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Pfizer Case Study
Plastic Pallets and Inverter
Simplify Handling at Pfizer
Problem
Components and raw materials for the manufacture and packaging of a pharmaceutical product at Pfizer Inc., Terre Haute, IN, were formerly stored on wooden pallets. There was some risk that particulates could be generated because of the possible splintering of the pallets. Further, other safety factors made use of the wooden pallets disadvantageous.
Solution
Pfizer management decided to use plastic pallets for storage. When the materials enter the plant, they arrive on wooden pallets. The materials are then transferred to plastic pallets.
Previously, many loads had to be unstacked and restacked by hand. Now the wooden pallet is placed on an inverter and a plastic pallet is placed on top of the load. The inverter secures the load and turns it 180°. With the materials resting on the plastic pallet, they are removed from the inverter and are ready for use within the plant system.
At first glance, turning over pallet loads appears to be a simple task. However, it can become a back-breaking, time-consuming, and expensive process. Over the years, countless man-hours have gone into this one seemingly simple operation of preparing materials for storage. The use of the inverter has changed all of this.
The pallet inverter is free-standing and hydraulically operated. It can be moved from one site to another by lift truck, but once in place no longer requires attachment to a lift truck or any other piece of equipment.
In operation, the product is loaded into the inverter. A clamping plate that moves downward is activated, securing the load. The machine then turns the load 180°. At this point, the clamping plate is released and a broken pallet can be replaced, a slip sheet can be substituted, broken bags of product can be replaced, or a number of different operations can be carried out. The clamping plate once again secures the load and the machine turns it back to its original position where the fork lift can remove it.
The inverter can be stopped at any degree of rotation. In the process, the palletized load can be automatically straightened. The palletized load can also be removed from its upside down position if desired.
Results
Storage on plastic pallets and the use of the inverter improve the quality of the manufacturing and packaging process, eliminate the material handling time lost due to broken pallets, and minimize the risk of generating particulates caused by broken bags and splintered pallets. Full and efficient use of the plastic pallet was realized with the purchase of the inverter. The one transfer that is not performed using the inverter is moving glass bottles from a wooden pallet to a plastic unit as a precaution to avoid glass breakage. The inverter was found to be simple to operate and has not required extended maintenance or repair.
