Importance of Materials Handling

It is hard to  realized how  important are material handling in the  cost  of operation because it is  something  that is  quite  common  to everyone.  But when  once  its nature  is exposed  it may be difficult  to overlook  it as a major  potential  of effecting cost reduction.  Materials  handling  problems assume  importance due to  a number  of factors;

 Various  studies made in different  industries  indicate that  cost of  handling  alone accounts for  about  20- 25% of total manufacturing  costs  in any  particular  industry may be is largely   the result  of the methods and equipment used.

1. It is  usually  found that each  part is handled 50- 60  time while  passes through the chain of  manufacture. Expressed in tones it is found  that on an average 59 tons of materials are  handled for every tone of finished product.

2. Increased  Safety: Materials  handling account for 21%of the  permanent  disabilities and over  25%  of the  temporary disabilities .

3. Reduce Damage Claimas: Modern handling methods  have paid  off in the reduction of  damage in  parts and materials.

4. Ease Drudgery for Men: Most  of the jobs done by  man huddling are mere drudgery for men in  the first place. Some  of the mechanized handling jobs being done today  would  be a sheer  physical  impossibility for  manual labor  with in  the present economic frame work.

5. The field  of materials  handling remains still to be fully explored . materials handling  techniques  are not only  industry biggest  opportunity they  are industry biggest  necessity. Competition  is  beginning  to force this  new  technology  upon  industry.