Case Study #144: Plastic Film Rolls

Problem: The roll is very heavy and expensive to manufacture. The largest roll is 63″ in length, 30″ in diameter and weighs 1,450 lbs. While core diameter remains constant at 6″ , the length, width and weight vary. Vertical travel is a concern in order to be able to retract the material handling device in the vertical orientation. Operator safety is top priority when considering the weight of the rolls to be handled.

Application: Pick up a roll of plastic film from a cart in the horizontal position. Grip the roll and pitch down 90° to a vertical orientation and place on a shipping pallet. The reverse is also possible, where the roll will be brought into the work cell on a pallet in a vertical orientation, picked up from the pallet and pitched 90° to a horizontal orientation for placement on a cart.

Solution: Taurus® (TPA-25) Hydraulic Manipulator with 2,500 lbs. of end-effector/payload capacity and 64″ of vertical lift. Spring applied/air released I.D. poke end-effector and main post powered rotation. Caliper disc brakes on the middle and end joints.