Plastic Container Blog

Although wooden pallets made from lumber currently have the largest share of the market, plastic pallets will experience
the most increase in demand.  You can read more about this here.

Freedonia Market Research Analyzes Pallets Industry

Cleveland 7/02/2008 02:25 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)

US demand for pallets is forecast to advance more than one percent annually through 2012 to 1.5 billion pallets valued at $16.8 billion.  Pallets made from wood — primarily lumber — will continue to account for the largest share of the US pallet market, while plastic pallets will experience the most rapid gains in demand.  These and other trends, including market share and company profiles, are presented in US Pallets, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Wood pallets are forecast to account for almost 80 percent of demand in 2012.  Demand for wood pallets is projected to increase at a rate just below that of the market average, however.  Demand increases will be restrained by the growth of pallet refurbishing services.  These services prolong the lifespans of existing pallets, reducing demand for new pallets.  Environmental concerns about the waste generated by damaged and discarded pallets will also drive continued use of pallet refurbishing, as users seek to reduce the environmental impact of pallet consumption by trying to reuse and refit pallets, rather than disposing of them at the earliest opportunity.

Demand for plastic pallets is projected to advance 2.4 percent per year to over 130 million pallets in 2012.  Plastic pallets are easy to clean, and meet US and international phytosanitary requirements for shipping, making them ideal for product shippers with neither the time nor resources to continually sterilize pallets.  Plastic pallets can last a long time without requiring time-consuming repairs, and can be easily recycled once they have reached the end of their product lifespan.  This durability will restrain demand growth for plastic pallets, as they do not need to be replaced as often as pallets made from such materials as lumber.  Gains in plastic pallet demand will also be tempered by their high cost relative to lumber pallets.

Manufacturers will continue to account for the largest share of demand for new pallets, totaling 78 percent of the market in 2012.  Providers of warehousing and other storage services will post two percent annual gains in pallet demand through 2012.  These companies, which manage pallets and coordinate the shipping and handling of materials from original manufacturer to end user, will need new pallets to expand their operations and more effectively serve existing customers.  These firms serve as third-party storage and shipping agents for manufactured goods; thus they rely on the prompt and efficient delivery of pallets to maximize their profits, and will need large stocks of them to meet demand for their services.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.

This article gives you many suggestions on how to protect your pallet racks.  Click here to read the article in entirety.
When racks collide: ways to minimize forklift impacts on pallet rack
July 3rd, 2008by Scott StonePallet racks take a beating over time. They get loaded with exceptionally heavy pallets, by exceptionally powerful lift trucks over and over throughout the course of years. Chances are that if you have pallet rack in your warehouse, it’ll get hit at some point. When it does, inspecting (and generally replacing) it is your best course of action. But what about avoiding that hit, or its dangerous aftermaths in the first place?

Rack is easy to ignore from a safety standpoint. In fact, it’s too easy. Other hazards might stick out like a sore thumb, so there are times plant managers or warehouse supervisors can be less concerned than they should for hundreds of tons of racks and load in a warehouse bustling workers and lift trucks.

Here are some ways to avoid (or minimize) lift truck/rack impacts…

Protect your uprights.This is a no-brainer. You can inexpensively install a variety of rack upright protectors at the base of your posts. You can also put heavy gauge guard rail at the end of aisles. All of this stuff is painted bright yellow. There are metal upright protectors, poly and other types, but the main function is consistent - they deflect impact off of the upright.
Beams should be brightly colored. Ever notice that most manufacturers sell a warm-colored beam (yellow or orange)? They may have green, blue, or gray frames, but the beams are bright for a reason: they’re easy to see for a lift truck driver who’s maneuvering 3,000 pound loaded pallets into rack bays. Avoid dull colored beams, and don’t repaint them a more subdued color to match corporate colors or for aesthetic reasons.
Have a no-repercussions policy for reporting impacts. Guys make mistakes - even good drivers. During a fast paced day, they may smack an upright. You need to know that it happened, so don’t punish them for reporting it. Sometimes, the damage can be slight and the driver will decide it’s in his best interest to let it slide, as if a quick visual inspection can confirm whether or not the accident hasn’t damaged the structural integrity or capacity rating. Let your drivers and warehousemen know up front that you want to know, and that they won’t be reprimanded if they tell you.
Inspect frequently. It’s uncommon for warehouse operators to deploy frequent, proactive in-house rack inspection programs. Make it a part of your routine to inspect frequently, at least monthly. While a quick visual inspection won’t tell you anything other than a rack may have been hit, that’s the start of getting it repaired to safe standards. Less frequently, an independent engineer should inspect your rack. You’ll be money ahead with these simple, inexpensive inspections.When you inspect, look for  (1) Damaged uprights; (2) Damaged or bent beams; (3) Operational and capacity signs; (4) Overloaded beams - are they bent or deflected beneath the load; (5) Is the rack plumb and vertical?; (6) Look for missing beam clips or other connections; (7) Damaged welds; (8)Beams popped out of the uprights; (9) Damaged braces or column protectors.
Post capacities on the rack. Most racks come with stickers and signage that inform you of the capacity. If yours doesn’t, have them made and posted.
Don’t alter your rack or any of its components without professional assistance. Don’t allow cleats or other items to be welded to beams, uprights, bracings, etc, or for its load profile to radically change. If you do make appropriate, engineer-approved changes, change your facility drawings, signage and processes to denote what was done.
Use good pallets, designed for the rack. Your pallet’s design should take into account the nature of the goods being stored and the rack it’s being stored on. Pallets that don’t sit snugly on the beams can cause drops or the loaded items to fall. Pallets that are too small can drop through (and using supports is acceptable, but can reduce your functional capacity). Don’t allow loads to overhang the pallet, and always shrink wrap pallets on high beam levels, since in a collision they can be knocked off more easily.
Load the rack correctly. Too little space above the load can cause damage either in loading or unloading. Leave your lift truck operators plenty of room to maneuver - at least a foot, and preferably more. Make sure pallets are square and balanced on the beams.
Rack is simple, safe and effective storage. To keep it that way, pay attention to the little things, train your people, make them aware that it can be dangerous when abused, hit, loaded incorrectly or overloaded. Training is a key, so spend time to be sure that everyone has their eyes open and reports issues as they see them.

Superior pallet makes remanufactured pallets with recycled lumber and also makes “combo” pallets.  Click here to read more.

Father, Son Growing Superior Pallets in Western New York: Rotochopper Machine Proves Valuable to Grind Residuals, Color Mulch

By Diane M. Calabrese
Date Posted: 7/1/2008

BUFFALO, New York — Second chances often get labeled the stuff of dreams, but hard work and conviction can make them happen. Someone just has to roll up his sleeves and get going.

David Goettel did that when he purchased the assets of a troubled pallet company in western New York and built his own, successful business.

Dave is the president and CEO of Superior Pallets Inc., which dates to 2000. His son, Jeff, vice president, joined the company full-time in 2001.

The name Superior Pallets was selected to put the focus on the company’s philosophy of melding superior products to superior service, said Jeff. Superior processed 800,000 pallets in 2007. Most were repaired or dismantled to reclaim used lumber for repair stock or to make remanufactured or combination pallets. Scrap pallets were processed by grinding.

Superior Pallets repairs pallets, makes remanufactured pallets with recycled lumber and also makes combination or ‘combo’ pallets with some recycled lumber and some new lumber. For new lumber the company buys pre-cut stock. Although pallet repair and recycling is the company’s dominant focus, about 10% of the company’s pallet production is new pallets. The company’s operations employ about 40 workers.

Superior Pallets serves various manufacturing businesses in western New York and northwest Pennsylvania. The company is located in Buffalo, a city of about 300,000 people. The business occupies 14 acres near Interstate 90. Drivers for the company log an average of 325 miles and five stops each day.

The company’s operations, including dismantling pallets for recycled lumber and retrieving surplus pallets for customers, generate a considerable volume of scrap wood material and pallets.  In the spring and summer, the company grinds the material to produce mulch; starting in mid-September, the grindings are sold to markets for boiler fuel.

“In 2007, we ground 7,000 tons of wood waste,” said Jeff. The machine that got the job done is a Rotochopper MC-266 mobile wood grinder. Superior Pallets purchased the Rotochopper in the fall of 2006 after a fire destroyed its existing grinder. Rotochopper is headquartered in St. Martin, Minn.

“We were really interested in the Rotochopper because it could color and grind,” said Jeffrey. Rotochopper machines grind wood material and color the resulting mulch in one pass through the machine.

About half of the mulch made by Superior Pallets is colored — red, black or brown. All mulch is sold bulk wholesale to local governments, landscapers and other markets. The company also produces a wood mulch that meets the American Society for Testing and Materials standard for playground surface material.

Superior Pallets buys Mulch Magic colorants from Colorbiotics. The dyes in Colorbiotics products are derived from plants, so the resulting colored mulch is environmentally friendly. Colorbiotics is an independent business unit of Becker Underwood.

The MC-266 Rotochopper is an “excellent” machine, said Jeff. The company normally uses it to produce about 30 tons of mulch per day. It has the capacity to do much more, but for now, Superior matches grinding operations with the volume of scrap wood it produces. “We’re meeting our needs,” said Jeff. Expanding may be in the future, but for now Jeff wants to use the machine only to handle in-house wood waste.

Because the Rotochopper replaced another grinder that was quite old, Jeff expected good performance because the machine was new. He got it and more, starting with dependability.

“The reliability is great,” said Jeff. “The run time has just been amazing.” He has been especially pleased with the Rotochopper’s ability to produce colored mulch in one pass through the machine. Changing screens is quick and easy, too, he said. “One guy can change the screens in about 20 minutes,” said Jeff.

All that efficiency, and the Rotochopper stands up to heavy-duty grinding and steady hours. “We’ve had very few problems with the machine,” said Jeff. “Rotochopper has a service representative in Pennsylvania who stops in periodically” just to check on the machine, said Jeff. That service means a great deal because it demonstrates commitment to the customer, he added.

Commitment to customer is a business approach with which Jeff and his father can identify. “We’re always looking to improve our business,” said Jeffrey, including improving processes and efficiency. Commitment to customers includes listening to them and interacting with them, which is enhanced with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and a Quality Assurance Guide that Superior Pallets shares with its clients on request.

Superior Pallets has a 45,000-square-foot building that is a combination plant and warehouse. The end of May marked the beginning of some significant changes in the company’s pallet repair operations. Superior Pallets installed a Pallet Repair Systems (PRS) ‘nail-on-the-fly’ automated pallet repair line. In addition, the company added an Innovative Data Systems Pallet Track system that uses bar codes and other technology to capture and manage information about its pallet recycling operations. When Jeff talked to Pallet Enterprise in late May for this article, employees were still being trained on the new systems.

The PRS automated repair line replaced a semi-automated system of some significance. The old repair line was part of the business purchased by David, and it was the first pallet repair line designed by Clarence Leising, according to Jeff. Clarence, a sales rep for Eagle Metal Products, has a long history in pallet recycling management and is the author of Pallet Head, a hands-on management guide to pallet recycling.

The new PRS automated pallet repair line will be used exclusively to process GMA pallets. Other pallets are repaired at individual work stations.

If Superior Pallets gets a big order for new pallets of a particular size, it often contracts with other pallet companies that are equipped with automated nailing machines.

Superior Pallets can provide export pallets, too. Heat-treating is subcontracted to Integrated Thermal Solutions in Hamburg, N.Y. “They provide us with proper documentation,” said Jeff.

Approximately 97% of incoming pallet cores come from customers with regular contracts. Superior relies on a fleet of four tractors and 90 trailers to retrieve surplus pallets. Like other pallet recyclers, the company leaves empty trailers at customer locations, returning later to retrieve them when they are filled with pallets and to drop off another empty.

“A few customers will drop off here,” said Jeff, but most rely on Superior’s trailers and service.

Pallets are sorted before they are staged to the repair line. By sorting in advance, the repair line only gets the GMA pallets, and it only gets pallets that can be repaired or are potentially ‘ready-to-go.’ “Everything that comes in, we sort out to useable or unusable,” said Jeffrey.

In its lumber recycling operations, three Smart Products two-man bandsaw dismantlers are used to disassemble pallets. Used pallet parts are cut to length on PRS trim saws.

Safety is a top priority at Superior Pallets. New hires complete a safety training program – dubbed ‘Safely Superior’ — that was developed in-house. Emphasis on safety is reinforced with a daily practice; each employee reviews a safety topic before the start of a shift. Topics are the choice of the employee and may include machine guarding, proper lifting techniques or others. Also, supervisors conduct monthly safety meetings on topics mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). On-site training and retraining of employees is augmented by a subscription the company has to KellerOnline, which provides easy access to trends and ideas in safety and OSHA updates.

The company has supplied a wide range of pallet sizes over the years. “The largest we’ve built is 180 inches long by 30 inches wide and the smallest is 19 inches by 24 inches,” said Jeff. Besides recycling pallets and making new, remanufactured and ‘combo’ pallets, Superior Pallets supplies plastic pallets, totes and dunnage.

A local company, VRI Sharpening Service in West Seneca, N.Y., services circular saw blades for Superior Pallets. “We buy our bandsaw blades from Sadowski’s,” said Jeff.

Jeff and his father are natives of Buffalo. Dave worked for Ryder Transportation for 22 years. In 1998 he went to work for the pallet business he eventually bought. He served as operations manager of the company. When the parent business began to sell off holdings, Dave decided to buy the pallet division and go into business for himself.

Jeffrey had experience working part-time for the former company. And he worked part-time for Superior Pallets, too, before joining the company full-time in 2001. He worked at the companies part-time while attending the University of Buffalo, where he earned a pre-law degree.

Jeff took a lot of business courses as part of his studies, and he had second thoughts about continuing for a law degree, especially when his father suggested joining the business. “After I graduated, he asked whether I would be interested,” Jeff recalled.

During his stint at the predecessor business, Jeffrey had come to enjoy the mill environment. He worked on a cut-up line that ran a Cornell gang saw and also assembled new pallets.

“I like working with my father,” said Jeff. “We get along very well. He knows the operations side, how to repair equipment.” Jeff and his father more or less split their duties, with Jeff handling financial and administrative tasks and Dave overseeing plant and logistical operations.

The Rotochopper MC-266 is powered by diesel engine. Scrap pallets are loaded into the grinder via forklift. The machine can grind whole scrap pallets, slabs, scrap used lumber, and other wood material. The MC-266 has an infeed opening 66 inches wide and 18 inches high. The machine is road legal when pulled by a tractor.

The MC-266 Rotochopper can grind enough scrap pallets — and color the mulch — to fill a 100-cubic-yard truck in about 40 minutes, according to the manufacturer. It is even faster grinding and coloring bark, producing 100 cubic yards in about 15 minutes.

“Rotochopper has been great for us,” said Jeff. “We’ve recommended it to three or four other companies. They’ve come to see it run. The folks at Rotochopper are absolutely wonderful. They’re phenomenal.”

Jeff and his father also share some leisure interests. “Both my father and I like traveling to Walt Disney World and golfing,” he said.

Bayer has begun using logistics automation solutions which uses InSync’s Edgeware platform. Read more about this specifics of this here.

Bayer Uses InSync Software to Develop and Deploy RFID and Sensor

Click here to read about 3 specific advantages of plastic pallets instead of wooden pallets.

· Reduce global WARMING? · Save TREES?
· “GREEN” the planet?
· Create a Profit Center?

Believe it or not, the simple process of switching from pallets & skids made from wood can actually achieve all of the above goals. Even though the initial cost of plastic pallets is often higher than expenditures for the wooden variety, the total cost of acquisition (life cycle cost) clearly demonstrates that plastic wins the day. Also, there are potential “hidden” cost savings (cost avoidances) that result from a closer inspection of the waste stream from which a variety of plastics that are used for producing pallets are extracted.

For more information go to www.opprocon.com

This article features 3 main reasons why plastic pallets are superior to wooden pallets.  Click here to read this article.
Plastic Pallets & Plastic Export Pallets 
 
DACO offers a variety of sizes and types of plastic pallets such as single or double face, nestable and/or stackable, rackable and plastic export pallets for your work-in-process, storage and distribution applications. Companies every day are switching from wood to plastic pallets because they are recogizing the many benefits such as:

Reduction in Product Damage due to plastic pallets durability, consistent support, and smooth molded design. They won’t warp, shrink or change mass over time.
Reduction in Work Injuries - plastic pallets are lightweight and easy-to-handle and no splinters, nails, broken boards, etc. to deal with.
Improved Sanitation - most chemicals, etc will not compromise theses plastic pallets integrity, and they don’t absorb moisture; support the growth of mold, mildew or fungus; or harbor rodents or insects, approving these plastic export pallets for export use.
Pallet Racks are a complementary product that can be used with rackable styles of plastic pallets for storage of goods.
 
 Nine signs that plastic pallets may be right for you:

  1.  Product damage is a problem

  2.  Your application has sanitation requirements.

  3.  Pallet replacement and disposal costs are high or increasing

  4.  Your expendable packaging costs are high.

  5.  Pallet splinters and protruding nails are a problem.    

  6.  Substandard pallets are a frequent cause of equipment jams.

  7.  Pallet repair is becoming your second business.

  8.  Import shipments are delayed because of insect problems.

  9.  Your pallet costs are increasing.
 

Click here to read about the benefits of palletizing robots and why more and more companies are instituting them.

Palletizing Robots
 
It wasn’t that long ago that it was unheard of to see a robot at a packaging show. In recent years, however, show visitors find robots on display in virtually every aisle, usually performing palletizing operations.

Several reasons have driven the growth of the palletizing robot market. Basically, it comes down to economics. A robot can work faster and with greater consistency than a more expensive human operator, withstands harsh environments better and is largely immune to injury.

Since users are just beginning to recognize the benefits of robotic palletizing, rapid growth is expected for the next several years. ‘The market is just starting to be tapped,’ reports Michael Crane, product manager at ABB, New Berlin, WI.

Driving the interest in palletizing robots is the tight labor market and a need for greater process consistency. As it has become increasingly difficult to recruit qualified workers in the United States, ‘people are more willing to automate,’ says Mark Handelsman, director of engineering at FANUC Robotics North America, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI.

Robots also can offer the flexibility needed to efficiently handle the wide variety of distribution packaging consumer goods makers must provide to satisfy their retail customers. ‘The market is uneducated right now as to the flexibility robotic systems can offer,’ he adds.

Indicative of the flexibility required today is a recent installation by ABB of a five-robot system at a pasta manufacturer. To handle the output of 12 lines and accommodate various pallet sizes and case styles, two of the robots are configured for three in/three out operation, while the other three work on a two in/two out basis.

There are two types of robots used for palletizing, articulated and gantry. The latter are suspended from an overhead rack. ‘We’re seeing more applications for gantry robots because of product size and work area requirements,’ reports Mike Perreault, vice president at Midmac, a systems integrator based in St. Paul, MN. ‘If you have the vertical space, a gantry generally is more efficient in horizontal space utilization,’ he explains.

Encouraging the use of robots for palletizing are continuing improvements in capabilities related to payload, speed, flexibility, ease of operation and the ability to interface with line and plant controls.

Although the food and beverage industry has been a major user of palletizing robots, and interest from this sector continues to be strong, a growing number of units are being installed in plants producing personal-care, and paper products. Robots are particularly in demand in regulated industries like medical devices and pharmaceuticals where they can provide a higher level of cleanliness than a human operator and a greater degree of process control, thus simplifying the validation process, which ensures the system is operating within established parameters.

Some activity also is seen from soft goods, building material and petrochemical manufacturers. It should be noted that a high proportion of sales are generated by first-time customers.

In addition, ‘We’re seeing a lot greater interest on the distribution side,’ says Handelsman. After watching the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) make a $101-million commitment to robotics in 1999, many companies, which are striving to reduce logistics and handling costs, are taking a look at robotic palletizing.

Worker safety, quality and cost control are the drivers behind the USPS investment. When the project is complete, trays of sorted mail will be loaded by robot into all-purpose mail containers for transport by truck or air. Although the material-handling system may vary depending on the building, the robotic cells and gripper configuration will be identical.

Gantry robots from ABB move mail in open trays, as well as sleeved
and strapped trays. With their denser, rectangular footprint, gantry systems
are compatible with the space limitations encountered in some older USPS facilities.

The robotic project is one step toward a ‘lights-out’ mail processing facility, which is being prototyped in Ft. Myers, FL. ‘The robots will play an integral role in this facility,’ says John Weller, program manager, USPS Material Handling Research and Analysis Engineering.

A demand for high throughput has driven improvements in controls as well as interest in heavier payloads so product can be moved by the tier instead of case by case. FANUC Robotics, for example, has developed the M-410iWW, capable of handling payloads up to 880 pounds at more than 12 cycles per minute.

Heavier payloads also are spurring interest in gantry designs, which traditionally have been able to move more weight at faster speeds than an articulated robot. Toronto-based RMT Engineering Ltd. has installed gantry units capable of handling 100 cases per minute because it moves layers of cases as a unit rather than individual cases.

Another in-demand feature is the ability to interface with plant networks and different control systems. An example of a state-of-the-art system is a highly automated, five-robot system recently installed by FANUC. The units are controlled by a personal computer, which, in turn, interfaces with the plant control system, which resides on an IBM AS400 computer.
A similar interface between robot and plant business system is part of an upgrade to a two-year-old RL 80 palletizing robot from Reis Robotics, Elgin, IL, at Sandvik Chemical Products, Bristol, VA. Sandvik’s goal is to track inventory of its mine bolt resins, a two-component polyester-based material used to strengthen mine roofs and prevent cave-ins. When the system was being designed initially, ‘We thought the idea of tracking inventory was interesting, but we didn’t think it would be necessary,’ recalls Ken Monyak, production manager. ‘Now that we understand how the system works, that’s what we want to do,’ he adds.

Tracking will be accomplished by automatically updating inventory records each time the robot sets a corrugated box of product on a pallet. Since boxes could be dropped or rejected due to labeling problems, ‘the robot only counts boxes it successfully places on a pallet,’ he explains.

In action, 40- and 60-pound boxes conveyed from Building 2 to Building 3 at Sandvik trip a photoeye, which starts a bar code scanner. The scanner sends label data including lot and sequential box number to the robot. The robot determines which of six pallet positions the product belongs in, the nest pattern and where the next box should be placed on the load, then picks up the case, sets it in position and transmits the part number to a database in a linked PC. As soon as interface software is written, the PC will be able to transmit case counts directly to the plant’s AS400.

Neater looking, more tightly stacked pallet loads was an
unexpected benefit of Sandvik’s transition to robotic palletizing.

Harsh environments are another area where robotic palletizers make sense. FANUC is preparing to install what it believes will be the first North American placement of a palletizing robot in a freezer. Although the industry has been slow to accept robots in this setting, there are numerous advantages. First and foremost, it removes people from the freezer, an area where the cold temperatures make it more difficult to work safely and require added manpower to compensate for the more frequent breaks personnel need. This freezer installation at a large ice cream manufacturer will join one up and running for several months at a French fry producer in Europe.

Protective ‘coat’ helps FANUC M-410i
withstand freezer conditions down to -30F

Keeping some end users from considering a robot is a lack of familiarity with its control and programming. ‘That’s why we have worked very hard to make the systems easy to set up,’ says Handelsman. For example, the operator interface features palletizing rather than robotic terminology. The idea is to ‘make it as simple as possible on the operator level,’ he adds.

To this end, ABB has developed PC-based software called PalletMaster and a color touch screen operator interface. To simplify programming of the robot itself, ABB offers another Windows-based program, PalletWizard. Both reside on the FlexPalletizer cell controller PC and interface with the robot controller itself.

Palletizing robots generally appeal to end users with mid-range needs. Low-end users often assume a robotic system is beyond their budget. While this may have been true a few years ago, prices, in general, have declined as hardware costs have dropped, and software has become more plug-and-play.

At the other end of the scale, high-volume palletizing still tends to be the province of hard automation. However, gantry robots like those from RMT are capable of handling many different products at relatively high speeds and can be equipped with a bar code reader so cases can be sorted as well as palletized.

Such multitasking is another feature robot users are demanding. Moving further upstream in the process, some systems like those designed by Midmac use a single robot to load the case before palletizing it

Other developments have to do with end effectors capable of handling a wide variety of case styles and devices to protect the robot and its human coworkers. Applied Robotics, Inc., Glenville, NY, for example, offers QuickSTOP collision sensors, which shut down the work cell and deflate to absorb the impact, thus minimizing damage to tooling and product.

Also becoming more advanced are the safety systems, which ensure no personnel get in the way of a working robot. Work cell perimeter guards like Smartscan L- and T-shaped light curtain units from Applied Robotics are sophisticated enough to differentiate between a pallet and a person. When a pallet is detected, a self muting feature allows it to pass, however, if a person tries to enter the work cell, equipment movement is halted in a split second.

Safety is the key in the modern workplace and major gains in productivity can be made in the area of industrial material handling equipment.  You can read more about this here.

Industrial Material Handling

In the modern workplace, safety is paramount, and any business needs to take all aspects of their operation seriously in order to deliver the best possible results and value in all areas.  Within high pressure industrial situations, safety is everything, and minimizing risks through sensible and efficient processes can have a big role to play in the overall profitability of a business.  Industrial material handling is one core area that requires a great deal of attention, and is also an area where real gains in productivity can be made through the use of the best quality equipment.
Improving safety and all other areas of industrial material handling through the use of custom designed equipment means that you lose less time and money through waste caused by poorly thought out systems.  In dangerous environments such as the offshore oil industry, protection is critical, as even the slightest slip up can mean huge costs through down time if crucial equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced, while the risk to personnel is also a vital consideration.
With this in mind, it is important to invest in the best quality equipment for industrial material handling possible.  Ingersoll Rand is well known as one of the leading manufacturers of industrial equipment for all sectors.  Their reputation is built on offering the best quality tools in the marketplace, and thanks to more than 75 years of experience in manufacture and research, the company is able to deliver on its promises with systems that are ready to go and offer great performance that is tailored to your particular industry.
Ingersoll Rand has followed a path that is best described as excellence through specialization.  Over the years their basic range of industrial material handling equipment such as electric and air powered winches has been refined through careful testing to make it more specific to particular uses within different industries.  The company has examined the performance requirements of hostile environments such as those found in the offshore oil industry and used the lessons learned to give their winches, hoists and other equipment the ability to withstand the worst of the weather without impairing performance.
The work that has been carried out by the company to harden equipment to work well in difficult environments has also paid off in other areas.  Because it is built to perform well in hostile environments, Ingersoll Rand industrial material handling equipment will also achieve excellent levels of reliability and quality in more controlled situations. 
Reliability is everything in industry, and you need to be confident in your equipment, especially when you are handling difficult loads or lifting dangerous materials.  Ingersoll Rand are famous for using the finest quality materials throughout the production of their range of hoists winches and other industrial material handling equipment, and this gives the end user much greater confidence in their tools than they might otherwise have.  All aspects of the units available from Red Hill Supply have faced extensive testing to ensure that they can perform at the highest levels when in use, and provided they are well maintained, they will offer impressive performance over the long term.
Every application has different needs when it comes to the performance of the equipment that is required to do the job, and Ingersoll Rand have produced a wide range of industrial material handling equipment that can be trusted.  From air powered winches that can operate perfectly well in environments where a traditional electric motor cannot be used due to volatile gasses or flammable materials being present through to situations where immense power needs to be applied to lift heavy loads without risk of failure, there are hoists, and winches that can meet the requirements of industries as diverse as manufacturing and oil production.
Red Hill Supply specializes in providing the tools that industry needs in order to operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  Thanks to our relationship with leading manufacturers such as Ingersoll Rand, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of industrial material handling equipment that can be used to provide you with the efficient and safe systems that you need in order to keep your operations running at their best.

Gujarat-based Elecon Engineering Company is looking for a US or an European gearbox manufacturer for an acquisition. 
They manufacture bulk material handling equipment, industrial gearboxes and windmill gearboxes.  Click here to read more.

Elecon gears up for foreign buy
SRIKUMAR BONDYOPADHYAY
 
GET, SET, GO 
Calcutta, June 23: Gujarat-based Elecon Engineering Company, engaged in manufacturing bulk material handling equipment, industrial gearboxes and windmill gearboxes, is getting ready for an overseas acquisition. It hopes to complete the deal in the next six to nine months.

“We have already started looking for acquisitions in the domestic and overseas markets and have appointed consultants for this purpose,” said Hemendra C. Shah, chief financial officer and vice-president, Elecon.

“We are getting some proposals but have not found a suitable company,” Shah said.

Elecon is keen on an US or an European gearbox manufacturer having an annual turnover of between Rs 350 crore and Rs 400 crore.

In 2007-08, the material handling business booked orders of Rs 1,234 crore, while the gearbox business obtained orders of Rs 400 crore.

“As on March 31 this year, we had a pending order book position of Rs 1,085 crore for the material handling segment business and Rs 202 crore for the gearbox division,” Shah said.

The company’s outstanding order book at the end of March was 1.5 times its turnover (Rs 826.43 crore) in 2007-08.

“During the current financial year so far, we have witnessed strong order inflows. Looking at the trend we expect to book orders between Rs 1,700 crore and Rs 1,800 crore in 2008-09,” he said.

With a bulging order book, the company needs to augment its manufacturing capacity and an acquisition is the easiest and quickest way out.

“We are also expanding our existing capacities both in the gearbox and material handling divisions. In 2007-08, we invested Rs 82 crore in a windmill gearbox unit. In the current financial year, we have earmarked a capital expenditure of Rs 120 crore for expanding capacities at material handling and gearbox facilities,” Shah said.

Given its capital expenditure and acquisition plans, the company may tap the capital market for a second time.

“We’ll have to consider an equity dilution through a second public issue to raise part of the fund we may need for capacity addition and overseas acquisition,” Shah said.

Last year, Elecon had bagged a Rs 378-crore order from the Damodar Valley Corporation.

It also bagged a Rs 188.52-crore order from Steel Authority of India Limited for its IISCO Steel plant.

“The amount of orders we booked last year from the eastern region comprised 47 to 48 per cent of our total orders in 2007-08,” Shah said.

These mixers were designed to attach to IBC’s or totes.  Read more about this here.

Mixers are designed for mounting to IBCs or totes.

June 20, 2008 - Available with TEFC electric motors (1/3 to 1 hp) or air motors (½ to 1 hp) as well as explosion-proof motors, Series HGL (430 rpm) mixers allow integration with IBCs or poly tote bins by use of optional 2 in. 316SS bulkhead fitting. They feature short shaft and folding propeller that are constructed of 316SS and capable of fitting through 2 in. opening. Prop’s operating diameter is 9 in. Second folding propeller can be added as accessory and bolted anywhere on ¾ in. dia shaft.