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A Truly Versatile And Modular Tray Palletizer, That Is Also Affordable?

On October 10, 2011, in Tray Palletizer, by brady
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Considering their reputation for durability and versatility, you might expect that our IPLA tray palletizers would be very expensive. Thankfully, this is not the case. Through our modular and streamlined engineering, we can deliver these solutions at a low entry level price.

Unlike most layer formation palletizers, tray pack palletizers utilize grippers to lift the layers to place them on the pallet. This method works best because most tray packs are palletized in columns where each tray interlocks with the tray below. The gripper mechanically places the layer to ensure a positive fit.

Due to their simple and very space efficient rectangular shape, IPLA tray palletizers can be expanded in to multiple palletizer installations very easily and cost effectively. This makes them an ideal choice for businesses that are planning to start small and then expand in the future.

Based on our research thus far, American palletizer manufacturers do not offer entry-level priced tray palletizers, much less ones that are versatile and modular in their design.

If you are in the tray packing business and on an entry level budget, you may want to seriously consider the benefits that a modular and versatile tray packing solution can offer.

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My Nephew, The Chicken Palletizer

On September 17, 2011, in Box Palletizer, by brady
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We just wrapped up a vacation where I spent some good quality time with my brother’s family who I don’t see very often. We stayed at a great cottage in Grand Haven, Michigan that overlooked Lake Michigan. The weather was great and we even had a good old Michigan thunderstorm one night.

My brother’s twin sons just graduated from high school and are heading to community college this fall. I was hanging out with one of my brother’s sons one evening and the subject of his summer job came up. He had taken a job at a chicken processing plant where I was surprised to learn that his job was stacking 40 lb boxes of frozen chicken all day. He told me that he and about 3 or 4 other guys did this job for the company he works for. Needless to say, it sounded like a pretty tough job, even for a young buck like him.

I don’t think he knew at the time my involvement in the palletizer industry, so he was a little surprised to hear that I sold equipment that would replace workers just like him. I immediately put his mind at ease by telling him that I wouldn’t be calling his boss any time soon! (or at least until he had moved on to another job).

I left this conversation scratching my head as to why such a productive processing facility wouldn’t have considered automation for this labor intensive job, especially in light of the number of workers required to complete the job.

The answer could be: they simply may not know that there are cost effective solutions that could be saving them thousands of dollars in operating costs every month, while also not exposing their staff to unnecessary job related injuries (and the higher workers compensation premiums that can result).

A Food Production Palletizer Number-crunching Tool

To help the owners of businesses just like this chicken processing plant, we will soon be launching a dynamic Return On Investment (ROI) calculator on our website. This calculator will conveniently allow owners of productive businesses to enter in their operating costs and other production related numbers into the calculator, will provide them with immediate feed-back on how much money they can save by installing a palletizer. Our calculator will also recommend the correct palletizer and other possible automated steps that will benefit the producer based on their production levels and cost inputs.

In this tough economy it is even more imperative that businesses regularly analyze their input costs to see where they may be exposing themselves to unnecessary costs.

We hope that our calculator will help you quickly learn how a palletizer investment could be a very effective way to trim down operating costs in your production facility.

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Potato Industry Feature: Stacking Up Benefits for Growers

On August 29, 2011, in Heavy Bag Palletizer, by brady
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HERDI Potato PalletizerThe HERDI heavy bag gripper palletizer was recently featured in the Canadian potato industry’s SpudSmart magazine in their Equipment and Technology showcase section.

The article features an interview with Lewis M. Carter Manufacturing (Canada) Ltd. representative, Chris Hammel, in which the HERDI palletizer is described as “a simpler version of multi-axis robotic palletizers” that “provides palletizing at a lower capacity at a lower capital cost.” Smaller producers can now get into the palletizing market as the both capacity and cost are an ideal fit. Read the entire article here >

For more technical information, photos and videos about the HERDI P600 & P800 heavy bag palletizers please see the product page.

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How to Automatically Palletize Apples, Pears and Peaches

On August 24, 2011, in Automatic Palletizer, Box Palletizer, by brady
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With all those grades and sizes, how do you automatically palletize apples, pears and peaches?

Apple, pear, peach and other tree fruit packers have not been quick to adopt fully automatic palletizing solutions because they face the unique challenge of having as many as 30 or more different product codes, and each individual product code requires a dedicated pallet.

To overcome this challenge, a popular strategy in the United States has been to install elaborate accumulation systems that are made up of 30 or more box conveyors, each with enough capacity to hold a full pallet of apples, pears, peaches or whatever tree fruit is being packed.

Generally how it works is…The accumulation system communicates with a computer that scans the bar-codes on the fruit boxes and then the boxes are distributed according to these codes to their corresponding accumulation lanes where they are staged for palletizing.

With such a set up, there are typically 1 or 2 automatic palletizers that receive the fruit from the accumulation lanes until the pallets are stacked, at which time the exit on the accumulation lane is signalled to stop/close to allow another lane to open up and be palletized.

The advertised advantage of this method is that it is more cost effective for the purchaser because they are only purchasing a couple of expensive palletizers versus the several that would be required to have dedicated palletizers for every product SKU.

Though this sounds like a reasonable argument up front, what generally isn’t realized is the fact that accumulation systems are also very expensive. And expense isn’t the only drawback. Here are some others:

  1. The fruit ends up sitting on these accumulation systems for a long time which keeps them out of cold storage.
  2. They take up a lot of expensive floor space.
  3. The success of the system relies solely on one or two palletizers, so if there is a mechanical issue with the one or two palletizers, the entire system shuts down.
  4. Accumulating to multiple lanes requires a tremendous number of sensors, relays and switches all of which have to be in sync, well programmed and working properly to make the system work.

Why don’t they use box accumulation systems in Europe?

Though the above reasons may contribute to why palletizer solution providers in Europe don’t use accumulation systems, I think the primary reason why they don’t use them is simply because they don’t have to.

Multiple Tray / Box Palletizer InstallationEuropean palletizer manufacturers, and in particular our manufacturer IPLA understand the importance of modular palletizing solutions. All of our designs are based on the premise that future expansion is inevitable. In Europe, automated palletizing is the norm among fruit packers and producers. Therefore, as companies expand and grow so does their need for more palletizers.

With the very well engineered modular designs that IPLA manufactures, they can install several palletizers side by side very cost effectively and space efficiently because they share common frames and even have shared automation . These systems can also share empty pallet dispensers and full pallet accumulation conveyors (for further cost-effectiveness). The end result is a highly efficient palletizing solution that keeps your apples, pears and peaches as fresh as possible without causing downtime if one palletizer happens to break down. You might also be surprised at how price competitive a multi-palletizer solution can be versus an accumulation based system.

These palletizing systems can also have robotic palletizers for handling multiple SKUs of your boxes that have lesser volumes. The other possibility is having a combo set up with far fewer accumulation conveyors along with several modular palletizers. Fewer accumulation conveyors mean less space, faster palletizing cycles, and less automation logic that can have issues.

Before you invest in an accumulation system, please consider the opportunity costs of doing so. I think you will find that for a similar investment, you can have a much more productive and trouble-free solution, by going with a modular, multi-palletizer solution.

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Durable Palletizer Manufacturing? Or… Just Over Built?

On August 21, 2011, in Uncategorized, by brady
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The one thing that you will immediately notice about our IPLA and Herdi B.V. palletizers is that they have minimal and simple designs.  Some may try to argue that this is not a good thing because they immediately envision a system that is not going to last.

But tIPLA Box Palletizer forming layer for transfer to pallethe fact of the matter is, our palletizers have proven themselves to be some of the most durable in the world, as they typically operate well over five years before a first service call is made.  In fact, with regular, simple-to-execute maintenance, our palletizers just keep on ticking.

So why is this the case?

Well, manufacturing experience is probably the leading reason.   As I have often alluded in other articles, our manufacturers compete in Europe, where the ability to streamline manufacturing design is a way of survival.   Constant evolution of design is an absolute necessity in markets where price and performance dictate whether a company can compete.

In the case of our manufacturer IPLA, not only have they learned how to keep pace in demanding European markets, but they have also managed to do so with palletizers in a number of diverse industries for over 25 years.   These industries include some of the harshest, most abrasive industries like concrete, fertilizer and ceramics.

With regard to our manufacturers, Simple also equals modular.  If there is an obvious fault that I can point out in North American palletizers it is that their lowest cost, entry level palletizers are also their palletizers that are the least modular.
If I was running a company with a limited budget, the last thing I would want to do is invest in a palletizer that can’t be easily be expanding when my business grows.  Selling your old system and starting out from scratch is an expensive proposition that you would likely choose to avoid, especially if you knew you could invest in a modular solution from day one.

The other key difference that allows our palletizers to consistently out last the palletizers of other manufacturers is that they utilize experience driven design, components and parts that wear very slowly.

In the case of palletizing manufacturing, bigger is not always better.   The fact is, heavy, over engineered components will simply wear faster than the lighter, well engineered components designed for minimum wear.

Just because it’s big and heavy don’t be fooled into believing that it is going to last longer.   Not only will a heavy over built palletizer wear more quickly, but as steel is expensive, it will also likely cost you a lot more.

So, before you go ahead and purchase the strongest looking palletizer on the market, please remember that looks can be deceiving!

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Palletizer Bells and Whistles

On August 5, 2011, in Box Palletizer, by brady
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Do you want “bells and whistles” on your entry-level box/case palletizer? Or, versatility, performance and scalability?

As you look for an entry-level palletizing solution, you may find that some palletizer manufacturers are trying to add value to their offers by including features that look great on the surface but offer very little in the way of over-all versatility and functionality.

Recently I came across a great looking entry-level palletizer (entry level meaning it can likely be sourced for under $80,000 U.S.).  It was fully enclosed with a safety enclosure, it had an empty pallet dispenser, and even an area for a full pallet to be automatically moved after it is palletized.

This all looks like a great value to the customer but when you start to look at your palletizer investment as a “solution”, and not just a piece of equipment, you may soon realize that the “bells and whistles” ARE NOT the most important  aspects of an entry-level palletizing solution.    When ever these great looking features are included on an entry-level unit, you can be sure that the unit will be giving something else up.

For instance, most entry level palletizers are very limited in the box patterns, box sizes and pallet sizes they can accommodate.     If you are a growing company with diverse handling requirements, the last thing you will want to do is invest in a system that is restricted in the sizes and types of boxes it can palletize (Unless of course you only will be packing one size of box, with the same stacking pattern and same pallet size over and over again).

Another limitation of “feature rich” but “versatility poor” entry-level palletizing solutions is they typically are not modular.    They are enclosed units that can’t be cost-effectively expanded into multi-palletizer solutions or ramped up into further automation.   Any company planning to expand production and want to do so cost effectively should be very aware of this fact when you are shopping for a palletizer.

Lastly, the lack of versatility of a “feature rich” but “versatility poor” palletizer is that it will almost certainly not run as fast as one that is designed to accommodate multiple boxes, patterns and pallets.
Fortunately, not all palletizer manufacturers are taking the approach of “wooing” customers with fancy features while sacrificing important functionality, versatility, performance and scalability.
At PalletTek, our entry-level palletizing solutions by IPLA focus on the core needs and functionality that most companies want in a palletizer.   Our competitors don’t offer these true “high value” features because to do so would put them out of the price range of their entry level markets.

Due to the sheer competitiveness of the European automation manufacturing markets over the last 20-30 years, our manufacturer IPLA was forced to streamline their manufacturing processes to be able to produce the versatile solutions their customers were demanding.

With 25 years of meeting the needs of a demanding European market while also constantly lowering manufacturing costs, IPLA can deliver versatility, performance and scalability at an entry-level cost.

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