// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Material Handling
The movement, protection, storage, and control of materials and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and disposal.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Material Handling encompasses the systematic movement, storage, protection, and control of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods within a facility or across the supply chain, utilizing equipment like conveyors, forklifts, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
BACKGROUND
Material handling involves short-distance movement within the confines of a building or between a building and a transportation vehicle. It uses a wide range of manual, semi-automated, and automated equipment and includes consideration of the protection, storage, and control of materials throughout their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Material handling can be used to create time and place utility through the handling, storage, and control of waste, as distinct from manufacturing, which creates form utility by changing the shape, form, and makeup of material.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Logistics
- internal logistics
- goods movement
- inventory movement
USAGE NOTE
Efficient material handling systems are vital for optimizing warehouse operations and reducing labor costs.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Material Handling.
Develops industrial robots, automated production systems, and mobile platforms used for handling, processing, and assembly in various manufacturing sectors.
Provides intelligent automated material handling solutions, software, and services to optimize supply chains for warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing facilities.
A global leader in automated material handling systems, offering solutions like AS/RS, conveyors, sortation, and cleanroom transport for various industries.
Offers a comprehensive range of industrial robots and modular manufacturing solutions for tasks such as picking, packing, palletizing, and machine tending, enhancing material flow.
Pioneered and continues to develop autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for highly automated fulfillment centers, revolutionizing warehouse material handling and logistics.
Provides a wide array of automated material handling solutions, including conveyors, sortation systems, robotics, and software, for distribution and fulfillment operations.
Focuses on enterprise asset intelligence, including mobile computing, barcode scanning, RFID, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for real-time visibility and material transport.
Specializes in process automation solutions for warehouses, parcel distribution centers, and airports, providing sophisticated material handling and sorting systems.
A major provider of forklifts, reach trucks, AGVs, and other material handling equipment, with increasing focus on automation, fleet management, and connected solutions.
Manufactures industrial robots and factory automation systems that are widely used for loading, unloading, picking, packing, and other material handling tasks in manufacturing.