Storage equipment is usually limited to non-automated examples, which are grouped in with engineered systems. Storage equipment is used to hold or buffer materials during “downtimes,” or times when they are not being transported. These periods could refer to temporary pauses during long-term transportation or long-term storage designed to allow the buildup of stock. The majority of storage equipment refers to pallets, shelves or racks onto which materials may be stacked in an orderly manner to await transportation or consumption. Many companies have investigated increased efficiency possibilities in storage equipment by designing proprietary packaging that allows materials or products of a certain type to conserve space while in inventory.
Material handling encompasses more than just inventory handling. It is the movement and protection of materials and products through their lifecycles of manufacture, warehousing distribution, consumption, disposal, and disposal. Material handling can include a number of components to ensure that the supply chain runs smoothly. There are many types of equipment, such as semi-automated, automated and manual, as well a variety systems like single-level storage and multi-level, and conveyors. ).
