The Meaning of Material Flow
According to the Association of German Engineers (VDI), ‘material flow’ is the concatenation of all processes involved in the extraction, treatment and processing, as well as the distribution of goods within defined areas. The material flow includes all forms of throughput of work objects (e.g. substances, parts, data carriers) through a system. A distinction is made between: processing, testing, handling, conveying, storage and warehousing (see guideline VDI 2689 (draft), guidelines for material flow investigations, fundamentals).
In this case, ‘system’ describes the area between the input and output of work objects. The system can be a single small area (e.g. a workplace) or a conglomeration of different areas (a company, a complete plant).
‘Work items’ can take many forms, for example, in the form of objects, people, information or energy.
A material flow therefore occurs when the system states (position, quantity, composition, quality) of work items change.
For more information on material flow control, see Material Flow Control as a Service for a Distribution Centre.
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