Materials Handling Systems - Coursework Example

Simulation techniques can be effectively used in all the phases of this process to understand the behavior of manufacturing systems, from the material handling concept definition throughout the system's final implementation (1).A great example of a material handling system would be the typical shipping dock. The product being shipped is stored on industrial pallet racks. The shipping clerk uses a lift truck to pull a skid of product from the rack and bring it to the ground. The clerk then loads the pallet onto a manual or automatic pallet truck and rolls the product to his semiautomatic stretch wrap machine.

After the pallet is wrapped, it is moved to a floor scale. The next step would be the clerk filling out his shipping documentation on his shipper’s desk and loading the pallet with the use of his dock plate onto a truck.                     In the above case, the following items are part of the integrated industrial material handling system: Pallet Racks, Lift Truck, Pallet Truck, Stretch Wrap Machine, Floor Scale, Shippers Desk, and Dock Plate.

A Plus Warehouse sells and stocks each of these material handling equipment Aim of HandliEquipmentt The main aim of systematic materials handling is to get the materials at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities and condition at minimum cost. The achievement of that aim is goods or materials should be presented for treatment, storage in the form which is as convenient as possible to handle. The equipment selected for use at different stages of handling /transport should be chosen with the limitation such as weight, size, shape and, perishability goods & materials which have to be handled.

The environment is also important in achieving a satisfactory handling system. The economical layout of store, presence of heat, cold or damp which could haven auras verset on materials.                    Let us look upon an automated material handling system for a cylinder block machining line which is evaluated using discrete event simulation using the Pro Model simulator. Initially, the machining line is modeled with manual material handling to get an estimate of the true line capacity.