Custom Roll Handling Solution for Long, Heavy Rolls
Packline has developed a bespoke stainless steel roll handling solution for a customer requiring a safe and efficient method of lifting, transporting and positioning long rolls weighing approximately 50kg and measuring up to 1,800mm in length.
The application presented a particular handling challenge because the rolls needed to be removed horizontally from industrial storage racking, fitted with an unwind mandrel and then transferred onto an unwind frame for dispensing and cutting. Limited working space meant that a conventional multi-stage handling process was impractical.
Packline proposed a Compac stainless steel screw lifter fitted with a bespoke 360-degree rotating V-tray attachment, allowing the complete handling process to be carried out with a single mobile lifting solution.
Customer Requirement
The customer approached Packline looking for a roll lifting and handling solution for rolls weighing approximately 50kg. The rolls needed to be transferred safely from industrial shelving onto a dispenser or unwind frame.
Some rolls measured up to 1,800mm long, creating additional challenges when manoeuvring them within the restricted working area.
The customer wanted to reduce manual handling while finding a solution that could perform the different stages of the process without requiring multiple lifters or frequent attachment changes.
The Roll Handling Challenge
The rolls first needed to be withdrawn horizontally from the storage racking. Once removed, an unwind mandrel had to be inserted through the roll core before the roll could be positioned onto the unwind frame, where material would be dispensed and cut to length.
A more conventional approach could have required several separate operations:
With rolls reaching 1,800mm in length and limited space available around the equipment, this process would have been cumbersome and would require additional handling and manoeuvring.
Packline therefore looked for a way to combine the lifting, mandrel insertion, transportation and positioning operations into a single handling process.
Packline’s Bespoke Roll Handling Solution
Packline proposed a Compac stainless steel screw lifter with all-round castors, equipped with a specially designed rotating V-tray attachment.
The V-shaped tray supports the roll securely while leaving the central core accessible. This means that once the roll has been removed from the racking and positioned on the tray, the operator can insert the unwind mandrel without having to remove or change the lifting attachment.
A key feature of the design is the ability of the tray to rotate through 360 degrees. This allows the long roll to be orientated lengthways when manoeuvring through the restricted working area and then rotated into the required position for loading onto the unwind frame.
Stop pins secure the rotating tray at 180-degree positions, helping to maintain the required roll orientation during lifting, transportation and positioning.
Bespoke Rotating Tray for Rolls up to 1,800mm
During the design process, the customer raised a specific concern about supporting rolls up to 1,800mm long while the tray was pointing forwards.
As Packline’s lifting equipment and attachments can be engineered to suit individual customer applications, the rotating tray could be designed specifically around the roll dimensions rather than requiring the customer to adapt their process to a standard attachment.
For a maximum roll length of 1,800mm, the design can incorporate the appropriate reach and support required while maintaining sufficient clearance for the attachment to rotate through 360 degrees.
This bespoke approach enables Packline to consider factors including roll length, diameter, weight, centre of gravity, required reach, available working space and loading height when developing the final handling solution.
Key Features and Benefits
Bespoke Roll and Reel Handling Equipment from Packline
This application demonstrates how Packline can develop bespoke roll and reel handling equipment where standard lifting methods are unsuitable for the customer’s process or available working space.
By combining a mobile stainless steel lifter with a custom rotating tray, the solution allows a long, heavy roll to be removed from storage, fitted with its unwind mandrel, manoeuvred through a restricted area and positioned onto an unwind frame using one lifting system.
Packline designs and manufactures a wide range of stainless steel roll lifters, reel handling equipment and bespoke lifting attachments for manufacturing, packaging and processing applications.
Contact Packline Materials Handling on +44 (0)1202 307700 or email info@packline.co.uk to discuss a bespoke roll, reel or material handling application.
