New System Creates a Safer
Work Environment

Case Study

Customer:
New Glarus Brewery
New Glarus, Wisconsin

Systems Integrator:
Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc.
Sussex, Wisconsin

Find a way to cut down on the amount of materials you handle manually, and you've got a good thing going. You lessen the chances of hurting your back and hands, which are two of the more common types of on-the-job injuries. In addition, your capacity for work will increase and so will production.

Keeping with Commitment
New Glarus Brewery is a quaint little brewery nestled on the outskirts of New Glarus, Wisconsin. The brewery is run by an enthusiastic couple who have successfully combined business management and brewing professionalism. Since 1993, this brewing company has risen to the top of its industry by supplying award-winning products to customers. To remain on top in a highly competitive market, product must be running at top speed; yet provide a strong, safe work environment for employees. In order to reduce the ergonomic handling issues of fatigue and potential injuries due to finished product weight, Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc. offered an alternative to their manual palletizing system. The brewery viewed this as a continuous effort to review employee environmental issues, which can affect employee retention.

How the system works:  
The previous system was a manual palletizing system that required employees to hand palletize a load of 49 cases stacked in 7 layers – or just over 6ft. high. On average, the brewery handles approximately 2200 cases of beer per day and each case weighs approximately 32 lbs. With the new system, the full cases of beer flow from a case packing machine to an incline conveyor. This incline conveyor pushes the product to a case sealer where an operator inspects every case before it is sealed. The palletizer does all the work lifting cases and stacking pallets. The operator simply positions them so the cases proceed to a palletizer where they are formed into layers and placed on a wooden pallet for shipping. The palletizer discharges a full pallet load to a drag chain conveyor that is used to accumulate product. At this point, a fork lift operator delivers each pallet to the warehouse.

Benefits
Babush can offer a simple, low cost palletizing solution to production lines that require economical solutions. This simple solution features a palletizer that offers smaller plant operators such as New Glarus Brewery a low cost option for upgrading their hand palletizing operation - with a production machine that eliminates the need for workers to lift heavy, packed cases and relieves the risk of injury, workers compensation claims, and increased insurance premiums. The palletizer is priced low enough for most one-shift operations yet can be upgraded using the latest technology to meet increasing production demands. This system provided New Glarus Brewery with the ability to move materials efficiently and safely – allowing them to continue meeting daily demands in less time and less fatigue on their employees

“The addition of the new system makes for a better work environment which helps to maintain the high quality standards for the finished product and employee moral”. Brewmaster and Co-owner, Daniel Carey

Will Your Conveyor be Shock Loaded?

Shock loading is discouraged, but acceptable - provided the conveyor is designed for it

Shock Loading is any situation where product is dropped onto the conveyor. Although dropping product onto the conveyor is discouraged, there are circumstances in material handling when this cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is necessary for those who will be using conveyors in this application to be aware of the limitations and options available.

When qualifying your next application it is important that your distributor ask; “How will your product be loaded or unloaded in every phase of your project.” In applications where product will be loaded or unloaded by fork trucks and overhead cranes, it is necessary that you understand how the conveyor will be protected. Manufacturer’s standard equipment such as Chain Guards, Guards Rails, or Framing are not designed to be used as squaring devices. Look at each of these applications separately and possibly upgrade to 2-5/8" dia. or even 3-1/2" diameter rollers.

Other applications that often get overlooked are the seemingly simple ones that use Slider Beds and 1-3/8" dia. and 1.9" dia. type conveyors. There is a difference between placing a product and dropping a product on a conveyor. You must determine the difference and design accordingly. We recommend reinforcement plates in slider bed, extra supports, replacing rollers with plates, upgrading to a different roller gauge, or closer roller centers. In some cases, a different model may be needed altogether. You should never use 1-3/8" dia. rollers in any impact area.

We could talk forever about shock loading and the variables it creates, but the main thing we want to stress is when specifying conveyor, make sure your distributor knows if there will be shock loading. If so, then precautions must be taken to insure the conveyor line is protected.

For more information, contact Babush Material Handling Systems, Inc..

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!