When buying or installing a packaging machine, many people do not think about the consequences for the operators of dragging rolls.
One of the statements we often hear here is the following:
"We work ergonomically, because we have adjusted the weight of our rollers so that they can be handled very well manually."
There is nothing wrong with that in itself. A 25 kg roll is of course much easier to handle than a 50 kg roll. But at the end of the day, the same operator will have to handle twice as many rolls. At the end of the day, the operator has moved the same tonnage of weight. So there are still many risks of chronic injuries to the back and shoulders. Moreover, this procedure is also very expensive, as twice as many operations are required for the same production output.
It is therefore a foregone conclusion that a good investment in a lifting device will boost both the ergonomics and the efficiency of the company.
A solution for every lifting application
But how do we get started? What is the best solution for your machine? There is a wide variety of packaging machines on the market, with a great deal of diversity in roll handling. We see more and more that the producers of packaging machines are responding to this need. Either they make their own lift truck, or they build a manipulation tool on the packaging machine itself.
Before signing up for the options of the machine manufacturers, it is best to consult a company specialised in roll handling. Building a manipulation tool into every line is a big investment. Often an unnecessary investment that can be solved in a much simpler way.
In addition, we also see that lifting trolleys supplied are very bulky compared to the application for which they are used. As a result, much more space needs to be provided. The optimum utilisation of this space is just what is needed in every factory.
Logitrans Handling, with more than 20 years of experience, can assist you in this process. It does not matter whether it is an existing or a new packaging machine. Below are a few solutions that can be implemented.
2 types of roll handling
Broadly speaking, we can distinguish two types of packaging machines when it comes to roll handling. On the one hand, there are the rollers that are pushed along the side of the machine over a spindle and, on the other hand, there are the machines in which the rollers are mounted at the back of the machine.
Rollers at the back of the packaging line
When rollers are mounted at the back of the machine, there is usually a separate shaft (although it can also be that it is fixed to the machine on one side). The possibilities for easy manipulation are numerous here.
Rolls up to 40 kg
For weights up to 40 kg, a trolley with a v-block is sufficient to place the rollers with the axle on the machine. Normally these stand eye-to-eye on the pallet and this weight can still easily and safely be tipped directly onto the v-block platform of the machine.
Rolls up to 120 kg
When we talk about rollers up to 120 kg, it is a different story. Due to the heavy weight and cumbersome size of these rolls, they can slip out of your hands and cause an accident.
Two alternatives can be used for this. On the one hand, the PRO100 Easysqueeze, where the roll can be clamped and tilted on the outside.
But we are actually a bigger fan of the coregripper system. This tool allows you to grip the core and tilt the roll effortlessly into the centre. No risk of damage to the film and full ergonomics.
To make the solution complete, you can store the reels in a central location and mount the coregripper on a hoist system in a column slewing crane or crane way.
Be sure to read the story of chip producer Clarebout or watch the video to find out more about this solution.
Case Clarebout
Or click here for the video.
Rolls up to 500 kg
There are also possibilities for heavier rolls. The problem of tilting is less of an issue here, as these are generally already horizontal on the pallet. In this case, a modified or reel lifter may already be the solution.
Still need a tilt? The reel rotator can tilt rolls up to 500 kg
Rollers on the side of the packaging line
Many packaging machines contain a spindle over which the roll must be pushed. In this case, the above-mentioned devices are not always the right solution.
Liftingfunnels
Where there are packaging machines, there are also components, and those components require maintenance or replacement. The form funnel is an example of this. A forming hopper or forming shoulder draws the shape into the bag before the machine fills the bag with the produced goods. Due to diversity in the production process, these forming hoppers are changed regularly.
