Problem: Can we really utilize the space in our plant better?
Solution: Consider a complete facility scan to identify the best way to arrange and optimize your equipment.
You may be wanting to optimize your facility or add a new key piece of equipment, but you wonder… will this fit, will this work with my current layout? You may worry, “I don’t think I have the space to make a solid decision.” Eliminate the worry and wonder with a plant evaluation scan from Pallet Machinery Group (PMG). PMGs trained staff can visit your facility with a 3D scanner and conduct a full or partial scan to eliminate the guesswork and make your next automation or plant efficiency project successful.
PMG uses a LiDAR scanner and turns that point cloud data into an AutoCAD layout with full image support. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a remote sensing method for capturing and creating 3D models of the real world.
Wayland Carter, vice president of sales, explained, “The scan takes the speculation out of it. Many times we can make custom solutions to utilize a small space that most customers might think is not usable.”
The process is simple and yet much better than guesstimations with paper, pencil and tape measures. This LiDAR system spins 360 degrees, so it takes a whole 360-degree image of the location. The system uses a camera and a laser to take 3-D data points of the entire facility or machinery location. In most situations, it usually takes between 30-80 scans to get an accurate picture of a facility. The PMG plant scan service gets everything from ceiling height to truss locations, to dust pipe collection locations, electrical facilities to machine placement to more.
Carter stated, “We are not just getting just square footage; we’re getting everything that the building has to offer.” The scan provides information that can be used for planning, insurance paperwork or even support documentation when a company is looking to sell a pallet facility.
PMG has offered this service for several years as a stand-alone service. Or it usually is part of the total cost when PMG is installing a full line or larger piece of equipment.
Carter recalled, “There may be a situation where a customer wants to put a piece of equipment in, but they aren’t sure if it will fit. We recently had a customer in Ohio who wanted to buy a Titan, but he wasn’t sure if it would fit. We were able to scan the facility to see where it would fit best. In this instance, it was the height of the building and location of beams that was the key factor.”
One of the early adopters of this approach was Berry Pallets, Inc. in Waseca, Minnesota. PMG helped Berry Pallets, Inc. scan its facility when the company went through a major expansion in 2021. Curtis Berry, vice president of Berry Pallets, Inc. said, “PMG helped us map out our expansion we did to maximize the square footage available and make the equipment we were designing fit. If we didn’t do that service through PMG, it would have made our planning process more difficult and time consuming on the expansion and equipment designing. I would highly recommend this service to any shop that wants to have their plant digitally laid out, especially if they plan on buying any equipment from the PMG group. It was worth every penny.”
PMG recently conducted some scans for pallet companies in Canada and can take this service to customers all over North America. One benefit is getting paid after a major event, such as a fire. Carter commented, “If a customer has some kind of plant issue, such as a fire, we can provide scan data to reference exact placement of machinery and other details to assist the insurance company. This provides photographic evidence to help with any claim issue.”
Advance Lumber and Pallet Ltd. in Surrey, British Columbia, recently worked with PMG to scan a new building it was putting up to house a new lumber processing line. This facility has Max Board Feet equipment that is sold by PMG. Sukhi Brar of Advanced Lumber said, “With the scanning technology, we could model different layout options in advance. That helped us optimize the footprint for our processing line and ensure room for future growth.”
The PMG staff conducted the scans and could easily make changes in the equipment layout compared to working with an architect that would then need to communicate with the equipment supplier. Brar noted, “This made changes easier as we worked on the building.”
Roughly 75% of the use cases involve an existing building. But the service could be used to help evaluate a plot of land to improve the initial design of a new plant. How accurate is the scan? Carter explained, “It is a lot more accurate than other methods. It is accurate up to a ± 1mm at a 250ft range. So, it is very precise.”
The biggest selling point is eliminating the guesswork. He added, “We can take that data and remove the speculation from their decision-making process. This enables us to create a tailored solution that’ll fit for the area you have.”
The process can take a half a day or more depending on the size of the area to be scanned. You have to strategically move the scanner throughout the building so that the software knows the exact placement and can marry the images together to create the 3D model. And here’s more good news, you can save money on the process. Carter noted, “We offer discounts towards the scan if they buy equipment from us.”
PMG has developed a reputation for helping pallet companies refine their processes and provide labor saving equipment. The company is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year serving the wooden pallet industry.
For more information on the PMG scanning service or any of its products, call (540) 644-9220, email wayland.carter@palletmachinery.com or visit www.palletmachinery.com.
