Material Handling Essay

294 Words2 Pages
Material handling is the science of movement, handling and storage of material during transportation. People can move material by lifting the items directly or with the use of Material Handling equipment such as handcarts, slings, and other handling accessories. Material can also be moved using machines such as cranes and forklifts. These are generally used when heavy materials need to be moved. Material handling requires systematic recording, critical review and overseeing of all related activities to eliminate as many unnecessary movements as possible. It is a primary activity in all industries and involves numerous people and specialized material handling equipment. Different types of material handling processes are required at different locations. Cranes are used at docks, trucks are used to transport factory products and conveyor belts are used at airports. The main objectives of material handling are to prevent damage and improve productivity. If one sees long queues at supply and dispatch areas or if one receives goods in a damaged condition or at a date much later than the expected date of delivery, it's definitely a case of bad material handling. The two main factors that affect material handling are, the nature of the material to be handled and the material handling equipment. The cost of handling the material and the equipment used are astronomical as high as 90 % for some Industry. However, during the last few decades, the handling of material has become highly automated. Computers are being widely used to systematize material handling, which has help bring those high operating cost of material handling down Generally, material handling is considered an important activity along all the links of the supply chain, which include production, distribution, storage and retail. Minimizing the complexity of handling operations can increase productivity and
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