Chapter 4

History of Material Handling equipment (MHE)

Where it all begins;

The Wheel is regarded as one of the most important invention of human civilization

“Originated in ancient Sumer in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in the 5th millennium BC, originally in the function of potter's wheels”

Without the wheel, the forklift or any other material handling equipment would be still nothing more than a dream.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel

Next in line would be the cart, though not entirely an advance version of the MHE, though maybe not even a MHE itself, undoubtedly its basic functionality remains the same, as mention in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cart , “Carts have many different shapes but the basic idea of transporting material (or maintaining a collection of materials in a portable fashion) remains.”

Prior to the invention of the lift truck, the hoist have been widely used to transport heavy loads vertically to a elevated platform.

“Both systems fail over time through fatigue fractures if operated repeatedly at loads more than a small percentage of their tensile breaking strength.”

Perhaps due to its limited durability in operation and safety concerns (cables and chain have been know to snap) eventually lead to the development to……

Sources: www.gmh.co.uk www.mhia.org

The Forklift!

Evolve from the hoist, the fork boast portability

of the MHE, ability to move inventory/goods vertically and horizontally in which its predecessor can’t.

Now, the forklift is able to reach higher and further place due to advanced technology

http://www.ttt-services.co.uk/truck_history.htm

In the near future

Although already widely used, in the future, perhaps the ASRS would outlive the MHE, and perhaps transformed warehouse into a truly stream-less and manpower efficient, for all sorts of products, regardless of size

Source: http://www.fatainc.com/product_automated_storage_retrieval_systems_ASRS.htm

Material Handling Equipment(MHE)

There are various kinds of handling equipment in today market; all of it has its own unique performance. They can be classified into five major categories.

Transport Equipment - Used to move material from one location to another (e.g., between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area, etc.)

Positioning Equipment - Used to handle material at single location so that it is in the correct position for subsequent handling, machining, transport, or storage.

Unit Load Formation Equipment - Used to restrict materials so that they maintain their integrity when handled a single load during transport and for storage.

Storage Equipment - Used for holding or buffering materials over a period of time.

Identification and Control Equipment - Used to collect and communicate information that is used to coordinate the flow of materials within a facility, between facility and its suppliers and customers. The identification of materials and associated control can be performed manually with no specialized equipment.

We will place our focus on Transport Equipment as these are the ones used most frequently in the warehouse.