To be considered running at peak efficiency, the material handling system should be set up so that:

Author links open overlay panelAndrewRobertsPersonEnvelopeRichardBrooksPhilipShipway

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.03.002Get rights and content

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Highlights

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The sources of I.C. engine cold start efficiency are reviewed and quantified.

Potential solutions are reviewed and the benefit quantified together.

Potential conflicts between different engine sub-systems are discussed.

Fuel consumption benefits of up to 7% are observed during cold start.

Emission reductions of up to 40% during cold start are observed.

Abstract

Legislation on vehicle emissions continues to become more stringent in an effort to minimise the impact of internal combustion engines on the environment. One area of significant concern in this respect is that of the cold-start; the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine is significantly lower at cold-start than when the vehicle reaches steady state temperatures owing to sub-optimal lubricant and component temperatures. The drive for thermal efficiency (of both the internal combustion engine and of the vehicle as a whole) has led to a variety of solutions being trialled to assess their merits and effects on other vehicle systems during this warm-up phase (and implemented where appropriate). The approaches have a common theme of attempting to reduce energy losses so that systems and components reach their intended operating temperature range as soon as possible after engine start. In the case of the engine, this is primarily focused on the lubricant system. Lubricant viscosity is highly sensitive to temperature and the increased viscosity at low temperatures results in higher frictional and pumping losses than would be observed at the target operating temperature. The approaches used to tackle the problem include the use of phase change materials (to reduce the cool-down rate during a period following engine running) , and the use of thermal barrier coatings in an attempt to insulate the cylinder bore and prevent heat loss (thus increasing the amount of energy utilised as brake work ). A range of system alterations have also been trialled including diversion systems on the lubricant circuit to reduce thermal losses. Presented here is a critical review of the research into vehicle thermal management during the cold-start phase which has been driven by a desire to improve both engine and overall vehicle engine efficiency. The review includes both system developments and material selection issues and the role the two fields have to play in tackling this critical issue.

From the simplest shelf to the most complex lights-out facilities (warehouse automation that can operate in the dark), warehouses use a lot of Material Handling Equipment. It’s hard to remember all the different kinds of equipments, but they fall under four broad types.

What are these Material Handling Equipment types? And what is Material Handling?

According to dictionary.com, material handling is the loading, unloading, and movement of goods, as within a factory or warehouse, especially by the aid of mechanical devices. Thus material handling equipment means devices that help a warehouse function by moving and storing goods.

Type 1: Storage and Handling Equipment

This is the simplest type, something so basic you might not even think of it as equipment. These are shelves and racks where you store your material in between receiving it and shipping it. They are often designed to utilize vertical space so the warehouse can hold more items. Bins, drawers, stacking frames, flow racks, cantilever racks, and mezzanines are also included in this category.

Type 2: Bulk Material Handling Equipment

According to Thomas Network, this is, the storing, transportation and control of materials in loose bulk form. If there’s a lot of material altogether, you’re probably using bulk material handling equipment. An example would be a silo, a large cylinder that can hold stuff like grain.

Other examples include:

• Stackers and reclaimers: Large machines that are used to dump things into piles or to pick them back up again. They can be hard to visualize, so here’s an animation of one working.
• Hoppers: Picture a large metal funnel. It stores material and can release an exact quantity out the bottom.
• Grain elevators: Buildings used to store grain. They include a series of buckets on a track that automatically transports grain to the top of the building where it can be funneled into different silos.
• Bucket elevators: Similar to a grain elevator, this device features buckets that transport large amounts of material.
• Conveyor Belts: Moving belts that transport material. They can be combined into more complicated conveyor systems which are considered engineered systems. If you want a conveyor system for your business, contact DCS.
• Dump Trucks: Also a type of industrial material transport vehicle.
• Screw Conveyor: A screw-shaped device inside a tube that turns to move material.
• Rotary car dumper: A device that turns a rail car to dump out its contents.

Type 3: Industrial Trucks

These are vehicles or equipment that move materials. Sometimes workers run them, and sometimes they are automatic. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) fall under both engineered systems and industrial trucks.

Other examples are:

• Hand trucks: These are also called dollies. They are simple, L-shaped devices that let you carry material at a tilt.
  
• Side-loaders: These are used to load materials in narrow aisles where other trucks may be too wide.
• Pallet trucks: Hand-operated or electric devices that slide into pallets to move them.
• Walkie stackers: Thomas Network explains that these transport and lift pallets like a forklift, though they don’t include a place for the operator to ride in. They come in both powered or manual versions.
• Order pickers: These vehicles lift a worker off the ground so they can grab high packages.
• Platform trucks: Like a dolly but with a wider platform.
• Forklifts: Operational vehicles used to lift and transport heavy items.

Type 4: Engineered Systems

This type of material handling equipment involves more complicated systems with multiple components, usually warehouse automation.

Examples would be AGVs, conveyor belt or robotic delivery systems (complicated systems that come in different shapes and sizes), or Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS), which are automated systems often incorporating AGVs which make warehouses more efficient-basically anything that moves materials around the warehouse so workers don’t have to.

This category of equipment is the most complicated and expensive, often incorporating elements from the other categories into wider more expansive systems. These systems require a lot of time and research before making an investment.

A Material Handling Integrator Can Help

Your warehouse is unique and requires a unique solution. If you’re updating your current warehouse system and wondering what kind of material handling equipment you need, contact us. We are amaterial handling integrator, or systems integrator, that designs, engineers and integrates a system tailored to your needs and specifications.