Chapter 1.3 Flashcards
What does MHE stand for?
Materials handling equipment
What does materials handling often involve?
Lifting
What is materials handling equipment beneficial for?
It reduces or eliminates risks of manual lifting and moving stock
How may organisations ensure that staff are trained and have the necessary accreditation, licences and insurance?
Formal training sessions and sometimes certification of training or licencing i required before the operator can use the equipment
What does an equipments operating conditions include?
Maximum dimensions and weights
What are dollies?
Sets of wheels that can be placed under stacks making it easier to move around. Multiple dollies can be used for a single load, but care should be taken with the height, weight and stability of the load
What are sack trucks?
They have two wheels and feature a small base platform with a larger vertical structure - the base is positioned under the load and then tilted, so that the load is angled but supported by the vertical structure
Is it good practise to move a stack of boxes using a sack truck?
No because they are less stable than a four-wheeled truck and require more care and effort when loading and unloading
Describe trolleys
There is a wide variety of wheeled trolleys available to support storage and picking operations
Name two things trolleys will have
- Corner protection against bumps and scuffs
- Maximum weight loading
Describe flat-bed trolleys
Have a low load area that have no side supports. they have 4 or 6 wheels and offer extremely flexible transportation
Describe tote trolleys
They have fixed spaces for closed or open totes. these are effective for multiple-item storage journeys or multiple-order picking
Describe shelf-trolleys
Have multiple shelves which allow boxes or loose stock to transer to or from storage. These are also available with caged sides and backs
Describe turntable trucks or articulating/narrow-aisle trucks
Available in a range of sizes and weight loadings. they feature articulated front wheels that allow turning in a small space
Describe roll cages
Wheeled cages that are made up of a folly-like platform with wire or steel mesh sides. Some have two mesh panels that are removable and other have 4.
Describe order pickers
The name given to a variety of manual and powered devices - some with ride-on capability and some without
What do higher-level or narrow/very-narrow aisle versions of order pickers have the ability to do?
They have the ability to elevate operators on the front platform to higher racking and pick items with full control on the elevated platform
Describe pallet trucks and stackers
There is a range of equipment designed to move, lift and stack, either euro pallets or bottom-boarded pallets
Describe grabs
Designed to hold stock either width wise or from above. These are either specific devices designed for grabbing material or are available as an accessory for forklift trucks
Describe drum lifters and loaders
They have shaped parts that allow operators to move large drums and stack them. There are some drum lifters and loaders that are produced for specific sizes and weights/volumes of drums. Drum lift attachments are also available for forklift trucks
Describe counter balance forklift trucks
The forklift is a highly versatile asset in most warehouses and stockyards. These are ‘ride on’ vehicles with high manoeuvrability.
What functions may forklift trucks have
Loading and unloading role. Also used for storing goods, maintenance of stock and retrieval of stock
What is the weight of the load that can be transported and the forklift trucks lifting capacity determined by?
The height of the upright mast nearest the operator, the load length and the counterbalance weight integrated within the truck
How can the type of fuel impact how a forklift truck is being used?
The use of fossil fuels will generate carbon dixoxide and carbon monoxide along with other emissions and should only really be used outside
Name 2 issues that come with using electric forklifts
- Charging
- Restrictions of use in rain
Describe reach trucks
Designed to work in a narrower aisle than a standard counterbalance forklift truck. They are similar to forklifts but the forks are moveable in order to reach the load and are then retracted back for transport
Name 2 things reach trucks can do in comparison to forklift trucks
- More compact
- Can lift stock higher
Describe vacuum lifters
Uses a vacuum pad which attaches itself to a product. The suction force allows the product to be lifted (and rotated and placed)
What are vacuum lifters used for?
Moving and positioning glass sheets, but are also seen lifting boxes, plastic sacks, sheets of building materials and pipework
What do some models of vacuum lifters feature?
Hydraulic arms which allow easy movement of the lifted load
What of a vacuum lifter determins the maximum weight and largest items that can be lifted?
The lifting systems will have a number of sucker pads and a vacuum capability
What are fixed roller systems typically used for?
To transfer large volumes of stock in a box, tote or pallet form in larger warehouses. These can be gravity fed or powered
What can roller systems be constructed to have?
Turning points to change direction and can be designed to turn corners
What can roller systems handle?
Pallet loads
Is regular maintenance of roller systems required?
Yes
Name 2 disadvantages of fixed roller systems
- Lack flexibility
- High initial cost
What can be created to maximise the benefits of fixed roller systems?
A design layout
What are portable versions of roller system used for?
Unloading vehicles or inside a warehouse to move stock quickly from one location to another
What can one type of portable roller system do?
Collapse into a small length when not in use and can bend along its length
When are conveyor systems a popular choice?
If transferring stock between floors by using a system of conveyor belts
Why may conveyor belts be segmented with laterally raised separators?
To keep items apart or be continuous belts
Why may belts be overlapped and shaped?
To allow them to change direction
What do fixed conveyor systems require?
Careful planning and positioning
Is the maintenance of conveyor systems important?
Yes - longer term replacement cost of the belt also needs to be considered
What does having a portable conveyor system with wheels allow?
Vehicle loading and unloading or moving stock to higher levels in a racking system
What can cranes help to do?
Move bulky and/or heavy stock around a building
What are usually installed for very heavy loads?
Overhead cranes
Describe gantry-type cranes
Mounted in girder sections across the structure of the building
Describe the movement of gantry-type cranes
Some offer a single line of movement but others can move in two directions and can therefore move heavy equipment and loads from one point to another within the structure
Describe bridge cranes
Work on a high-level mounting but use smaller frames, covering a smaller area
Why is the load rating and positioning of overhead cranes important?
As changes would be costly
What two things are usually in place when operating cranes to avoid accidents
Safety considerations - access restrictions & audible and visual warnings
Describe carousels
Space-efficient, rotating devices which allow access to a large range of products from a single location. Designs are variable, with carousels rotating horizontally or vertically until the required item can be retrieved
How can you achieve the movement to reveal the required item (carousels)
By manually moving the racks, using forward and back controls, by entering a shelf-location on a keypad, entering the product code or by barcode, depending on the installation
Describe stacker cranes
Installed as part of the automation of warehousing and have fixed runs alongside racking, storing and retrieving pallets
Name 6 ways of gaining access to higher levels in a warehouse
- Ladders
- Step sets
- Platforms (or cages)
- Order pickers
- Scissor platforms
- Higher-level access walkways
What three things require storage pending disposal?
- Waste products from packaging
- Disposal of some stock
- Spillages
What do some organisations use to use less space in storage and disposal vehicles?
Waste compression machine
Name 5 scenarios where weighing is required in the warehouse
- Inbound loads may need to be weighed to confirm delivery meets the documentation provided
- Weighing can establish the number of items in a box, tote or other packaging, provided the weight of the packaging is known or can be estimated
- It can establish a load that is appropriate to be moved by specific equipment or stored in a specific place
- Used as part of periodic stock taking for the weight of stock or estimating quantities
- Weight information is needed to establish packing weight limitations and to establish the cost of carriage and is needed to establish safe vehicle loading and that vehicle limits are not exceeded
Name 5 common issues when considering weighing equipment
- Size of the item
- Weight of the item - scales tend to operate in ranges and will have a stated accuracy
- If the item is in packaging, a pallet or a tote box, the ability to use a ‘tare’ setting means that the item’s weight only will be displayed
- Speed of accurate weighing
- Ability to record, store, print and document the weight using links to computer networks or mobile phone based software