Material handling products are tools and systems that enable the efficient movement, storage, protection, and control of materials within various facilities, processes, or equipment. A material handling products manufacturer such as Hachidori Robotics is transforming the processes of production, warehousing, and logistics with material handling equipment that enhances productivity, improves safety, and reduces operational costs.
Material handling products are used in manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics operations to ensure the smooth flow of materials. They are used to transport materials to production lines, move materials within facilities, and transport finished goods to loading docks. The need for material handling products has become more pressing with growing pain points such as labour shortage, disruptions, high costs, and time-consuming operations. This comprehensive guide delves into material handling products’ definition, applications, types, and the role of innovative material handling solutions from Hachidori Robotics in transforming operations.
Defining Material Handling Products and Their Importance
Material handling products , also known as material handling equipment , include a variety of mechanical devices and automated systems that facilitate the movement of goods within a facility. Material handling equipment are deployed to move goods from points of receipt to storage, processing, and dispatch, affecting businesses’ operational efficiency.
Why are material handling products important? Manual handling is susceptible to errors, injuries, and delays. Material handling systems automate these tasks, leading to productivity gains of up to 5X, with Hachidori Robotics’s previous successful deployments. The top benefits of material handling solutions include a reduction in the reliance on manual resources (up to 80%), safe and autonomous operations (collision-free, 100% safe navigation), and faster integration to existing operational technology (OT). Hachidori’s industry-leading solutions have been proven to be reliable and tested for over 20,000 hours and backed by 3 patents in indoor positioning and navigation, which unlike other vendors don’t require QR codes and magnetic strips on the floor.
As many operations are currently challenged with workforce gaps and scalability concerns, material handling solutions such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) provide more adaptive intelligence to meet business needs, as they can navigate dynamic environments in real-time with crowds in aisles, slopes, bottlenecks, etc., with pinpoint accuracy (<10mm docking precision).
Where Are Material Handling Products Used?
Material handling products are utilized in various industries and operations where the movement of materials is a crucial aspect of the workflow. These operations are typically high-volume environments where material handling products address many pain points, including incorrect inventory data, underutilized space, production delays, etc.
Warehousing and Logistics
Material handling equipment in warehousing are used to address challenges like labour dependency and order picking errors. AMRs by Hachidori Robotics can move materials to shelves and workbenches, communicate with warehouse management systems (WMS) for task allocation and monitoring, and perform both horizontal and vertical movements to maximize inventory turnover with minimal investment. The beacons and sensors solve underutilized space in the gangway and management of the robot fleet to be VDA 50:50 compliant. For e-commerce and logistics companies, Dock & Convey AMRs can dock at the workbenches for greater efficiency.
Manufacturing and Automotive
In manufacturing, material handling products move raw materials from storage areas to production lines, facilitate movement between different production lines, and transport finished goods to dispatch areas. Hachidori has served the automotive, textiles, chemicals, and general manufacturing sectors to automate parts movement to other lines to help automate material movement, thereby improving TAKT time and optimizing asset utilization. Material handling solutions in manufacturing address pain points like supply chain disruptions, production delays, rising labour costs, higher inventory with faster and more flexible automation to increase productivity to support business scalability in the future.
Electronics Manufacturing
Material handling solutions for electronics manufacturing address the need for precise and delicate handling in tight spaces. For electronics assembly, the material handling products enable repetitive movement of parts to the line, supporting flexible and dynamic layouts and reducing production delays and safety risks. Capacities range from low lift, tug, and light-duty picking in electronics handling.
FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, and More
In FMCG , AMRs can help in the faster movement of materials in just-in-time supply chains. Pharmaceutical and warehousing operations can use the hygienic and reliable material handling products for the movement of supplies, equipment, and supplies in airports. For cold storage and e-commerce, AMRs can be deployed for greater scalability for automation. Hachidori has completed many industry deployments in various industries and the solutions from this leading material handling products manufacturer have helped reduce the time taken for material movement by 40%, as shared by clients such as a Pune-based plant head and Mumbai-based warehouse manager.
Types of Material Handling Equipment: Features and Comparisons
| Type | Description | Key Features | Use Cases | Hachidori Example |
| Conveyors | Belt or roller systems for continuous flow. | High-volume, fixed paths. | Assembly lines. | Dock & Convey AMR: Docks with benches, conveys materials (200-500kg). |
| Forklifts & Pallet Jacks | Powered lifts for pallets. | Manual/autonomous, 180mm stroke. | Palletized goods. | Autonomous Pallet Jack: Auto-detects openings, lifts standard pallets. |
| Tuggers | Pull carts/wagons. | Auto-attachment, reverse operation. | Bulky/light materials. | Tugger AMR: Tugs multiple wagons, off-shape items. |
| Lifters | Elevate trolleys/platforms. | 55-180mm stroke, narrow access. | Trolley lifting. | Lift & Move/Sleek Lifting: Fits 200mm tunnels, pushes trolleys. |
| AMRs/AGVs | Autonomous navigation. | AI-driven, no infrastructure changes. | Dynamic environments. | Unit Load Carrier (200-500kg), LightWeight AMR (25-200kg, 1.5m/s speed). |
| Storage Systems | Racks/sorters integrated with movers. | Space optimization. | Inventory. | Carton Transfer Unit: Moves multiple totes/cartons. |
Material handling products range based on their functions, load capacities, and levels of automation. Here’s a list with a few comparisons, including our innovative product lineup with our leading position as a material handling products manufacturer :
Comparisons: Manual forklifts cause risk of injuries, downtime, accidents. AMRs from Hachidori are safe to operate as they avoid obstacles autonomously using sensors like LiDAR/cameras. AGVs follow fixed, pre-programmed routes-AMRs are dynamic in their navigation. Hachidori beacons are wireless to enable RTLS for smart bins/pallets, unlike other solutions that need QR/barcodes.
These material handling solutions cover payloads ranging from 25kg (for narrow aisle-Light Weight AMR) to 500kg, with customisation possible in a modular design.
How Automation and Robotics Are Transforming Material Handling
Material handling solutions today are powered by robotics to achieve higher levels of efficiency. Hachidori Robotics, the leading AMR innovator in India, is driving this change with its “Move 360°” approach of smarter and scalable intralogistics.
Hachidori’s AMR Robots operate on an integrated ecosystem of hardware and software products and features: Hachidori Beacons for navigation; Call Button to summon them anytime, anywhere (Uber-like); and super-fast charging stations. Fleet management APIs to onboard and integrate with WMS/OT reduce computing effort and system disruption. Clients get 40% faster material movement, zero downtime for setup/change, and concentration on high-value tasks.
Pain points addressed include:
- Safety : With multi-sensor collision avoidance.
- Costs: Manual effort can be reduced by 80% with faster ROI.
- Flexibility : Real-time rerouting and brownfield/greenfield compatible.
- Productivity: Productivity can go up 5X with patented indoor GPS.
There are many more use cases for Hachidori’s AMRs, such as TAKT time optimization for automotive, FMCG just-in-time flow, hygienic transport for pharma. As one COO of a plant put it, “Hachidori’s technology is very dynamic, easily adapting to our changing layouts, thus reducing the risk.”
Choosing the Right Material Handling Products Manufacturer
The right material handling products manufacturer can offer customized material handling products for your needs. Hachidori’s material handling products range from Unit Load Carriers to Carton Transfer Units for manufacturing, warehousing, electronics, FMCG, automotive, and pharma industries. Visit Hachidori Robotics to get demos and try before you buy.
Material handling equipment is no longer just tools in warehouses and factories. Advanced material handling solutions provide high productivity, safety, and scalability. Businesses can enjoy these benefits by adopting state-of-the-art material handling systems . If you’re looking to automate, contact Hachidori today.