materiuls Handling The British Productivity Council makes some interesting approaches toward solving materials handling problems by 1. W. Rodes {RE
is much activity among the
T”” British industries in materials han-
dling technology and we felt i t would be of interest to our readers to see how the British approach the matter of exchanging ideas and disseminating information. According to a pamphlet the organization has distributed, the British I’roductivity Council represents jointly management and workers in every type of industrial activity. It is nonpolitical and free from government control. It is not committed to any particular structure for the ownership and management of industry. All its members are agreed, however, on the essential need to make industry as efficient and productive as possible. The council knows t h a t a long and complex task of this kind cannot be carried out by a central committee alone. It has, therefore, set up nearly a hundred local committees in the chief centers of industrial activity in the country. These will form a focus for the efforts of all those who in these areas are working for higher productivity, whether they are members of managements, trade unionists, or representatives of educational and professional bodies. The pamphlet referred to is entitled “The Handling of Materials,” and is said to be one of a series which is being issued by the council, the object being to disseminate as widely as possible a knowledge of the techniques that make for higher productivity. The council proposes to make the pamphlets available through the medium of local productivity committees and of other organizations interested in productivity. According to the council, the pamphlets will be included in its catalog of publications and will be on sale to the general public. From the foregoing, i t would appear that a really sound idea is being p u t into action b y the British. We were interested t o learn that they attach significant importance to the field of July 1955
materials handling and that one of their pamphlets is devoted to the subject. The pamphlet discusses the subject as follows: The challenge
Every time anything in a factor)*raw materials, materials in process, finished products, materials for maintenance, construction, and scrap-is moved from one place to another, that is materials handling. Whenever material is handled, something is added t o its cost and nothing to its value. This is equally true whether the handling is by machinery or manpou-er. There is a standing challenge to every industrial organization to cut this cost. Such movements are apt to be overlooked when improved methods are under consideration. Yet they offer big opportunities for better ways and for lowering production costs, in other words, for increasing productivity. K e find in the above paragraph a definition of materials handling which is quite familiar to us in this country. The pamphlet continue. Method of approach
There are four steps in tackling the problem : Recognize the symptoms of poor handling-for example, material held up in loading and unloading bays, traffic alleys congested, skilled men working as laborers, damage t o materials, high accident rate. Find the facts about the handling situation. Develop the plan for action. Apply the correct principles of materials handling. Not only big firms
economy. Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Labour show that 75% of the manufacturing establishments in the country have less than 100 employees. Benefits of good materials handling
Good materials handling means farewell to wasteful pushing and pulling. Ever since goods have been manufactured and distributed. the work of lifting and moving them has been done by men. Even the standard weight, shape, and size of load have been decided by this fact-for example, the sack of flour or the pig of iron is the weight that one man could reasonably be expected t o lift. Much of this kind of work is today a most wasteful use of manpower. Even skilled operatives are often required to lift and move components. Such work is notable not only for the fatigue it causes and the waste of time that could be spent more productively, but also for its toll of accidents and injuries. It was estimated that in 1950 the total bill to industry-for example, loss of wages, interruptions t o production-from accidents that caused loss of time in one way or another was roughly 70,000,000 pounds; it has been calculated that about 28% of such accidents-about 19,500,000pounds worth-were due to handling. We certainly find familiar notes in the discussions in the preceding paragraphs. Our industrial engineers and materials handling people will see that the British work-study departments are urging industries to look closely at their procedures for handling of niaterials and the approach is along the same logical lines we have employed in America. The pamphlet goes on to discuss the benefits of good materials handling under captioned paragraphs:
There is a widespread belief that such a logical attitude t o materials handling
is important only in large manufacturing or mass-producing firms. This is a fallacy. Excessive or haphazard handling causes unnecessary expenditure in any firm, however small and whatever its production. It still is not fully realized how great a part smaller firms play in our national
Reduces damage to materials
The less handling there is, the less likely is damage to materials. Improved methods cut down these strains and stresses inflicted on materials by primitive means of handling, and so reduce waste.
I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G CHEMISTRY
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Materials Handling teduce losses
An efficient system of handling in releiving, stores, and dispatch leads to an xderly and regulated flow of goods; this .educes opportunities for loss. It is iarticularly true where palletization is :mployed. With this method unit loads :an be “built” together by arrangement if individual pieces in “brick” formation; .his makes virtually impossible the loss if individual pieces.
% regulufiort
We understand t h a t considerable research has been conducted b y British railways with a view t o meeting the nation’s demand in handling paIletized goods. They have set u p special charges t h a t provide for flat pallets which conform to British Standards Institution standards and are carried free on the full and returned empty travel. It is interesting t o note the standard sizes are:
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RD, CONN, For further information, circle number 86 A an Readers’ Service Card, page 101 A
86 A
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Minimize handling of all kinds, since it adds nothing but cost to the finished product. Never move more than once between processes where this can be avoided. Integrate materials handling with process. Do not consider it as an ancillary. Plan handling as systematically as a direct operation of production; study layout with the object of reducing. the distance and number of times materlal 1s moved. Kever decide on the designs for new buildings until the handling operations have been planned.
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
T
32 X 48 inches 40 X 40 inches 40 X 60 inches
and weight liniitatioiis of 56 pounds on the four smaller sizes and 84 pounds on the two larger ones have been established. A 56-pound size must carry a minimum load of 2 en%. and t h e larger one 3 cwt. Apparently, the British have encountered problems in connection with railway shipments of palletized goods somewhat along the same general lines we have. Their main problems revolved around the varying widths and heights of center doorways, and the strength of Floors in their cars. The strength of the floors in many cars was generally inadequate for loading with fork-lift trucks. However, we understand this feature has been corrected to a large extent and the railways are in a better position t o handle palletized loads. T h e British Productivity Council uses the following as the Principles of Good Materials Handling:
guaranteed a t room temperature, foi a resistive load, a n input variation of : t ? O % o n d over a 240.1 l o a d change. For a l l other conditions within the specifications the 1001 has a proportionate amount of accommodotion.
Distortion P.
32 X 40 inches 36 X 40 inches 40 X 48 inches
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Vol. 47,No. 7
B
Increases ammonia output 40% with Work should be done on materials I\ hile in transit wherever this is economical, practical, and safe. Persuade your suppliers to deliver materials to you in the most convenient form and size for handling. Study the range and number of containers with the object of reducing them. Never place materials directly on the floor; put them on a pallet or dunnage. Use gravity where possible. Merchandise wherever economical. Blaintain the planned system of handling; see that unauthorized changes do not creep in. Continue to examine the system for possible improvements.
GIRDLER G = 2 9 CATA LYST at Mississippi Chemical Co., Yaxoo City, Miss.
The council recommends that management make clear to the worliers what the plans are before action is taken, especially if the proposals affect the workers. They also suggest starting slon-ly and focusing attention on areas where the larger costs are involved. Then following through all details t o the con-
APPLICATION: Promoting reaction of steam, air and natural gas in reforming furnaces to produce ammonia synthesis gas. TECHNICAL SERVICE of Girdler demonstrated t h a t a s w i t c h t o i t s n e w l y developed G-29 would result i n a n a p p r e c i a b l e increase in the ammonia production. RESULTS: Greater activity of G-29 enables customer to increase ammonia production about 40% w h e n required. T h i s is accomplished w i t h n o appreciable increase of fuel consumption per unit of ammonia produced.
The selection of the right equipment is vitally important, and the correct choice for each individual application can be made only after careful consideration of the following factors:
Find out how Girdler Catalyst Technical Service can help you! Write for Bulletin G-260.
Economic Justification. Adaptability. Where possible, equipment should be chosen that can be of service in other parts of the factory as well as in those for which it is chiefly planned. Standardization. Maintenance.
A brief summary of the various types of handling equipment is given later in this pamphlet t o serve as a basic guide, but this should be supplemented from other sources of information. Representatives of the various equipment manufacturers will be glad t o discuss the special problems of any firm and the suitabilitv of their own handling equipment as a solution. It may also be possible to exchange views with other firms in the same area which are usiiig such equipment. \TTe consider it a very interesting note to learn t h a t there is such activity in the direction of modernizing materials handline: methods among British industries. Their logical approach t o the problems is impressive and probably will meet with a good degree of success, as i t has in America.
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Correspondence concerning this column will be forwarded if addressed to the author, % Editor, ISDWTRIAL A K D ENQIKEERINQ CHEMISTRY, 1155-16th St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C.
July 1955
-tke GIRDLER ~““p A D I V I S I O N OF N A T I O N A L CYLINDER G A S C O M P A N Y
L O U I S V I L L E 1, K E N T U C K Y G A S PROCESSES D I V I S I O N : New Yark, Son Francisco VOTATOR D I V I S I O N : N e w Yark, Atlanta, Chicago, Son Francisco In Conada: Girdler Corporation of Canada Limited, Toronto For further information, circle number 81 A on Readers’ Service Card, page 101 A
I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G CHEMISTRY
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