High Speed Palletizer

High Speed Palletizer High Speed Unitizer High Speed Unitizing

High speed palletizing is really an extension of the original dedicated palletizers and unitizers developed in the 50's. As companies learned how to build better palletizers, naturally speed increased. Add PLC based controls and you get a very reliable, high speed machine. When pricing palletizers, speed is usually the primary consideration. However, higher price does not always equal higher speed.

One of the foremost rules of palletizing is that the more cases per layer, the higher the speed. So, a machine that handles a 12 case layer at 36 cases per minute, may have a limitation of 12 cases per minute at 4 cases per layer. Or, in other words, the palletizer can do 3 layers per minute, if there are a lot of cases per layer, the palletizer can palletize many cases per minute. If however, there are only a few cases per layer, then the palletizers true speed is slower.

There are palletizers available today that can reach speeds in excess of 150 cases per minute, but note that the palletizer customer must be certain to verify with the palletizer manufacturer that the quoted speeds are for the pattern configurations that he requires based upon a 24 hour day and that they are not "surge" rates.

Often, customers will include a safety factor in their speed requirements of as much as 25%. Then the palletizer manufacturer includes a safety factor in addition to the 25% from the customer. Occasionally, this duplication of safety factors can cause a project to be unviable. So, when speaking with the manufacturer it is important to give them two sets of numbers, 1) the minimum speed necessary and 2) the speed required by you the customer.

When speaking with vendors about a palletizer it is always necessary to send a sample of your product to the vendor for review. The vendor should be able to look at your case and determine many properties of the case upon examination that he could only guess at without actually seeing and touching it. Most often you will want to send the samples prior to a quote, but it is always necessary to send a sample prior to delivery of the equipment. Be leary of the vendor who says they can ship a palletizer to you without ever seeing or touching your product. Quite often this will create problems for you at installation time and after.

And finally, bare in mind that the upfront cost of purchasing a palletizer is not the total cost of ownership. As with any equipment, the palletizer will need routine maintenance and will have worn parts that need replacing occasionally. Look for a company that has many years in the Material Handling business. Someone that can service your needs in the future.