IN-LINE INVERTER

Most of the different styles of inverter have been integrated into in-line systems at some time or another; even the FS has been installed with conveyor on one table at the end of a line.

The first inverters set up for conveyor-feed were the GL style (now no longer manufactured) which received the pallet load on one side and swung over 180 degrees in an extended see-saw motion, to dispense it on the other. This was fine if every load needed to be turned as nothing could get through the machine without inversion.

The next option was the drum or “Pac Man” inverter which received the load side-on and revolved on electrically driven rollers underneath the body of the machine. It was difficult to clamp and support loads in this model, plus it occupied a great deal of space. This too fell out of favour.

The RR provided answers to many of the problems associated with inline pallet exchange. The load tables could be built to almost any size, ideal for handling large sheets of corrugated board and the clamping range is extensive. Loads which do not need inversion can simply pass through from one side to the other. When it clamps and tips it immediately rises out of the conveyor line so there is no space requirement on either side to allow it to swing. This means the adjoining rollers can butt up to those on the inverter tables.

Future in-line systems will undoubtedly be based on the Pallet Changer principle with loads entering from the side or front onto a set of rollers fitted to the machine’s loading table. The pallets will also be ejected and loaded the same way with a pallet stacker and dispenser as part of an integrated system.

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Of all the different styles of pallet inverter to be modified to work “in-line” the FS DC is the most versatile and the most often used.

Firstly, it should be said that conveyor-fed pallet inversion is relatively new and still a growing concept. With the emphasis in the modern warehouse on saving time and labour, it was inevitable that users would look at the normal stand alone inverters and ask if the employment of labour and forklift trucks could be reduced; because of the many variables involved such as pallet and load types the answer is invariably that a conventional inverter is still the best solution. However, in a certain percentage of cases a totally automated in-line system can be justified.

The FS DC has a number of advantages. The dual clamping tables always open to the same height and therefore align with the adjoining conveyor. The sidewall acts as a natural stop for incoming loads and it is easy to build in pallet gripping systems on the conveyors. Finally, the FS DC requires very little “off-line” space and is easy to guard.

Applications vary but the system is most advantageous where loads are all very similar and have to all be inverted. This applies to boxed wine which has to be turned through 180° to keep the corks moist. It also works well with stacks of corrugated board in the carton packaging industry.

Exchanging the pallets, one type for another, is more problematic within the inverter but it can be achieved when the pallets are fed from dispensers just off the line. When loads pass along the conveyor which do not need to be inverted, the sidewall can be designed to open hydraulically to let the pallet pass through.