Cherry’s Delivers Custom Pallet Straightener Solution that Streamlines Processes with AGVs and Robotic Work Cells

The customer is a titan in the food and agriculture industry specializing in potato products. The company was undergoing a $460 million expansion to increase the size of its potato manufacturing and French fry processing facility from 180,000 to 460,000 square feet. A vital part of the expansion involved integrating automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) into its processes to increase speed and maximize productivity.

The customer was looking for a system that could take a stack of 15 unorganized plastic pallets (commonly used in the food production industry for sanitary reasons), automatically straighten them on all 4 sides, and then stage the pallets for an AGV to take them to a robotic work cell on a processing line further along in the production process. While looking for someone who could provide a custom pallet straightener that met all of its requirements including design, functionality, safety and component selection, the company reached out to Cherry’s Industrial Equipment for help and guidance.

Delivering Custom Pallet Straighteners

Cherry’s Industrial took the necessary time to listen to all the customer’s needs and then proposed a design for the pallet straightener that would address 100% of its challenges. After the details were discussed and a solution was agreed upon, the customer contracted Cherry’s to begin work in May of 2019. Their experienced team developed an inline pallet straightener that would allow a forklift operator to load a stack of pallets onto a conveyor automatically. The pallets would then be conveyed down the line into an automatic load straightener, where they would be straightened uniformly from all four sides. Perimeter guarding surrounded the machine and light curtains protected the infeed and out feed conveyor sections from unwarranted access.  The system utilized an Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC with programming and ethernet connectivity and an Allen Bradley Panel View Touchscreen with display screens show sequencing, maintenance, troubleshooting and manual override modes.

To meet the requirements of the production process, after straightening the stack of plastic pallets would be conveyed to a custom accumulator for AGV communication traffic and pick up. The system was tested to ensure all components worked seamlessly together. The custom pallet straightener and related equipment was delivered in October and successfully implemented in November 2019 at the customer’s facility.

Project Overview

Cherry’s Industrial was up to the challenge of building a sophisticated material handling solution for one of the biggest agribusiness companies in the U.S. Cherry’s called on their extensive engineering experience to deliver a completely integrated system for the customer. They provided the quality equipment, fast turnaround and built to the exact component specification they were looking for – all in all, a happy customer.

Closing Comments

Cherry’s Industrial Equipment specializes in delivering products that ergonomically assist workers in performing tasks, speed-up cycle times and contribute to a safer and more sanitary environment. This case study demonstrates Cherry’s Industrial’s flexibility in providing tailored solutions that completely solve your most complex challenges. Their goal is to exceed your expectations.

If you’re interested in hearing more about this case study or if you would like to know more about how Cherry’s pallet straighteners can benefit your business, reach out today. You can contact Cherry’s online or call 800-350-0011 to speak with a product specialist about your project.