The Importance of Materials Handling
I often hear the term used and was wondering why it receives so much attention.
Materials handling refers to the total management of all materials and processes
involved in the entire manufacturing procedure. This includes sourcing, delivery,
movement, protection and storage of product. Significant savings in time, labour and
materials result from effective materials handling achieved through a series of wellcoordinated
and inter-related procedures.
In a manufacturing application materials handling may involve delivering raw
materials – polymers or resins for an injection molder, for example – or pieces
required to complete assembly of a simple product such as software merchandise
requiring a CD, manuals, certificates, sleeves and packaging. In either case, having a
comprehensive and coordinated control system is essential.
This overall management
system is achieved through plant-wide integration encompassing every step in the
manufacturing process, where the flow of information is essential for monitoring,
coordinating and tracking each process —from the arrival of raw materials onto the
plant floor through to dispatch of final product awaiting shipment.
Five Steps to Improved Productivity
1. Sequencing
Manufacturing commences with the production order. As each order is received it is sequenced. This ranking determines the sequence required for the most efficient order of events. By ensuring that each component of the manufacturing process is synchronised, maximum efficiency is achievable in terms of profitable output.
2. Assignment
Specified actions or job requests are forwarded to the relevant area or division, which may also be receiving similar requests from other product divisions. Activities can be as diverse as baking, molding, stamping, painting or part assembly. Sequencing and managed assignment combined ensure that all workshops are coordinated and working on current product as specified from an overall strategic perspective.
3. JIT (‘Just in Time’)
Ideally, each workshop functions independently and job requests are
completed just in time for final assembly. Managing production processes in
this way saves on material costs, storage and wastage through the
elimination of multiple handling and storage while materials await processing
at the next stage. Manufacturing JIT also reduces the likelihood and the
impact of having too much – or too little – of a particular item produced at
any given time.
4. Accumulation
Products are transferred or accumulated as required for the subsequent stage in assembly. This ensures that a continual manufacturing sequence is maintained, which, in turn, prevents delays while materials shortages are made up. Inspections can be made either manually or robotically at different stages further assisting planning and flow.
5. Final Inspections / Final Assembly
Final QA inspections can be integrated into the automated assembly process where faulty product is identified and either reworked, discarded or recycled.
Final product is then transferred to either a storage area or the shipping dock
directly and inventory is managed and tracked, while reports are produced for
analysis to facilitate a process of continual improvement.
Throughout the manufacturing process, periodic production checks are conducted at
a management or supervisory level to gather status reports, track assets and
monitor inventory.
Integration between these steps is far from simple, but industry standards and equipment suppliers have made the task considerably less daunting in a number of ways. Industry standards have helped to define the information flow from the ERP level down to the plant floor devices by classifying standard terminology – ‘work cell’ and ‘zone’, for example – and to produce consistent models of integration, which improve communication between suppliers and end users.
Industry standards also outline methodologies for gathering information, tracking
product, setting quality standards and calculating overall equipment effectiveness
(OEE). As a TPM accredited supplier, OEE is an important measurement as it is one
of the most accurate ways to measure material handling efficiency. OEE is calculated
by multiplying machine availability, that is, the percentage of time that the machine
is functioning, quality of product produced and target run rate. As each machine has
a target OEE, the calculation assists in pinpointing lost production and identifying
areas requiring "leaner" manufacturing practices.
Manufacturing Challenges
• Total System Management
With facilities stretching across large plants or multiple locations, it is almost impossible to manually prevent and track problem areas. A graphical, realtime management system is needed to monitor line equipment, track stop counts, and calculate the number of times a machine or device malfunctions.
• Product Tracking
As manufacturing systems are required to handle more diverse specifications and varying lot sizes, the ability to track individual products through every step in the manufacturing process for customisation, on-the-fly changes and status review is essential for the engineer.
• Coordinating Logistics
Getting the right parts to the right place involves a tight synchronisation of work cells. This task typically involves a ‘parts call’, which can be initiated by a simple push button or an automated supply chain management system.
After a request is received, materials or parts need to be delivered to the line
side in a timely manner to meet production flow targets. Improvements or
problems with logistics coordination are often defined by the amount of work
in progress (WIP).
• Minimising Error
As human interaction is a necessary part of most manufacturing processes, an effective system requires configuring in a way that minimises possible errors. Error proofing comprises examining each stage involving manual intervention to see how inaccuracy can be prevented.
• Managing Change
Product life cycles have shrunk dramatically and brand extension is a part of most product development. As a result, flexible automation is a must. To achieve this users are migrating to distributed I/O, decentralised control and off-the-shelf components —all based on open standards — to meet this demand.
In Summary
An holistic materials handling strategy not only achieves significant economic
savings but also reduces employee stress where ‘ASAP’ knee-jerk demands are
eliminated from the workplace.
If you would like to find out more about how MAR can streamline your total
materials handling system please contact Jeff Fordham on 9748 7001 or email
jfordham@machineryautomation.com.au.
Machinery Automation & Robotics
1/101 Derby Street
Silverwater NSW 2128
Phone: (61) 2 9748 7001
http://www.machineryautomation.com.au