Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category:
Surface Mount Technology Production Equipment
Recently, one of the Rockwell Automation’s manufacturing facilities wanted to improve the availability of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production equipment, manufacturing engineers looked at a number of improvements including revamping the reel storage and retrieval operations. The facility manufactures printed circuit board assemblies for Rockwell Automation’s industrial control systems. The facility manufactures approximately 500-600 printed circuit board assembly numbers for Rockwell Automation systems.
The facility occupies about 186,000 sq. ft. and employs about 350 people. The company used a combination of three-tired drawer cabinets and metal racks to store reels of SMT components. The reels are placed on high-speed placement machines used in production operations. When a reel had to be replaced on a machine, the operator had to walk to a storage shelf or cabinet, find the correct storage location, retrieve the part and load it into the machine. The entire process has been termed as inefficient. Now, the new vertical carousels have increased the efficiency of the organization. Vertical carousels provide high-density storage with quick access to items via a system of vertically arranged rotating carrier shelves that bring the exact storage position to the operator.
Subscribe to the comments for this postSheet Lifters Provide Easy Lifting
The VacuMaster 90° vacuum sheet lifters allow a horizontal load to be lifted and swivelled through 90°, which increases flexibility and safety in load transfers. The new Millsom Material Handling range of Schmalz GmbH VacuMaster 90° Sheet lifter is an upgrade of the VacuMaster Horizontal model. In many productions or handling applications, the products will need lifting in a horizontal position and swiveling through to 90°. This feature is extremely useful when loading a machine or transferring the product to a paint trolley for further processing.
The “Vacumaster 90°” is handy for a variety of operational applications including: assembly, machining, storage and quality control inspection and can be used to lift sheet metal and glass, metal plate and laminate sheets of MDF or particle board.
Vortex Valves in the UK and Europe
The US manufacturer of bulk dry material handling valves, Vortex, has recruited Jon Naylor to head its emerging UK and European business. Naylor is currently developing a UK operation from which he will launch the Vortex valves brand in Europe and the Middle East. Vortex valves have a string of design awards and almost a 30-year history in the supply of specialized valves for the dry bulk solids handling industry. They are more cost effective as compared to other equipments. Jon Naylor has previous experience and wide range of contacts that will serve the cause of Vortex. In addition to having global responsibilities as Export Sales Manager, he set up a network of agents in the Middle East.
Centered in Salina, Kansas, Vortex supplies dry bulk material handling valves to a worldwide customer base of original equipment manufacturers and process engineering specialists. Vortex valves are known to handle over 500 different materials.
VacuMaster 90° Vacuum Sheet Lifters
VacuMaster 90° vacuum sheet lifters allow a horizontal load to be lifted and swiveled through 90°. These sheet lifters also allow increased flexibility and safety in load transfers. The new range of Schmalz GmbH VacuMaster 90° sheet lifters is an upgrade of the VacuMaster-Horizontal model. It is available from Millsom Material Handling. The VacuMaster 90° allows the product to be lifted and swiveled through 90°. The 90° range is now driven by an electric linear drive providing shudder-free rotation and is available with four load capacities from 75 to 500kg.
The Vacumaster 90° is handy for a variety of operational applications including: assembly, machining, storage and quality control inspection, and can be used to lift sheet metal and glass, metal plate and laminate sheets of MDF or particle board.
Boral Selects Linde for Material Handling Equipment
Boral Limited has begun taking delivery of the first of 550 forklifts under a landmark contract awarded to equipment handling specialist Linde. Boral is Australia’s largest building and construction material supplier. The supply agreement includes a combination of equipment purchase and operating leases over three, five and seven years. Boral began its tender discussions with a list of 13 potential suppliers before finalizing the deal with Linde. The multi-million dollar contract is expected to reduce Boral’s material handling overheads over the next three years.
Boral produces and distributes building products, including clay bricks and pavers, clay and concrete roof tiles, concrete masonry products, plasterboard, windows, formwork and scaffolding and timber. The recent decision to select Linde follows an exhaustive nine-month review of Boral’s needs and available equipment.
Mobile Equipments on the Move
Mobile Equipment is one of the major equipments used in supply chain and warehouse management system. Manually powered handling vehicles are the oldest devices and they are widely used. They include two-wheeled hand trucks, four-wheeled platform trucks and hydraulic pallet movers. Another important material handling equipment is counter-balanced forklift truck. It is the most widely used motorized material handling vehicle.
With the evolution of technology, forks were augmented with a variety of other additional materials such as clamp devices to hold cartons or paper rolls. Other attachments that are used with forks are slip-sheets and multi-pallet forks. The earliest lift trucks were powered by internal-combustion gasoline engines. Later models were developed to handle other fuel sources such as propane, diesel and CNG. Over the years, battery-powered electric vehicles became a popular replacement for internal combustion. The latest inclusion is the hybrid gas/electric power that has been developed for lifting trucks.
Types of Material Handling Equipment
Material handling equipment is used for the movement and storage of materials within a facility or at a site. It can be divided into the following categories:
Transport Equipment:
Transport equipment is used to move materials from one location to another. It can be between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area. Conveyors, cranes and industrial trucks fall into the categories of transport equipment. It is important to note that materials can also be transported manually without using any equipment.
Positioning Equipment:
Postioning equipment is used to handle materials at a single location so that it is in the correct position for handling, machining, transport or storage. Positioning equipment is usually used for handling at a single workplace. Materials can be positioned without using any equipment.
Unit Load Formation Equipment:
Unit Load Equipment is used to restrict materials so that they maintain their state when handled a single load during transport and for storage. If materials are single part or interlocking parts, then they can be formed into a unit load with no equipment.
Storage Equipment:
Storage equipments are used for holding materials over a period of time. some storage equipments may include the transport of materials. If materials are stacked directly on the floor, then no storage equipment is required.
Identification and Control Equipment:
Identification and Control equipments are used to collect and communicate the information, which is usually used to coordinate the flow of materials within a facility. The identification of materials and control can be performed using no specialized equipment.
Automated Conveyor Systems
The mainstay of warehouse operations is the speed at which orders are fulfilled, which means that the faster the picking, the more orders that can be processed in minimum time. Efficient picking operations usually start with a good warehouse organization system. It does not matter how much space you have, if your products are not stored using a pre-arranged ordering system, you will spend the maximum time in your picking operations.
With automation holding the key to efficiency of operations, more and more warehouses and distribution centers are turning to automated conveyor systems to increase throughput without space being a constraint. Automated systems are a boon to the material handling industry because of their ability to move packages from picking areas, sort them according to each customer’s order and location, and send them to the right packing and shipping locations.
Warehouses that are finding it difficult to cope with high order volumes will find it to their advantage to install automatic conveyors as they raise the number of units picked per hour, increase and improve productivity, and boost throughput, with the minimum number of human personnel. Errors that arise from human fallacies are eliminated as a result of near-total automation.
Material Handling Exhibition
NA 2006, the largest exhibition of material handling and logistics equipment, systems and technologies in the U.S. this year, concluded on March 30 after four days of events that featured exhibits covering 150,000 square feet at Cleveland’s International Exposition (I-X) Center, a wide range of show floor educational sessions relating to the products and services of over 480 material handling and logistics providers, and an Executive Forum that covered breakthrough achievements in high performance supply chains and emphasized the growth of supply chain executives rising to the C-Level of corporations. Attendees from over 60 countries including Australia, China, Japan, and Africa, flocked to the show that exhibited basic equipment, automated handling systems, and software, control, and RFID solutions. More details and information on the exhibitors and the show itself can be viewed at the NA 2006 website.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Safety is of utmost importance, especially when it comes to handling heavy equipment like lift trucks; which is why most organizations incorporate safety training measures for their new operators. The golden rules that ensure the safety of both the operator and other employees at the distribution center or warehouse include:
- Learning the operating rules for industrial trucks, including the basic lift truck principles such as load center of gravity, mast tilting, suspension and steering, stability triangle, load balance, and ramps and inclines
- Knowing your equipment intimately, and reviewing and being familiar with its fueling, charging and safety aspects
- Inspecting and maintaining your equipment on a daily basis