A major paper manufacturer was finding that all-important maintenance of their upstream machinery created a costly inconvenience when production had to be halted.
Our client envisaged a buffer store of 4-tonne, 80-inch diameter paper rolls, ready for use when the main production process was interrupted. However, the store comprised of two rooms, each on different floors, and one with very limited headroom.
SCX Special Projects designed and installed a multi-crane bespoke buffer store handling system that seamlessly integrated with the downstream process plant, thereby avoiding the costly pauses in production.
We created a fully automated synchronised system of two cranes and a transfer car to move the paper rolls effortlessly between the two stores. Rolls are delivered and despatched via plant AGVs (Automatically Guided Vehicles).
The automation system uses bar code readers to retrieve specific rolls based on size, age or colour via a touch screen interface. And to ensure operational safety, fully interlocked gates prevent any access to the store areas.