Shown: the second line during build at Han-TekAutomatic Pallet Banding, From Fork Truck to Exit
After Han-Tek automated banding on one line, an automotive supplier came back for a second: a six-zone conveyor that queues packs from the fork truck and bands each one twice, with no one at the bander.
A global automotive supplier ships finished product in packs that must be strapped before they leave the line. Han-Tek had already automated banding on one of its lines, and the plant wanted the same for a second line.
Han-Tek designed the new system, then built it: a Signode automatic bander fed by six zones of chain driven live roller conveyor. The fork truck drops packs at the entry, the conveyor queues them, the bander puts on two straps, and the pack rolls out to a gravity exit. The customer ran the system with Han-Tek at our shop before it shipped.
Band every pack, keep up with the fork truck, keep people clear
The first Han-Tek banding line had proven the approach. The second line needed the same result with a longer conveyor, more room to queue packs and the plant's own standards built in.
Keep up with deliveries
Fork truck drivers drop loads at the line, sometimes stacked two high. The system had to accept them and hold a queue.
Safe and ergonomic
The plant required protection from repetitive-motion injuries and safe operation around every motion and control.
Meet the cycle time
The plant planned on about 15 packs an hour on average and up to 20 at peak.
The goal: a banding line that takes packs straight from the fork truck and sends them out strapped, with no one at the bander.
Three shifts, five days a week plus some Saturdays. About 15 packs an hour on average and up to 20 at peak, so roughly one pack every 3 minutes.
Six conveyor zones and a bander that never needs a person
Han-Tek designed the second line in 2006, then built it. Here is how a pack moves through it.
- 1
Drop and queue
The fork truck sets a pack on the entry conveyor. Photo-eyes check that it is one high, and the pack moves zone to zone as space opens up.
- 2
Band it twice
A blade stop holds the pack in the bander. It gets a strap at the first band position, moves forward and gets a second strap.
- 3
Roll out
The strapped pack rides onto a gravity exit conveyor, ready for pickup, while the next pack moves in.
- Friction-weld bander: the Signode head joins the strap by friction, so there is no heater to warm up and nothing hot near workers.
- Independent zones: six separately driven conveyor sections let packs queue without bumping into each other.
- Clear operator screen: a touchscreen runs the line and shows bander faults, with manual jog controls for setup and service.
- Built to plant standards: wiring, drawings, documentation and paint all follow the customer's specifications.
- Guarded station: the bander sits inside fence guarding with an interlocked door, and crash guards protect the conveyor from fork trucks.
A second banding line, proven in our shop first
| Area | Requirement | Han-Tek system |
|---|---|---|
| Banding | Strap every pack | Two straps per pack, automatic |
| Fork truck drop-off | Accept loads without waiting | Six-zone queue from the entry |
| Rate | About 15 packs an hour, 20 at peak | Designed to that pace |
| Operator safety | No one at the bander | Guarded, interlocked station |
| Proof before shipping | Customer approval | Run-offs at Han-Tek with the customer |
- Repeat business: the plant came back to Han-Tek for its second banding line after the first.
- Tuned at run-off: after the customer's run-off at Han-Tek, the conveyor was sped up from 30 to 45 feet per minute and bander fault messages were added to the screen.
- No hot parts: the friction-weld bander is safe to run near people and ready to go at the start of each shift.
- People off the bander: the fork truck driver drops loads and the line does the rest.
Questions about automatic pallet banding
What is a friction-weld bander?
A strapping machine that joins the plastic strap by pressing and vibrating it until the layers fuse. There is no heater, so no smoke, odor, warm-up or hot parts.
Can a banding line take loads straight from a fork truck?
Yes. Here the fork truck drops packs at the entry conveyor and the system queues them through six zones to the bander.
Can a load get more than one strap?
Yes. This line stops each pack at two band positions and straps it at both.
Can we buy the design and the build separately?
Yes. On this line the customer ordered the design from Han-Tek first, approved it, then placed a separate order for the build.
More end-of-line and distribution projects
Let the line do the banding.
Tell us what you ship and how many loads an hour. A Han-Tek engineer will tell you what an automatic banding line could do.
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