About the MHE Taxonomy
This material handling equipment (MHE) taxonomy was created by
Michael G. Kay for use
in IE
453: Facilities Design and IE 753:
Material Handling Systems at North
Carolina State University. The taxonomy is adapted from the
MHE classifications presented in Table 1 of Chu et al. [1] and
Section 6.6 of Tompkins et al. [2]. Although not explicitly cited,
much of the information provided for each type of equipment has
been culled from the following primary sources: Tompkins et al. [2],
Kulwiec [3], Konz [4], and Ward [5].
Using the Taxonomy as an Educational Tool
This taxonomy is not intended to be as comprehensive as, for
example, Ward's [5] taxonomy. Instead, it is intended to provide
a finite amount of information about the most common types of
material handling equipment to students unfamiliar with material
handling terminology. This taxonomy can be used to provide a
bounded amount of material that students can be expected to
memorize for a 10 to 15 question 30-minute closed-book portion of
an exam.
Suggested types of exam questions include the following:
- What is a principal difference between MHE x and
MHE y?; e.g., describe a principal difference
between a pallet jack and a pallet truck.
- Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of using MHE x
as opposed to MHE y; e.g., describe one
advantage and one disadvantage of using a slipsheet as
opposed to a pallet to support a unit load.
- Determine a particular type of MHE given its
characteristics; e.g., what type of industrial truck is
not used to transport material?
- Given the characteristics of a particular move, is MHE x
or MHE y likely to be the most appropriate type
of equipment? Explain your answer. For example, describe
why, as compared to a pallet jack or counterbalanced lift
truck, a walkie stacker is likely to be the most
economical and/or technically feasible for infrequent,
short-distance moves of pallets from a loading dock to
pallet racks.
- List n types of MHE of a particular kind; e.g.,
list five different types of bulk handling conveyors.
- Visual identification, by name, of line drawings of MHE,
where only the figures from the taxonomy are presented.
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References
- H.-K. Chu, P.J. Egbelu, and C.-T. Wu, "ADVISOR: A
computer-aided material handling equipment selection
system," Int. J. Prod. Res., 33(12):3311-3329,
1995.
- J.A. Tompkins et al., Facilities Planning,
Second Edition, Wiley, New York, 1996.
- R.A. Kulwiec, Ed., Material Handling Handbook,
Second Edition, Wiley, New York, 1985.
- S. Konz, Facility Design: Manufacturing Engineering,
Second Edition, Publishing Horizons, Scottsdale, AZ, 1994.
- R.E. Ward, An Overview of Basic Material Handling
Equipment, Material Handling Institute, Charlotte,
NC, 1986.
- R.A. Kulwiec, Advanced Material Handling,
Material Handling Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 1983.
- R.A. Kulwiec, Basics of Material Handling,
Material Handling Institute, Charlotte, NC, 1981.
- Application Guidelines for Ergonomic Assist and
Safety Equipment, E.A.S.E. Council of Material
Handling Institute, Charlotte, NC, 1996.
- Considerations for Conveyor Sortation Systems,
Material Handling Institute, Charlotte, NC, 1989.
- Considerations for Planning an Automated Storage/Retrieval
System, Material Handling Institute, Pittsburgh, PA,
1982.
- Reference Guide to Overhead Material Handling Systems,
Material Handling Institute, Charlotte, NC, 1993.
- F. Pellegrino, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:
Conveyors and Palletizers, ALVEY Inc., 1993.
- G. Boothroyd, C. Poli, and L.
Murch, Automatic Assembly, Marcel Dekker, New
York, 1982.
- M. Gardner, New Mathematical
Diversions, Mathematical Assoc. of America,
Wahsington, DC, 1995.
- D. Locke, Global Supply
Management: A Guide to International Purchasing,
Irwin, Chicago, 1996.
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Figure Source Citations
The order of the citations listed below follow the same format
as the MHE taxonomy. Figures not listed below are original.
I. Transport Equipment
A. Conveyors
- 1. Fig. 17 in [5]
- 2(left and right) Fig. 18 in [5]
- 3a. Fig. 19 in [5]
- 3b. Fig. 24 in [5]
- 4. Fig. 25 in [5]
- 5. Fig. on p. 7 in [9]
- 6. Fig. 22 in [5]
- 7. Fig. 9-3 in [6]
- 8. Fig. 9-2 in [6]
- 9. Fig. 9-2 in [6]
- 10. Fig. 9-2 in [6]
- 11. Fig. 9-2 in [6]
- 12a. Fig. 9-2 in [6]
- 12b. Fig. 51 in [5]
- 13a. Fig. 38 in [5]
|
- 13b. Fig. 36 in [5]
- 14. Fig. 43 in [5]
- 15. Fig. 8-8 in [6]
- 16(right) Fig. 8-8 in [6]
- 17(right) Fig. 8-8 in [6]
- 18(right) Fig. 8-5 in [6]
- 19. Fig. 1 in [9]
- 19a(left) Fig. 27 in [5]
- 19a(right) Fig. 28 in [5]
- 19b(left) Fig. 29 in [5]
- 19b(right) Fig. 30 in [5]
- 19c. Fig. 31 in [5]
- 19d. Fig. 32 in [5]
- 19e. Fig. 33 in [5]
|
B. Cranes
- Fig. 103 in [11]
- 1. Fig. 70 in [5]
- 2. Fig. 72 in [5]
- 3(left) Fig. 20 in [11]
- 3(middle) Fig. 21 in [11]
- 3(right) Fig. 75 in [5]
- 4. Fig 77 in [5]
|
C. Industrial Trucks
- 1a. Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 1b. Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 1c(left) Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 1c(right) Fig. 87 in [5]
- 2a. Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 2b. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 15 in [5])
*
- 3a. Insert in [8]
- 3b. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 16 in [5])
*
- 4. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 16 in [5])
*
- 5a. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 15 in [5])
*
- 5b. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 15 in [5])
*
- 6a. Fig. 7-7 in [6]
|
- 9a. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 14 in [5])
*
- 9b. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 15 in [5])
*
- 10. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 14 in [5])
*
- 11. Industrial Truck Association (Fig. 14 in [5])
*
- 12. Adapted from Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 13. Fig. 8-4 in [6]
- 14a. Fig. 45 in [5]
- 14b. Fig. 46 in [5]
- 14c. Adpated from Fig. 1-2 in [7]
- 14d. Adpated from Fig. 47 in [5]
- 14e. Fig. 48 in [5]
|
II. Positioning Equipment
- 2. Fig. 68 in [5]
- 3. Fig. 16a in [5]
- 4. Fig. 20 in [5]
- 5. Fig. 67 in [5]
- 6. Adpated from Fig. 67 in [5]
- 7. Fig. 8-7 in [6]
|
- 8. Fig. 78 in [5]
- 9. Fig. 81 in [5]
- 10a. Fig. 69 in [5]
- 10b. Fig. 8-9 in [6]
- 10c. Insert in [8]
- 11. Fig. 9-6 in [6]
|
III. Unit Load Formation Equipment
- 2. Fig. 5.7a in [10]
- 5. Fig. 86 in [5]
- 6(left) Fig. 5.7c in [10]
- 6(right) Fig. 5.7g in [10]
- 11. Adapted from Fig. 5.7c in [10]
- 12. Fig. 18.1.2 in [3] *
- 13. Fig. 3-4 in [7]
|
- 14. Fig. 89 in [5]
- 15a. Adapted from Fig. on p. 6 of [8]
- 15b. Adpated from Fig. 67 in [5]
- 15c(top) Fig. in Sec. 3 of [12] *
- 15c(bottom) Fig. in Sec. 3 of [12] *
|
IV. Storage Equipment
- 2. Fig. 6-3 in [6]
- 3. Fig. 5 in [5]
- 4. Fig. in [3] (Fig. 4 in [5]) *
- 5. Fig. 53 in [5]
- 6. Fig. 6 in [5]
- 7. Fig. 7 in [5]
- 8. Fig. 8 in [5]
- 9. Fig. 92 in [5]
|
- 10. Fig. 6-10 in [6]
- 11. Fig. 55 in [5]
- 12a. Fig. 6-17 in [6]
- 12b. Fig. 6-14 in [6]
- 12c. Fig. 61 in [5]
- 12d. Fig. 3.4 in [10]
- 13. Fig. 66 in [5]
- 14. Fig. 12 in [5]
|
V. Identification and Communication Equipment
* Indicates non-MHI figure (will need permission or
replacement)
Please send any questions or comments concerning the MHE
Taxonomy to Michael G. Kay at kay@eos.ncsu.edu
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Last modified: September 30, 1999