automatically and remove it when needed. Many machines are automatic
because material handling equipment loads and unloads the machine.
Automation is the way of the future, thus even users of the manual system
must consider when it can be justified. Provide automation to include
production, handling and storage functions.
10. Equipment Selection Principle
In selecting handling equipment consider all aspects of the material being
handled – the movement and the method to be used.

11. Standardization Principle

It is to standardize handling methods as well as types and sizes of handling
equipment. Cost of material handling systems can be grouped into two
categories: the cost of ownership of the system (includes the initial purchase
price and the subsequent maintenance costs) and the cost of operation of
the system (includes cost of training personnel to use the system safely,
energy cost and other direct and indirect costs associated with the use of the
system). An example will be choosing a material handling equipment and
stay with that brand, type and size because spare parts inventory,
maintenance and operation of this equipment will be most cost efficient.

12. Adaptability Principle

Use methods and equipment that can best perform a variety of tasks and
applications where special purpose equipment is not justified. Examples will
be the purchasing of standard size pallets that will handle a range of parts
and purchasing of storage equipments that can store a wide variety of
products. In this way, change will be less costly.

13. Dead Weight Principle

Do not buy equipment that is bigger than necessary. Tare weight refers to
the weight of the packaging material. Products are packaged to prevent
damage while moving. However, packaging is expensive and it costs as
much as the product to ship this tare weight. Thus, the goal is to reduce the
tare weight and save money.

14. Utilization Principle

Material handling equipment and operators should be used fully. Identifying
the work required, the number of times per day and the time required per
move will help manage the workload of both labour and equipment. Plan for
optimum utilization of handling equipment and manpower.
15. Maintenance Principle
Material handling equipment must be maintained. Preventive maintenance
(periodic and planned) is cheaper than emergency maintenance. Hence, a
preventive maintenance program including schedules must be developed for
each piece of material handling equipment.
Pallets, storage facilities need to be repair. Missing slats on pallets can cause
product damage and safety problems. Thus, plan for preventive maintenance
and scheduled repairs of all handling equipments.

16. Obsolescence Principle

As equipment wears out, good maintenance records will help identify worn-
out equipments. Replace obsolete handling methods and equipment when
more efficient methods or equipment will improve operations.

17. Control Principle

Materials are costly and material handling systems can be a part of the
inventory control system. With the aid of technology (e.g. conveyor, RFID,
barcode), quality inspection, inventory control and item tracking can be
incorporated into the material handling systems. It will reduce or eliminate
the need to count or track the material physically. A good material handling
system allows a tremendous savings in operation time and significant
improved costs, accuracy and reliability. Hence, use material handling
activities to improve control of production inventory and order handling.
18. Capacity Principle
Use handling equipment to help achieve desired production capacity.
19. Performance Principle
It is to determine effectiveness of handling performance in terms of expense
per unit handled. Material handling labour moves material and a
measurement of output could be units of materials moved. Input is labour
hours. Therefore, productivity can be improved by increasing the units of
material moved or reducing the labour hours.
Performance of material handling can also be calculated by ratios: Percent of
Material Handling = (material handling hours)/(total labour hours)
Performance includes a lot more than labour. Segregating material handling
cost from total operation costs would result in a better ratio.
20. Safety Principle
Manual handling is probably the most dangerous method of material
handling. Material handling equipment can also be a source of safety
problems, so safety methods, procedures and training must be part of any
material handling plan. It is management responsibility to provide a safe
work environment. Safety considerations must be a major factor in selecting
material handling equipment. Therefore, it is important to provide suitable
methods and equipment for safe handling.

Factors affecting material handling

These include the following;
 Position of store house; from the transport perspective, the nearer
the store to the point of use, the less will be the expense of moving
stock.
 Handleability of the material; the easier the stock to be handled
the less costs to incur and it becomes less time consuming and vice
versa.
 Method of packaging of incoming materials
 Package size
 Store layout
 Training of operators

Mechanical handling;
This is the use of machines in handling materials within the store. There are
four main importances for the use of mechanical handling and include;

 Saving time; Machines can lift and transport sizeable loads much
more quickly than the use of manual labour.
 Saving labour costs; Machines save the costs that would have been
incurred if manual labour was used like injury costs, many people
enjoyed and thus salaries among others.

 Saving space; It is easier to save space using machines than manual

labour as machines can lift heavy items to stacks of maximum heights.

 Caters for loads that are too heavy to be handled manually.

Tools used in handling materials (Materials handling equipments)
Material handling equipments are commonly used in a stores house and they
are of two types; hand operated equipments and power-driven equipments.

Hand operated equipments

a) Hand trucks and sack barrows;

The common wheel barrow is ideal for carrying small quantities of
sand, gravel and other loose materials, particular in stockyard. Sack
barrows are naturally intended for bagged goods.
Illustration;
Sack barrow Hand trucks

b) Selector trucks;
These are extensively used where incoming and or outgoing
consignments consist of numbers of varied items of reasonable size
and weight held in fixed locations in different parts of the building e.g.
machinery or transport spares.

c) Stillage trucks
These consist of wheeled platforms managed by a drawbar. As a rule,
they are fitted with a small hydraulic unit, actuated by pumping the
drawbar to raise or lower the platform a few inches.
Illustration;
d) Pallet trucks;
These are similar to stillage trucks, except that they are lifted with
forms instead of a rectangular platform and are of course, designed to
handle pallets and not stillages.
Illustration;

e) Hand stackers;
This consists of a vertical framework of angle-iron carrying a platform
which can be raised or lowered for stacking or unstacking.
Illustration;

f) Pulley blocks;
This is a geared pulley system fixed to an overhead beam and fitted
with a lifting hook at the end of the chain. A separate endless chain is
used to operate the mechanism. These are not fast in operation but
are suitable where the need for a heavy lift is only occasional.
Illustration;

g) Chutes;
A chute is a wooden or metal trough inclined at such an angle that
 articles will slide down when placed upon it. Chutes are used for
transporting stock from upper to lower floors, but they are only
convenient for loose materials, robust packages or goods not liable to
damage.
Illustration;

h) Roller conveyer;
These are made of a metal framework bearing horizontal rollers spaced
at intervals, and the goods to be conveyed are pushed along the top of
the rollers. Conveyers will transport materials between floors in the
same way as chutes and can also be used for horizontal movements at
or above floor level. They can be built up in portable sections and
rearranged as required. Roller conveyers are generally used for fairly
heavy packaged goods.
Illustration;

Power –driven equipments

 i. Forklift trucks;
Are capable of moving large loads of master cartons both horizontally
and vertically. A pallet or slip sheet form a platform which master
cartons are stacked. A forklift normally transports a maximum of two
unit loads i.e. two pallets at a times. The most important type of
mechanical handling equipment encountered where lifting and
stacking operations are to be performed is the forklift truck. The load is
carried on forks projecting forward of the front wheels. The forks are
movable vertically, but cannot be moved in the forward or backward
plane, any such movement being provided by moving the truck itself.
Illustration;

ii. Order pickers;

In organizations where mixed loads have to be take and collated from
bulk stock, order picking machines are used. A variety of types are
available such as those with front or side lifting forks, machines which
use a special latch on stillage. An order picker differs from a fork lift in
that the operator rises so he can hand pick goods from storage.
Illustration;

iii. Platform trucks:

These are of two types; fixed-platform and platform-lift trucks. The
lifting –platform variety is based on the same principle as a “low lift”
 forklift machine, but instead of forks it has a platform which can run
under a suitable container or stillage and lift the load clear of the floor.
Both types are best used where stores have to be carried fairly long
distances.
Illustration;

iv. Tractors;
Tractors of various sizes are found in storehouses and stockyards,
employed in conjunction with trailers containing the stock to be
moved. The use of two or more trailers per tractor in suitable
circumstances is economical because the tractor can be transporting
one or more trailers while others are being loaded or unloaded thus
getting the maximum loading facilities and the maximum work from
one power unit. This kind of vehicle is like platform truck, most suitable
for long hauls.
Illustration;

v. Others equipments
 Cranes
 Powered conveyers
  Robots

Importance of Improved system of material handling

An improved system of material handling procedure results in the following;

 Increased productivity of labour

 Increase production capacity of the plants
 Full utilization of plant capacity
 Reduction in inventory there by saving capital tied up in stock. (WIP)
 Less wastage, spoilage and damages.
 Minimum supervision due to minimization of interruption in production
schedule
 Saving space which helps in the processing of products within least
possible time and that too with less effort and better results.
 Reduction in fatigue of workers leading to greater job satisfaction and
more work with greater safety.
Factors to consider when selecting material handling equipments
The main objective of materials handling is to effectively use the right
equipment that will reduce materials handling movements and lower cost
per unit of material handled. The following factors are considered in selecting
the right equipment:

a) Types of Materials. The features of material such as size, shape, weight

and volume of the materials decide the type of materials handling
equipments to be used.
b) Adaptability of Equipment. The equipment operation and movement
should suit the type of materials to be received and delivered.
c) Cost of Equipment. Since an organization’s resources are limited,
thorough cost and benefit analysis of any decision must be done. So cost
of materials handling equipment is an important factor in equipment
selection.
d) Factory Layout. Layout of the plant, production centre, warehouse and
other operating units are designed to suit the materials handling and the
intended equipment must be in conformity.
e) Flexibility of Equipment. Ability of equipment to move more than a set
of materials or been able to adjust operation to suit another class of
materials.
f) Production Processes and Systems. Different types of production
processes and systems demand different types of material handling
equipment. For instance, a continuous production system will require non-
stop materials handling
equipment. Both supply raw materials and parts to production centers
and remove finished goods for warehouse or outright loading of carrier.
g) Equipment Source of Power. Availability of power should be considered
before selection of materials handling equipment.
h) Speed of Equipment. A highly automated materials handling system
may prefer rapid movement material handler, so that receiving and
 delivering of materials will be done within the limits of the production
process.
i) Space Requirements. Space available in the factory or warehouse will
to a large extent determine the type and size of equipment to be
installed.
j) Personnel Requirement. Who to operate handling equipment must be
considered before it is purchased.
k) Availability of Spare Parts and Ease of Maintenance. Equipment
spare parts and components should be readily available and should be
easily maintained at bearable cost.
l) Environmental Regulation. Material handling equipment to be
purchased must conform to any environment regulations in area of usage.

REVISION QUESTIONS
Question one
a) Define material handling (03 Marks)
b) Discuss the importance of proper material handling (12 Marks)
Question Two
a) State and explain the advantages of improved system of material
handling (12 Marks)
b) Discuss the principles of material handling (13 Marks)
Question Three
With illustration, discuss the tools used in material handling (15 Marks)
Question Four
a) Discuss the common types of materials handling equipment
b) What are the factors that influence materials handling equipment
selection?