Question 5 of 7: Materials Handling Concept, the Materials Handling Equation, and System Design Steps

Question 5: Materials Handling Concept, the Materials Handling Equation, and System Design Steps (20 marks; printed split i–7, ii–6, iii–6 = 19)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

(i) The Concept of Materials Handling, and Its Objectives

In the context of facilities planning, materials handling is the movement, storage, protection and control of materials throughout the manufacturing and distribution process — from receiving, through every in-process move, to shipping. It is deliberately defined broadly (movement AND storage AND protection AND control, not movement alone) because a handling system must account for material while it sits between moves, not only while it is physically in transit.

The objectives of materials handling are: (1) increase efficiency of material flow by reducing distance, time and the number of handling operations (the unit-load principle: move the largest practical load per handling operation, Question 6(i)); (2) reduce handling cost, since handling adds cost without adding value to the product (the companion Analysis and Design of Work paper's cost-of-flow principle applies directly here); (3) increase usable production/storage capacity by minimizing the space consumed by handling equipment, aisles and staging; (4) improve working conditions and safety by removing manual handling of heavy, awkward or hazardous loads; (5) improve control over material — location, quantity and condition are known at every point, reducing loss, damage and misplacement; (6) promote productivity by keeping production and distribution personnel doing value-adding work rather than moving material themselves; and (7) improve customer service at the distribution end by making outbound material flow fast and reliable. These objectives are not independent: a handling system change that improves flow efficiency (1) very often also reduces cost (2) and improves safety (4) simultaneously, which is why handling-system evaluation weighs them together rather than optimizing any one alone.

(ii) The Concept of the Materials Handling Equation

The materials handling equation formalizes handling-method selection as a function of two inputs: Method $=f(\text{Material},\ \text{Move})$. The Material term captures WHAT is being handled — its physical, chemical and value characteristics (size, weight, shape, fragility, hazard classification, unit-load potential) — while the Move term captures the requirements of the movement itself: WHERE the move originates and ends, WHEN and how frequently it must happen, and any timing/scheduling constraint it must satisfy. The equation’s point is that neither input alone determines the right handling method: the same material (e.g., a pallet of finished goods) may need a very different handling method depending on the move (a short, high-frequency in-plant transfer suits a powered conveyor, while a long, low-frequency yard move suits a forklift), and the same move (e.g., dock-to-storage) may need a different method depending on the material (a fragile, irregular load rules out equipment suited to a rigid, stackable one). Handling-system design (part iii) is, in effect, the systematic process of evaluating this equation for every material/move combination the facility must support, rather than selecting equipment first and forcing the material and moves to fit it.

(iii) Steps Followed in Designing a Materials Handling System

Materials handling system design follows the systematic logic the materials handling equation (part ii) implies, carried through to a concrete equipment/method solution: (1) define the objective and scope — what materials handling must accomplish (throughput, service level, cost target) and over what part of the facility; (2) analyze the material — physical/chemical characteristics, unit-load potential, quantity and value (the Material term of the handling equation); (3) analyze the move — the from–to flow pattern, frequency, distance and any timing constraints, typically captured on a from–to chart (the Move term of the handling equation); (4) analyze the method — generate alternative handling methods/equipment consistent with the unit-load principle, then screen them against the material and move analysis; (5) identify feasible alternatives that satisfy the technical requirements; (6) evaluate the alternatives against cost (capital and operating), flexibility, and the layout constraints established for the facility; (7) select the preferred handling method/equipment; and (8) implement, and audit performance against the original objective, feeding back into the next planning cycle since materials handling requirements evolve as product/volume changes. This sequence mirrors, and is deliberately integrated with, the overall facilities-planning and layout process, because handling and layout decisions are interdependent, not separable.