Space-saving, gentle, and modular
One of them is that WhiteTiger is a floor-level solution that doesn’t need any platforms because employees can access the conveyor belts from the floor. Although such systems already existed in the past, they weren’t as fast as those that grab the pallets from above. Instead of six or seven layers per minute, as is usual for palletizers, the PA 15 can move up to ten layers per minute. Another benefit is that the system consists of modular units that can not only handle differently sized pallets and packages but can also be adjusted as required in terms of both length and width. This is made possible by its one-pillar structure. Instead of needing a full-scale housing, WhiteTiger only has a small footprint. “It enables the system to fit into tight spaces,” says Pes.
However, the system’s most outstanding feature is the way it moves the packages. It can grasp individual products and arrange them in any pattern on the pallets, thus ensuring great flexibility. “We previously arranged kitchen towel packages, for example, into rows of products that were then combined to form a layer. The products are now grasped separately, which enables maximum flexibility in the arrangement of the pallets,” says Pes. Another distinctive feature of this system is that it doesn’t push products, but rather conveys them. The belt slides underneath the package like a cake server. It then slowly lifts it like an elevator. After depositing them at their predetermined place on the pallet, the system gently fixes them tight. It then withdraws just as gently. This makes the system especially well suited for fragile products, such as rolls of paper or bags of flour, which can get damaged if they are pushed.