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produces high quality, custom-made skylights and roof lights; and a custom-sized wooden pallet is needed for packing and transporting these. Over ten pallets are manufactured per day, and these were being measured
and assembled manually on the floor. During the process, the bottom and top slats were cut to length for each pallet; and with each roof type having over 900 size variants, there is considerable variation required with the measuring.
new machine which takes up less space and is much faster has streamlined the pallet manufacturing process for Netherlands-based Vlakkelichtkoepel. The company
The bottom rails were laid out on the floor and two holes were pre-drilled at each end in the top slats. The top laths were then laid out on the bottom laths and screwed down. Measurements were taken diagonally to get the pallets into the hook, then the top laths were unscrewed. The company therefore
wanted to design a new system that could, among other benefits, yield considerable time savings. Engineer Jos from
Vlakkelichtkoepel said: “We wanted to save time by not having to manually measure
the distances of the bottom and top slats, and not having to measure the squareness of the pallet. We also wanted the new system to be ergonomically better so that employees do not have to work on the floor. A final requirement was for one person operation so that all size variants could be made by one person.” To discuss the application, the company turned to HepcoMotion.
The new process is markedly different to the previous set up with a vertical pallet frame that is adjustable to assemble various sized wooden pallets. HepcoMotion’s aluminium MCS profiles form the rigid base for the frame, and a total of 12 PDU2 belt driven linear actuators provide the necessary adjustment to accommodate different sized pallets. The 12 PDU2 actuators are mounted vertically onto an MCS frame,
arranged in three columns with four actuators mounted one above the other in each column. The actuators are configured in such a way that they allow for bespoke pallet sizing and design with a choice of positioning of the intermediate battens. The PDU2s in each row are connected with a connection shaft ensuring they all work synchronously. A handwheel on the side adjusts the three interconnected actuators, altering the horizontal height of the wooden slats. The array of four vertical actuators adjust the position of the outside and intermediate dimensions, allowing the battens to be fixed in the position most suited to the requirements of each pallet. Offering a long life and no re-lubrication, PDU2 units require very
little maintenance. They can also be supplied with a left, right or double shaft configuration, making it straightforward and easy to link the units together and control via the handwheel. The PDU2 was also appealing thanks to its high performance yet attractive price. Vlakkelichtkoepel worked closely with the HepcoMotion sales engineer
to determine the length of actuators needed to accommodate the range of slat sizes required. With the new process, there are a number of steps that are no longer
required, saving considerable time and improving the accuracy. Jos explained: “It is no longer necessary to measure in the hook, because the bottom slats are on the left and the installation side is 90˚ square. The bottom rails no longer need to be measured, as they are flexibly set by the machine. Also, the top laths no longer need to be measured as they are placed at a fixed distance against the mounted lips. And, lastly, we no longer need to pre-drill the holes as the top laths are secured with a nail stapler.” The new pallet making machine featuring HepcoMotion’s PDU2 actuators and MCS frame has streamlined the process, and allows any size of pallet to be made by one person alone. Time savings of approximately eight minutes per pallet have resulted in total savings of £4500 per year.
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