In intralogistics, conveying equipment is used to combine individual goods into larger load units. In general, the following definition applies: intralogistics uses conveying equipment to protect different goods, make them ready for loading, transport and storage.
In principle, conveying aids in intralogistics are components of the respective conveying system. Components of such a conveyor system, which is intended exclusively for the transport of load units, are conveyor aids, conveyor technology and material flow control. Conveyor aids are generally used when a transport good cannot be conveyed in bulk or, as mentioned at the beginning when smaller transport quantities are bundled into large loading units (1).
Conveyance aids are classified according to different criteria
- Non-load-bearing dimensionally stable: shipping bags, nets, sacks, pouches and bags
- Load-bearing: Pallets
- Load-bearing, enclosing and dimensionally stable: trays, storage boxes, boxes, lattice boxes, barrels, canisters, cartons
- Supporting, enclosing and locking: Container
- Special aids: cords, tension straps, padding (styrofoam, air chamber material) and packaging films
Possible requirements for conveying aids
They are often used under individual and difficult conditions. Contamination and industrial handling require material-technical robustness and versatile use.
- High loading volume, low empty volume
- Ergonomic handling
- Accuracy of fit on a conveyor belt, forklift, storage and retrieval machine, overhead conveyor, crane
- Adaptive use: container inserts, plug connections, partitions
- Certification for hazardous goods
- Shelf life
- Recyclability
- Ease of operation: filling, emptying, lifting, setting up
- Possibility of manual or automatic transport
- Insensitivity to oil, acids and alkalis
- Easy to clean
- Usability for transport logistics
Cartons, pallets and co. as cost drivers
Disadvantages of the use of conveying aids are admittedly less noteworthy, mainly because their use can hardly be avoided. But these findings influence the intralogistics warehouse planning to some degree. Tools such as cartons or pallets must always be loaded and unloaded, and in large distribution centers with inventory management of thousands of items, the high procurement costs must also be taken into account. An additional time-critical aspect is the transport of this type of auxiliary materials or empty containers to the respective process stages where there is a need for, for example, cartons, pallets or skeleton containers.
Summary
The aids described above include the pallet, container, carton and shipping bag. A distinction is made between load-bearing, supporting and enclosing and non-load-bearing aids. Conveyor aids are used to pick up and combine loose material, which in turn accelerates the logistical processes (storage, transport). It also ensures that the product range is protected against damage and theft.
(1) Timm Gudehus, Logistik, Grundlagen, Strategien, Anwendungen, Page 826, 3rd, newly edited edition
(2) Graphic lernen.projekt-eloq / die Anforderungen
Further information on the topic of conveying aids can also be found under Picking Robots and Transport Strategies in Intralogistics.
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