Material Handling

Material Handling involves short-distance movement within the confines of a building or between a building and a transportation vehicle. It uses a wide range of manual, semi-automated, and automated equipment and includes consideration of the protection, storage, and control of materials throughout their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Material handling can be used to create time & place utility through the handling, storage, and control of material, as distinct from manufacturing, which creates utility by changing the shape, form, and makeup of material.