Material Handling

MCE-4821
Dr. Nafis Ahmad
Professor
Department of IPE, BUET
Email:nafis@ipe.buet.ac.bd
Classification, Characteristics
of Materials

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Topics

▷ Unit loads
▷ Bulk loads
▷ Lump size
▷ Angle of repose
▷ Selection of conveying equipment

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Unit loads
●
Method to be adopted and choice of equipment for a
materials handling system primarily depends on the type of
material/s to be handled. Based on the forms, materials are
i) Gases, ii) Liquids, iii) Semi Liquids and iv) Solids
●
Most industrial materials are solids, which are classified as
unit loads and bulk load
●
Unit loads are formed solids of various sizes, shapes and
weights
●
Counted by numbers: machine parts, molding boxes,
fabricated items
●
Tared goods: containers, bags, packaged items
●
Important characteristics: overall dimensions, shape, piece-
weight, temperature, inflammability, strength/fragility etc

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Unit loads

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Unit loads
●
Hoisting equipment and trucks a generally used for
handling unit loads. Certain type of conveyors are also
used.
●
Classifications of unit loads:shape, C.G. position, mass,
volume, types, geometric shape, physical/chemical
properties, sensitivity of pressure/shock/vibration etc.

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Bulk loads
●
Bulk materials are those which are powdery, granular or
lumpy in nature and are stored in heaps.
●
Examples: minerals(ores, coals etc.), earthy materials
(gravel, sand etc.), agricultural products(grain, sugar, flour
etc.), processed material (cement, salt, chemical)
●
Major characteristics are: lump-size, bulk-weight, specific
weight, moisture content, flowability/mobility of particle,
angle of repose, abrasiveness, temperature, proneness to
explosive, stickiness, fuming or dusty, corrosivity,
hygroscopicity

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Lump-size
●
Largest diagonal length “a” of a particle is known as
particle lump-size.

●
Sized bulk materials vs. unsized bulk materials: ratio largest
size to smallest size is > 2.5
●
Average lump-size of a sized bulk material is:

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Lump-size

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Bulk weight
●
Bulk weight or bulk density of a lumpy material is the
weight of the material per unit volume in bulk.
●
Because of empty spaces within the particles in bulk
materials, bulk density is always less than density of a
particle of the same material.
●
Generally bulk load can be packed by static or dynamic
loading. The ratio of the bulk density of a packed material
to its bulk density before packing is known as the packing
coefficient whose value varies for different bulk materials
and their lump size, from 1.05 to 1.52. Bulk density is
generally expressed in kg/m3
.

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Bulk weight
Bulk weight or bulk density of a lumpy material is the weight
of the material per unit volume in bulk.

Determining Bulk weight of a free flow bulk material:

-Container with definite volume
-Larger lump size materials require larger container
-

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Angle of repose

When a bulk material is freely spilled over a horizontal plane,

it assumes a conical heap. The angle ‘φ’ of the cone with the
horizontal plane is called the angle of repose.

-Less is ‘φ’, higher is the flowability of the bulk material.

-If the heap is shaken, the heap becomes flatter and the
corresponding angle of repose under dynamic condition is
referred to as dynamic angle of repose φdyn.

-φdyn is generally considered to be equal to 0.7φ Bulk weight

or bulk density
.

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Angle of repose

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Angle of repose

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Typical Bulk Materials

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Bulk loads
●
Bulk materials are generally handled by belt-conveyor,
screw conveyor, pneumatic conveyor, bucket elevator, grab
bucket, skip hoist, stacker-reclaimer, dumper-loader etc.
●
It can be handled by cranes / trucks when collected in
containers or bags.
●
Small lump (powdered / granular) materials can be handled
pneumatically or hydraulically.
●
Bulk materials are generally stored on ground / floor in the
open or under shed, and also in bunkers / silos.

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Technical factors for Choosing Mat.
Handling Equipment

●
Nature and properties of material:Physical and mechanical
properties of materials considerably narrow the range of
equipment.
●
Required capacity of the equipment: economy of scale
●
Direction and length of conveying run: loading unloading at
both ends, path straight or not,
●
Storage of the materials at the head and trail ends:
●
Processing steps and movement of load
●
Specific local conditions

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Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at:
@ahmadn
nafis@ipe.buet.ac.bd

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