Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1356022
34 PalletCentral • March-April 2021 palletcentral.com to monitor labor behavior around the system until they are confident the operators are following the standards. e Neocortex subscription model means the client always has access to Universal's expertise to assist with any issues, be they mechanical or operator error. e operation is straightforward. A forklift operator sets random stacks of pallets, eighteen units tall, on an inbound conveyor. Heavy-duty roller conveyors with motor controls every five feet, allow for coordinated pallet movement throughout the cell via the PLC. e stacks move inside the fencing into the robot pick zone. e robot picks one pallet at a time. Using strategically placed vision sensors, Neocortex determines which of the four pallet types the robot has picked. It then directs the robot to place the pallet on the appropriate outbound homogeneous stack. Due to very accurate placement, the robot builds highly uniform stacks. (ese, in turn, improve trailer density by 30%.) Once an inbound pallet stack is depleted, Neocortex commands the PLC to move in the next stack. Downstream, up to four homogeneous pallet stacks can be held in queue for each pallet type until the multi-tasking forklift operator has time to move the stacks into an outbound trailer. Benefit to Customer e tangible benefits to the customer included reassigning four operators to other tasks in the distribution center, the elimination of two forklifts, reduction in repetitive stress twisting injuries, improved outbound trailer density, and management access to real-time data metrics for off-line analysis. e safety concerns inherent with manual processing were eliminated. To avoid risks associated with powerful automation, teams were trained on strict operating protocols to protect people and equipment. e EHS managers were fully vetted on the cross-functional elements inherent in Industry 4.0 cyber-physical systems, including equipment control, process administration, data analytics, and network security. is provided them the holistic view necessary to avoid any gaps in these historically siloed disciplines which could lead to adverse events. David Peters is Chief Executive Officer of Universal Logic. David may be reached at davidpeters@ universallogic.com or 615-366-7281.