Overview of the Development of Material Handling Machinery

This review introduces the characteristics, historical evolution, current development status, and future trends of material handling machinery. Material handling machinery, including lifting machinery, continuous conveying machinery, industrial vehicles, and logistics warehousing equipment, is essential for spatial movement of materials in industrial production. The paper reviews the historical development of material handling technologies, from early lifting and conveying tools to modern large-tonnage cranes, belt conveyors, automated guided vehicles, and intelligent logistics systems. It further discusses the development of modern technologies in response to carbon peaking, carbon neutrality, and green low-carbon transformation. Key topics include ultra-large-tonnage equipment, safety standards, lightweight structural design, cyber-physical systems, energy-efficiency evaluation, and emerging intelligent equipment forms. Based on extensive data review and accumulated industry experience, the paper evaluates the future development direction of material handling machinery, emphasizing lightweight design, automation, intelligent sensing and control, electromechanical integration, and energy-efficient operation.