Material Handling Equipment Selection Research Articles

Application of the R method in solving material handling equipment selection problems

In manufacturing industries, material handling equipment plays a vital role and is considered as one of the important pillars to increase production efficiency. Hence, the selection of appropriate material handling equipment for a specific task is well acknowledged, but the complexity of this selection process drastically increases with the rise in the number of alternative equipment available in the market and a set of conflicting evaluation criteria. To resolve this problem, several multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques have been proposed by past researchers. In this paper, the application potentiality of a newly developed MCDM technique, i.e. R method is explored while solving five material handling equipment selection problems, i.e. conveyor, automated guided vehicle (AGV), stacker, wheel loader and excavator. The derived ranking results are contrasted with other popular MCDM techniques to validate its potentiality in shortlisting the candidate alternatives from the best to the worst, which would ultimately help in improving the overall efficiency of the manufacturing processes.

A new framework for green selection of material handling equipment under fuzzy environment

In the rapidly changing global circumstances, managements of industrial organizations are making decisions for their survival in business atmosphere in future. Decision makers in industries are steering their respective organizations towards for appropriate decision making satisfying the condition of ‘Go green’. Appropriate decision making in fuzzy environment is always a hard task. The current investigation explores a new multi criteria decision making approach for green selection of material handling equipment under fuzzy environment. The proposed technique has the capability of capturing effects of economical, environmental and social factors of benefit, non-benefit and target based criteria under uncertainty and vague information. The proposed method is illustrated with a suitable example on material handling equipment selection under fuzzy environment. The result clearly shows that the proposed technique is useful and effective in the decision making process regarding green material handling selection under fuzzy environment.

Reference framework for material handling equipment selection in distribution centres

Reference framework for material handling equipment selection in distribution centres

Material Handling Equipment Selection Algorithm for Production Workplaces

Nowadays, the consumption is the most significant factor in the economy. The consumption requires different items, which must be produced by the industry. Production processes are realized mainly on workplaces, so their importance is inevitably. This paper presents an overview about the planning process of material handling machines, especially for the production workplaces. The research, shown in this paper, targets to develop a model, which can help to select the most suitable material handling equipment for different production workplaces. The topic presented in this paper deals with the building of selection algorithm for the exclusion of non-applicable equipment types. To show the useability of the concept an example will also be presented.

Taxonomy of Material handling equipment selection methods at distribution centers

The current paper presents a taxonomy of material-handling-equipment for distribution centers, based on a Systematic Literature Review of previous works on both Material Handling Equipment in real picking-intensive logistics contexts and the Decision Support Systems [DSS] employed to solve this type of problem. The current review work intends to sort the literature on the topic through a Material Handling Equipment taxonomy supported on a Systematic Literature Review. A historical appraisal of the problem is complemented by the corresponding synthesis, conclusions and future research perspectives. The current study presents an overall view of Material Handling Equipments in real picking-intensive logistics contexts and Decision Support Systems employed to solve this type of problem. New research perspectives and future recommendations aim at a more thorough integration with expert systems (or any more efficient hybrid method) for candidate equipment assessment and final selection. This could be done by using MCDM techniques like to Stochastic Multicriteria Aceptability Analysis [SMAA].

Solving Material Handling Equipment Selection Problems in an Industry with the Help of Entropy Integrated COPRAS and ARAS MCDM techniques

Solving Material Handling Equipment Selection Problems in an Industry with the Help of Entropy Integrated COPRAS and ARAS MCDM techniques

Selection of Material Handling Equipment using the AHP and MOORA

Choosing the best Material Handling Equipment (MHE) is an aspect that needs to be considered in the industrial sector because the amount of capital involved in the procurement process is very large. Many substantial factors influence the MHE selection process. One popular approach was chosen to resolve the MHE selection issue. The concept of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is popularly used because it can solve and handle conflicting components in the MHE selection process. This study proposes the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Multi-Objective Optimization on the Basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA) procedures in MHE selection. AHP is proposed to weigh the MHE selection criteria. MOORA is proposed to compute the rankings of the MHE alternatives. Case studies are applied to this problem. The results show that the cost criterion gives the greatest weight in selecting MHE. Other than that, Of the five selected MHE alternatives, Hand Pallet Truck is the MHE that has the best rating.

A methodology for the selection of Material Handling Equipment in manufacturing systems

Mastering the Material Handling System in manufacturing is a crucial issue. According to (Hellmann et al., 2019), the costs of Material Handling activities range from 15% to 70% of total manufacturing costs depending on the kind of production. This paper discusses the selection of Material Handling Equipment for manufacturing plants. The selection of such equipment and their level of automation plays a significant role in the success of a material handling system definition, which influences the manufacturing performances. Through an analysis of the literature and field studies conducted with industrial companies, a selection methodology and a consistent list of criteria are proposed. A multi-criteria decision technique based on AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) is proposed to realize the selection. The proposition is implemented in a demonstrator software tool and illustrated on a simple example.

Reference Framework for Material Handling Equipment Selection in Distribution Centers

Reference Framework for Material Handling Equipment Selection in Distribution Centers

An integrated group FWA-ELECTRE III approach based on interval type-2 fuzzy sets for solving the MCDM problems using limit distance mean

The material handling equipment (MHE) has a close connection with layout of machinery and plays the important role in productivity of servicing or manufacturing systems. Since each of MHE has distinct characteristics than the others with respect to conflicting criteria and design experts may state the different subjective judgments with respect to qualitative criteria, the material handling equipment selection problem (MHESP) can be taken into account as a group multi-criteria decision-making (GMCDM) problem. In this paper, a version of type-2 fuzzy sets (T2FSs), named Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy sets (GIT2FSs), is first used as an alternative to the traditional triangular membership functions (MFs) to weight criteria and sub-criteria and also evaluate of alternatives with respect to sub-criteria. The synthetic value method of GIT2FSs is then carried out to convert the assessments stated as GIT2FSs for each alternative with respect to each sub-criterion and also weights of criteria (sub-criteria) into the single fuzzy rating and weight, respectively. Then, the fuzzy weighted average (FWA) approach is adopted to integrate the single fuzzy ratings of each alternative with respect to sub-criteria and the single fuzzy weights of sub-criteria under each criterion with the aggregated weighted ratings. In next stage, ELECTRE III (ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la Realite´—elimination and choice translation reality) is generalized with GIT2FSs to select the optimal MHE through a new ranking approach. Moreover, some arithmetic operations and properties are extended to GIT2FSs. In addition, to demonstrate its potential applications, the proposed methodology is implemented in a real case study and an illustrative example, and then, the ranking results are compared with those of the others in the literature. Finally, the sensitivity analysis is carried out to show robustness and stability of the obtained results.

Feasibility Study of a Facility to Produce Injection Molded Parts for Automotive Industry

<p>This study aims at the preliminary assessment in designing a complete stand-alone industrial facility to produce injection molded parts for the automotive industry. A draft design solution to allow the company to evaluate the capital investment was performed giving an estimated solution in project profitability. Proposed successive design steps were developed. It includes the definition of input data and information, quantity determination, plat layout diagrams, machine selection, selection of material handling equipment, plant layout design including space requirements of production centers, aísles, support functions. Moreover, the outdoor facility masterplan design is also proposed. Finally, investment calculation via cash flow analysis is calculated.</p>

Comparison of new multi-criteria decision making methods for material handling equipment selection

Comparison of new multi-criteria decision making methods for material handling equipment selection

Evaluation and selection of material handling equipment in iron and steel industry using analytic hierarchy process

The paper presents the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a potential decision making method for use in the selection of the most suitable material handling (MH) system in an iron and steel industry. In this study, AHP is used in assessing the various material transportation systems employed in a steel manufacturing industry and to decide the best equipment to be used. Information on the use of AHP in evaluating MH equipment is provided and an AHP model is proposed to guide the management of an iron and steel Industry, i.e., JSW Steel Ltd. Most important factors while selecting material transportation equipment and their relative influence on the objective of decision-making model are found. A total of seven decision criteria and five different alternatives are considered for this purpose. Each alternative is evaluated in terms of the decision criteria and the relative importance (or weight) of each criterion is estimated. From the obtained pairwise comparison matrices, the best alternative is chosen. This paper provides a good insight into a decision-making model to guide managers for assessing the various material transportation equipment that are commonly employed in a steel manufacturing plant.

Selection of Automated Guided Vehicle using Single Valued Neutrosophic Entropy Based Novel Multi Attribute Decision Making Technique

Selection of material handling equipment for typical conditions and handling environment is one of the multi attribute decision making problem. The objective of the research paper is to implement and validate multi attribute selection of automated guided vehicle for material handling purpose. The present paper proposes a single valued neutrosophic set with entropy weight based multi attribute decision making technique. A proposed technique also works with more uncertainty, imprecise, indeterminate and inconsistent information. The proposed methodology follows with the example for selection and ranking of automated guided vehicle and in validation and sensitivity analysis of the novel multi attribute decision making technique carried out. The result of the study builds assurance in suitability of single valued neutrosophic set entropy based novel multi attribute decision making for selection of automated guided vehicle alternatives.

A QFD-based expert system for industrial truck selection in manufacturing organizations

Purpose Availability of accurate quantity of materials, at correct place and at right time is extremely critical for increasing production effectiveness of any manufacturing organization. This can be achieved through employing an appropriate material handling equipment (MHE) capable of performing the desired operation. Therefore, choosing a right MHE from the available options is a key concern for the success, growth and competitiveness of a manufacturing organization. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of an expert system based on quality function deployment (QFD) methodology in Visual Basic 6.0 for selecting the most appropriate industrial truck which is a commonly practiced MHE in any manufacturing organization. Design/methodology/approach A QFD-based approach is adopted to incorporate customers’ needs into the evaluation criteria on the basis of which industrial truck selection is carried out. The applicability of the developed expert system in solving industrial truck selection problems is demonstrated using two illustrative examples. Findings While applying this QFD-based model, CPCD 80x manufactured by Heli is recognized as the most suitable forklift truck for transporting unitized loads within a manufacturing unit with some spatial constraints, and for loading/unloading packages/boxes/cartons and place them at the desired locations in a manufacturing unit, ETV 216 manufactured by Jungheinrich evolves out as the most suitable reach truck. Originality/value Till date, numerous research articles have been published suggesting the applications of various mathematical models, multi-criteria decision-making methods and knowledge-based systems for solving MHE selection problems, and it is intriguing to note that none of the previously adopted methods has proposed a systematic procedure for selection of the evaluation criteria and interrelated the needs of customers with the technical specifications of MHEs while identifying the best alternative for performing a specified operation. These issues can be addressed through application of this developed QFD-based expert system, which can translate customers’ needs into organizational functions that are implementable in the decision-making/selection procedure.

Implementation of fuzzy TOPSIS methodology in selection of procedural approach for facility layout planning

The present study deals with the selection of procedural approach for the handling of facility layout problem (FLP). Most of the designers always try to design the layout to fulfill the practical need on the shop floor in an effective way. The procedural approach is also a way to tackle the layout problems practically. It has always been a difficult decision to select the appropriate solution approach under several selected factors. In this paper, we have demonstrated a selection of the best procedural approach for the FLP with some selected factors. In this context, we have considered some important factors such as initial data required (IDR), use of charts (UC), use of graphs and diagrams (UGD), future expansion considered (FEC), constraints considered (CC), procedure implementation (PI), and material handling equipment selection consideration (MHC). Modified digital logic (MDL) is used to assign weight to the selected factors. Fuzzy logic-based multiple attribute decision making (MADM) approach is applied for the selection. The Muther’s approach is found to be the most suitable alternative with the selected factors.

Material Handling Equipment Selection for a Galvanizing Steel Industry using Combined AHP-GRA Model

India has emerged as a fast developing country in 21 st century. From the beginning of this century country has experienced many inventions and developments in its industrial sector. During these years, export capacity of the country has increased a lot. Keeping all this factors in mind one can easily understand the importance of industries in India. In industries material handling plays very important role, because handling of material using conventional manual practices needs a huge expenditure of time, money as well as energy of the workers. For this reason, many types of material handling equipments have been suggested in the literature. As we all know, in last ten years, India has reported a remarkable progress in global market and is progressing continuously; importance of material handling facilities increases a lot. Present research work is based on material handling equipment selection for a steel industry. Yet there are many types of steel industries are present in the country but here in this research work emphasis is made on galvanizing steel manufacturing industry. One of the basic reasons of choosing this industry is that in literature very less or almost nil research has been reported by various researchers in this field. Also it has been observed by the candidate the workers in a galvanizing steel industry work in very adverse conditions which ultimately, may affect their life. In the present research work, zinc pot section of hot dipped galvanizing steel manufacturing industry which is having manual delivery system for pouring zinc and aluminum slabs has been considered as the research frame. For this system first of all criteria has been finalized with the help of industry personnel as well academicians. After that prioritization of criteria has been made with the help of Analytical Hierarchy Process, and finally scores of the alternatives (Automatic system, Conveyer’s delivery and Manual delivery) are reported using Grey Rational Analysis (GRA) model, the ranking of which has determined the best alternative.

Comparative analysis of procedural approaches for facility layout design using AHP approach

The purpose of this paper is to apply multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) approach (analytic hierarchy process - AHP) for ranking the procedural approaches available for solving the facility layout design problems (FLPs). Analytic hierarchy process is applied to rank the approaches, whereas the weight to a factor is assigned using modified digital logic (MDL) method. On the basis of assigned weight the matrix is generated, and the factors considered for analysis are as: initial data required (IDR), use of charts (UC), use of graphs and diagrams (UG), future expansion considered (FE), constraints considered (CC), procedure implementation (PI), and material handling equipment selection considered (MH). The approaches which have been compared are as: Nadler's procedure (NP), Immer's procedure (IP), Muther's procedure (MP), Apple's procedure (AP), and Reed's procedure (RP). The results of the present study demonstrate that MP gets highest rank among the compared procedures. The output ranks along with their overall priority from the present study are as: MP (0.355) > AP (0.232) > RP (0.228) > NP (0.098) > IP (0.088). The factors which are used in this study are weighted in the order as: UC (0.22) > UG (0.195) > MH (0.171) > PI (0.146) > CC (0.098) = IDR (0.098) > FE (0.073).

A hybrid approach for selecting material handling equipment in a warehouse

Warehouse operations are closely related to material handling activities. Loading, unloading, transporting and picking material constitute a huge part of the activities. In order to handle material properly as well as to contribute value to the material, the operator and the environment, utilizing Material Handling Equipment (MHE) is required. The selection of proper MHEs requires great focus since its consideration is linked to mutli-criteria and multi-objective decision making problems. Here, a hybrid method is proposed to address the MHE selection problem. An approach that integrates the entropy based hierarchical fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Multi-Objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MOMILP) is used for seeking the best alternative. The evaluation of alternatives is performed based on both subjective and objective criteria. Subjective weights are derived from a fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). To deal with objective criteria, the entropy method is adopted to determine the weights, and the integrated weights are also calculated. The alternatives are rated by using fuzzy TOPSIS. For final execution of the selection, an MOMILP model is developed incorporating two goals, namely to minimize the disadvantage of material handling operation and to minimize the total cost of material handling. The AUGMented E-CONtraint method (AUGMECON) is used to solve the model. A case study is given to illustrate the method. The results show the effectiveness of the hybrid method in complex decision making.

A software prototype for material handling equipment selection for construction sites

Abstract 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.