Different Types of Material Handling Equipment

Material handling equipment is particularly designed for the production, transportation or storage

of bulky and mechanically packed items. It is important for your business to select the appropriate

material handling equipment as it influences the operational efficiency and cost of a business. The

factors that influence the choice of equipment handling material are the building of the plant,

issues of the urgency and the material to be handled.

Finally the equipment required is designed keeping in mind the speed of movement, the level of

supervision needed. For lighter loads, the equipment comprises of trolleys, pulley blocks and

wheelbarrows and for heavier trucks, hoists and cranes are needed. Slides, conveyers are also

utilized for mass production.

Various kinds of Material handling equipment

One can broadly these equipment into the following categories: transport equipment, positioning

equipment and unit load formation equipment.

Transport equipment is used to transport goods from one place to another. These include industrial

trucks and cranes. Positioning equipment is utilized to handle the goods only at a single location.

This equipment assures that the goods are kept at the accurate position which helps in their

machining, transportation and storage. Hoist sand lifts are used in this type of equipment handling

methodology. Lastly, the Unit load formation equipment is mainly utilized for handling a single load

for their storage and transportation. These comprises of skids, bags and pallets.

There have been huge improvements in the equipment which are used for transporting stock in

both distribution centres and factories. For instance, there are monorails developed which are

inductive powered which remove the usage of electrical contact and reduces the need for

maintenance. Also many of the world’s largest lift truck suppliers utilize AC power that improves

efficiency and usability.