BUILDING UTILITIES 2

VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Lecture 1b
MATERIAL HANDLING
INTRODUCTION
• Material handling relates to the movement,
storage, control and protection of materials,
goods and products throughout the process of
manufacturing, distribution, consumption and
disposal.
• Material handling equipment is the mechanical
equipment involved in the complete system.
 CATEGORIES OF MATERIAL-HANDLING
SYSTEMS
 Elevator-type system
These are vertical-lift, car-type systems, including the common dumbwaiter
and ejection lifts, which are basically automated dumbwaiters.
 Conveyor-type system
These include vertical and horizontal conveyors. Conveyors can be used in a
multitude of ways from warehouses to airport baggage handling systems.
This type uses belt, chain, screw or roller to transport bulk materials.
 Pneumatic system
These include sophisticated pneumatic tube systems and pneumatic trash
and linen systems.
 Automated Transport System
Also referred to as Automated Storage/Retrieval System or ASRS, is a
combination of equipment and controls that handles, stores, and retrieves
materials with precision, accuracy and speed. These include automated
messenger carts and automatic track-type container delivery systems.
 Cranes and Hoist System
ELEVATOR-TYPE SYSTEM
MANUAL LOAD/UNLOAD DUMBWAITERS
• Provide the most convenient and economical means of transporting
relatively small articles between levels
• In department stores, such units transport merchandise from stock areas
to selling or pickup counters
• In hospitals, they often transport food, drugs, linens, and other necessary
small items
• In multi-level restaurants and the like, they are used for delivery of food
from the kitchen and for return of soiled dishes
• Limited to a platform area of 9sf and a maximum height of 4ft
• Compartmentalized by shelves
• Normal speed ratings are 50 to 150fpm with a capacity of up to 500lbs
• Cars may be of traction (counterweighted) or drum (direct pickup) type
• Control is normally “call and send” between 2 floors, although multi-
button selector switch or central dispatching arrangements are available
for applications with more than 2 floors
• Loading may be floor, counter, or any other specified height
AUTOMATED DUMBWAITERS
• Also known as ejection lifts because of the method of delivery
• Applicable in institutions and other facilities that require rapid
vertical movement of relatively large items, thus, suited for delivery
of food carts, linens, dishes, bulk-liquid containers, etc.
• Load can be a cart or a basket containing the items to be
transported
• While loading can be manual or automatic, it can also use
programmable controllers for automated loading, dispatch, and
ejection, sensors to determine whether space is available for a load,
and automated return of the unloaded cart
• Payload capacity for cart system is up to 1000lbs and car speeds up
to 350fpm
• Maximum cart size is approximately 32” W x 68” L x 70” H
• Round-trip time for a 200fpm unit with 5 loading stations is
approximately 2 minutes
• Relatively costly and requires large shaft area
CONVEYOR-TYPE SYSTEM
HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL CONVEYORS
• Best applied in industrial
facilities and commercial
buildings, such as mail-order
houses, which require
continuous flow of material
• Restricted application due to
inflexible ROW requirements,
noise generation, and danger
if conveyors are left
unprotected and exposed to
unauthorized persons
• Relatively low in cost, and
capacity is unlimited
PNEUMATIC-TYPE SYSTEM
PNEUMATIC TUBES
• Every pneumatic system, makes use of pipes or ducts called
transportation lines that carry mixture of materials and a
stream of air.
• Available with 21/4- to 6-in. range of tube diameters (special
shapes also used) and with single or multiple loop
• Older systems are generally pressurized using single large,
noisy compressor
• Newer ones are computer-controlled, utilize a small blower
in each of the zones, operates basically on vacuum but also
on pressure, relatively quiet, capable of being constructed
in unlimited system length, carriers travel at 25fpm
• Computerized control center provides information and
control of all system components, including status, traffic
data, station assignments, scheduling, etc.
• Overall, pneumatic tube systems perform their task reliably,
rapidly, and efficiently at relatively low cost
Basic Air Pressure Systems Used in
Pneumatic Conveyors
1. Suction or vacuum systems, utilizing a vacuum created
in the pipeline to draw the material with the
surrounding air. The system operated at a low pressure
and is utilized mainly in conveying light free flowing
materials.
2. Pressure-type systems, in which a positive pressure is
used to push material from one point to the next. The
system is ideal for conveying material from one loading
point to a number of unloading points.
3. Combination systems, in which a suction system is
used to convey material from a number of loading
points and a pressure system is employed to deliver it
to a number of unloading points.
PNEUMATIC TRASH and LINEN SYSTEMS
• Purpose is to rapidly move bagged or packaged trash and linen from
numerous outlying stations to a central collecting point (separate tubes for
trash and linen required)
• Linen systems are generally found in hospitals; trash systems in various
facilities, frequently in conjunction with compactors
• System is basically a network of large pipes, negatively pressurized, with
numerous loading stations throughout the building
• Pipe sizes are 16, 18, 20 in. operating at high static pressure
• A system normally can handle only one unit load at a time, but moves it so
quickly (20 to 30fpm) that system capacity is large and delays are not
encountered
• Material placed into a loading station is picked up as soon as the previous
load clears
• Compressors are large and very noisy, requiring considerable space
allocation and acoustical isolation
• In addition to main vacuum system, a high-pressure air line is required to
operate the doors, and sprinkler heads must be installed every few floors
• Overall costs are low to moderate
AUTOMATED TRANSPORT SYSTEM
TRACK VEHICLE SYSTEMS
• Employs captive and secure containers locked onto a
motorized carriage that, in turn, is locked onto the track
system
• Power for the motor in the carriage is picked off a third rail
at 24V dc
• Entire assembly moves horizontally or vertically with equal
ease
• Containers move at a constant 120fpm horizontally but
moves slowly on rises, depending upon the container load
and the steepness of the rise
• Containers are available in a number of shapes and
volumes to suit particular installation. Two standard sizes
are 18”L x 6”W x 13”H (narrow profile) and 18”L x 12”W x
8”H (low profile)
• Normal payload is 20lbs. For horizontal runs only,
considerably heavier loads can be carried.
• In simple single- or dual-track, point-to-point or loop
systems, ROW conflicts cannot occur, routing is simply a
matter of addressing the car
• For complex systems involving loops and branches, routing
is decided by a central computerized controller that finds
the shortest route for each car (up to 250 cars per system),
side-tracks, parks cars, and in effect, operates a mini
railroad system
• System is easily added onto a structure due to track
flexibility and small size
• Major drawback is its high cost
SELECTIVE VERTICAL CONVEYORS
• System acts similar to that of the automated dumbwaiter
• Constructed with a moving continuous-loop chain to which
are attached carriages that pick up and deliver tote boxes
• At sending and receiving stations, the operator places the
items to be moved (up to 60lbs), “addresses” the box in of
several ways, depending on the system, and places it at a
pick-up point
• The first empty carriage on the chain picks up the box and
delivers it to its address
• Functions in modern vertical conveyors are monitored by a
microprocessor, which tracks system operation and
furnishes maintenance data and operational diagnostics
• Disadvantages are large shaft areas, noise, cumbersome
arrangements when interfacing with horizontal conveyors
• Cost is moderate
AUTOMATIC GUIDED VEHICLE SYSTEMS
• Robot battery-powered vehicles follow a route determined by a passive
guidance floor tape
• Can be arranged to interface automatically with vertical transport means
(elevators) so that route can cover various levels in the facility
• Floor tapes, installed below carpets, are entirely passive. It determines
only the path that the vehicle will follow
• All sensing, instruction, motive power, and vehicle control are located on
the vehicle itself
• Can carry a 300-lb payload and operates a full 8-hour duty without
recharging its on-board batteries
• Vehicle speeds are variable, ranging from 20 to 120fpm
• Programming of route, stops, and vertical interfaces, changing of the cycle,
and other functions is accomplished with an external programming device
and an on-board programmable controller
• Applications for an automated vehicle of this type are limitless: parts
delivery and pickup in industrial facilities, food and supplies distribution in
hospitals, and mail and document pickup and delivery in offices
CRANES AND HOIST SYSTEM
CRANES and HOIST SYSTEM
 Cranes and hoists are lifting machines used to
move heavy materials from one place to
another.
 There are many types of cranes and hoists
designed to do specific jobs.
 Cranes and hoists are generally supported by
the structural frame of the building so it
becomes an important part of the design.
 Other types have an independent structural
system and are much more versatile because
they can be moved from one side to another.
 Mobile Cranes Tower Crane

Overhead or Gantry Crane Luffing Crane