Plastic Film

Handling Procedure: Pick up a roll of plastic film from a cart in the horizontal position. Once the roll is gripped, it will be pitched down 90??to a vertical orientation and placed 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. Problem: The roll, which is material used in automotive windshields, is very heavy and expensive to manufacture. The largest roll is 63" in length, 30" in diameter and weighs 1,450 lbs. While the core diameter remains constant at 6", the length, width and weight will vary. Cycle time was not a critical factor, as they move 10 units per hour. The vertical travel is a prime concern in order to be able to retract the material handling device in the vertical orientation. Operator safety is the top priority, when considering the weight of the rolls to be handled, but the manipulator's safety features should not inhibit the ability to easily transfer the rolls.