Stackers and Palletizers — Making Perfect Piles

The "Cadillac" of IMC's stacker/bundler offerings is the Civiemme ST420, which features a PLC control system with operator interface panel. The machine includes maximum bundle lengths of 40˝ or 48˝ and variable speed drivers with inverter-controlled AC motors synchronized to press speed.

Simplicity is the key in diagraming these systems, according to Mayle. "Most people on the end of these high-speed web presses do not have a lot of skill," he says. "For any of these automated machines, you need to have some mechanical ability, so the direction we've taken is to make adjustments and operations as simple as possible. It should be as user-friendly as possible, and limit manual intervention."