Material Handling Equipment
Material handling equipment (MHE) is used for the movement and
storage of material within a facility or at a site. MHE can be
classified into the following five major categories:
- Transport Equipment.
Equipment used to move material from one location to another
(e.g., between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage
area, etc.). The major subcategories of transport equipment are
conveyors, cranes,
and industrial trucks.
Material can also be transported manually using no
equipment.
- Positioning Equipment.
Equipment used to handle material at a single location so that
it is in the correct position for subsequent handling,
machining, transport, or storage. Unlike transport equipment,
positioning equipment is usually used for handling at a single
workplace. Material can also be positioned manually using no
equipment.
- Unit Load Formation Equipment.
Equipment used to restrict materials so that they maintain their
integrity when handled a single load during transport and for
storage. If materials are self-restraining (e.g., a single part
or interlocking parts), then they can be formed into a unit load
with no equipment.
- Storage Equipment.
Equipment used for holding or buffering materials over a period
of time. Some storage equipment may include the transport of
materials (e.g., the S/R machines of an AS/RS, or storage
carousels). If materials are block stacked directly on the
floor, then no storage equipment is required.
- Identification and Control
Equipment. Equipment used to collect and communicate
the information that is used to coordinate the flow of materials
within a facility and between a facility and its suppliers and
customers. The identification of materials and associated
control can be performed manually with no specialized equipment.
| Top | About MHE Taxonomy |
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Basic Material Handling
Equipment: An Outline of Categories and Slides,
developed by Richard E. Ward, provides a more detailed
categorization of material handling equipment.
See About MHE Taxonomy for suggestions
on using the taxonomy as an educational tool, references, and
figure source citations.
| Top | About MHE Taxonomy |
Last modified:
September 30, 1999