April 2020

O ne of the most popular products in the RARUK Automation range is the MiR - autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and now the scope of its application can be extended with the addition of the MiR Shelf Lift. This device optimises the in- house transportation of heavy loads and pallets, allowing employees to focus on higher value activities. The MiR Shelf Lift is compatible with the MiR500 and MiR1000 models from RARUK Automation and enables carts, cages, pallets and heavy loads of different shapes and sizes to be freely moved without the need for pallet racks or other loading stations. This new addition is ready-to-use out of the box and, thanks to the MiR open interface it can be easily customised and reprogrammed as necessary for different tasks. The big benefit of the MiR robots is that they operate without the need to change the facility layout. No wires, magnetic strips or QR codes are required as the robot’s movement is controlled by sophisticated navigation software. View it in action at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHKNOyHl4mk 38 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk April 2020 Handling, Storage & Logistics: Lifting & Moving SPECIAL FOCUS Safe and stable transportation of heavy loads in dynamic environments T he Combilift Container Slip-Sheet (Combi-CSS) has been designed for quicker and easier mechanised loading of products (particularly long ones) into containers. The Combi-CSS addresses the challenges associated with the combination of forklifts and manual labour often required for this application. Using a forklift to lift and manoeuvre the product laterally into the container and another forklift operator to push the load into the container from the end is time consuming and not overly efficient. Following the launch of the Combilift Straddle Carrier a few years ago, feedback from customers in the containerisation sector prompted Combilift to look at how these procedures could be improved. The result is the patented Combi-CSS; a low, free-standing platform with a dual-directional motor-driven pulling mechanism, on which a Hardox 500 steel sheet rests. It has a capacity of 30,000kg and allows a full load of product to be prepared behind the container on the sheet and loaded onto a 20’ container in just three minutes (and six for a 40’ container). Once loaded, the sheet is guided into the container by the mechanism underneath, which consists of four hydraulic cylinders moving in sequence. Hydraulic pins on the ends of the cylinders move up, fitting into holes cut into the sheet to secure it, while the cylinders pull the sheet forward, ensuring safe loading without any risk of product damage. When the goods are fully loaded within the container, a hydraulic rear barrier gate, fixed to the end of the platform, swings across the container opening and is locked in place across the entire width of the platform. This holds the material within the container while the metal sheet is slipped out from underneath it, hence the name. Combilift MD Martin McVicar said: “I am confident that companies dealing with containers will embrace this new product, as they did the Straddle Carrier, due to the improvements it offers in terms of safety, speed and efficiency.” For further information please visit: www.combilift.com A video is available to watch at: https://youtu.be/Rjp0I7ZtPis Container slip-sheet for quicker and easier mechanised loading