Joloda has dramatically reduced fork truck handling cost and trailer turnaround times at the Impress Sutton can manufacturing site at Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire. They have installed 3 off Hydraroll automatic dock loading systems to load 20 off 1300x1120mm pallets within 90 seconds from the dock to the trailer.
Two types of systems have been supplied, 1 off Slipchain docks and 2 off Trailerskate docks together with 16 off related trailers. The trailers deliver cans to the Impress Sutton customers between 15 to 50 miles distance.
The Hydraroll Slip chain system incorporates pneumatically activated rise and fall chain and roller track giving high speed pallet accumulation and loading and unloading of full pallet loads. The pallets are automatically transferred from the dock into the trailers which are also fitted with a Hydraroll slipchain system. The slipchain system is used for short shuttles .
The Hydraroll Trailerskate system incorporates the slipchain system for accumulation of the pallets but also is fitted with 4 off 13.6 mtr long skates. When the full 20 pallets are accumulated on the dock then the skates are elevated by means of an airbag system located within the skate. The skates are then driven into the trailer by means of a drive chain. The trailers are fitted with 4 off simple steel tracks into which the skates run. Once the full load is in the trailer the air is extracted out of the skates and the load is then placed onto the trailer deck. The skates are then withdrawn onto the dock awaiting the next load. The automated docks are controlled by an Allen Bradley PLC and fitted with photo electric cells and air operated stops. Both docks are fed by an internal automated conveyor system. To accommodate the differential in height between the transfer conveyors and the loading docks pallet lifts are installed at the in-feed end of each dock.
The trailers are locked onto the dock via locking ramps which prevent the trailer chassis from deflecting during loading. The trailers are either unloaded via a similar automated unloading dock or by fork trucks.