Line Side Tote Exchange System

Background

Expansion is an exciting and tense time for any business. If done right, expansion can take a business from good to great. If done wrong it could put jobs in jeopardy. With this constant fluctuation of the manufacturing world it’s not uncommon to have to new requirements for ergonomic material flow. If expansion has caused you to wonder how to manage new material handing requirements then this installation is for you. 

Problem

Once the economy started to recover after the recession our customer had to handle an expansion in new models. The customer required an increased amount of parts to be kept at the line and able to be accessed by the operator at all times. This meant a solution had to be flexible enough to fit the ergonomic needs of many different operators. These final assemblies had to be built in sequence and placed in the dunnage in a specific order. 

Solution

The solution was not as complex as one might imagine. We provided the customer with a simple gravity fed line side tote exchange system. This system easily moved the totes to required line positions. Each delivery point was equipped with hydraulic tilt tables at tote stations. The tilt tables allowed the operator to be at optimal ergonomic heights and reach at all times.  The System was designed to have five gravity roller infeed lines and two gravity roller outfeed lanes (left & right). This solution met both the timing needs and ergonomic needs of the customer.

Installation

A solution like this is not overly complex but it will take some experience to make sure the project runs smoothly, and this is what we do best. Installation took place at the customers convince leaving them extremely satisfied with the solution and continues to be used today