Search

The logistics network is considered the provider of logistics activities in supply chains. The fluctuating requirements of customers and the logistics network's complex structure are only a few of the factors that cause challenges to its management. Industrial facilities are particularly vulnerable to challenges because material handling operations dominate in addition to manufacturing activities. Disruptions at industrial plants are disseminated through the logistics network, affecting all supply chain participants. As a result, reducing material handling time and costs to decrease material losses, pollution, and productivity is vital to their business. Due to their distinctive properties and significant share in finished goods, bulk materials are particularly vulnerable to issues during manufacturing. Accordingly, this study aims to rank and select technologies for handling bulk materials in an industrial plant where the production of construction materials is performed. This paper proposes four alternative solutions for the observed case study, and nine criteria were selected for the evaluation. A new hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model is proposed. The model combines Fuzzy Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), used to determine the weight of criteria, and the Axial-Distance-Based Aggregated Measurement (ADAM) method, used to rank alternative solutions. The model results indicate that the pneumatic conveyor is the best ranked alternative that significantly increases productivity, reduces losses, and improves working conditions. The key contributions of this study are its analysis of the efficiency of the technologies proposed for bulk material handling and the development and implementation of a model framework for the ranking of these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractEnabled via recent technological advances coupled with the advent of new systems providers and decreased price points, automated and robotized order-picking solutions (e.g., pick-assisting autonomous mobile robots) have evolved as a surging market. Such innovative picking technologies aim to reduce labor costs, use available space more efficiently, and increase throughput rates. As implementation projects and the variety of solutions rise, managers decide which ones to select for their specific warehouse and products. However, comprehensive decision models for this strategic problem are lacking in the pertinent literature. We propose a mathematical optimization model for the novel problem that selects and sizes order-picking solutions and assigns them products and warehouse spaces. Expert interviews are used to identify the comprehensive decision-relevant costs and constraints. Specifically, we minimize setup, module, labor, and error costs while adhering to characteristics related to the area (e.g., available space), technology (e.g., throughput, handling capabilities of certain products), and product (e.g., physical dimensions). We conduct a case study and complement our findings with numerical experiments. We find significant cost reduction potential of up to 57% by selecting a mix of different order-picking solutions. Further analyses highlight the need to retain human workers and to account for maximum labor capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conveyor adalah sebuah alat material handling yang berfungsi memindahkan barang dari satu tempat ke tempat lain. dengan membuat sebuah rancang bangun tentang belt conveyor yang dimana Mesin ini menggunakan motor listrik sebagai penggerak utamanya dan ada tambahan yaitu ditambahnya komponen speed control untuk mengatur cepat atau lambatnya pemindahan barang. Pada tahap awal proses pembuatan conoveyor ini adalah 1. Desain alat 2. Pemilihan gambar 3. Perhitungan Material dan Komponen 4. Pembelian material dan komponen 5.Tahap Fabrikasi. Kapasitas pada Belt conveyor yakni 53ton/jam Daya yang diperlukan untuk menggerakkan conveyor yang memindahkan muatan secara horizontal 0,040kw Tegangan efektif pada belt adalah 24,50kg Kecepatan conveyor 23,550m/menit 0,3925m/s Dari perencanaan dan perhitungan pada “Belt Conveyor Untuk Proses packaging unit load Dengan Berat Maksimal 21kg dan Kecepatan 0,2m/s”. Hasil dari rancang bangun dan perhitungan adalah Belt yang digunakan adalah Jenis V-Belt pvc karet dengan panjang keseluruhan belt 2000mm, lebar 150mm, dan tebal 2mm. frame yang di gunakan adalah Auluminium profile ukuran 40mmx40mm. Berat maksimal dalam satu kali pengangkutan sebesar 21kg dan kecepatan belt conveyor makasimal saat mengangkut material unit load/box sebesar 0,40m/s, sehingga mengahasilkan kapasitas pengiriman sebesar 53ton/jam. Kecepatan beban maka kecepatan conveyor akan berbeda tergantung beban material diatas belt. untuk pemakaian speed control bersifat opsional.

The logistics network is considered the provider of logistics activities in supply chains. The fluctuating requirements of customers and the logistics network’s complex structure are only a few of the factors that cause challenges to its management. Industrial facilities are particularly vulnerable to challenges because material handling operations dominate in addition to manufacturing activities. Disruptions at industrial plants are disseminated through the logistics network, affecting all supply chain participants. As a result, reducing material handling time and costs to decrease material losses, pollution, and productivity is vital to their business. Due to their distinctive properties and significant share in finished goods, bulk materials are particularly vulnerable to issues during manufacturing. Accordingly, this study aims to rank and select technologies for handling bulk materials in an industrial plant where the production of construction materials is performed. This paper proposes four alternative solutions for the observed case study, and nine criteria were selected for the evaluation. A new hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model is proposed. The model combines Fuzzy Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), used to determine the weight of criteria, and the Axial-Distance-Based Aggregated Measurement (ADAM) method, used to rank alternative solutions. The model results indicate that the pneumatic conveyor is the best ranked alternative that significantly increases productivity, reduces losses, and improves working conditions. The key contributions of this study are its analysis of the efficiency of the technologies proposed for bulk material handling and the development and implementation of a model framework for the ranking of these technologies.

The possibilities of CAD system and FEM application in the process of designing material handling equipment were presented. The key importance of the computer systems that aid the engineering work in integrated design and production was indicated. The economic, lime and technical advantages resulting from the replacement of empirical and strength tests with those conducted in the form of computer simulations were demonstrated. The usefulness of CAD and FEM systems in designing material handling equipment was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telescopic forklifts stand apart from other forklift types, boasting numerous benefits. They offer notable advantages, such as enhanced manoeuvrability, accessibility to elevated areas, versatility, and the capacity to operate at high speeds. Choosing appropriate telescopic forklifts can substantially enhance operational efficiency and efficacy within the industry. Concurrently, it can bolster business competitiveness by expediting logistical processes, yielding notable cost reductions. Nonetheless, the intricacy and specificity inherent in these machines complicate the decision-making process for stakeholders. Furthermore, conflicting criteria, the continuous evolution of manufacturers' models, and the industry's intricate nature compound the selection challenges. Hence, there is a pressing need for a resilient, dependable, and practical decision-making framework capable of adeptly navigating uncertainties to yield reliable and coherent outcomes. This study aimed to develop an integrated decision-making model based on interval-valued Fermatean fuzzy (IVFF) sets to respond to these requirements and address this critical decision-making problem in the relevant industry, which is also significantly affected by complex uncertainties. This work, therefore, introduces an integrated methodology for decision-making, IVFF–PIPRECIA and IVFF–WISP techniques. IVFF–PIPRECIA determines criteria importance weights, whereas IVFF–WISP identifies optimal alternatives. A case study in the textile industry validates the framework's practicality. Purchase price emerges as the primary criterion, exceeding 500 thousand euros for telescopic forklifts, followed closely by load-carrying capacity. The second alternative proves to be the best option. Comparative and sensitivity analyses confirm the model's credibility. The approach effectively handles decision-making uncertainties, yielding competitive outcomes. It can be applied to diverse engineering problems. Insights from this study assist users in selecting optimal equipment and may inform forklift manufacturers in improving machinery. Future research could focus on establishing real-time operational data collection frameworks for these vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a new integrated mathematical model of the production planning and dynamic cellular manufacturing system (DCMS) wherein the product mix and/or volume is different from one period to another has been developed. So far, literature review indicates that the key role of Material Handling Equipment (MHE) has not been considered in the developed model, while ignoring such role will lead to wrong results. In other words, ignoring characteristics such as MHE capacity and inter and intra-cell movement times cannot be justifiable especially in shops in which, the movement times for parts are considerable compared to their processing times. The proposed model covers concepts such as inter/intra-cell movement, reconfiguration, subcontracting, inventory and backorder, lead time for subcontracted parts, optimal lot sizing in each period, number of inter/intra-cell MHE assigned to manufacturing system, number of MHE purchased and sold in each period and price of purchasing/selling for each inter/intra-cell MHE. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis have been used to verify the proposed mathematical model. Introduction: Due to the global market competition, the manufacturing systems are changing from traditional configurations such as flow shop and job shop toward structures such as Cellular Manufacturing System (CMS). On the other hand, customer demands are different from one period to another. In such conditions, companies that use CMS should change their cell configurations every period. In other words, a new Dynamic Cell Formation Problem (DCFP) is needed to be performed for each period. The objective is to handle a DCFP together with a production planning policy by manufacturers. This integrated problem was proposed by Bulgak and Bektas (2009) for the first time. They developed a mixed integer nonlinear mathematical model and solved several computational examples by CPLEX. In another study, Safaee and Tavakkoli Moghaddam (2009) studied an integrated model of DCFP and production planning. Their model included the outsourcing and lead time concepts together. Then, other studies proposed DCFP and production planning together with others subjects such as worker assignment, machine breakdown, company layout, etc. In this paper, the roles of inter/intra cell Material Handling Equipment (MHE) and DCFP and production planning are studied, simultaneously. Mehodology/Approach: First, a new mixed integer nonlinear mathematical model is proposed considering DCFP, production planning and the role of inter/intra cell MHE. Due to the complexity of nonlinear models, a transformation is occurred from the nonlinear developed model to a linear one. Then, the linear model is coded in commercial software named ‘GAMS’. Several examples are run on GAMS to validate the proposed model. Finally, the sensitivity analysis is performed on a number of important parameters. Findings and Discussion: In order to illustrate the effect of MHE on the DCFP and production planning, two numerical examples were investigated with and without MHE. The first difference between these two examples was in objective function value as represented in Table 3 regardless of MHE and in Table 5 regarding MHE. The second difference was in production planning as it addressed in Table 4 regardless of MHE and Table 6 regarding MHE. The third difference was in cell configuration as represented in Figure 2. Finally the forth difference was in the number of MHE used in manufacturing system regardless and regarding MHE as addressed in Tables 7 and 8, respectively. All Tables and Figures proved that MHE management can play an effective role in a manufacturing system. Conclusion: In this paper, the integrated model of DCFP, production planning and MHE was investigated. A mixed integer nonlinear mathematical model was developed and then transformed into a linear one. To validate the proposed model, a numerical example was presented and this example was solved without and with MHE. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed on a number of important parameters. References Defersha, F. M., & Chen, M. (2006). “A comprehensive mathematical model for the design of cellular manufacturing systems”. International Journal of Production Economy, 103(2), 767-783. Saidi-Mehrabad, M., & Safaei, N. (2007). “A new model of dynamic cell formation by a neural approach”. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 33(9), 1001-1009. Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R., Aryanezhad, M.B., Safaei, N., & Azaron, A. (2005). “Solving a dynamic cell formation problem using metaheuristics”. Applied Mathematical Computation, 170(2), 761-780.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the effects of operation of braking devices by sliding friction against rails (rail brake) on the dynamic characteristics of gantry cranes for container handling after runaway caused by unexpected wind gust by a numerical analysis and to obtain the scientific knowledge which serves to develop the technology for safe stopping. Dynamic characteristics of the crane were calculated by the dynamic numerical simulation analysis using FEM. The crane was modeled by three-dimensional beam elements. The interaction forces that define the resistance characteristics of the crane runaway generated at the contact part between wheels of the traveling system and the rails were modeled. And the interaction forces at the contact part between the rail brakes and the rails were also modeled. For the wind gust that becomes runaway driving source, the wind direction, the velocity distribution in the vertical direction and the time change of the wind velocity were modeled. The load that the crane receives by the wind was calculated based on the ISO standard of the wind load assessment of cranes. In the analysis conditions of this paper, the runaway of the whole crane started when the driving wheels of the land side became slide state after those of the sea side became slide state. The dynamic characteristics through the stop of the crane after the operation of the rail brakes concerning cases of varying rail brake operation characteristics were analyzed and considered. The operating characteristics were defined by the time increase rate of the pressing load of the brake shoe, dPB/dt, the maximum value of it, PBmax, and the timing that the operation starts. The crane reached the stop after the runaway velocity decreased with the swing of the rail longitudinal direction of the crane structural system which consists mainly of the legs, the boom and the girder. When the acceleration of the upper part of the crane structural system increases by the rail brake operation, the generated inertial force reached the level that should be considered in checking of the structural safety. Finally, the relationship between the braking distance as an evaluation index of braking performance of the rail brake and the braking operation characteristics was presented and discussed.

The logistics market has been impacted by increase of e-commerce, mass customization, omni-channel distribution, and just-in-time philosophy. In order to attend to this dynamic change, automation has been applied in warehouses. Although, some researches point out the lack of flexibility as a bottleneck. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review of recent papers is vital to draw a framework of the past and to shed light on future directions. This paper aims to review published papers in the last ten years related to flexible automation in warehouses and to construct a framework that could guide future researchers in the construction of an innovative conceptual model that may be applied at warehouses in the future. A total of 113 papers published between January 2008 and December 2018 have been selected, reviewed, and categorized to construct a useful foundation of past research. Results showed the key point to achieve a flexible automated warehouse is the combination of automated equipment, data collection technologies, and management solutions. Finally, based on the reviewed papers, an innovative framework of a flexible automated warehouse is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new integrated mathematical model of the production planning and dynamic cellular manufacturing system (DCMS) wherein the product mix and/or volume is different from one period to another has been developed. So far, literature review indicates that the key role of Material Handling Equipment (MHE) has not been considered in the developed model, while ignoring such role will lead to wrong results. In other words, ignoring characteristics such as MHE capacity and inter and intra-cell movement times cannot be justifiable especially in shops in which, the movement times for parts are considerable compared to their processing times. The proposed model covers concepts such as inter/intra-cell movement, reconfiguration, subcontracting, inventory and backorder, lead time for subcontracted parts, optimal lot sizing in each period, number of inter/intracell MHE assigned to manufacturing system, number of MHE purchased and sold in each period and price of purchasing/selling for each inter/intra-cell MHE. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis have been used to verify the proposed mathematical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the optimal warehouse layout for agricultural and food collecting centers that help small–medium farms to trade in the short food supply chain, by choosing among longitudinal, transversal, and fishbone layout. The developed model allows for the identification of the warehouse ensuring the least impact through inbound material handling, under both an economic and an environmental perspective. The analysis was carried out by using an analytical model to minimize the travelling time of the goods from picking to delivery area. The model considers the different turnover index from which four hypotheses were formulated to implement the results. The Carbon Footprint (CF) and Management Costs (MCs) were calculated by the picking time performance. Findings: Results show that the optimal warehouse layout can be identified after a careful consideration of the turnover indexes. However, for seasonality, the optimal design might be missed across the seasons. Practical implications: the analysis hereby presented is related to those collecting centers aiming to gather conspicuous amounts of seasonal food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The procedures for reliability verification of new or existing buildings are calibrated to account for uncertainties and variability of resistance and load parameters. However, present standards often provide a single approach to specification of design values of all imposed loads on buildings without particular distinction between loads associated with considerable uncertainties and well-defined loads. While the former are represented by common loads in office and residential buildings, the latter, including loads due to storage of materials, material handling equipment, machinery or tanks, require different approaches for estimating design values. This contribution identifies the characteristics of well-defined imposed loads and proposes a methodology for calibrating partial factors. Key steps of the methodology consist of assessing static load effect, dynamic amplification if relevant, model uncertainty, sensitivity factors and target reliability. Careful consideration of these influences then yields partial factors that reflect reduced uncertainties in estimating the effects of well-defined imposed loads. It appears that the commonly accepted partial factor of 1.5 in Eurocodes may be reduced. When multiple crossings are considered, the partial factor can be taken independent of the number of crossings while the characteristic value is adjusted. Further studies should be particularly focused on advanced probabilistic modelling of dynamic amplification and of model uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The wear problem on the internal lining of bins and chutes needs to be addressed before any significant efficiency gains during iron ore mining operations. This study aims to investigate the factors determining the wear resistance of common lining materials used in iron ore mining operations. A purposely designed experimental system was utilised to quantitatively assess the wear resistance of a suite of wall lining materials against an iron ore abrading medium, from which a wear rate for each liner is determined. Results suggested that the hardness of a lining material can be utilised to indicate its abrasion wear resistance. From experimental results, prediction models of the service life of selected lining materials in bins and chutes are also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new over-flow prevention valve with a trigger mechanism is designed, fabricated and studied experimentally to evaluate its performances. Loading arms are used to transfer combustible fluid such as oil between tankers and tanks. A loading arm is equipped with an over-flow prevention valve for safety. This valve stops the fluid flow when the fluid exceeds a threshold level in a tank. It must be composed of mechanical elements solely because electric components may induce combustion. Therefore, it uses a pneumatic circuit to detect the fluid level and close the valve. The fabricated valve utilizes positive pressure caused by the height difference of fluid level between the tank and the sensor probe instead of negative pressure that was used in a conventional valve. However, the positive pressure is insufficient to close the valve directly. Therefore, a trigger mechanism is introduced between a piston pushed by the positive pressure and a locking mechanism keeping the valve open. This mechanism generates sufficient force to release the lock and close the main valve from the force pushing the piston. The concept, operation principles and the pneumatic circuit design are presented. Experiments simulating actual operation are carried out with the fabricated valve. The sensor probe is inserted into the water with a constant speed by a single-axis robot instead of flowing oil into the tank. The relation between the velocity and the depth when the valve closes are studied experimentally.

Material handling equipment (MHE) is important for every industry because it has an effect on the productivity of manufacturing. Conveyor systems are presently one popular type of MHE. This paper presents an integration of the analytic network process (ANP) with the benefits, opportunities, costs and risk (BOCR) model in order to select the best conveyor system. The proposed model established a network with four merits, six strategies criteria, and twenty six sub-criteria with four alternatives (present, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, and monorail). The ANP is to determine the relative weights of an evaluative criteria and decision alternatives. Therefore, the final ranking of the alternatives are calculated by synthesizing the score of each alternative under BOCR. The results showed that the best alternative under all five methods is the chain conveyor. These research results can be easily applied, adapted and used to improve performance of selecting the conveyer system in small and medium enterprises through large industries.

In today’s versatile and dynamic industrial scenario more and more industries are adopting advanced manufacturing technologies and systems like flexible manufacturing system (FMS) which combines the efficiency of a mass production line and the flexibility of a job shop. Material handling equipment form an important component of FMS and using proper material handling equipment can enhance the production process, provide effective utilization of manpower, increase production and improve system flexibility. In this research the main material handling issues in a FMS are identified and further evaluated using ISM and TOPSIS approaches. The purpose of identification of these issues and their analysis is to allow researchers and practicing managers to pay proper attention to these issues which may help them in designing the material handling systems in their organisations in a better way.

Using right material handling equipment (MHE) is substantial in terms of manufacturing costs even if related manufacturing environment is lean. In this paper, right materials handling equipment selection problem is investigated at the line feeding systems such as kitting and milk-run systems. Each system has three alternatives for selection, and the main problem is the difficulty in selecting the appropriate one since these equipment are integrated with each other by means of a total of nine possible combinations. In order to select the most appropriate combination, alternative equipment is evaluated separately at first, and then, resulting priorities are aggregated to find the best alternative. In the equipment selection decision model, there are four main criteria and seventeen sub-criteria. Since the dependencies appear within the criteria, Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) technique is preferred. Besides that, risk attitudes of the experts are also incorporated into the model using linguistic terms in order to reach accurate results. The numerical application inspired from a real-world application in an electronic device assembly plant located in Istanbul is implemented. The result of the numerical application demonstrated that Tugger Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) should be used for the milk-run system and a Belt conveyor should be acquired for the kitting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the best Material Handling Equipment (MHE) to minimize the carbon footprint of inbound logistic activities, based on the type of the warehouse (layout, facilities and order-picking strategy) as well as the weight of the loads to be handled. Design/methodology/approach: A model to select the best environmental MHE for inbound logistic activities has been developed. Environmental performance of the MHE has been evaluated in terms of carbon Footprint (CF). The model is tested with a tool adopting a VBA macro as well as a simulation software allowing the evaluation of energy and time required by the forklift in each phase of the material handling cycle: picking, sorting and storing of the items. Findings: Nowadays, it is not possible to identify 'a priori' a particular engine equipped forklift performing better than others under an environmental perspective. Consistently, the application of the developed model allows to identify the best MHE tailored to each case analyzed. Originality/value: This work gives a contribution to the disagreement between environmental performances of forklifts equipped with different engines. The developed model can be considered a valid support for decision makers to identify the best MHE minimizing the carbon footprint of inbound logistic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the optimal warehouse layout for agricultural and food collecting centers that help small–medium farms to trade in the short food supply chain, by choosing among longitudinal, transversal, and fishbone layout. The developed model allows for the identification of the warehouse ensuring the least impact through inbound material handling, under both an economic and an environmental perspective. The analysis was carried out by using an analytical model to minimize the travelling time of the goods from picking to delivery area. The model considers the different turnover index from which four hypotheses were formulated to implement the results. The Carbon Footprint (CF) and Management Costs (MCs) were calculated by the picking time performance. Findings: Results show that the optimal warehouse layout can be identified after a careful consideration of the turnover indexes. However, for seasonality, the optimal design might be missed across the seasons. Practical implications: the analysis hereby presented is related to those collecting centers aiming to gather conspicuous amounts of seasonal food.

Nowadays, every industry is experiencing demographic, economic and technological shifts, which have made innovation indispensable for them. The innovation in the construction industry can be evidenced through availability of a diverse range of new material handling equipments (MHEs) in the market having varying advanced features. An MHE is a critical investment made by a construction company that may significantly affect its future performance, competitiveness and sustainability. Therefore, selecting the best MHE with the desirable characteristics from a vast array of available alternatives is one of the most onerous tasks as often being faced by the construction engineers. In this paper, a software prototype based on quality function deployment (QFD) technique is designed and developed in Visual BASIC 6.0 for selecting two most suitable bulk-type MHEs, i.e. excavator and wheel loader for specific applications at a construction site. It is integrated with QFD method to provide due importance to the spoken and unspoken needs of the customers/construction engineers. It automates the entire MHE selection process and also performs sensitivity analysis study to investigate the effect of changing criterion weight on the alternative MHEs' ranking pattern. Its potentiality and applicability in solving bulk-type MHE selection problems is demonstrated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaside operations are considered the bottleneck operation in most container terminals around the world. This paper presents an in-depth updated overview of the seaside operations at container terminals and highlights current trends and developments. We review and classify scientific journal papers on container terminal seaside operations, published between 2004 and 2012. The paper also discusses and challenges the current operational paradigms on seaside operations. Lastly, the paper identifies new avenues for academic research based on current trends and developments in the container terminal industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]