Material Handling Equipment for Manufacturing

Written By Chandra Dhopatkar

Manufacturing facilities depend on the continuous movement of materials.

Raw materials arrive at receiving. Components move into storage. Parts are delivered to workstations. Work-in-process travels between production steps. Finished products are packaged, stored, and eventually shipped.

The right manufacturing material handling equipment helps make those movements faster, more organized, and easier for employees to manage.

The goal is not simply to move materials. It is to keep production supplied while reducing unnecessary movement, waiting, handling, and floor-space consumption.

What Is Manufacturing Material Handling Equipment?

Manufacturing material handling equipment includes the equipment used to transport, position, store, organize, and control materials within a manufacturing operation.

Depending on the facility, this may include:

  • Pallet racks

  • Industrial shelving

  • Modular drawer cabinets

  • Workstations

  • Workbenches

  • Carts

  • Dollies

  • Lift tables

  • Positioners

  • Conveyors

  • Cranes and hoists

  • Pallet jacks

  • Forklifts

  • Mezzanines

  • Parts bins

  • Tool storage

Each performs a different role within the production process.

Material Flow in a Manufacturing Facility

A typical flow may look like:

Receiving → raw-material storage → production → work-in-process → finishing → packaging → finished-goods storage → shipping

Material handling equipment connects each stage.

When those connections are poorly designed, manufacturers may experience:

  • Production delays

  • Excess inventory at workstations

  • Long travel distances

  • Congested aisles

  • Repeated lifting

  • Lost tools

  • Damaged materials

  • Excessive forklift traffic

  • Poor use of floor space

Improving material flow can address several of these problems simultaneously.

Raw-Material Storage Equipment

Manufacturing starts with keeping raw materials accessible and organized.

Common options include:

Pallet Rack

Pallet racking is useful for palletized raw materials, purchased components, packaging materials, and finished products.

Different rack configurations can be selected according to inventory volume, load size, accessibility, and storage density.

Industrial Shelving

Shelving works well for cartons, components, maintenance supplies, and materials that employees access by hand.

Modular Drawer Cabinets

Small tools and components can consume enormous amounts of space when stored inefficiently.

High-density drawer cabinets help organize:

  • Fasteners

  • Cutting tools

  • Gauges

  • Dies

  • Fixtures

  • Replacement parts

  • Maintenance supplies

Specialty Storage

Long, bulky, unusually shaped, or heavy materials may require specialized racks or storage systems.

The storage method should reflect the material rather than forcing every item into conventional shelving.

Line-Side Material Handling

One of the most important areas in manufacturing is the point where materials enter the production process.

Too much inventory beside a production line creates congestion.

Too little inventory creates shortages.

Line-side storage can include:

  • Flow racks

  • Bins

  • Mobile carts

  • Shelving

  • Small-parts cabinets

  • Workstations

  • Component racks

The goal is to keep the correct quantity of material close to the operator without allowing inventory to overwhelm the workstation.

Industrial Workstations

A workstation is itself part of the material handling system.

Tools, parts, instructions, containers, and finished components all move through the work area.

A well-designed workstation can place frequently used items within easy reach while providing dedicated storage for tools and components.

Depending on the application, useful workstation features can include:

  • Adjustable work surfaces

  • Drawer storage

  • Shelving

  • Tool rails

  • Lighting

  • Parts bins

  • Electrical accessories

  • Mobile bases

MHE Equipment offers custom workstations designed around specific industrial applications.

Lift Tables and Positioning Equipment

Moving material to the correct location is only part of the challenge.

Workers also need materials at an appropriate working height and orientation.

Lift tables and positioning equipment can help bring loads closer to the operator instead of requiring the operator to repeatedly reach or bend toward the load.

Common applications include:

  • Assembly

  • Machine loading

  • Pallet handling

  • Packaging

  • Parts transfer

  • Maintenance

These systems can be especially valuable in repetitive production environments.

Carts and Mobile Material Handling Equipment

Not every manufacturing movement requires a forklift or conveyor.

Carts remain one of the most flexible forms of manufacturing material handling equipment.

Applications include:

  • Delivering parts to assembly areas

  • Moving work-in-process

  • Transporting tools

  • Moving finished components

  • Collecting scrap

  • Supplying packaging materials

Because carts can be reassigned as production requirements change, they can be useful in flexible manufacturing environments.

Conveyors

Conveyors are appropriate when materials repeatedly follow a predictable path.

They can reduce repeated manual transport between fixed process points.

Common conveyor applications include:

  • Assembly lines

  • Packaging

  • Parts transfer

  • Machine feeding

  • Finished-product movement

However, a conveyor should be selected after the material flow has been evaluated.

Automating unnecessary movement simply creates an automated version of an inefficient process.

Overhead Handling Equipment

Floor space is valuable.

When large or heavy materials must be moved, overhead systems can sometimes keep material movement away from floor traffic.

Equipment may include:

  • Bridge cranes

  • Jib cranes

  • Hoists

  • Workstation cranes

  • Load-handling attachments

These systems are commonly used for machinery, dies, fabricated components, assemblies, and other heavy loads.

Mezzanines and Vertical Space

Manufacturing facilities frequently run out of floor space before they run out of building volume.

A mezzanine can add usable space above existing operations for applications such as:

  • Storage

  • Parts rooms

  • Maintenance supplies

  • Work areas

  • Offices

Using vertical space can sometimes delay or eliminate the need for building expansion.

Material Handling for Work-in-Process

Work-in-process inventory deserves particular attention because it often moves many times before becoming a finished product.

Ask:

  • Where does WIP accumulate?

  • How long does it wait?

  • How many times is it moved?

  • Are employees searching for it?

  • Is it stored in aisles?

  • Could processes be positioned closer together?

Reducing unnecessary WIP movement can improve both material flow and visibility.

Choosing Manufacturing Material Handling Equipment

Start with six questions.

What Is Being Handled?

Document the dimensions, weight, shape, packaging, and condition of the material.

Where Is It Going?

Map every significant material movement through production.

How Frequently Does It Move?

Frequency helps determine whether manual, powered, or automated handling is most appropriate.

How Will Employees Interact With It?

Consider lifting, reaching, positioning, loading, unloading, and picking tasks.

What Space Is Available?

Evaluate floor space, vertical space, aisle width, columns, doors, and equipment clearances.

Will Production Requirements Change?

A highly customized fixed system may work extremely well today but become limiting after a product or process change.

Whenever possible, balance efficiency with flexibility.

Manufacturing Material Handling Equipment Should Support Production

The best manufacturing material handling system is not necessarily the one with the most automation.

It is the system that keeps materials available where and when they are needed while minimizing unnecessary handling.

That may involve a combination of:

  • Racking

  • Shelving

  • Workstations

  • Carts

  • Lift tables

  • Cabinets

  • Mezzanines

  • Conveyors

  • Powered equipment

Every part should support the production process.

Improve Material Handling in Your Manufacturing Facility

MHE Equipment provides industrial storage, workspace, lifting, and material handling solutions for manufacturing environments.

Whether the challenge is overcrowded production space, poor tool organization, inefficient storage, repetitive material positioning, or insufficient workspace, the right equipment can help create a more organized manufacturing process.

Contact MHE Equipment to discuss your manufacturing material handling requirements and request a solution built around your operation.


Chandra Dhopatkar
Next

How to Choose Material Handling Equipment