Morgro Robotic Bag Palletizer Installation

Posted on December 5, 2012 by lambert

Morgro manufactures lawn care and snow removal products, such as their premier ice melting product Ice Fighter Plus.

Problem: The manual stacking of the bags, which are 20-80, lbs. represented a large ergonomic liability.

Solution provided: Lambert Material Handling was tasked by HAMER, Inc. who was the project lead for the complete packaging line to provide a robotic palletizing system to handle the stacking on the bags of lawn care and snow melt products.

Products used: The prime mover for the stacking process was a Kuka KR100-2 PA Robot.

This unit has a 100kg lifting capacity. A clam shell bag gripper was employed to handle the bag. The gripper is a SAS FBG-50 which utilized pneumatics for gripper motions. For the pallet handling we utilized a Lambert Model PD4048 pallet dispenser, a Lambert model SD4048 sheet dispenser and Lambert Fabricated bag infeed system which included conditioning conveyors, pacing conveyors and CDLR bag pick up conveyors. The system was enclosed in a wire mesh safety barrier from WireWay Husky.

The robotic palletizing system eliminated all ergonomic liabilities associated with manual stacking of the bags.

Robotics in the Workplace

Posted on November 15, 2012 by lambert

The use of robots in the workplace has been evidently increasing over the past decade and it does not seem like we will see a peak anytime soon. As more and more companies and industries are utilizing robots, what exactly does that mean? What effects will we see?

By looking at the graphs provided by Robotics Industries Association, one can see the growth of new market segments over the past decade. Over the past decade, we have seen the material handling industry grow to 25% of the total market share for robot manufacturing.

We can hold this data to be evident as we have seen growths in use of robotic palletizers over conventional systems. As well as an increase in many other robotic industrial products such as ASRS systems, automated stretch wrappers and completely automated end-of-line packaging systems over manual labor.

“Most robots are designed to be a helping hand or a high-tech tool. They help people with tasks that would be difficult, unsafe, boring, or repetitive for a human to perform.”

Although some tend to believe that robots are job killers the historical data does not back this idea. Trends show a job shift rather than job elimination. Seegrid uses a great metaphor to explain this: the job shift from carpenters and blacksmiths to steel and railroad workers as new technologies developed in the industrial revolution.

As technology grows, the workforce will grow with it. There is less of a need for muscle and more of a need for brain power. The need of workers to lift heavy objects is diminishing, rather there is a need for them to develop efficient and effective ways to satisfy customer’s needs.

Maybe in a century or two historians will look back at this era and call it the “robotic revolution.” What do you think about robots in the workplace?

Thanks For Stopping By At The Pack Expo

Posted on November 5, 2012 by lambert

The Packaging Expo for 2012 is now over and was very successful. If you attended, we hope you had an opportunity to stop by our booth. What did you think of our Fanuc Model 410-140 robot palletizing 50 lb bags?

It’s not too late to discover what you may have missed at the show. We would love to discuss any questions or interests you may have – personally. Please contact us at our web site, email or call us at any of the numbers listed below.

Bob Manion – bmanion@lambertmat.com – 315.471.5103

Scott Faucher – sfaucher@lambertmat.com – 315.471.5103

We are an industry leader and have been manufacturing conventional palletizers for over 60 years and introduced the first automatic palletizer to the North American market in 1948. We are also a system partner for both Fanuc and Kuka robotics. We design, engineer, manufacture, install and integrate complete material handling solutions across many market segments. Please also feel free to visit our Lambert website at www.lambertpalletizers.com to learn more about our capabilities. Thanks again for stopping by our booth, we look forward to talking to you soon.

Robotic Palletizer Demo at the Pack Expo

Posted on October 26, 2012 by lambert

Will you be in Chicago next week for the Pack Expo? We’re setting up a massive system integration demonstration with our friends from Hamer at booth N4143!

We’ll be setting up a Fanuc Model m410ib robotic palletizing system for you to check out.

The M-410iB Series is the latest-generation palletizing robot. It is designed for precision high-speed/high-payload operation and reliability.

This is the same system that we recently installed at Fowler Farms, get a sneak peak with this video:

Our partners from Hamer will be setting up a 100GW gross weight scale, a 600NW net weight scale, a 1200BH bag hanger and a2090 form fill and seal bagger.

Yes that’s right, we’re constructing a complete end of line bagging system just for you to marvel at for 3 days!

The Pack Expo runs from Sunday to Wednesday October 28th – 31st, stop by and check out our system!

Greif Robotic Drum Palletizer Installation

Posted on October 15, 2012 by lambert

Greif manufactures steel drums and covers in all sizes to transport materials for the chemical, paint, food, pharmaceutical and hazardous waste industries.

Problem: The company began looking for an automated system to replace the manual process of palletizing empty drums, the goal was to improve production efficiency and equipment reliability, while also improving safety and ergonomics for Grief’s workers.

Solution: To satisfy its multiple requirements, Greif chose a robotic palletizing system from Lambert Material Handling.

Products used: In addition to the robot (KUKA 100-PA), the customized palletizing system includes end-of-arm tooling built by Lambert Material Handling, a pallet dispensing system (Fork Style System by LMH), drum conveyors and pallet conveyors also built by LMH, which were designed and manufactured by the system integrator that also programmed the system to perform Greif’s specific function. A safety system, which includes light curtains, safety-painted steel wire mesh fencing and Class 3 safety switches at its door openings, prevents access to the robot and ancillary equipment while in operation.

The end result is a system that includes state-of-the-art equipment with the ability to handle a variety of pallet and drum configurations exceeding required throughput at 75% capacity.

Safe Manual Palletizing Tips

Posted on May 23, 2012 by lambert

First things first, welcome to our new blog! We will be posting here about palletizing,
material handling and warehousing topics!

Our first blog is going to discuss worker safety in manual palletizing installations. We
believe automatic palletizers are the best way to avoid injuries to employees but realize
that they are not in every manufacturer’s budget.

Manually palletizing product can put a lot of strain on an employee’s back. Here are
some great tips and strategies for manual palletizing to prevent injuries:

Stretching

If you have ever played a sport then you know how important stretching is. Going into a physical activity “cold” is a sure way to tweak a muscle. Here are a few great back stretches that you can do before you start your heavy lifting. Another extremely important muscle to stretch in addition to your back muscles would be your hamstrings! Hamstring tightness can be directly related to back problems. Here are a few great stretches for your hamstrings.

Strong abs

Back pain can occur because of an imbalance between the strength of the abdomen and back muscles. A large number of muscle groups are engaged in providing
the spine the strength to support the body. In case of the abs muscles being weak, it exerts strain on the back resulting in back pain.

Posture & Technique

Your posture and technique for lifting objects play a huge role in the longevity of your back. You should maintain the natural curve in your lower back and lift with your legs. If you bend your back while lifting you are putting yourself at risk to herniate a disc! Avoid twisting and sideways movement. Check out this write-up by Sure Fire Training on manual handling posture.

Brace

Back braces can be beneficial with supporting your posture when lifting heavy objects. You can find some good back braces here.

Hydration

Drinking water prevents muscle cramps and helps muscles relax and contract. Muscles absorb water like sponges, when dehydrated, your muscles are more “brittle” and prone to injury. So drink more water and stay away from the soda.

Lift Tables

Lift tables were intended to improve worker productivity while reducing the potential for worker injuries. These ergonomic lifts were designed to eliminate unnecessary bending, stretching and lifting on employees by bringing work to the worker. This is a much easier, safer and more productive way to accomplish your palletizing
needs.

Vacuum lifts

Using suction, this jib lift does the heavy lifting for you. When using a vacuum lifter on a daily basis, worker fatigue is greatly reduced and productivity is increased. Vacuum lifts are another great and safe alternate to manual palletizing.

Lambert Material Handing Blog

Stacking Things Up Right @LambertMaterial