Panel Processing

Loading boards onto machinery can be an arduous task for operators within a woodworking production facility. Often this can be a two-person task and comes with the risk of injury. It can also slow down the speed of production.

A solution to this is vacuum tube lifting technology, which offers a safe, simple and effective solution to product lifting and positioning in the workplace. Palamatic has worked with customers within the woodworking industry for 35 years to understand the most effective methods that work best for the operator.

A vacuum tube lifter offers a very safe and easy solution for moving product within a manufacturing process. It consists of an electric vacuum pump, a lift tube assembly and an end effector. The system lifts via suction created by the vacuum in a similar way a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust, and makes the product weightless to the operator.

The jib or suspension crane that the lifting systems are hung from is critical to offering an ergonomic solution that works for the operator. Palamatic can provide H-style gantry systems to cover large areas, but its popular smaller swing jibs and low-headroom centre posts can fit into areas where space is an issue.

Whether the application is to lift boards, doors or furniture,

“Palamatic has worked with customers within the woodworking industry for 35 years to understand the most effective methods that work best for the operator”

it is crucial to understand the sequence of operation in full and the characteristics of the product being handled when choosing a lifting solution.

The most common wood materials handled by Palamatic’s lifting systems include Trespa jumbo boards, spandrel panels, MDF, MFC, chipboard, wood, plywood, Sterling board, plaster board and polycarbonate.

Products handled include boards, doors, furniture, staircases, planks, timber sections, laminate surfaces and cabinets.

Applications Palamatic regularly provides equipment for include loading and unloading vertical panel saws, beam saws, dimension saws, flatbed CNC stations, edgebanders, laminators, paint lines and tilt tables.

Palamatic is also often asked to rotate boards through 90° or 180° for loading and unloading purposes. Another common request is to grip doors by their edges, instead of using suction on the flat face, for example to avoid wet paint/glue, which its systems can do with ease.

With Palamatic’s 22,000ft2 factory based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the company is well placed to visit customer sites, and for customers to send it samples to test prior to manufacturing their vacuum tube lifter. Palamatic uses its onsite fabrication centre to design solutions where an element of the application is unique to the customer.

To meet health and safety regulations, it is crucial that equipment is serviced regularly. Palamatic offers service contracts that include a thorough examination of customer equipment, and replacement of parts to keep equipment and production running. sales@palamatic.com www.palamatic.com

The Decorative Panels Group and Biomaster® working in partnership to offer a 24/7 lifetime protection that contains inbuilt antimicrobial protection that does not wear off or leach out over time.

*Tested in accordance with ISO22196:2011

Biomaster is proven to inhibit the growth of microbes by up to 99.99%.

As a trade laminator of sheet materials for the furniture and allied industries, dp-lamination can offer an extensive range of surface designs incorporating this technology laminated to many different substrates. These substrates can then be converted into finished product either in house at sister companies dp-furniture and dp-components or externally by fellow manufacturers.

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Contact us for more information.

Century House, Premier Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 9HF T: +44 (0) 1484 658341 E: info@decorativepanels.co.uk www.decorativepanels.co.uk

TAWI is a market leader in manual handling solutions. The company is proud to claim that it designed the first-ever vacuum lifting aid in 1989, and has been constantly innovating new solutions ever since to provide customers with the newest and most reliable technology.

The equipment is highly versatile, with different mounting options and interchangeable feet to allow easy lifting and turning of panels of all shapes and sizes. Designed with ergonomics and comfort in mind, TAWI’s manual handling aids remove 100% of the weight of goods from the operator. This allows them to achieve optimum levels of productivity and precision, in turn reducing production errors and workplace injury.

TAWI’s vacuum lifters easily lift sheets of wood weighing up to 500kg. A comfortable and userfriendly control panel makes it easy to keep full control of the load and ensures an ergonomic working position. Sheets can be rotated and tilted up to 180°, making it easy to move doors, panels and other sheet materials.

LG Collection has 40 years’ experience in manufacturing panels in various materials, including wood and laminated panels. After complaints from employees experiencing shoulder and back pain due to repetitive lifting, the decision was made to invest in a TAWI system.

Bjorn Skoglund, production leader at LG Collection, describes how the business went from one unit to 20, after realising the benefits it was experiencing through its new investment.

“Employees can keep an even pace throughout the whole day without straining their bodies,” says Bjorn. “The amount of sick leave has reduced significantly and employee satisfaction has been noticeably better, as employees can now avoid pain and physical tiredness.”

Andy Longrigg, area sales manager at TAWI UK, states: “We are seeing more enquiries nowadays after a bad accident has happened, or because health and safety requirements are becoming stricter. These accidents are avoidable, and by proactively introducing aids such as these, staff injury and stress can be massively reduced.

“We will always ensure that you have the best possible solution for you and your staff, and we offer a free visit to site to discuss your requirements and view the space you and your team are working in.

“Once installed, we have a dedicated after-sales team who will keep the equipment safe and up to date for its lifetime.

“We value the relationships we build with our customers, and we will make sure you have the full support of the entire team throughout your working relationship with TAWI UK.”

Vacuum lift systems come with many benefits for both businesses and people. A vacuum lifter will almost fully eliminate the weight of any load, making lifting effortless. This improves employee satisfaction and will also save companies from injuryrelated costs. When lifting is effortless, anyone can lift, resulting in improved workforce flexibility, diversity, and retention. www.tawi.com