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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.
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| About MHE Taxonomy |
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See About MHE Taxonomy for suggestions on using the
taxonomy as an educational tool, references, and figure source citations.
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| About MHE Taxonomy |
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