Prior to the introduction of the so called “Material handling equipment†humans had to perform physical labor to carry out heavy duty tasks. This could be made possible by employing a huge number of workers. However, when the goods came in bulk unloading and loading turned out to be a very time consuming affair. The use of Material handling equipment in logistics has played a significant role in making the loading and unloading activities easier and faster.
Ask yourself the question “Why are ‘Remote controlled’ material handling equipment used?†and almost instantly you arrive at the logical answer that the chief benefit would be allowing personal to control their machine from a safe distance.
Remote control can be achieved by two different modes:
1)Â Â Â Â Radio frequency (RF) Signals
RF signals are further divided into two categories.
a)    Narrow-band system  b) Spread spectrum system.
2)Â Â Â Â Infrared light
Infrared method works by transmitting a beam of light
Infrared mode of radio control is preferred over RF signals because of the safety and precision that it offers. Since the infrared method works by transmitting a beam of light, once the beam is out of sight, the beam is obstructed and the controls turn off. That is, the operator must always be in view of the RCMHE, which in turns aids safety as the full visibility of the operator over the machine is critical. Precise, in the sense that with the use of RF technology there is always a chance of interference with other signals and might lead to accidents, Infrared remote control makes this type of mistake impossible.
Applications:
1)Â Â Â Â Â Transfer of components from one container to another especially fragile objects
2)     Transfer of hazardous/explosive objects
3)Â Â Â Â Â Operation in high temperature environment
Although it is advantages to use RCMHE, proper training for the staff handling the RCMHE is a prerequisite to ensure safe working.
