Page 36 - MetalForming Magazine May 2023

AUTOMATION, INDUSTRY 4.0
DRIVING ADVANCED
MATERIAL
HANDLING
SOLUTIONS
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
Software and hardware advances spur new, innovative methods for part and material movement on shop floors. Here’s a look.
Very simply put, material handling is defined as moving materials. Just how that occurs greatly impacts a manufacturer’s bottom line. Given these facts, approaches and tech- nologies have evolved to deliver increased efficiency and better balance sheets, according to various material handling product and service providers. Automation and Industry 4.0 are driving advances, and here’s a look at just how in these unique leading-edge examples that are making headway on shop floors, as well as some sound advice on extending the life of material han- dling equipment. Find more on mate- rial handling technology, including con- veyor options and methods to keep material and parts safe and blemish- free during transport, at www.metal- formingmagazine.com.
New software options can help optimize material handling in manufacturing facili- ties. For example, Stratawise offers its StrataFlows automated visibility, commu- nication and control software, which includes real-time analysis of material- handling operations in a manufacturing environment, as well as material inflow and outflow.
Optimize Part and Material Routing—Software Helps
On the shop floor, the most effective material handling strategy emphasizes travel distance and timing, note offi- cials from Stratawise, LLC, Tampa, FL, a provider of workflow software and other supply-chain products and serv- ices. Minimize production costs by “moving the right material to the right place, at the right time, in the right amount, in sequence, and in the right position or condition,” reads the Strata- wise mantra.
Crucial to doing so is a proper pro-
duction-system setup—much easier in a greenfield scenario where a plant can be built with specific production in mind. In currently operating envi- ronments, challenges abound in opti- mizing material flow and improving material handling/production ratios, but overall, remember the number- one objective of material handling: Reduce unit costs of production.
Toward this objective, Stratawise offers these subgoals:
1. Maintain or improve product quality, reduce damage and provide for protection of materials.
2. Promote safety and improve working conditions.
3. Promote productivity.
The third subgoal appears vague, so the company offers additional guidance on promoting productivity. Material should flow in a straight line, and should move as short a distance as pos- sible. Also, try to move as much material as possible at one time. Mechanizing and/or automating material handling helps with all of the above and aids greatly in improving throughput.
For more efficient movement of parts and part material on the shop floor, advises Stratawise, purchase ver- satile equipment, and standardize carts, racks and conveyors where pos- sible to ease interchangeability and maintenance. On the front end, automating material feed equipment
34 MetalForming/May 2023
www.metalformingmagazine.com