Conveying

Materials handling in the food and processing industries is concerned with movement of materials in different cases, such as from supply point to store or process, between stages during processes, or to packing and distribution. The movement of materials is a crucial activity that adds nothing to the value of the product, but can represent an added cost if not managed properly. For this reason, responsibility for materials handling is normally vested in specialist handling engineers, and many food manufacturers adopt this procedure. If a company does not have a specific department in charge of materials handling, the responsibility for efficient handling of materials falls on the production manager and his/her staff. It is important, therefore, for production executives to have a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of good handling practice.