In this RS Ask the Expert Q&A, RS Product Director Marie Dawson talks about the material handling & packaging industry, addressing its importance, common applications and core components as well as the unique value that RS provides in terms of product sourcing and support.
In this latest installment of RS’s Ask the Expert Series, Product Director Marie Dawson talks about the material handling & packaging industry.
Hi Marie. What is material handling and why is it important?
Material handling refers to the movement of raw materials to production sites, their manipulation throughout the production process, which typically involves a mixture of manual, semi-automated and automated equipment and systems, and the warehousing and distribution of finished products. Material handling is vital to the logistics and supply chain industries and plays a crucial role in forecasting, resource allocation, production planning, flow and process management, inventory management and control, customer delivery and even after-sales support and service. In addition, efficient, well-integrated material handling processes can help companies optimize their inventory and reduce manufacturing, distribution and transportation costs.
Can you share a few examples of material handling applications?
Absolutely! Material handling applications extend across virtually every market segment and include automated storage and retrieval systems, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automated identification and data collection equipment, casters and wheels, controls, conveyor belts, hoists and cranes, industrial robotics, order fulfillment systems, lift trucks, packaging equipment, software and sortation and storage equipment.
So, packaging is just one component of material handling?
Yes, but it’s an important function because it enables finished products to be distributed and sold and protects them from harm, including parts loss or contamination, until they’re employed or consumed.
There are many different types of packaging materials and equipment. Popular packaging materials include corrugated cardboard, stretch film, shrink film, poly bags, shrink bands, flexible pouches, jars, cans, bottles, paperboard boxes, strapping, carded packaging, skin packaging and blister packaging, and many of these materials require specialized equipment like case erectors for cardboard boxes, shrink tunnels for shrink films and vacuum equipment for skin packaging.
How does RS support the material handling & packaging industry?
RS supplies component solutions, devices, equipment and technical support services to OEMs that design and build material handling & packaging equipment and machinery, and we also support other types of manufacturers that are upgrading or maintaining their material handling & packaging systems.
Our material handling & packaging customers include engineers, purchasers, owners, installers, and maintainers in the industrial manufacturing, automotive, appliance, consumer electronics, chemical, construction, food & beverage, materials processing, paper, plastics, pharmaceutical, warehousing and distribution industries.
We’ve also been working to expand our support for this crucial, cross-market vertical. So, we’re really proud of the fact that we grew our material handling & packaging business by more than 50% last year — especially since our primary focus is to provide our material handling & packaging customers with comprehensive solutions that add real value to their businesses and make their lives easier.
What do you mean by comprehensive solutions?
Some of the most prevalent material handling & packaging solutions include:
- Sensors. Proximity, position, pressure, flow, liquid level, temperature and vision sensors, including barcode readers, are used to inform automated and semi-automated systems
- Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems, which are used in pick and place, folding and sealing operations
- Linear Motion Technologies ranging from linear actuators, motion control axes and drives to planetary screw assemblies, linear guides, bushings and shaft couplings
- Motors
- Industrial Controls
- Process Controls
- Belts. Timing belts, V-belts, multi-rib belts and conveyor belts are critical to achieving precision timing, positioning and product handling as well as flexibility and efficiency.
- Bearings, including ball bearings, mounted bearings, needle bearings and cam followers.
However, nearly all of these material handling & packaging products also require connectors, cables, cable assemblies and power products ranging from power supplies and power supply accessories to power protection products, including power filters and uninterruptible power supplies, to establish reliable connections and effectively protect equipment from hazards including voltage surges and line swells, power interruptions, brownouts, voltage sags, voltage transients, frequency variations, harmonic distortion and electrical noise. Power protection is especially important in factory automation equipment including industrial machinery, control panels and PLCs.
In addition, like all industrial equipment, material handling & packaging equipment must be well maintained to ensure safe, efficient and effective operation. Some of the most common maintenance solutions in this vertical include lubricants, greases and oils, and we offer a broad selection of these products as well.
So, to help ensure that our customers get their material handling & packaging solutions up and running quickly, safety and effectively — and that they stay that way — we also advise them about compatible power supply, power protection and maintenance solutions sure to help preserve the integrity of their operations and the value of their investments.
Why should customers come to RS for material handling & packaging solutions?
RS prides itself on providing comprehensive, end-to-end solutions and offers approximately 50,000 ready-to-ship material handling & packaging products, in addition to more than 22,000 ready-to-ship supporting solutions, from industry-leading suppliers including Banner Engineering, SMC Corporation, Bosch Rexroth Linear Motion Technology, Siemens, LPS, Endress+Hauser, SKF, Phoenix Contact and TE Connectivity.
Another benefit of sourcing material handling & packaging solutions from RS is our RS PRO by RS line of private label products, which offers a vast selection of rigorously tested and attractively priced solutions that are suitable for industrial automation applications, compliant with all relevant international standards and backed by the RS PRO Seal of Approval, which is only awarded after a meticulous quality control process based on stringent international standards. Solutions include more than 2,100 ready-to-ship material handling & packaging products ranging from sensors, bushings, belts and bearings to industrial controls, process controls, linear actuators and hydraulic and pneumatic systems, as well as more than 4,800 ready-to-ship supporting solutions, including connectors, cables, cable assemblies and power products.
RS also offers a comprehensive suite of services and tools including a highly experienced technical support team, kitting, bagging and labeling services, a BOM tool and an online registration page featuring helpful information including a Quick Start Guide, a guide to Advanced Features and an FAQ.
For more information about RS’s extensive portfolio of material handling & packaging solutions, please visit the links embedded throughout this article. For assistance identifying and deploying material handling & packaging solutions optimized for your unique application, please contact your local RS representative at 1.866.433.5722 or reach out to our technical support team.
