Pallet Transfer Automation

Automating pallet transfer processes allows you to boost throughput and safety by eliminating the need for an employee to manually exchange to the in house pallets. 

Of course, you need to ensure your pallet transfer machine integrates well into your system. That was the challenge we encountered when we took on a project in a high-tech distribution center from Walgreens Distribution Centers.

The Challenge

Walgreens Distribution Centers, a leading pharmacy and retail manufacturer, sells many different types of products, including bandages, toothpaste, diapers and pharmaceuticals. This diversity of offerings is one of the primary challenges we had to face, as it meant some product would have difficulties moving through our machines. 

Their distribution center already contained a high level of automation with Automated Storage and Retrieval (ASR) systems, which posed another obstacle for our team. If you’re sending pallets of product through a sophisticated 60- to 90-foot high-rise system, you need to make sure you’re using high-quality pallets, as cheap or broken ones could either fall from the high rise or jam up the conveyor system. 

The customer already had an automated pallet changer that would take the load and tip it on its side, grip and lower the “transfer from” pallet down to the conveyor, then receive the “transfer to” pallet grip and raise it up to meet the load. After the pallet exchange the whole load would stand up and travel further down the line. While this system worked, it was ultimately slow and inefficient. We needed to develop a solution that would enable higher outputs and swift pallet transfer while integrating with their other existing automation. 

Our Solution

We designed, engineered and installed a custom hands-free, push/pull/squeeze pallet transfer solution to fit their facility’s specific needs. While the product was supported, the machine would grab the load and pass it on to a stripper plate, which would retract and transfer the product to the next pallet. Over time, we found that this new automated system significantly increased throughput with one pallet every 60 seconds.

Of course, we had to make a few extra considerations to ensure everything worked properly. For example, because Walgreens Distribution Centers sells so many different products, not every load was able to be squeezed, so the client keeps a few standalone pallet retrievers off to the side. That way, if a load is unable to make it through the system, they can still transfer it off-line. We also had to ensure our load transfer fit the existing parameter of 12 feet by 20 feet, and we set up a test box for a (FAT) factory acceptance runoff to ensure all hand shakes were working properly and to eliminate any critical downtime after installation.

After a few years of using this solution, the client has found that they can put more product through the system at a faster rate with fewer trip-offs. Plus, they’ve been able to consistently send pallets through their high-rise system with a significantly lower risk of breakage. 

Browse Automated Pallet Changers From Cherry’s Industrial Equipment

At Cherry’s, we proudly design and manufacture all of our machines here in the United States. When your facility needs an upgrade, you can rely on us to provide a high-quality solution, whether that’s a standard machine or a custom-engineered system. Browse our selection of pallet changers and load transfer machines to see how our offerings can assist your business.

To get a quote or learn more about our products and services, call us at 800-350-0011 or submit our online contact form today.