MHI (Material Handling Institute) is the largest US trade association for material handling and supply chain technologies.
Detailed Definition
MHI is a US trade association whose members manufacture, integrate and supply material handling, logistics and supply chain equipment and software, including forklifts, conveyors, racking, automated storage and mobile robots. It runs the ProMat and MODEX trade shows and publishes industry reports and educational material. Several product groups operate within or alongside MHI, including the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), which publishes ANSI MH16.1, the US specification for the design, testing and utilization of industrial steel storage racks.
How MHI is useful to pallet users
MHI is not a regulator and does not certify warehouses or pallets. Its value to pallet buyers and warehouse operators is as a source of industry standards, technical guidance and supplier contacts. Product sections within MHI cover areas such as storage racks, conveyors, automated guided vehicles and loading dock equipment, and several publish safety guidance or voluntary standards that are widely referenced by engineers and insurers.
For racking in particular, the RMI specification is the document rack engineers design to, and many building officials and fire codes reference it for permitting rack installations.
Using MHI resources well
- Use MHI's product section materials to learn the vocabulary before talking to vendors.
- Ask rack suppliers to confirm their designs follow the current ANSI MH16.1 edition.
- Use trade shows to compare equipment side by side, but verify capacity and compatibility claims in writing.
- Remember that OSHA, not MHI, sets enforceable workplace safety rules.
MHI also publishes an annual industry report based on surveys of supply chain leaders, which is useful background on automation and labor trends, but treat survey findings as opinions of respondents rather than measured facts about your own operation.
Authoritative Sources
- Material Handling Institute (MHI): the largest US trade association for material handling, logistics, and supply chain technologies.
- Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI): the rack manufacturers group, affiliated with MHI, that publishes the ANSI MH16.1 specification for industrial steel storage racks.
Related Glossary Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MHI the same as RMI?
No. MHI is the broad material handling trade association. The Rack Manufacturers Institute is an industry group of storage rack manufacturers that operates in affiliation with MHI and publishes the ANSI MH16.1 rack specification. When a question is specifically about rack design, capacity or load signage, RMI's documents are the relevant source. For general material handling topics and trade shows, MHI is the usual starting point.
Does MHI set legal requirements for warehouses?
No. MHI is a private trade association, so its guidance and the standards developed by its product groups are voluntary unless a law, building code, contract or insurer adopts them. Enforceable workplace safety rules come from OSHA and state plans, and building and fire codes are adopted by local jurisdictions. Many of those codes reference industry standards such as ANSI MH16.1, which gives them practical force in permitting.