Conveyors
These are gravity or powered equipment commonly used for moving bulk or unit load continu-ously or intermittently, uni-directionally from one point to another over fixed path, where the primary function is conveying of the material by the help of movement of some parts/components of the equip-ment. The equipment as a whole does not move.
Hoisting Equipment
These equipment are generally utilized to lift and lower and move unit and varying loads inter-mittently, between points within an area known as the reach of the equipment, where the primary func-tion is transferring. A hoisting equipment may also be mounted on a powered vehicle when the move-ment of the lifted load is not limited within a fixed area of operation.
Bulk Handling Equipment/System
In the large process industries and constructional projects, a wide range of heavy equipment are used for handling and storage of large amount of bulk solids. These are called bulk handling equipment.
Robotic Handling System
Specially designed robots are increasingly being used in materials handling application, particu-larly in loading and unloading of jobs to and form a machine or a machining cell.
Containers and Supports
This classification generally includes all types of secondary devices and aids which are utilized for storing, unitizing and movement of materials. Different types of pressure, tight, loose, closed and open-top containers; platforms and coil supports and different securements such as strapping, cinches (chain, rope, cables with tighteners), bulkheads, dunnage etc. are examples of secondary devices and aids.
Auxiliary Equipment
A large number of equipment and attachments which cannot be classified under above heads, but are frequently used independently or in conjunction with some other materials handling equipment, are classified in this type.
4.2 CLASSIFICATION OF HANDLING EQUIPMENT
The major sub classifications and some of the common individual equipment under these sub-classifications are mentioned in the following lists:
I. Industrial Vehicles / Trucks
A. Non-Powered B. Powered
1. dolly 1. fork lift truck
2. wheelbarrow 2. front-end truck
3. 2-wheel hand truck 3. narrow aisle truck
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT 31
4.4-wheel hand truck (a) pallet
(a) box (b) skid
(b) platform 4. platform truck
(c) special 5. platform lift truck
5. hand lift (jack) truck 6. reach truck
(a) pallet 7. side loader truck
(b) skid 8. straddle truck (out-rigger)
(c) special. 9. straddle carrier
(c) hot metal and ladle car.
13. truck (road) 14. locomotives II. Conveyors
A. Belt Conveyor C. Haulage Conveyor
1. flat (A special class of chain conveyor in which
2. trough load is pushed or pulled and the weight is
3. closed carried by stationary troughs, surfaces or rail.)
4. metallic 1. drag chain
5. portable 2. flight
6. telescoping 3. tow
B. Chain Conveyor (a) over-head
1. apron or pan (b) flush-floor
2. slat (c) under-floor
3. cross-bar or arm D. Cable Conveyor
4. car type/pallet E. Bucket Conveyor
5. en-mass 1. gravity discharge
6. carrier chain and flat-top 2. pivoted bucket
7. trolley 3. bucket elevator (also included under III)
8. power and free F. Roller Conveyor
9. suspended tray or swing-tray 1. gravity
2. powered/driven 3. portable
G. Screw Conveyor I. Hydraulic Conveyor H. Pneumatic Conveyor
1. pipe line
2. air-activated gravity (airslide) 3. tube
III. Hoists, Elevators and Cranes IV. Bulk and Miscellaneous Handling Equipment
A. Hoist A. Excavator
1. chain B. Belt wagon/mobile transfer conveyor
2. powered
C. Spreader
B. Winch D. Stacker, Reclaimer and Stacker reclaimer
C. Elevator
E. Ship loader and unloader 1. bucket
(a) centrifugal discharge F. Container handling crane (b) positive discharge
(c) continuous discharge G. Dumper and Loader 2. skip hoist
3. freight H. Tippler truck, Wagon tippler etc.
4. lift D. Crane
V. Robotic Handling Systems 1. jib
(a) fixed pillar (b) travelling
(c) fixed-tower hammerhead 2. travelling (on rail runways)
(a) bridge (b) gantry 3. wharf 4. pillar 5. tower
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT 33
VI. Containers and Supports VII. Auxiliary Equipment
A. Shop Containers A. Gates
7. tote box, pan and basket E. Ball table 8. tray
F. Weighing and Controlling Equipment B. Bulk Containers
G. Pallet Loaders and Unloaders 1. barrel
2. drum H. Forklift Truck Attachment
3. tank
4. bin and silo, bunker, hopper. I. Crane Attachment 5. ladle
6. securing devices (strappings, cinches, bulkheads etc.)
REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Apple, J.A., ‘‘Material Handling System Design’’, John Wiley & Sons.
2. Immer, J.R., ‘‘Materials Handling’’, McGraw Hills.
3. Spivakovsky, A. and Dyachkov, V., ‘‘Conveyors and Related Equipment’’, Peace Publishers, Moscow.
4. Rudenko, N., ‘‘Materials Handling Equipment’’, Peace Publishers, Moscow.
5. Alexandrov, M.P., ‘‘Materials Handling Equipment, Part-I and II’’, Mir Publishers, Moscow.
6. Bdz, H.A. and Hagemann, G.E. (ed.), “Materials Handling Handbook”, Ronald Press.
35
Industrial vehicles/trucks is one of the most common group of materials handling equipment used in industry as well as in day to day distribution of goods in warehouses, large stores, transport depots etc. Basic definition of industrial trucks and their classifications have already been discussed in chapter 4. In this chapter, operation and constructional features of some of the common types of indus-trial trucks will be discussed. The adjective ‘‘indusindus-trial’’ used before this group of vehicles / trucks is to distinguish these from other group of vehicles like bus, lorry, truck etc. used for transportation of man, live stock or goods.
The entire range of industrial vehicles/trucks are generally sub-classified into two groups viz. non-powered truck, (also called hand trucks) and non-powered trucks.
The powered trucks can be further subdivided into following three subgroups, for convenience of discussion:
(a) Power Truck.
(b) Forklift Truck.
(c) Tractor.
5.1 HAND TRUCKS
Hand trucks, as the name implies, have no source of motive power, these are generally moved manually or are attached to other powered moving equipment/units. Hand trucks are classified into three sub groups (i) 2-Wheel hand truck, (ii) multiple-wheel hand truck and (iii) Hand lift truck.
5.1.1 Two-wheel Hand Trucks
These are generally used for moving unit or unitized loads like bags, barrels, boxes, cartons, bales, cylinders etc. by pushing the truck manually.
Basically it consists of two long handles fixed by a number of cross bars which from the frame to carry the load. Two wheels mounted on an axle is fixed on far end of the frame. Two short legs are generally fixed to the two handles at the other end to allow the hand truck to stay in a horizontal position during loading and unloading of the truck. Constructional feature of a common 2-wheel hand truck is shown in Fig. 5.1.1.