Palletizers are machines that aid in the arranging of products on pallets before beingshipped, stored or moved.
Area where the products are coming from are call feed area, these product are meant to be palletized. Feed area can be on ground level or at a higher level. For greater speed in processing the pallets, the feed( refering to the products) are normally receive in flowing fashion. Palletizers that work without feed area are normally robotic palletizers.
When looking for palletizers, it is very important to consider a lot of factors before coming to a decision to what system will be used. Factors such as types of goods handled or factory space.
There are basically three main type of palletizers, manual, robotic and the use of conventional palletizers. Manual palletizers refer to palletizing manually with labors. Manual palletizers are not advised because there may be inconsistencies. The figure below shows the possible outcome.
When looking for palletizers, it is very important to consider a lot of factors before coming to a decision to what system will be used. Factors such as types of goods handled or factory space.
There are basically three main type of palletizers, manual, robotic and the use of conventional palletizers. Manual palletizers refer to palletizing manually with labors. Manual palletizers are not advised because there may be inconsistencies. The figure below shows the possible outcome.
The other two palletizers will be furthur explained below.
Robotic palletizers
This type of palletizers are very efficient, there will be a robotic arm that automatically picks up the good and arrange it into the pallets. This palletizers can be fully automated or semi-automated where a operator will be there to control. Robotic palletizers are use mainly when the products are fragile or too heavy for labor to handles.
There are also some advantages in using this palletizers such as
● ease the workload of worker as they do not have to repeat the repetitive process of palletizing which means lower labor costs can prevent injuries to workers as they do not have to carry the heavy loads
● faster and better consistency compared to human, ' One robot typically perform 1 to 3 person work while offering 24 hours a day'
● better consistency also mean better product and process quality
● normally equip with safety functions like quickstop and smartscan
● quickstop: refering to having sensors that will shut down work cells and deflate to absorb impact thus minimizing damage to tooling and the product
● smartscan: able to detect difference between human and pallets and only if humans are detected, operations will be stopped within seconds
● flexiblility while handling products
However a disadvantages of this palletizers are because of its capacity.
There are also some advantages in using this palletizers such as
● ease the workload of worker as they do not have to repeat the repetitive process of palletizing which means lower labor costs can prevent injuries to workers as they do not have to carry the heavy loads
● faster and better consistency compared to human, ' One robot typically perform 1 to 3 person work while offering 24 hours a day'
● better consistency also mean better product and process quality
● normally equip with safety functions like quickstop and smartscan
● quickstop: refering to having sensors that will shut down work cells and deflate to absorb impact thus minimizing damage to tooling and the product
● smartscan: able to detect difference between human and pallets and only if humans are detected, operations will be stopped within seconds
● flexiblility while handling products
However a disadvantages of this palletizers are because of its capacity.
Conventional palletizers
A conventional palletizer arranges the product approaching from the speed conveyor into a given pattern onto a stripper plate and places the layer onto the pallet.
There are two types of conventional palletizers, low speed and high speed. Both types can have floor or high level feed area. The main different between them are the speed, low speed able to stack 1-10 cases per minutes while high speed able to stack 150 cases per minutes. This means that conventional palletizers are more suitable for products that have high throughput levels.However, conventional palletizers that works in line are not very flexible in the operation process. A right angled conventional palletizers are more flexible as they provide more pattern. However right angled have a limtied capacity of up to 80 cases per minutes.
Which is better?
In today's manufaturing , managers are face with great challenges such as to reduce labor cost, increase efficiency, both objectives can be achieved if the appropriate palletizers are been used. There is no better choice while choosing the palletizers, it all has to depend on many factors that will affect the managers decisions. The best method of palletizing is one that minimize the use of manufaturing plant space and fully take advantages of the palnt constraints. Some other factors are as follows:
● production throughput
● available space
● traffic patterns
● distance from palletizing area to packaging area
● type of secondary pakaging
● frequency change of sku change over in each product line
● stability of finished goods
After considering all this factors then the managers should make their decisions. A suitable system is essential to effective cost saving and higher quality products where there will be less damaged goods.
There are two types of conventional palletizers, low speed and high speed. Both types can have floor or high level feed area. The main different between them are the speed, low speed able to stack 1-10 cases per minutes while high speed able to stack 150 cases per minutes. This means that conventional palletizers are more suitable for products that have high throughput levels.However, conventional palletizers that works in line are not very flexible in the operation process. A right angled conventional palletizers are more flexible as they provide more pattern. However right angled have a limtied capacity of up to 80 cases per minutes.
Which is better?
In today's manufaturing , managers are face with great challenges such as to reduce labor cost, increase efficiency, both objectives can be achieved if the appropriate palletizers are been used. There is no better choice while choosing the palletizers, it all has to depend on many factors that will affect the managers decisions. The best method of palletizing is one that minimize the use of manufaturing plant space and fully take advantages of the palnt constraints. Some other factors are as follows:
● production throughput
● available space
● traffic patterns
● distance from palletizing area to packaging area
● type of secondary pakaging
● frequency change of sku change over in each product line
● stability of finished goods
After considering all this factors then the managers should make their decisions. A suitable system is essential to effective cost saving and higher quality products where there will be less damaged goods.
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