Importance of Material Handling Solution
Material Handling Solutions are a range of systems & pieces of equipment used to move, store, and control materials throughout the manufacturing, warehousing, or distribution facility. The goal of these solutions is to improve efficiency in the warehouse by making it easier to find, move, and ship goods and materials in and out of the warehouse. With a simple and proper material handling solution, it is possible to reduce costs, damages to goods, and health hazards that workers face on the warehouse floor.
The estimated market size of the material handling equipment industry in India for the financial year 2021 was 7.7 thousand units. The market is expected to grow up to 16.8 thousand units in 2030. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) adds up to 9%. India is the world’s fifth largest in the retail market. The steady growth of the retail and e-commerce market in our country has led to the need for innovative solutions. It is also one of the major contributors for the advancement and growth of the Material handling industry.
Types of Material Handling Equipments
Material handling equipments are broadly classified into four major categories, as listed below:
1) Storage & Handling Equipment
These types of equipment are used to secure your goods while they are in storage, waiting to be shipped and moved on to the next step in the supply chain process. A few examples of storage & handling equipment include pallet racks, shelves, bins, and drawers, stacking frames, and more.
2) Bulk Handling Material Equipment
These equipment store, control, and transport a wide range of loose materials in large quantities. A few bulk handling equipment are conveyor belts, stackers, reclaimers, bucket elevators, and hoppers.
3) Industrial Trucks
These vehicles are used within your warehouse primarily for transportation purposes, and are also utilised to load and unload heavy objects. Industrial trucks include forklifts, hand trucks, pallet trucks, sideloaders, and order pickers.
4) Engineered Systems
These systems are also known as automated systems. They incorporate technology with the aid of computers and robots to store & transport goods. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are a few examples.
Benefits of Material Handling Solutions
Material handling plays a vital role in many industries like manufacturing, distribution, and logistics. The most important aspect of a proper material handling solution is to ensure that the solution is appropriate to fulfil your specific requirements. It is also necessary to ensure that the solution you’re choosing is cost effective. The main objectives of material handling are listed as follows:
1) Reduction in damage of materials:
Damage prevention is of extreme importance for warehouse managers and transportation operators. When properly implemented, the right material handling solution can ensure that the goods that are shipped into the warehouse are not destroyed and devalued.
2) Improves Productivity:
Material Handling improves overall productivity in the warehouse floor by ensuring that larger quantities of goods are handled effectively and efficiently at any given time. Automated machines are more adept at handling day-to-day tasks that are repetitive and monotonous in nature. With less scope of human errors, productivity increases naturally.
3) Flexible Operations:
Material handling increases the flexibility of operations in the warehouse by allowing quick & easy changes to be made to the production or distribution process. It is possible for companies to stay competitive by adapting to the changes in the market.
4) Cost Savings:
Material handling solutions can help in reducing costs in many areas of the operation and supply chain cycle. From reduction in the damage of goods to optimum utilization of warehouse space by streamlining storage & transportation, material handling can result in significant cost reduction over time.
