The Problem

Moores Furniture Group, a leading manufacturer and installer of quality kitchen and bathroom furniture, contacted Handling Concepts to help eliminate the need to handle large worktops by hand, thus reducing the likelihood of injuries and further supporting their health and safety culture

The worktops, which are stored on racking in the warehouse, had to be counted out individually to suit each specific order requirement. Originally they were slid onto the forks of a lift truck by hand, requiring one person at each end. The boards could weigh anything up to 100kg and could be over 4M in length which posed a serious risk of back injuries.

The Solution

Handling Concepts designed and installed a fully automated pick and place vacuum grip unit, which on the push of a button could individually count out a designated number of worktops from a stack and place them ready for dispatch. The handling system was fully caged on three sides and on the open side was protected by a light guard.

The Outcome

We eliminated the risk to the operator and anyone in the vicinity. The correct number of boards can now be counted out without the need for any manual handling.

View the solution below.