Why Automate Your Palletizing Process?

Sept. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Each palletizer project is unique in detail that drive specific design parameters, however, all palletizers have similar processes.  Here, we will focus on general processes that may justify automation.

Make sure you do your homework.  Look at the potential project through the eyes of your company’s Board of Directors.  In today’s competitive environment, any investment in equipment, technology, training, etc. must pay for itself quickly.  Not only will your preliminary planning aid in internal justification, but it will also help you provide the necessary background data to potential equipment providers, and speed up the equipment estimating process.

Productivity and Throughput

One of the most obvious areas for justifying an automated palletizer is labor savings.  When investigating labor, be sure to include not only the labor to palletize, but all support functions as well, including movement of packaging materials, jockeying pallets, and any non-productive activities.

Current and future operation throughput may be another area to investigate.  Automation can typically increase throughput, allowing for more work to be accomplished with less labor.  Understanding your companies business plans and market conditions is often very important in justifying equipment expenditures.

Overall, understand all the processes to be automated and the potential for improvement in productivity or throughput.  Look upstream and downstream of the palletizing process.  Sometimes, including  stretch wrapping, pallet removal, case packing/sealing and other processes may help justify the project, even though the overall project scope and cost increase.

Safety and Ergonomics

As insurance rates and training costs increase, measurable cost improvements are realized in these areas.  In the past, it has been easy for a company to dismiss a safety concern because “we have never had an injury”.  Today, for instance, many companies now limit repetitive lifting to under 25 lbs, which demonstrates the shift in concern for worker safety and related costs of lost work injuries.

An automated palletizer will eliminate repetitive lifting for the palletizing process, which can result in real cost savings in both premium reductions and costs of real or potential lost work injuries.  Not only is palletizing repetitive, but typically there are twisting and reaching/extension movements that could result in long term injuries.

Product Integrity and Damage Reduction

As with any automated solution, properly designed and selected palletizing systems will provide consistent package handling.  Product damage can be easily controlled and prevented.  Identifying product damage costs associated with your current palletizing process should be considered as part of justifying automation.

Other Considerations

Future equipment demands, product changes, and economic fluctuations should be considered, not only in determining whether automation is appropriate, but also what equipment should be selected.  For instance, Robotic Palletizers are typically more adaptable to product changeover, but traditional layer building palletizers tend to run at higher speeds.  Keep in mind that there are no universal rules, especially with today’s dynamic equipment development.

Physical characteristics of your product or package may impact the cost of automated equipment, to the point where it may not be feasible to automate.  Understanding how your product can be handled, and the manipulation required to palletize is important in evaluating an automated palletizer.

In summary, determining whether an automated palletizers (visit http://www.whsystems.com/index.php/products/palletizers for details) will meet your needs should start with cost justification.  I would also suggest contacting a material handling systems (visit http://www.whsystems.com/index.php/services/conveyor-and-... for details) integrator who specializes in equipment  and processes.