SCHUCK COMPONENTS, GLENDALE, ARIZONA

Material Flow Challenge:

Client specializing in tract, and multi-family market, has high production requirement and batch cuts from large bunks to feed multiple automated saws. Handling the large packages originally included forklift positioning of individual full bunks onto immovable supports in front of each component saw. Each sawyer fed from a full bunk to meet the need of a particular job, and residual partial bunks were removed by forklift so the process could start again. Material flow was limiting production potential and as a direct result other production equipment was underutilized.

Equipment Solution:

A PCS design was installed with significant imput from Schuck management that coordinates and automates both the in-feed of bunk-sized packages to multiple saws, but also removes remnants of the original bunks. Two (20) foot heavy utilization chain conveyors are positioned to feed (2) automatic saws. A (20) foot buffer of work on each chain conveyors provides approximately 2 to 3hrs of readily available work for each saw. Each in-feed conveyor is fitted with an air-actuated powered transfer system that takes away partial bunks to a shared center chain conveyor. Partial bunks on the out-feed chain conveyor are auto-returned back to a location (20) feet from where they originated.

System Benefit:

Bunk loads of lumber can be positioned on the in-feed conveyors to Auto-Advance to each saw. A 20 foot buffer of work can be maintained on these conveyors to keep each saw in high production. Partial bunks are efficiently removed back to the area used by the forklift, by means of the transfer components, for processing. Obvious results include: (1)saws are run at much improved production levels, (2)forklift involvement in material manipulation is greatly minimized, and (3 numbers of hours required to meet a production goal is greatly reduced as lost time for material movements is greatly reduced.