Applications Library > End of Line Racking

To automatically rack stamped body panels of both Class “A” and Class “B” surfaces. The panels are produced at speeds up to 14 SPM and must be loaded into shipping racks for movement to assembly plants. This presented ergonomic and production challenges with manual operation as the size and weight of the parts makes it difficult for operators handling and racking them. Some of the parts get rotated during the racking process. To keep within production requirements, there needed to be 8 separate load/unload stations so while some are being loaded, others can be unloaded with a fork truck. Read more ...

Large parts that require manual racking have historically been the bottleneck on large press lines. So much so, they can actually dictate the speed by which production is run. The customer had a major problem with material handling congestion and ergonomic issues for the operators as they picked up parts from flat conveyor surfaces. The first goal of this program was to allow parts to be processed at more stations, while allowing fork truck traffic to flow smoothly. This was accomplished by dividing the exiting parts into additional racking stations and fanning out the turn tables to avoid material handling congestion. The second part of this goal was achieved by presenting the parts to the operators ergonomically to reduce the potential for injury. Read more ...

Major tier 1 Japanese stamping company located in Mansfield, Ohio, USA, was awarded a contract to provide door sash stampings for an automobile manufacturer located in Marysville, Ohio, USA. The Tier-one manufacturer was looking to reduce the manual handling of finished parts and part racks. Read more ...