Automated Industrial Technologies, which has manufactured and supplied equipment to pallet companies for more than 25 years, is offering an innovative solution to reduce labor costs and increase throughput by leasing its new ES50 Board Stacker.
AIT introduced the new automatic stacker earlier this year. The ES50 Board Stacker performs two operations: moving and stacking deck boards or stringers to improve throughput. It eliminates the need for a second worker to manually stack or move small lots exiting from a saw, chamfer or notcher.
Beyond developing the machine, AIT has pioneered a unique leasing program designed to help even smaller pallet companies afford this stacker. The benefit is handling same amount of goods per hour, using half the labor. For example, two workers each spend 60 hours per month to pull and stack material, a combined total of 120 hours. The AIT ES50 eliminates the need for one worker; the machine runs 60 hours per month in place of that worker. The company only pays for leasing the machine for those 60 hours it is in operation. There will be a minimum number of hours billed each month. This leasing program provides a convenient way for pallet manufacturers or reman shops to try out the ES50 Board Stacker with almost no financial risk.
“We often hear from Operations Managers in the field that they need a machine that makes operators more efficient and allows them to grow the business without adding people,” says Chip Lamb, chief operations officer at AIT. “So we began to think of ways to bring automation options to smaller shops and specialty lines that prove to be an easy return on investment. Our goal with the leasing option is to offer the right automation at the right price.”
For those looking to buy the machine outright, the ES50 Board Stacker is priced starting at about $37,500. With the purchase option, the machine will pay for itself in labor savings in about one year, according to AIT. Lead time from order to delivery for the ES50 Board Stacker is estimated to be five weeks.
AIT understands the on-going labor challenges in lumber processing—getting the right people and keeping them safe and efficient. The ES50 Board Stacker will save hours of labor by one employee each month; now an employee can be assigned to other tasks to boost production elsewhere. Automating redundant manual tasks also minimizes fatigue and the risk of injury for laborers.
The ES50 features a simple, uncomplicated design and operation and will provide years of reliable service. For companies that run just a few hours for each specialty cut or material size, changing over the stacker can be completed quickly by one person with manual adjustments.
The ES50 is readily installed, runs easily, and requires minimal supervision by an operator. Positioned downstream from a saw, notcher, or chamfer, it optimizes the number of boards processed per labor hour and can accept material directly on its infeed to stack with or without tie strips. Board stacks can be moved via forklift or manual pallet jack.
For more information about AIT, the ES50 Board Stacker or other machinery for the pallet and sawmill industry, visit www.autoindtech.com or call (434) 525-2292
