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Unit 9: Warehousing

amount of material to be moved. Handling technology has developed to such an extent that it Notes
has dramatically changed the traditional concept of a warehouse.
Material handling equipment can be generally classified as:

 Transport equipment,
 Positioning equipment, and
 Unit load formation equipment.
Transport equipment is used to move materials from one location to another. It includes cranes
and industrial trucks.
Positioning equipment is used to handle material at a single location, so that it is in the correct
position for subsequent handling, machining, transport, or storage. It includes hoists and lifts.
Unlike transport equipment, positioning equipment is usually used at a single workplace.
Unit load formation equipment is used to maintain integrity when handling a single load
during transport and for storage. It includes pallets, bags and skids.
Though the above classification is based on application, the Material Handling Equipment
Industry classifies itself on the basis of equipment category into four different sectors, namely:
 Cranes and hoists,
 Conveying equipment which includes specialist bulk handling equipment such as stackers
and reclaimers,
 General equipment such as elevators, industrial trucks etc., and
 Forklift trucks.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:

13. Warehouse design criteria address physical facility characteristics and product movement.
14. Most warehouses have 10- to 20-foot ceilings.
15. Product volume is the major concern when defining a warehouse storage plan.
16. High-volume product can be assigned locations that are distant from primary aisles or
higher up in storage racks.


Case Study Integrated Warehouse Management Solution Provides

Significant Productivity Increase

GI (Silicon Graphics, Inc.), headquartered in Mountain View, California, is the world’s
leader in high-performance computing, visualization and the management of
Scomplex data with over $1 billion in revenue for 2002. SGI products, services and
solutions enable its technical and creative customers to gain strategic and competitive
advantages in their core businesses. The company services five key market segments:
Government, sciences, manufacturing, energy and media.
Contd...

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