5 Reasons To Use Material Handling Fixtures

Manufacturing is a multifarious, multibillion dollar industry that is constantly changing and ever-expanding. This principal industry is also extremely competitive, so staying ahead of the competition is crucial to the survival of your manufacturing company.

To streamline processes and maximize assembly line output, manufacturing companies employ a variety of effective tools. The use of material handling and shipping fixtures or “material handling fixtures,” is just one effective tool used by today’s top manufacturers.

When choosing material handling fixtures, manufacturing companies should consider  factors such as the mechanical aspects of the assembly line, the way the product is sized, and the way products are handled during assembly. If you’re considering a combination of fixed and moving parts for your assembly line, keep in mind that relocating parts during production can be cumbersome and in many cases, unsafe. In addition to being safer, streamlining your production line with material handling fixtures can:

1. Optimize your production line
2. Improve handling and staging
3. Improve inner plant logistics  
4. Improve part protection
5. Increase shop floor space

This reusable parts handling fixture and the steel aircraft engine stand has a multipurpose design featuring a split lid for safe and easy opening.

The split lid design doesn’t require a lot of manpower, the unique design makes it easy for one-person loading. The fixture also offers protection for staged parts and it’s stackable, which greatly reduces floor space demands along the production line.

Introduced early in the production line sequence, this steel aircraft engine stand serves multiple functions. It works as a build stand, then it travels through production serving as a material handling fixture. At final inspection, it becomes a shipping fixture by attaching the pre-designed wood top box to the base. An added bonus is the vibration dampener housed within the steel frame.

Parts Handling Fixture Case Study

Material handling fixtures were introduced to help streamline a hydraulic ram manufacturer’s production line.

Before material handling fixtures were introduced, the manufacturer stored unfinished parts on pallets spread across a large section of their production and warehouse floor. Hand trucks were required to move these pallets when traveling down the line. This method caused a log jam, which bogged down production.

Valley Box’s solution was to design and construct vertical multi-part fixtures with casters allowing for movement throughout the assembly. This in turn

• Eliminated the need for pallets
• Improved floor space and productivity
• Improved the mobility of the previously palleted parts

This solution also decreased the amount of space needed for unfinished parts to 47% what was previously required and it significantly decreased the handling time that was associated with the pallet method.