QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Material handling equipment help to improve the class of other segments—be it service, manufacturing, retail, food & beverages, fishing or any other. One of the prominent reasons that make Ferrari ‘best in class’ is that all the steps of its manufacturing, from painting to other steps along assembly line, have completely been automated...barring one—engine fitting. This can only be achieved because of the best in material handling equipment. Let’s see the factors that stand for material handling quality, and how can we improvise on the same...
Ensuring Best in Class Performance
SUPRITA ANUPAM
good material handling system at a plant builds the credibility of a company. However, quality assurance measures have to be embedded in economy and value-added segments, the design stage itself. Apart from retrieval equipment, conveying systems while Linde is in the premium class standards such as ISO 9001:QMS, and product sortation equipment. The segment. Linde is known for its high environmental ISO 14001:EMS, level of automation varies depending quality standards—be it in terms of safety and security ISO18001 & energy on the handling requirements. ergonomics, efficiency or quality quality standard ISO 50001, there are For instance, fully automated superiority with additional features of other standards and certifications for handling systems ensure that the safety.” To ensure the right quality manufacturers as well as suppliers to materials/components/assemblies standards, there must be a careful and ensure that the final product is up to are delivered to the production line thorough analysis of risk assessment, the mark. In a manufacturing plant when required without significant hazard identification and further risk supply chain or retailing, quality manual intervention. Also, semielimination & control. Therefore, management processes are laid automatic handling systems provide persons handling these equipment down through a consecutive series of less advanced solutions that deliver must have the corresponding certificate steps—be it handling raw materials, materials/components/assemblies to of competency from the concerned semi-finished or finished processes or the production line with some manual universities or reputed training ensuring that the QA is in place. intervention. institutes. Commenting on the quality Automated Guided Vehicles: An standardisation in India, Kedar Damle, Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is a Business Head, Linde Material material handling device that is used to UPLIFTING THE CLASS THROUGH Handling Asia Pacific Pvt Ltd, says, move parts between machines or work AUTOMATION “According to the quality and cost centres. They are small, independently Quality standards have risen through standards, the material handling powered vehicles that are usually automated handling, including market can be classified into three guided by an optical guidance system automated guide vehicles, storage & segments, viz., economy or magnetic tapes that are class, value-added class and embedded on the floor. Finite Element Analysis has become a powerful design tool premium class. The Indian The Automatic Guided and has significantly improved the standards of engineering material handling market Vehicle Systems (AGVS) designs as well as the methodology of design process in is mostly distributed into Industry Group of Material material handling.
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