RFID Day Signup is Underway
Signup is now underway for the December 7th event at the newly
constructed Star Alliance Center (Sussex,
WI 53089). If you would
like to attend this special event you can visit the free registration
page at the Babush website.
RFID
DAY SIGNUP The following companies will be participating in the demonstrations
and seminars: Catalyst International,
Columbia Machine, The Glennon Group, and Babush.
The day will be devoted to productivity increasing material
handling systems
and RFID implementation. End to end product processing from
package RFID tagging to material handling via an automated
conveyor / palletization system will be demonstrated and explored.
You will learn:
- How to master the science of palletizing,
labeling and more
- How EPCglobal and Department of Defense
RFID standards and mandates affect you
- How to overcome RFID
complexities and challenges
Plus:
1. We have added more presentations that will be running all
day long in the production room as well as the training room.
2. We will have several vendor booths set up as a “mini-tradeshow”.
3. Hosts will be giving 30 minute tours of the complete demonstration
(end to end processing) all day long in the showroom.
4. Breakfast and a full lunch will be served
The day’s activities
are free to interested companies that want to learn how to
both save money in their operations
and increase throughput.
Click the following link to be added to the invitation list
for this special event
http://www.babush.com/signup_rfid.html 
Quick Tip of the Month
Each month we will provide a quick tip on various subjects
in the material handling industry. Watch this area for helpful
ideas and shortcuts in maintenance and operation of your material
handling equipment.
Using zero pressure conveyors in assembly and inspection
applications:
When using zero pressure conveyors in
assembly and inspection applications, it is often necessary
to remove a product
from the conveyor for a short time and then replace it.
It may be desirable to keep the “inspection” zone
empty and hold back any incoming product until the removed
product is replaced. An easy way to do this is to provide
a zone stop signal to the inspection zone and
to use the “one-on
delay timer” function of EZLogic. This timer may
be set to hold back any incoming product for 15, 30 or
45 seconds. The inspection zone will remain empty and
stopped
during this time. When the product is replaced in the
inspection zone, the zone stop is released to allow the
boxes to advance
normally.
Case Studies
Visit our website (www.babush.com)
for material handling case studies in a variety of industries.
This month we are highlighting the following case
study:
Customer:
Paper Manufacturer
(Manufactures paper for the quality printing industry )
System Integrator:
Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc.
Sussex, Wisconsin
The challenge was to improve quality and increase
productivity through technology.
The justification for the new packaging system was to reduce
damage to the finished product of paper sheets as it traveled
from the warehouse to the printers. This required a packaging
system that would seal the pallets of paper sheets and eliminate
the harmful environmental conditions by restricting moisture
and UV sunlight.
The secondary objective was to utilize state of the art equipment
to replace the manual wrapping operations they were currently
using. With this automated system our customer was able to
reduce their labor force by 12 employees and provide their
customer with an improved product.
Babush Material Handling went about the task of integrating
the special equipment required for the packaging system and
customizing the controls to monitor the process from start
to finish.
One of the critical factors became the necessity to convey
the unwrapped pallets of paper sheets with a maximum weight
of 4000 lbs. between each stage of the packaging system. For
this reason chain-driven-live-roller conveyor was chosen to
ensure reliability with no disruption of the paper sheets during
transportation from station to station. By incorporating soft
start/stop controls on the conveyors we were able to guarantee
the paper remained stable throughout the various equipment
stations.
At the beginning of the conveyor line the pallet is stopped
at the weigh station. The height, width, length, and weight
of the pallet is measured. This information is transmitted
to the customer’s host computer for verification. If
the pallet information doesn’t match the pallet’s
bar code, the pallet is rejected and sent back to the loading
station. If the pallet is good, the pallet advances to the
centering station where the sheets of paper are guided and
repositioned to ensure they are located squarely on the pallet.
The pallet then proceeds to the top-film station. Here a layer
of shrink film is laid on the top of the pallet with some overhang
on all four sides. Because the control system tracks the pallet
size throughout the process, the system is able to run various
pallet sizes automatically without assistance from the operator.
Then it’s on to the film wrapping station where the pallet
advances through a film curtain. Once the pallet is through
the film curtain, the trailing edge of the curtain is sealed
with a welding beam to recreate the curtain.
At this point, the pallet reaches the most important station.
This is where the pallet enters the film-shrinking oven; the
top film and side film sheets are heated by blowing hot air
from 4 sides and the top. This results in a very tight and
uniformly wrapped pallet when the sheets of film fuse together
to form a single wrap. After the pallet is removed from the
oven it stops at the cooling press station where pressure is
applied to the top of the load as it cools to ensure the most
compressed and strongest package possible. The pallets are
off to the operator station where they apply a label that is
generated by the host computer. The pallet will then travel
either directly to the loading dock or to an AGV loading station.
The AGV will then transport the pallet to the customer’s
high-rise storage system.
This system utilizes specialized equipment manufactured in
Germany. This presented a unique challenge, first dealing with
the translation of technical data from the German language
to English. Secondly the German equipment was designed for
Siemens controls (the predominant architecture in Europe).
Our customer preferred to use Allen Bradley architecture to
insure commonality within their facility and allowing them
the ability to receive service locally. Through a strong commitment
to detail and dogged determination, the system was designed
and completed in the allotted timeframe. Our customer was able
to put the new pallet wrapping system online and eliminate
the need to manually wrap their products from that day forward.
Read
more case studies at our website
About Us
Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc. provides
state of the art material handling services through rapid development
of new technologies and partnering programs. With over 75 years
in material handling integration, Babush is positioned to provide
you with the most cost effective solutions, on time deliveries,
and high quality customer care for all of your material handling
integration needs. Some of our services include: Audits & Consulting,
Layout & Simulation, Project Management, Turnkey Installation,
Maintenance & Services, and more. Visit our website for
more information and to find out how Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc. can become your Single Source Solutions Provider!
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