Material handling is a sector that deals with virtually every other industry’s functioning. It is a field of work that involves the movement, safety, storage, and control of materials. This process includes manufacture, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The industry recently had a market size of $216.18 billion and is an integral part of any country’s economic ecosystem. Thus, it is essential to understand how material handling works, the types available, and much more.

What is material handling?
Material handling guides deal with almost every aspect of the economy, from producers to manufacturers to consumers. The entire operation deals with automated, semi-automated, and manual processes and hence encompasses jobs in forecasting, resource allocation, production, process management, inventory management, customer delivery, and also aftercare service. Material handling works on several principles, including planning, ergonomics, space utilization, logistics, automation, and standardization. Most material handling firms must consider the entire life-cycle cost – from production to delivery, sales, and after-sales service.

Types of material handling

Manual
This is where human workers handle a majority of tasks. They lift, lower, fill, carry, and empty containers. The major drawback of this material handling type is that these physical activities can be hazardous and cause strains and sprains in the workers’ backs, shoulders, and limbs. In addition, ergonomic developments in material handling tools often aim to alleviate the pain of manual material handling workers.

Automated
Equipment is used to reduce or replace manual handling of material. These include automated guided vehicles, storage and retrieval systems, conveyor systems, and autonomous mobile robots. This material handling design is faster and more efficient than manual handling. However, a notable drawback is that it is not always economical or practically feasible.

Types of material handling equipment

1. Storage and handling equipment
   This task deals with materials that workers transport from a manufacturer or wholesaler to the final destination. Material handling equipment for this chore includes racks, shelves, bins, drawers, and a mezzanine.
2. Engineered systems
   Engineered systems are automated units that efficiently store and transport large amounts of materials within and around production floors. Examples are conveyor systems, automated storage and retrieval systems, robotic delivery systems, etc.
3. Industrial trucks
   Forklifts, hand trucks, pallet jacks, stackers, automatic guided vehicles, and side loaders are material handling equipment designed to move, lift, load, and unload large quantities of materials across the manufacturing floor.
4. Bulk material handling equipment
   This material handling tool controls and transports large volumes of materials in loose form. These include conveyors, stackers, bucket elevators, hoppers, silos, and reclaimers.

Material handling designs
Material handling designs refer to storing, taking stock, and transporting materials from manufacturing plants to warehouses and ultimately to the destination, usually a store. Therefore, it is essential to have a smooth flow between several production activities for a successful business; hence having efficient material handling designs is necessary. It involves the following processes:

Unit leading
Unit leading means maintaining the material integrity of a single unit of the item or several units combined as a single unit.

In-process handling
In-process handling refers to receiving, storing, and distributing unit loads. Weight, configuration, size, and type of load all influence decisions about in-process handling.

Distribution
Distribution requires selecting unit load size, configuration, and arrangement in containers or pallets. Decisions on which mode of transportation to use – railways, airplanes, trucks – are made in this stage with cost and location considerations.

Material handling guide
For entrepreneurs and large MNCs to direct their material handling processes and decisions, several material handling guides are available online and in brick-and-mortar stores. There is no set, rigid rule on which type of material handling is best, nor is there an ideal solution for all material handling problems. However, some principles can ensure successful material handling. Three of these fundamental steps are outlined below.

Sourcing equipment
Saving money in material handling entails investing in equipment. Assessing the type of material handling equipment required can save a lot of money. For this, a physical evaluation is necessary and involves several considerations – specifications of materials and warehouse, the machine size, service needs, and availability of spare parts. Of course, you must always plan so that the cost of the operations is minimal and the need to replace equipment often does not arise.

Safe practices to increase efficiency
Irrespective of which material handling system you use, there are some principles that every material handling guide is bound to tell you. Practices like training employees and providing protective gear and safety programs are paramount. Apart from this, using automation wisely can also increase efficiency and enhance the warehouse environment. Warehouse management systems also help improve inventory visibility, track materials and maintain a comprehensive material handling record to minimize errors and material damage. Finally, an organized warehouse can go a long way in increasing the effectiveness of every material handling system.