What are the benefits and advantages automated material handling system has over manual handling system?

Answer 1

In the Salmoiraghi concept, automation is rather more than a simple reduction of labor costs. Indeed, the most important aspect is to completely eliminate manual handling and its inherent problems, thereby achieving high product quality.

The benefits of an Automated Handling System (AHS) are:

• Complete "from production line to shipping" automation process
• Total elimination of manual handling, leading to dramatic and immediate

  improvement of product quality

• Safe and efficient product flow in a compact and fluid system configuration
• Sharp reduction of labor costs guaranteeing prompt return on investment

  (3-4 years payback)

• Considerable factory floor space gain
• Clean, orderly, efficient production environment
• Fully computerized operation affording real-time system control, comprehensive data processing facilities, and just-in-time flexibility
• Product traceability resulting in better customer service
• Full compatibility with trend towards larger and heavier product units
• High efficiency packing process
• Last but not least: safe and physically effortless operation

For all these reasons, a Salmoiraghi Automated Handling System maximizes the plant efficiency and provides you with a competitive edge in today's demanding market.

It is safe to assume that, due to stringent cost control, high product quality demands, and "just-in-time" requirements, automated handling will assume in the near future an ever-increasing role in various industrial sectors.

As always, we are committed to anticipate the market trends and offer state-of-the-art and cost-effective technology to our customers.

Automated handling systems can transform your business by slashing costs, reducing errors, and increasing efficiency.

MATERIAL HANDLILNG SYSTEM

In any production system, (either industrial/ Agricultural), the producer is always confronted with a problem of the handling of the material. The necessary raw material has to be transported to the production site or machinery, and after the completion of the production processes the finished goods have to be transported from the production site or machinery to the ware house for storage, or for disposal and marketing. If the production processes consists of more than one processing steps or a number of equipment and machineries, then the producer has to arrange for additional handling facilities to transport material from one production unit to the other.

In a primitive system of production as in the agricultural production in India or in the shop of a village blacksmith, the raw material and finished goods are carried manually or by bullock cart. In a giant structural fabrication shop, or in a large foundry or forging shop, the raw materials and finished jobs may be moved with heavy duty EOT ( Electric Overhead Travelling), Crane or Jib Crane.

In a sophisticated production system, as adopted now a days in the developed countries, there may be complete automation in handling system employing robotics or AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles).

It is necessary in the sense that every production process requires one or the other type of material handling arrangement. But a material handling system does not add to the value of the raw material or finished goods, yet simply increase the cost of production. So while selecting a material handling equipment or arrangement, critically analyze whether the selected equipment or arrangement will yield optimum productivity.

Essential Of Good Material Handling System:

• Efficient and safe movement of materials to the desired place.
• Timely movement of the materials when needed.
• Supply of materials at the desired rate.
• Storing of materials utilizing minimum space.
• Lowest cost solution to the materials handling activities.

Advantages Of Material Handling System:

• Improve efficiency of a production system by ensuring the right quantity of materials delivered at the right place at the right time most economically.
• Cut down indirect labor cost.
• Reduce damage of materials during storage and movement.
• Maximize space utilization by proper storage of materials and thereby reduce storage and handling cost.
• Minimize accident during materials handling.
• Reduce overall cost by improving materials handling.
• Improve customer services by supplying materials in a manner convenient for handlings.
• Increase efficiency and saleability of plant and equipment with integral materials handling features.

Disadvantages Of Material Handling System:

• Additional capital cost involved in any materials handling system.
• Once a materials handling system get implemented, flexibility for further changes gets greatly reduced.
• With an integrated materials handling system installed, failure/stoppage in any portion of it leads to increased downtime of the production system.
• Materials handling system needs maintenance, hence any addition to materials handling means additional maintenance facilities and costs.

Benefits

automated material handling can come in small pieces like saving employees backs, but the benefits also stretch out to cover larger areas as well. In some cases the efficiency that is created by automated material handling can cause a company to consolidate its warehouse operations into one or two distribution locations down from the 6 or 7 that were used previously. This creates a major cost savings for a company. Some automated material handling systems include overhead robotics that pick products from floor locations and deliver them to the pallet location. These are very speedy and quite accurate. Sometimes the robotics are combined with the manufacturing operation to take a food product from its manufacturing point into packaging, then into palletizing before shipping to the retail location for sales. Be aware that automated material handling systems can be configured to do all that is required in the warehouse or distribution center.

Manual material handling (MMH) is defined as the unaided moving of objects, often combined with twisting and awkward postures and contributing to musculoskeletal disorders. Traumatic occurrences (slips, trips, falls, and blows to the body.) cause the other bodily injuries, pain and disability. Typically, not one specific occurrence but rather the awkward body positions, repetition, force and duration associated with movement lead to back, neck and other problems (Cumulative Trauma Disorders).

Edited bv:

Frank W.K. Anane

K'dua Poly

04/2009/398D