Door Layup Hits All Project Objectives
When a new material handling installation fulfills production objectives in such a way that it can only be characterized as a “home run,” profits begin rising, downtime decreases, and processing troubles diminish.
Such was the case when Creative Automation installed a full complement of automated material handling equipment (AMHE) for a door layup line at a plant belonging to a major US door manufacturer. In need of greater capacity for their new production line, this customer asked Creative Automation to design a new AMHE system that would speed production and optimize the capabilities of the rest of the line (including a sander, panel cleaner, gluespreader, multi-opening hot press, and double end tenoner). Gains were planned for both production speed and labor savings.
Having already experienced imported AMHE in a previously installed line, the customer required the new equipment to be designed and made in the USA, feeling that the superior build quality and better customer service of Creative Automation would keep their line performance at expected levels.
Features, Benefits, and High Performance
Handling finished product is sometimes a delicate process, but when that finished product weighs up to 750 lbs, it takes careful design to ensure the delicate handling is equally matched with significant strength built into the handling apparatus. Extra consideration was given to the overall flexibility of the handling systems, since one 750-lb lead-lined door could be immediately followed by a much lighter 100-lb veneer door. The system was designed to layup cores with veneer, laminate, and crossbands at a rate of four doors per minute.
The AMHE System
A comprehensive series of material handling equipment was custom designed to link the processing equipment together in a cohesive line. The following is a detailed listing:
Core Feeding System
- Powered load conveyors for incoming stacks of cores.
- Powered load conveyor for cull boards stacked by the feeder.
- Vacuum feeder.
- Sander infeed conveyor with cross belts that stagger cores for better sander belt utilization.
Layup Area
- Sander outfeed queue conveyors.
- Panel cleaner modified to setup for thickness automatically.
- Gluespreader modified to also automatically setup for thickness.
- Knife edge conveyor for glued cores.
- Automatic laminate alignment mechanism.
- Servo-powered flipper to turn over the bottom sheet when laminate is applied.
- Servo-driven, edge clamping core feeder.
- Servo-driven vacuum sheet feeder that automatically feeds veneer, etc.
- Press infeed conveyor with edge water spray equipment.
180-Degree Transfer Area Between Press and DET
- Press outfeed conveyor.
- Multi-level accumulator that acts as a storage area when there is a downstream stoppage.
- Queue conveyors.
- End trim saw that cuts overhanging veneer, etc.
- DET infeed conveyor.
Door Inspection and Stacking System
- DET outfeed conveyor with cross belts for centering.
- Flipper to facilitate bottom side inspection.
- Repair area conveyors.
- Centering conveyor.
- Vacuum stacker.
- Powered load conveyors for stacked loads.
- Powered load conveyor for cull boards placed by the stacker.
System Integration: The Final Component for Production Success
Creative Automation was selected to perform the integration of the entire line of processing equipment. Equipment to be integrated was from both the US and Europe. Communication within the line was set up on an Ethernet network.
Industry-wide, installations of this magnitude do not enjoy this level of success. Creative Automation has a 50+ year reputation for installation and integration excellence, and the success of this project is actually typical for us.
If your production lines are suffering from lower-than-spec output or inefficient use of labor, contact Creative Automation at 715-223-6321 about seamlessly matching your processing equipment capabilities with American-made, high-efficiency material handling from Creative Automation.