Material Handling

Module7
Definitions
Material Handling Equipment & Classifications
Analysis and Design of Material Handling
Conveyor Systems
AGV systems
AS/RS

Material Handling in Production Systems

Introduction
Purpose of Material handling (MH) is the movement, storage, tracking (or control) of all
materials during manufacturing; and; also during distribution, consumption, and disposal.
Materials include raw materials, finished parts, tools, and supplies
Cost of MH could be a significant portion (10 to 70%) of total production cost
MH equipment is the conduit for materials flow and physical integration within a factory
(95% of time).
Automated MH is a key element in any flexible manufacturing system (primary and secondary
systems)
Because of movements, MH equipment are associated with many accidental injuries on the
job.

Requirements
Safety (humans and products including fragile
items)
Efficient (low cost)
Effective (Timely, Accurately)

Equipment: Classification by Types

Hand Trucks: dollies, wheeled trucks for manual transport of all
material.
Powered Trucks: forklifts (powered by propane, battery or gasoline),
tractor-trailer trains, and other vehicles.
Cranes and Hoists: specialized overhead equipment for lifting and
manipulating heavy objects usually powered.
Conveyors: move large quantities of materials over a fixed path. Can
be continuously moving or use gravity.
Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS): powered vehicles that
automatically follow a fixed path.
Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (ASRS): mechanized systems
that automatically store and retrieve items.
Others indexing table, pipelines

Non-Powered Trucks

Powered Trucks

Cranes and Hoist

Conveyor Systems:
Types of Conveyors
Roller: a series of short tubes roll under the action of gravity or
powered ( belts or chains). Very common.( Skate wheel
conveyors)
Belt: a continuous belt loop driven by pulleys for moving
pallets, parts or bulk materials (troughed).
Overhead trolley: an endless moving cable or chain carries
trolleys on overhead rails. Hooks or baskets suspended from the
trolleys to carried loads.
In-floor tow line: a moving cable or chain buried in the floor
moves wheeled trailer carts along a fixed path.
Cart-on-track: individual carts ride on tracks driven by rotating
tube. (high positioning)

Types of Conveyors-1

Types of Conveyors-2

Conveyor Accessories

Angle Pushers
Diverters
Turntable
Switches
Flow Control traffic cop
Gates
Sorting

Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

(AGVS):Vehicle Types
Driverless train: a guided vehicle tows several
trailers carrying heavy loads (up to 50,000 lbs) Tow
train
over long distances.

Pallet truck: a manually loaded guided

vehicle for dispatching medium-duty (<6000
lbs) pallets along a guide path on demand.

Pallet
truck

Unit-load carrier: a lighter duty (500Unit load

1000 lbs) version of the pallet truck with
carrier
its own automatic load/unload
mechanisms.
Maximum speed for all
is 3 mi/hr = 264 ft/min

Automated Guided Vehicles -AGVs

Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

(AGVS): Factory Applications
Warehousing, shipping and receiving: moving large
quantities over large distances in large factories and
warehouses typically require drivereless trains.
Storage and distribution: unit load carriers and pallet trucks
typically move materials randomly and in varied quantities
to and from automated storage systems.
Assembly-Lines: extra light duty (<500 lb) unit-load
carriers move part kits between workstations assembling
several variations of the product on the assembly line
(4-10min cycle time)
FMS: unit-load carriers and pallet trucks move parts and
tools between workstations, staging areas and storage areas
under the control of the FMS supervisory controller.

Vehicle Guidance Technologies

Fixed Pathway
Impeded Guide Wires (magnetic (coil) sensors)
Paint Strip (UV sensors)

Vehicle Guidance Technologies

Flexible Pathway
Self-Guided Vehicle (SGV)
Has on board navigation computer
Term Dead Reckoning

Vehicle Management and Safety

Objectives
Minimize waiting time at loading/unloading stations
Equipment utilization and service time management
issues
Minimize traffic congestions
Operate safely

AGVS: Vehicle Management and Safety

Traffic Control (on-board sensing)
Zone Control (control units on pathway)
Vehicle Dispatching
On-board control panel
Remote call stations
Central computer
Safety (speed, safety bumper, obstacle detection, etc)
Additional technologies that can improve above issues
are ?????

Material Handling System Design

Consideration

Material Handling System Design

Objectives
Safety (humans and products fragile)
Efficient (low cost)
Effective (Timely, Accurately)
Factors that influence design
Material Characteristics
Flow rate, Routing, and Scheduling
Plant Layout

Material Characteristics

Flow rate, Routing, and Scheduling

Flow rate (dedicated and shared?)
Routing (distances? conditions?)

Scheduling (MH system response?)

Plant Layout
Information required for system design are:
Path of materials flow and potential obstacles
Load and unload locations
Materials flow pattern and potential congestion points
Distances traveled
Arrangement of equipment within each department
Storage requirements and location for WIP
Total area of the facility
Plant layout strongly influences the type and the
configuration of equipment in a MH system (new ?)
- Fixed-position, Process (or Cellular) Type, Product-Flow

Plant Layout

The 10 Principles of MH (Table 9.3)

Planning Principle
Standardization Principle
Work Principle
Ergonomics Principle human capabilities and limitations
Unit Load Principle
Space utilization principle
System principle
Automation principle
Environmental principle
Life Cycle Cost principle

Analysis of Materials Handling Systems

From-to chart

Flow diagram

Conveyor Systems:
Common Characteristics
Are generally mechanized and sometimes automated
Follow fixed path (single direction, continuous loop,
recirculating)
Mounted on the floor or overhead
Move materials mostly in one-direction
Move discrete parts or bulk (continuous load)
Used for transport and dynamic storage (Later?)
Non-powered individual carriers or pallets ride on the
powered or gravity-driven conveyor

Conveyor Analysis:
Single Direction Conveyors
Load
Assumptions:
Station
1. Belt moves in one direction
TL
2. One load station at the input end
3. One unload station at the output end

Ld
Td
vc

vc

R f RL

where:
Td = delivery time (min/carrier)
Ld = conveying distance between load
and unload stations (m,ft)
vc = conveyor speed (m/min, ft/min)
Rf = material flow rate (parts/min)
TU < TL

Unload
Station
TU

Ld
sc

n p vc
sc

np
TL

RL= loading rate (parts/min)

np= number of parts per carrier
sc = carriers spacing on conveyor
(m/carrier, ft/carrier)
TL= loading time (min/carrier)
TU= unloading time (min/carrier)

Conveyor Analysis:
Example 1
It takes 20 sec to load 18 parts into each
tote pan and 4 sec to load the tote pan
onto the single direction belt conveyor.
Find:

TL

Ld =200 ft
vc= 50 ft/min
sc

(a) delivery time, Td (min)

(b) minimum tote pan spacing, sc (ft)
(b) maximum possible parts flow rate, Rf (parts/min);
(c) maximum unload time TU

Belt conveyor

Ld
200ft
Td

= 4.0 min (for a specific tote)

vc 50 ft/min
sc = vc TL = (50 ft/min) (20 s + 4 s) (1 min/60 s) = 20 ft
Rf

n p vc
sc

18 parts (50ft/min )
= 45 parts/min

20 ft

TU < TL < 24 s/pan

0.40 min/pan

TU

Conveyor Analysis:
Continuous Closed-Loop Conveyors

nc

Ld Le
sc

Np

Empty carrier

Return leg

Consider a continuous
closed-loop conveyor, such as
an overhead trolley system
with one load and one unload Load
station
station. Assume that all
carriers are emptied at the
unload station.

Le

Unload
station

vc
Delivery leg

n p Ld
sc

nc = number of carriers in the system

Ld = length of the delivery leg (ft or m)
Le = length of the return leg (ft or m)
sc = carriers spacing (ft or m/carrier)

n p nc Ld
Ld Le

Rf

Full
carrier

Ld
n p vc
sc

np

np

TL

Np = total number of parts in the system

np = number of parts in each carrier
Rf = part feed rate (parts/min)
vc = conveyor speed (ft/min or m/min)

Conveyor Analysis:
Recirculating Conveyors
Continuous loop conveyors can be used for storage, if
loaded carries are allowed to flow back on the return leg
raising the following possibilities:
Empty carriers are not available when needed for
loading
Full carriers are not immediately available for unloading
(airport conveyor)

Conveyor Analysis:
Recirculating Conveyors
Kwos recirculating conveyor design requirements with ONE load station
and ONE unload station. Three rules
Speed rule: Operating speed within a certain limit determined by
#carriers/min (vc/ sc ). The lower limit should be greater than or equal
the required loading or unloading rate whichever is the greater.

n p vc
sc

Max RU , R

parts/min

The upper limit should be less or equal to the capabilities of the material
handlers.

vc
<Min
sc

1 ,1
TL T U

min/carrier

Conveyor Analysis:
Recirculating Conveyors
Capacity constraint: The flow rate capacity of the conveyor must be at
least equal to the flow rate requirement to accommodate reserve stock
and allow for the time elapsed between loading and unloading due to
delivery distance.

n p vc
sc

Uniformity Principle: empty and full carriers should be uniformly

distributed along the line to avoid excessive waiting for carriers.

Conveyor Analysis: Example 2

A recirculation conveyor has a total length of 300m. Its speed is 60m/min, and
the spacing of part carriers along its length is 12m. Each carrier can hold 2
parts. The time required to load 2 parts into each carrier is 0.20min and the
unload time is the same. The required loading and unloading rates are both
defined by the specified flow rate, which is 4parts/min. Evaluate the conveyor
system design with respect to Kwos three principle.
Find: Specified flow rate , Rf = 4 parts/min
Conveyor speed, vc = 60m/min
Spacing of carriers, Sc =12m
Number of parts per carrier, np = 2 parts
Loading TL = Unloading TU = 0.2 min/carrier
Solution: 1) Speed Rule

n p vc
sc

Max RU , R

vc
<Min
sc

1 ,1
TL T U

Example 2 (continue)
2) Capacity Constraint

n p vc
sc

Actual flow rate capacity = 10 parts/min (> 4 parts/min)

3) Uniformity Principle
-Loading rate = unloading rate
-Other
Flow rate capacity (10 parts/min) is substantially greater than
required loading / unloading rate (4parts /min)

AGVS: Common Characteristics

An AGVS is a automated
material handling system
consisting of independently
operated, self-propelled
vehicles that are
automatically guided along
defined paths.

AGVS: Common Characteristics

On-board batteries usually power AGVS vehicles for 10 to
16 hrs of operation.
On-board control system uses sensors to detect the position
of wires buried in the floor or strips of reflective paint and
guide the vehicle along the desired path within a certain
margin of error (pp387-393).
Vehicles automatically (sensors) detect obstacles and avoid
collisions with other objects

AGVS: Factors to Consider in System Design

Guide path type (?) and vehicle type

Path routing and layout
Flow direction along each path segment
Number and location of docking points for
loading and unloading
Number and locations of vehicle parking sites
Required number of vehicles
Dispatching rules and frequency of pickups and
deliveries

AGVS Analysis: Delivery Cycle Time

Analysis begins with estimating the total time Tc in a
delivery cycle of a vehicle on the average, ignoring effects
of traffic congestion:

Ld
Le
Tc TL
TU
vc
vc
Tc =
TL =
Ld =
vc =
TU =
Le =

delivery cycle time for one vehicle (min/del)

loading time (min)
average distance traveled while loaded per delivery (ft or m)
AGV speed which is assumed to be constant (ft/min, m/min)
unloading time (min)
average distance traveled while empty per delivery (ft or m)
Other Assumptions?

AGVS: Factors affect Delivery Cycle Time

Availability (A)
Traffic congestion (Tf )
Efficiency of manual elements (E)

AT 60 A T f E
(min/ hr per vehicle)

AGVS: Rate of deliveries

AT
Rdv
Tc
(Deliveries/hr per vehicle)

AGVS: Number of Vehicles

nc

Rf
Rdv

Vehicles

R f is Required (Designed) deliveries per hour

AGV: Example
It is desired to design a particular AGVS system that is
capable of making 40 deliveries/hr. The performance
characteristics of the system are:
Vehicle velocity = 150 ft/min
Average distance traveled per delivery = 450 ft
Average distance traveled empty = 450 ft
Pick up time = 45 sec
Drop-off time = 45 sec
Traffic factor = 0.90
Determine the required number of vehicles.

Storage Systems

Storage System- Types of Materials

Storage System- Location Strategies

SKU?
Which uses less Space?
Most Common:
Which is Faster?
Randomized Storage
Designed based on the average inventory level
Dedicated Storage
Designed based on max inventory level
Class-based dedicated storage
Designed based on activity level

Storage Capacity : Example 4

Total 50 SKU

Note : a different SKU arrives each day

Determine the number of storage locations required in the system
based on the randomized storage and dedicated storage strategies

Storage System- Performance

Storage cycle (pick, travel, place, travel)
Retrieval cycle?
Traditional Systems
Storage Capacity
Density
Accessibility
Throughput
Mechanized and Automated Systems:
Utilization
Availability (Uptime Reliability)

Storage Capacity/ Density/Accessibility

Storage Capacity is defined by the number of total unit loads stored
in the system
Physical capacity should be greater than the MAX number of unit
loads anticipated to be stored (Why?)
Storage Density is defined as the volumetric space available for
actual storage relative to the total volumetric space in the storage
facility (floor area?)
Accessibility refers to the the capability to access any desired unit
load in the system
Trade-offs are made between storage density and accessibility

System Throughput
Defined as the hourly rate at which the storage system
Receives and puts loads into storage (storage
transaction) and/or
Retrieves and delivers loads to the output station
(retrieval transaction)
Single command cycle or Dual command cycle
System is designed to handle the MAX hourly rate required.

Utilization and Reliability

Utilization is defined as the proportion of time that the
system is actually being used for performing storage and
retrieval operations compared with the time it is available
(80-90%)
Utilization varies throughout the day
Availability is a measure or reliability. It is defined as the
proportion of time that the system is capable of operating
(not broken down) compared with the normally scheduled
shift hours.
General approaches to improve reliability (preventive
maintenance, redundancy)

Some Formulas

Scheduled time/shift = hrs in a shift (8 hrs)

Available time/shift = (Scheduled time/shift) (Downtime/shift)
Utilization = (Actual time used )/ (Available time)
Availability = (Uptime) / (Scheduled time)

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems

(AS/RSs)
An AS/RS is an automated system of storage, control and
actuating devices which handles, stores and retrieves
materials with precision, accuracy and speed.
An AS/RS automatically:

Stores an item at predetermined storage site

Removes a specified item from a storage site
Transports the item to a processing or transfer point

Automating Storage Operations

AS/RS Common Characteristics

Custom designed
Computer Controlled (or manual)
Storage locations serviced by S/R (storage/Retrieval)
machines
One or more P&D stations (Pick up and Deposit).
Manually operated or interfaced to handling system
Two basic types of AS/RS:

Standard (unit load) or Conventional

Carousel storage systems

Unit Load AS/RS

AS/RS : Standard Systems

Several types

Unit load
Miniload
Man-on-board
Others

Carousel AS/RS

Unit Load vs Carousel Storage

Top view
Unit-Load Layout

Storage/Retrieval
S/R machine
Pickup/Deposit
(P/D) stations

Row

Interface
conveyor
Aisles
Storage
racks

Front view
Adapted from: Groover, M.P, Automation Production Systems, Prentice-Hall, 1987, p. 409.

Bay

Unit Load AS/RS (most common)

A Unit load AS/RS is a massive structure for handling individual
bulky items or groups of items on pallets or in containers
Unit load systems have the following physical features:
Storage Structure. A series of storage racks arranged horizontally
in rows and vertically in bays separated by aisles for access
A Storage/Retrieval (S/R) machine servicing each aisle
One or more Pickup/Deposit (P/D) stations
Storage modules (unit load containers-pallets)
Special features
Aile Transfer Cars (when S/R car services more than ONE aisle)
Full-Empty Detectors
Sizing Station
Load Identification Stations (tracking)

AS/RS Design:
System Requirements Specification
Storage capacity:
load sizes
size and number of storage compartments
number of rows and number of bays in each row
Space requirements:
bay width, bay depth, rack length and rack height (30-90')
aisle spacing, number of racks and system overall size
System performance:
required number of (store/retrieve) cycles per hour,
capacity of each S/R machine in (cycles/hr)
number of S/R machines required
cycle time for retrieve, store or for both

AS/RS : Sizing and Space Requirements

The dimensions Ls , Hs and Ws of an aisle unit are

given in terms of the dimensions x, y and z of the
basic unit load and clearance:

Ls = nh (x + a)
Hs = nv(y + b)
Ws = k (z + c)

Ws

For a standard pallet:

x = 42 inch and a = 8 inch
y = 48 inch and b = 10 inch
z = 36 inch and c = 6 inch
K = 1-3

Hs

nv

Aisle unit

nh

nv is the number of rows and nh is the number of bays.

Each aisle unit contains 2nv nh compartments.
z+c

The size of the overall system is determined

by the number of aisle units Na needed to
hold the inventory levels

Ls

y+b
x+a
Basic storage compartment
containing a unit load

Sizing AS/RS system : Example

A four aisle AS/RS is to contain 60 storage compartments in the length
direction and 12 compartments vertically. All storage compartments will be the same
size to accommodate standard size pallets. Determine Storage capacity and dimensions
of the storage rack structure.

Ws

Storage capacity per aisle = 2 nv nh = 2(12)(60)

= 1440 unit loads

Aisle unit

Total Storage Capacity = 4(1440) = 5760 unit loads

Ls = nh (x + a) = 60 (48 + 8) = 3360 in = 280 ft

Hs

nv

nh

Hs = nv(y + b) = 12 (36+10) = 552 in = 46 ft

Ws = k (z + c) = 3 (42 + 6) = 144 in = 12 ft
z+c
x+a
y+b
x+a

Ls

AS/RS : Throughput
Transaction cycle time Tsc depends on average travel times of the
S/R machine and pickup or deposit times:

Assumptions
Single-command cycle initiating a store or retrieve
transaction (dual-)
Randomized storage of pallets
Storage compartments of equal size
P/D station located at base and end of aisle
Uniform horizontal and vertical speed of S/R machine
Simultaneous horizontal and vertical movement of S/R

Storage System Performance Criteria

There are several standard measures
Storage Capacity
Density
Accessibility
Throughput
Utilization
Reliability (Uptime Reliability)

AS/RS Design: # S/R Machines and Throughput

The number of single-command transactions nsc each S/R machine completes
each hour is

60 A
nsc
Tsc

Where:
nsc = number of P/D cycles a machine can make per hour
Tsc = single-command transaction cycle time per machine (min)
A = fraction of time an S/R machine is available

The minimum number of S/R machines required is:

N m ,min

ndt

nsc

Where:
Nm,min = minimum number of S/R machines required
nsc
= number of P/D cycles a machine can make per hr
ndt
= total number of P/D cycles required per hour

The actual required number of S/R

machines Nm should at least equals
the number of aisles, Na.

Nm = max (Nm,min, Na)

AS/RS Design: Example 6

Determine the number of S/R machines required to achieve up to 240 pickup or
deposit transactions per hour. The horizontal travel speed of the S/R machines
is 320 ft/min and the vertical speed is 80 ft/min. Each P/D operation takes
about 0.50 min. The horizontal travel is 280 ft and the vertical travel is 46 ft
Solution:
Need to determine cycle time Tsc:
th = Ls/Vh = 280 ft/320 ft/min = 0.875 min
tv = Hs/Vv = 46 ft/80 ft/min = 0.575 min
T = max (th, tv) = max (0.875,0.575) = 0.875 min
Q = min (th/T, tv/T) = min (0.875/0.875, 0.575/0.875) = min (1.0,0.657) = 0.657
Tsc = T [(Q2/3) + 1] + 2 tpd = 0.875[(0.657)2/3 + 1] + 2(0.50) = 2.00 min
Minimum number of S/R machines Nm,min
nsc = 60A/Tsc = 60 (min/hr) (1)/2.00 min = 30 cycles/hr per machine
Nm,min = ndt / nsc = 240/30 = 8 machines.
Combination of Single & Dual cycles?

AS/RS:
Storage Carousel

Groover, M., 1987, Automation, Production Systems, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Carousel Applications & Advantages

Low cost versatile, and reliable
Storage and Retrieval applications (kitting, service room)
Transport and Accumulation (assembly system?)
Suited for Automated WIP applications (others?)

AS/RS: Advantages (Table 15.2)

Efficient use of valuable space (up instead of out)

Improved inventory management (find and account for any and all
inventory items)
Increased responsiveness to materials handling service requests
Minimized waste, theft and spoilage
Ease of interfacing with other automated systems such as FMS, CNC
and AGVS
Ease of tracking products for quality and regulatory purposes.

Traditional WIP Storage

Batch and Job shop
While the cell is processing one order
Several orders awaiting at the cell
Finished orders awaiting to be transported
WIP placed in Close proximity to cell
Disadvantages
Lost parts and /or orders
Identification
Priority of processing
Longer lead time
Cost, etc

Automated WIP Storage

Justification

Kitting of parts for assembly

Integral part in an assembly system
Support JIT (critical components)
Buffer storage (un-equal operation time)
Improved control and tracking of materials
Support factory wide automation (including Automated Data
Collection)