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designing and manufacturing machinery for the food processing industry

Freezing & Chilling Solutions : Pallet-Link

Pallet-Link®: Controlled parameter freezing and chilling system for multiple products

Odenberg's Pallet-Link® is a Variable Residence Time (VRT) and buffering system for chilling and freezing packaged food products. This system can handle multiple products simultaneously but it is the patented link system which couples the pallet shelves together that allows true independence of outfeeding from infeeding. The patented tilted shelf provides 20% more efficient freezing performance compared to other competitor systems alone. The system can be supplied with single (universal) or dual (infeed & outfeed) elevators and because of its modular construction, it can be configured so as to be easily expanded for future production increases.

The Pallet-Link system explained

1. Infeed conveyors

The infeed is totally independent of the outfeed. Multiple infeeds can be mounted at any level to suit the plant layout. Infeed direction can be from either side or either end of the Pallet-Link system. Each infeed can handle multiple pack sizes and all infeed conveyors can operate at the same time. The Pallet-Link system can simultaneously handle many different packs and products limited only by the height of the system. All products are handled gently and automatically under the control of the Pallet-Link management system.

2. Infeed lift

The infeed lift pulls empty pallet-shelves from a return layer and gently transfers the product from the infeed conveyors to these pallet-shelves. The infeed lift then puts the pallet-shelves on a product layer within the chilling/freezing area. The lift is controlled by a high performance precision drive system combining high speed with gentle acceleration and deceleration. The operation of the infeed lift is independent of the outfeed lift.

3. Pallet-shelves

The pallet-shelves are normally linked together on each layer. Any pallet-shelf can be either pushed or pulled independently from either end which means that the infeed is completely separated from the outfeed. This total independence of infeed and outfeed, combined with the unique Odenberg management software, is the key to many of the advantages of the Pallet-Link system.

4. Outfeed lift

The patented link system

The patented link system which couples the pallet shelves together, allows true independence of outfeeding from infeeding

The outfeed lift takes the pallet-shelf with the requested product from a product layer and gently transfers the product to the required outfeed conveyor. When the pallet-shelf is empty it is placed on a return layer which is fitted just underneath each of the product layers. This reduces response time, increases throughput, improves access to the product in the chilling/freezing area and increases outfeed flexibility. Since each product layer has a return layer, the pallet-shelves can be returned on any desired layer, optimising lift cycle times.

5. Controlled parameter chilling and freezing of multiple products

True independence of the infeed and the outfeed, controlled uniform airflow and a unique management control system allows the Pallet-Link system to chill or freeze many products at the same time in accordance with strictly controlled parameters. The standard management system can hold the production parameter, control requirements and stock position of 999 different products.

6. Outfeed conveyors

The outfeed conveyors are independent of the infeed conveyors. Multiple outfeed conveyors allow simultaneous dispatch of different products to different palletisers or loading docks on demand. This is an automatic operation controlled by the Pallet-Link management system which also ensures that product can only be discharged if all the client selected parameters for that product have been satisfied ie, temperature, time, QC constraints, etc.

7. Buffering

The Pallet-Link system has a built-in storage capacity which can be used as a production buffer. The use of this storage capacity can be maximised thanks to the management control system and the total independence of the infeed and outfeed lifts. This means that if, for production reasons, the outfeed has to be stopped the infeed continues to accept product under the control of the Pallet-Link management system, and vice versa for the infeed.

8. Just-In-Time operation and inventory system

As a result of the total independence of the infeed and outfeed lifts it is possible in multi product situations to store and select products for client dispatch directly from the Pallet-Link system automatically and under the control of the Pallet-Link management system. In addition it is possible to greatly reduce inventory due to the more controlled individual rapid chilling with the system as compared to placing product on a standard shipping pallet in a low temperature warehouse or blast chamber.

9. Full utilization of space and fast response time

The Pallet-Link system uniquely provides full utilization of all the installed storage capacity. This is due to the linking system and the Pallet-Link management control system which enables a pallet-shelf at either end of a partially filled layer to be automatically inserted or removed without disturbing the pallet-shelves at the other end.

10. Production management system

Eliminates the need for operators. The management software ensures that the Pallet-Link system automatically handles and treats many different products exactly in accordance with the parameters laid down by the production personnel. The system also provides real time production data and product traceability. This software, which incorporates the Odenberg energy manager, can also optimise the energy profile of the system for variable product loads.

For more information, contact Odenberg.