Lift & Turntable Pallet Build-Up Station for Paper Company

Workstation lift and turntable combination integrates with conveyor for pallet build up of paper products.

Moore Business Forms was challenged with improving the throughput of their pallet build-up process at the end of several conveyor lines. Efficiency was suffering because of poor ergonomics at this workstation – employees had to bend over, reach out, and walk around to access all sides of the pallet while loading with boxes. Customer was requesting a material handling solution that would improve workstation ergonomics, and subsequently improve efficiency and throughput.

Pallet build-up (and/or break-down) workstations are benefited most from a solution that provides the operator incremental adjustments in elevation and in rotation. A hydraulic lift was recommended as the most cost-efficient method of providing adjustments in elevation in order to always keep the top layer of product being loaded/unloaded at an optimum, ergonomic work height. The ability to rotate the pallet is also critical in minimizing walking around the pallet while building it up.

Autoquip also recommended that the turntable be equipped with beveled toe guards and “home” position sensor/switch in order for the lift assembly to be mounted below grade. This way, the top of the turntable can be level with the floor surface in order for pallets to be delivered and picked up from the workstation via pallet jacks, instead of having to wait for fork trucks to take pallets. The customer is completely satisfied with this workstation improvement, and worker productivity has been measurably higher as a result of keeping the work within the ergonomic “power zone” of the workers in the packaging/shipping area.

Lift Specifications for this Unique Application:

Turntable Model: SR4-48-40

Lift/Turn Capacity: 4,000 lbs.

Vertical Travel: 36″

Degrees of Rotation: 360

Platform: 48″ x 48″

Actuation: Hydraulic (Lift)

Through the use of this lift and turn combination, the workstation area has been cost-efficiently updated to include a vital worker productivity improvement, thereby improving factory throughput.