The metal fabrication jobs passing through our shop invariably undergo multiple processing steps. We’ve spent a lot of time blogging about those operations, but far less time on how we move sheets, plates, angles, and extrusion from one machine to the next.
We wrote this blog to correct that omission. The reason is, that we think it’s important our customers understand how we respect and handle their work. Material handling affects cost, quality, and delivery, and it also has a major impact on our top priority, safety. So if you’d like to learn more about how material handling influences efficiency and contributes to a healthy working environment, keep reading.
What is Material Handling?
For every order we process through the shop, material is issued from stores and moved from machine to machine. Routings depend on the complexity of the fabrication design, but most follow a sequence like this:
- Cut to length (angle, extrusion) or cut out a shape (sheet, plate material)
- Bend sheet to shape
- Prepare and weld angle and plate
- Powder coat or paint components
- Assemble
- Package and ship
Material handling is the process of moving the order through these operations with whatever equipment is appropriate.
Material Handling Methods
Small quantities of very small workpieces might be moved by hand, although more often we’ll use a handcart. As order quantities grow bigger, we’ll often place parts on a pallet and move that between machines with a pallet jack. For large quantity orders, we may design and fabricate some dedicated racks or trays to hold and move the items. If a customer wants us to use their returnable dunnage for shipping, that’s something we’re always happy to discuss.
Larger fabricated structures will be moved on a pallet if they fit, but we may also use a crane. For most bigger fabrications we’ll incorporate lift points for hoists or for a fork truck to lift from.
Material handling is something we consider while designing a structure and planning how to make it. We need to ensure component parts will fit on the various machines we’ll need to use, but we also have to think about how they will be moved between machines.
The two main factors we look at are weight and the physical envelope. These will determine if we move a part by handcart or pallet jack, or whether we need to bring in the fork truck. Our shop is laid out with room for fork trucks to operate, but at the same time, we use space as intensively as we can. When a fabrication is so large that we need a crane, (agricultural equipment and architectural features are examples of where this occurs), we have the equipment available.
Benefits of a Strong Focus on Handling
If we don’t think about material handling before launching an order into our shop, we know we’ll run into problems. The benefits of giving this careful consideration are:
- Improved safety
- Higher efficiency
- Material protection
- Schedule adherence
- Improved QC
Here’s a closer look at each of these points.
Safety
Keeping our employees safe is our highest priority and something we won’t compromise for any order. Quite simply, if there isn’t a safe way of moving our job through our shop we won’t take it on.
Having established that important principle, let’s look at what we do to ensure safety during material handling operations.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Our employees are given and expected to use PPE like gloves, glasses, and boots. (Hearing protection is also required in particularly loud operations, but we wouldn’t count this as a material handling issue.)
- Training: PPE is important, but so too is knowing how and when to use it. That’s why we provide training. We also ensure employees are trained in lifting techniques, and especially the use of cranes and how to drive and work around forklift trucks.
- Equipment: From carts to fork trucks and cranes, we make sure the right material handling equipment is available throughout our shop.
- Safety checks: Our cranes and hoists are inspected and certified as required to make sure they’re always safe to use. Fork truck operators are expected to check these vehicles over at the start of each day.
This focus on material handling safety reduces accidents. Besides the moral imperative and the impact on someone having an accident, accidents are also very bad for efficiency. They cause a lot of disruption and expense. These aren’t the reasons for focusing on safety, but reducing these problems is certainly a benefit.
Efficiency
Moving material through the shop doesn’t add any value, although it is an essential activity. Consequently, we try to do as little as possible by placing machines as close together as possible. Material also needs space to put it, which is something we try to minimize by careful timing when each order is released to production.
The other thing we do to maximize material handling efficiency is to use the right equipment rather than relying on human muscle. It helps reduce fatigue, which keeps our employees productive.
Material protection
We’re obsessive about avoiding damage to material moving through our shop. This is because we refuse to ship any fabrication with scratches or dents. If those were to happen, we’d remake the offending part, which is obviously expensive and disruptive. Our focus on preventing material handling damage helps ensure we avoid this kind of scenario. (A benefit of making dedicated handling devices and equipment is that this helps reduce damage too.)
Deadlines
When we make a delivery commitment, we do everything we can to keep it. Dealing with accidents and correcting damage will make that harder, so paying close attention to material handling helps us keep our promises.
With large fabricated structures, including material handling in the planning activity prevent any surprises, like not being able to offload something from a trailer.
Quality Control
Material handling practices don’t change how we perform QC, although QC often requires material handling. Larger fabrications in particular need lifting and turning, so our Quality people can get to and inspect every region. As with other aspects of material handling, this is done using the correct equipment and without cutting any corners.
Partner With Wiley Metal for Expert Fabrication Solutions
Material handling is integral to our fabrication processes, and we try to do it as safely and efficiently as possible. Sometimes that can slow things down, but we believe that, on balance, taking care of people, materials, and parts saves time and money and helps us keep our promises.
In writing this blog our intention was to illustrate the care and professionalism we apply to every customer order. If you like what you’ve learned about us, perhaps you’d let us quote your next project or job. Contact us to set that process in motion.