Technology And Manufacturing: What Is A Palletizer And What Is It Used For

Palletizers are a type of industrial machine that is used to put products on pallets. The first palletizer was developed by the meat company Swift & Company in the 1950s as a way to move packaged meat from their processing plants into storage or onto trucks for shipment. The machine allowed workers to stack packages on top of one another and then wrap them together so they could be handled with an automated forklift.

As with everything technology touches, there were concerns about how these machines would affect people who worked in those industries. But as the material and cost savings of using a machine over human labor became clear, many companies decided it was worth it to invest in palletizers and other types of robots to help reduce costs and improve efficiency. Companies use palletizers for various activities today. Let’s see what they are used for below.

What is a Palletizer?

A palletizer is a device that can be used to efficiently and effectively organize products in the manufacturing industry. The palletising machinery generally works by automatically moving pallets underneath various goods, lifting them up, turning them sideways, and placing them back down again. This allows for the product (or products) to be packaged and stacked on top of one another without the help of an additional person. This not only saves time but can also save money by increasing productivity and reducing unnecessary labor costs.

What is it Used For?

A palletizer is also commonly used to handle oversize or odd-shaped objects that may not otherwise be able to fit onto a conventional flat-bed pallet. Instead, these items are often wrapped with stretch wrap or shrink wrap for protection, and then placed on top of the palletizer. The lifting arm can then pick up these items by wrapping around them, allowing the products to be lifted at the center of gravity – making it easier to handle your business’s transport. Some of these devices can even be equipped with a rotator that will turn the package around in order to better fit into an odd-shaped space.

Palletizers are often used for mass production when products need to be packaged for delivery, allowing them to remain organized and stackable while also being easy to handle in transit. They allow for efficient use of warehouse space, as well as safe transportation of goods.

What Industries Use Palletizers?

Palletizers are used by a number of different industries. Industries that put items on pallets will see the benefits of having a palletizer. These different industries include:

• Electronics
• Food and Beverage
• Cosmetics
• Chemical Manufacturing
• Pharmaceuticals
• Paint and Ink Mfg.
• Metalworking and Abrasives Manufacturers (Cutting Tools)
• Manufacturers of similar products like electronics, pharmaceuticals, paint, and ink

Industries that package items in boxes such as retail, food and beverage, cosmetics, and chemical manufacturing. Retail stores pack pallets of their store products for distribution to their own storage racks or other retailers’ shelves.

Benefits of Using a Palletizer:

The use of a palletizer in these industries allows for:

Reduced Handling and Damages – Items that are packaged in boxes will typically spend more time on the floor when they could be elevated to decrease the chances of damage. The less time spent on the floor means less chance of contamination or damage.

Increased Productivity – When an item is placed on a pallet, it allows for more efficient stacking. This saves time in the packaging process by allowing items to be packaged quicker and easier.

Pallets can contain multiple different products – As mentioned before, an item that is placed onto a pallet will allow for less floor space, meaning one does not need as many people to stack the product. It also allows for more efficient stacking, as mentioned before, increasing productivity.

Reduced Pallet Costs – When one does not have to purchase as many boxes, one can decrease packaging costs. This allows for more savings and increases the company’s overall profits.

Pallets can be reused – These items are typically made from heavy-duty plastic, with a few metal parts. One can use these pallets more than once, allowing for fewer costs and more savings.

Reduced Labor Costs – When one does not have to spend as much time stacking product onto pallets, one can decrease labor costs. This allows for more savings and increases the company’s overall profits.

How does a Palletizer Work?

Palletizers work by taking products off of an infeed conveyor belt, elevating them to stackable heights with another conveyor, allowing for maximum efficiency in space-saving, then placing the items on pallets that are either the same size or custom size. This allows for easy identification of where each product goes. These pallets are then either moved to their desired location by conveyor belt, placed on a storage rack or put into a box for distribution or shipping.

Types Of Palletizers

There are two types of palletizers, depalletizers, and pallet dispensers. Depending on the manufacturer, these may have different names. Depalletizers change from a box to a pallet, while a pallet dispenser stacks items onto a pallet.

Depalletizer: A depalletizer changes from a box to a pallet. It will elevate the product to stackable heights, then place them on a pallet and fold up the original box or container it came in.

Pallet Dispensers: A pallet dispenser allows for a single product to be placed on a pallet, and then stacked. It will elevate the product to stackable heights, allowing for multiples of products to be stacked at once if needed. A second conveyor belt will allow another product to be added so it looks like one item is being placed multiple times when it is really being added to the pallet every time.

Palletizers and Packaging Efficiency

Palletizers are very helpful in packaging efficiency due to the fact that it can allow for multiple products to be packaged at once. This allows for more production, less time in the packaging process, and better overall product quality.

While palletizers can definitely help in packing efficiencies, there are some downside risks that should be aware of. For example, one would want to make sure that pallets are never overloaded so as not to risk damaging the products. Having too many items on a pallet also increases the chances for damage due to the weight being spread across several items instead of just one or two.

Palletizers are a machine that can stack products onto pallets. These machines allow for more efficient packaging, which in turn increases productivity and reduces labor costs. It is then necessary to be cautious when using the machines so as not to overload them or cause damage to any product on them.