Various Types of Material Handling Equipments

• The material handling equimpents are classified into four basic types

1. Conveyors
2. Cranes and Hoists
3. Trucks and
4. Auxiliary Equipments

Conveyors:

• These are gravity or powered devices commonly used for moving loads from point to point or fixed paths. The various types of conveyors are:

1. Belt Conveyor: Motor driver belt, usually made of rubberized fabric or metal fabric on a rigid frame

   

   Belt Conveyor

   
   
2. Chain Conveyor: motor driver chain that drags materials along a metal slide base
3. Roller Conveyor: Boxes, large parts or unit loads roll on top of a series of rollers mounted on a rigid frame. The rollers may be powered or unpowered
4. Pneumatic Conveyor: High volume of air flows through a tube, carrying materials along with the air flow. The other types of conveyors are bucket conveyor, screw conveyor, pipeline conveyor, vibratory conveyor, tub conveyor, trolley conveyor or gravity conveyors.

   

   Roller Conveyor

• Advantages of conveyors are that do not require operators, will move a large volume of products and are inexpensive to operate.

Cranes And Hoists:

• These are overhead devices used for moving loads intermittently between points within area, fixed by supporting and binding rails.

1. Cranes: Cranes are the devices mounted on overhead rails or ground level wheels or rails. They lift, swing and transport large and heavy materials. Example:- Gantry Crane, Jib Crane and Electrically Operated Overhead Center (EOTC)
2. Elevators: Elevators are a type of cranes that lift materials, usually between floors of buildings
3. Hoists: Hoists are devices which move materials vertically and Horizontally in a limited area. They are used primarily when materials must be lifted prior to being moved from one point to another. Example: air hoists, electric hoist and chain hoists.       - Other devices under this categories are winches, monorail, and the like.

Trucks: 

1. These devices are used for moving mixed or uniform loads intermittently over variable paths. They are electric, diesel, gasoline or liquelied petroleum gas powered vehicles equipped with beds, forks, arms or other holding devices.
2. Example:  fork-lift trucks, pallet trucks, tractor with tailors, hand trucks and power trolleys

Auxiliary Equipments: 

1. There are devices or attachments used with handling equipment to make their use more effective ans versatile.

1. Example: ramps, positioners, pallets containers and turn tables.

Miscellaneous Handling Equipments

• Pipelines which are closed tubes that transport liquids by means of pumps or gravity
• Automatic transfer device which automatically grasp materials, hold them firmly while operations are being performed and move them to other location
• Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems: These devices do not require operation and provide a great deal of flexibility in the paths they travel and the functions they perform. The AGVs are controlled by signals sent through wires embedded in the floor or inductive tape on the floor surface. A remote control computer is needed to control the movement of AGVs.
• Industrial robots: It is a machine which has a movable arm like projection with a gripper at the end that can perform a variety of repetitive tasks. Robots usually have a built-in control that can be reprogrammed and hence they are very versatile.