Suppliers Can Design, Equip Repair Lines

The following Pallet Repair Line Guide provides information about Pallet Enterprise advertisers that supply pallet repair lines and component machinery and equipment.

The concept of performing pallet repairs in a line using varying degrees of automation is not new to pallet recyclers.

Of course, pallet recycling businesses are widely different because of local markets, customers and conditions, and the kind of services they provide – and how they supply them – differs greatly.

For example, at some pallet recycling companies, most operations are performed by manual labor. Pallets coming off a truck may be sorted by hand, workers use a pry bar to remove damaged boards, and finished pallets are stacked by hand.

At the other end of the spectrum, conveyors and other machinery and equipment is used to move and handle the pallets and perform many of the processes involved in refurbishing repairable pallets.

Although some suppliers may be strong advocates of certain approaches to pallet repair lines, they will work with recyclers to design a repair line that best meets their requirements. Suppliers also can design and equip pallet dismantling and lumber recovery operations in conjunction with pallet repair operations.

A pallet repair line can be designed and equipped for even a relatively small pallet recycling business, and suppliers can design and equip these systems so they can be readily expanded in the future to accommodate additional growth.

There are a number of benefits to automating pallet recycling operations with a repair line system approach, according to suppliers.

The two principal benefits could be characterized as increasing production and efficiency while controlling and even reducing costs. Simply put, using machinery and equipment can enable pallet recyclers to produce more pallets in a shorter amount of time. Pallet recyclers also may be able to reduce labor and other costs of their business.

Some benefits have a ripple effect. Using conveyors and other equipment to eliminate the arduous manual labor involved in moving and handling pallets makes a worker’s job much easier. Fatigue and strain are reduced. Workers can be more productive and are less prone to injury, which may favorably impact workers’ compensation costs. These benefits also can have an impact on employee morale and a company’s ability to recruit and retain workers.

Pallet suppliers should carefully weigh the pros and cons of capital investments in machinery and equipment.

(Note: suppliers are listed in alphabetical order.)

Automated Machine Systems Inc. (AMS) in Jenison, Michigan is a full service, design and supply integrator providing complete pallet logistics from start to finish. AMS offers a robust line of equipment for pallet sorting and repair.

AMS offers various pallet repair systems. In the AMS ‘nailing on the fly’ or continuous motion assembly repair system, high quality, heavy-duty conveyor and transfer systems move pallets efficiently. Tippers and high-speed de-stackers streamline the sorting process and help make the repair line productive and efficient.

The AMS patented Deckmaster removes deck boards and depresses nail stubble so that the pallet is completely prepped when it goes to the repair line. An AMS flipper allows the top and bottom face of the pallet to be repaired without manually handling the pallet or turning it over. This greatly reduces the training time required for new employees and the physical strength they need. The AMS automated system eliminates the back-breaking labor, which greatly reduces exposure to workmen’s compensation claims and absenteeism. High-speed stackers accumulate finished pallets for return to the pallet pool; AMS stacking systems can handle pallets from 36×36 to 60×60.

While this system works extremely well in a wide variety of applications, AMS realizes that each and every customer is different. The core strength of AMS is the ability of its staff to listen to customers and help them integrate cost effective systems and equipment with new or existing machinery, whether they are producing small or large volumes of pallets. The AMS Over and Under Modular Sort and Repair System is the result of this kind of collaboration. In this system, the above-mentioned equipment can be used in addition to modular builder table units, wood carts and hand tools to allow recyclers to repair different pallet sizes efficiently in one process.

The AMS staff knows that its solutions are only as good as the return on investment they provide for customers. One customer recently remarked that financing his AMS system did not change his operating budget yet he increased production and reduced labor costs.

For more information about Automated Machine Systems, call (877) 267-8384 or visit the Web site at www.amssystems.com.

Bronco Pallet Systems can design and supply pallet repair lines to handle various volume, from a one-man system to a repair line staffed by nine men or more.

For example, a five-man recycling system would consist of a 40-foot slider bed conveyor with four work stations on one side of the line. Each work station would be equipped with a 10-foot floor mounted roller conveyor for incoming pallets and a repair table with lead board remover. Each work station also has a box for scrap and a supply of repair stock.

Repair workers slide finished pallets onto the conveyor, which travels in one direction to a sorting station, which is comprised of a 10-foot elevated roller conveyor and stackers. The finished pallets are sorted by one worker and directed to the appropriate stacker. This Bronco Pallet Systems repair line can produce up to 2,000 pallets or day or more, according to Bronco.

A nine-man recycling system uses the same 40-foot slider conveyor. Four identically-equipped work stations are added to the other side of the repair line. One significant change: the scrap boxes have been removed. Now, both finished pallets and scrap go on the same conveyor.

There is a gap between the end of the repair line conveyor and the 10-foot elevated roller conveyor at the sorting station. The gap is large enough that scrap material falls through it onto a 20-foot inclined conveyor that carries it to a box, yet large enough so that the pallets continue onto the roller conveyor. Stackers are added to accommodate the increased volume. This Bronco Pallet Systems repair line can produce as many as 4,000 pallets daily, according to Bronco.

Besides supplying complete pallet repair lines, pallet sorting and recycling systems, and wood recovery systems, Bronco manufactures and supplies semi-automated pallet nailing systems, stackers, de-stackers and other machinery and equipment.

The company also distributes Pallet Track ®, a bar code-based pallet tracking system that can be incorporated into a pallet repair line.

Bronco Pallet Systems provides consulting services. It can design and supply systems to meet the requirements and floor plans of individual recyclers.

For more information or a free video, call Bronco at (800) 458-5462, e-mail bronco@broncosys.com, or visit the Web site at www.broncosys.com.

A Midwest pallet company recently approached Industrial Resources of Michigan Inc. for assistance to expand its pallet repair business. The company presented the challenge of designing a system for current production levels that also could accommodate growth in the future.

The Industrial Resources staff listened to their goals and designed a system with two phases. Phase one could meet the requirements for current production while phase two would allow the company to grow in the future. The second phase also utilized 100% of the equipment for phase one; this design allowed for a seamless growth plan.

As it turned out, the pallet company received a contract that required phase two to be implemented sooner than anticipated. Today, the company is growing faster than planned. It has been able to take advantage of opportunities for growth because of its Industrial Resources pallet repair system.

Industrial Resources has been serving the pallet industry for more than 15 years. It has earned a reputation for building equipment that is tough enough to withstand the harsh pallet environment yet at a price tag for lesser-made equipment.

Industrial Resources also supplies component machinery and equipment. For example, Industrial Resources was the innovator of the Pass One rotary head pallet dismantler, enabling one operator to remove a stringer in a less than 5 seconds. Industrial Resources also offers bandsaw machines for complete pallet dismantling along with its ‘first in the industry’ safety brake, which will stop the bandsaw in less than 1 second.

The Industrial Resources’ stringer plater is one of the industry’s heaviest stringer platers available today. The scissors-type plater provides up to 22,000 pounds of clamping force. The plater has a cycle time of only 3.5 seconds, ensuring a high volume of repairs during a shift.

Industrial Resources also supplies sturdy trim saws. They feature a steady and easy to load design for maximum cuts per shift. Standard models can trim boards up to 2 inches thick and up to 50 inches long; larger machines are available per request.

Whether you need a total repair line or one piece of pallet recycling equipment, Industrial Resources of Michigan Inc. can meet your requirements.

For more information, call Industrial Resources at (800) 748-0306.

Pallet Repair Systems (PRS) offers an extensive line-up of products and services for pallet sortation and repair automation. As a pioneer in pallet repair machinery, PRS draws from its experience plus advanced engineering and manufacturing techniques to leverage the benefits of machinery for PRS clients.

PRS prides itself on manufacturing the machinery it sells. PRS maintains that its continuous investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility enables it to develop and produce high quality machinery at affordable pricing.

PRS also is committed to provide strong service and parts availability and has the capability to manufacture specific replacement parts to order.

Jeff Williams, PRS vice president, points to the company’s mission statement as its guiding principle: ‘To ever serve our customers better.’

PRS repair line systems can be as simple as a work cell with gravity rollers, scissor lifts, and pallet stacker through completely integrated sort, repair, and reclaim systems. The cost justification and volume requirements also dictate the extent to which full automation is practical. The design of a PRS repair line is based on the application as few pallet recycling businesses are identical.

Services provided by Pallet Repair Systems include:

! Consulting

! Return on investment analysis

! Professional plant layout services

! On-site installation and training

! Maintenance and repair

! Factory machinery refurbishing

! Financing and leasing

Integrated automation systems provided by Pallet Repair Systems include:

! Sortation system

! Repair systems

! Recycling and reclaim systems

! Specialty machinery such as washing and painting systems

Machinery and equipment provided by Pallet Repair Systems include:

! Pallet dispensers and stack tippers

! Pallet inspection machinery

! Lead board removal machinery

! Conveyors & material handling equipment

! Repair tables and hand tools

! Used equipment

! Pallet plating machinery & plates

! Stringer removal machinery

! Bar coding systems and software

! Pallet stackers

For more information on the full line of PRS products or a free catalog or video, call the company toll-free at (866) 546-8864 or visit the Web site at www.pallet-repair.com.

Pallet Systems Manufacturing Inc. manufactures and supplies pallet recycling machinery and equipment and complete repair lines. The company also offers consulting services to design pallet repair lines.

A typical repair line supplied by Pallet Systems Manufacturing would begin with a tipper, which puts stacks of pallets in a position to be easily sorted and processed. Pallets would be sorted at this point and directed to a separate powered conveyor line according to grade. For example, a pallet recycling company that grades to A and B pallets may sort the pallets into these grades and send A pallets down one conveyor and B pallets down another.

Repair stations typically are set up on either side of the conveyor lines. Workers can easily slide a pallet off the conveyor onto a work bench or table, make the necessary repairs, and slide it back onto the conveyor.

The conveyor may have multiple tiers, depending on the recycler’s requirements. For example, for a repair line installed at Krajicek Pallet, Pallet Systems Manufacturing supplied a two-tier conveyor system. The top conveyor is for pallets moving to the repair stations. The repair workers slide the finished pallets onto the bottom conveyor, which moves in the same direction.

Conveyors moving finished pallets take them to one or more stackers at the end of the line where they are automatically stacked and then kicked out to an inclined conveyor on the back side; the inclined conveyor is long enough to accumulate as many stacks as required.

“This kind of repair line really speeds up an operation,”said Paul Hufnagel of Pallet Systems Manufacturing.

Paul normally visits a pallet recycling plant in order to see its operations first-hand and familiarize himself with its requirements prior to making recommendations or designing a repair line. Pallet Systems Manufacturing can design a repair line tailored to a company’s operations and various systems for grading pallets.

Pallet Systems Manufacturing manufactures and supplies individual pallet recycling machines and equipment in addition to complete repair lines. The company manufactures and supplies tippers, stackers, platers, dismantlers, trim saws, conveyors, turn tables, specialty machines, and other equipment.

Pallet Systems Manufacturing offers free demonstration videos. For more information, contact Pallet Systems Manufacturing at (800) 345-0635.

Smetco is a manufacturer and supplier of equipment and complete systems for pallet handling, sorting and repairing, including component machinery, such as dismantlers, stackers and dispensers, up-enders, trim saws, platers, splicers, notchers and more.

Smetco pallet repair systems are designed to increase the volume of repaired, useable pallets and at the same time save money by:

• Reducing labor

• Improving pallet flow and handling efficiency

• Reducing forklift usage

• Improving recycling methods

• Creating a safe work environment.

Smetco high-productivity repair systems feed and convey pallet stacks to operators, separate for operator inspection and repair, remove and replace deck boards and stringers, convey pallets from repair to automatic stackers, grade by type or size, restack and return to service, salvage lumber and convey and remove scrap lumber for further processing.

The company’s’s pallet repair systems incorporate sound material handling principles with heavy-duty construction. Smetco will custom design a system for any plant and budget.

Smetco sorting systems are designed to sort more pallets faster at less cost by:

• Reducing labor

• Eliminating manual labor

• Improving pallet flow and handling efficiency

• Eliminating injuries and fatigue

• Reducing forklift usage and maintenance

• Creating a safe work environment

• Improving pallet inventory control.

Automated pallet sorting systems are a strong focus of Smetco, which can design, fabricate and equip systems for recycling businesses that vary widely in volume and other requirements. Smetco’s high-productivity systems will feed pallet stacks, separate for operator inspection, remove debris, grade pallets by type or size, restack and return to service. Automated data collection systems and pallet cleaning are optional.

Basic systems for companies heavily involved in the GMA market, for example, will provide four sorts or more — pallets that can be reused immediately, pallets that must be repaired, and similar sorts for block-style pallets. Some systems will provide up to nine or 10 sorts.

The demand for automation and improved material handling has grown as the pallet industry continues to mature. Increasingly, pallet recyclers are looking to reduce handling costs and worker compensation insurance claims — and increase profits — through the use of automated equipment.

For more information, contact Smetco at (800)253-5400, fax (503)678-3095, e-mail sales@metco.com, or visit the Web site at www.smetco.com.

Trace Equipment can help pallet recyclers develop custom economical, efficient pallet repair systems.

The Mark I bandsaw pallet disassembler, which is operated by one worker, can perform many tasks related to lumber recovery and pallet prepping. This machine can be used on both stringer and block pallets and can remove leading edge deck boards, single stringers, or perform complete pallet disassembly.

The Mark I features a standard 62-inch table in order to accommodate over-size and odd-size pallets along with standard pallets. The 20-foot blade rides on a rubberized sheave for better tracking, and rugged duty blade guides provide ball bearing support and low friction for cooler running.

The Mark I can be set up along or with another Mark I to work in tandem. Three machines with connecting conveyors will efficiently increase output even more.

To utilize manpower more productively, material can be transported by the incline conveyor to a sorting area, such as a round table. Since the Mark I leaves no nail stubble, the material can be sent directly to a Trim-Trac trim saw or Nail Ease nailing station.

Improve production in lumber recovery operations with a Trim-Trac end trim saw, which can produce up to 15,000 boards in an eight hour shift. It features a precision infeed with two to three chains and multiple dogs for automatic alignment. The adjustable stop can be set to run lengths from 16 inches to 56 inches on a standard machine.

For pallet assembly and repair, the economical Nail Ease nailing station can be used to assemble up to 30 pallets per hour. This manual nailing station has a quick change-over from sizes up to 50×50 and three or four stringers. The Nail Ease can be set up at multiple stations for a low initial investment. Power nail tool frame and balancer are optional.

The Nailing Station for large, heavy, hard to handle over-size pallets has a grapple option to aid in pallet removal and handling. This unit, which is also a manual set-up, features a unique swivel turn-over for easy completion of both sides of the pallet.

Trace Equipment supplies additional equipment for pallet recycling operations, including:

! Solo Single Head Disc Style Disassembler

! Trio Three Head Disc Style Disassembler

! EN 10 Economy Notcher

! SN 20 Single Notcher

! Multi-Trim Saw

! Manual Chop Saw

! Revo Revolving Work Station

! Revolving Round Table-8',10', 12'

These dependable machines feature sturdy construction and low maintenance.

Trace Equipment is committed to providing strong service and support after the sale, and parts are readily available.

For more information, contact Trace Equipment at (877) 778-7223, e-mail trace6075@aol.com, or visit the Web site at www.traceequipment.com.