Moving parts throughout the shop.

tait03 · Aug 13, 2019

Hey Guys,

I'm running into a problem in our shop. Currently we are making some rather large reamers .375" - 1.25" in diameter about. We've ran into a problem transporting them between operations in our shop.
Currently the process goes as follows:
[*]Swiss
[*]clean
[*]grind
[*]clean

Blanks are transported in egg cartons as trays after that. Looking for other ideas of ways they can be transported operation to operation. Currently the egg cartons are used due to the weight of the reamers. Other trays we've used can't withstand the weight of the reamers. Problem with the egg cartons is we think it's a matter of time until they are dropped and once the reamers are ground they cut up the egg cartons.

Posting to see if anyone has any experience with any of these problems and if they have any suggestions of ways to transport these parts to different operations in the shop.

Thanks,

Finegrain · Aug 13, 2019

I have made part-specific carriers out of thick plastic, something cheap like UHMW. 1-1/2" or 2" thick, mill out grooves or steps on the sides for picking up, then bore a grid of holes to hold your parts. If the holes are just a little oversize, even tall parts will not clang into each other during transport.

Regards.

Mike

kenton · Aug 13, 2019

Would something on this page work? Specifically the cut to length tubes.

McMaster-Carr

DDoug · Aug 13, 2019

Can you find a local packaging company that can vacuum form some plastic trays ?

Form should be a very simple plywood affair.

Pariel · Aug 13, 2019

Can you find an off-the-shelf plastic carrier that would work?

https://www.uline.com/BL_8821/Divider-Boxes

sfriedberg · Aug 13, 2019

In addition to the good suggestions already made, if you can find some long enough, maybe flatware trays or Rubbermaid kitchen drawer organizers. If a tray has a useless (for this purpose) narrow or divided section, you can usually hack those off with a quick trip to a vertical bandsaw.

Several years ago, I got something very suitable from Ikea, but cannot find anything similar in their current online catalog. Basically a drawer organizer made as a rigid plastic sheet with waves forming channels and rubber overmold in the channels to hold stuff in place. Ignoring the overmold, easily made as a formed plastic item by a local shop.

DDoug · Aug 13, 2019

What kind of cheap ass "3 sided machinery shed" operation do you work for ?

Using egg cartons ?

Cripes

sfriedberg · Aug 14, 2019

Hey, Digger, don't be such a snob. If memory serves, I asked a somewhat similar question in General about 10 years ago and about 3/4 of the respondees recommended egg cartons convoluted cardboard. (We are not talking actual cartons for 6 or 12 eggs, if that wasn't already clear.)

tc429 · Aug 14, 2019

they move a lot of fragile stuff at work in carts filled with vertical pvc tubes, works pretty well keeping stuff separated and protected

DDoug · Aug 14, 2019

tait03 said:
Currently we are making some rather large reamers .375" - 1.25" in diameter about.

Blanks are transported in egg cartons as trays after that.

sfriedberg said:
Hey, Digger, don't be such a snob. If memory serves, I asked a somewhat similar question in General about 10 years ago and about 3/4 of the respondees recommended egg cartons convoluted cardboard. (We are not talking actual cartons for 6 or 12 eggs, if that wasn't already clear.)

Snob you say ?

Op clearly said "egg cartons" not something else.

OP clearly stated sizes as well.

Your usage was for tiny parts IIRC, like leetle screws that fit inside each "bowl".
Also having much less value, xport packages must cost less, the OP here is making much more
expensive parts.

SeymourDumore · Aug 14, 2019

digger doug said:
Snob you say ?

Op clearly said "egg cartons" not something else.

OP clearly stated sizes as well.

Your usage was for tiny parts IIRC, like leetle screws that fit inside each "bowl".
Also having much less value, xport packages must cost less, the OP here is making much more
expensive parts.

Rest assured, egg cartons ( crates, carriers or whatever other name you wanna call it ) is THE primary way of moving parts through shop floors, regardless of value.
Whether it's the corrugated pressed paper or the plastic variety is your choice, but I'd challenge you to find a shop around these neck of the woods that doesn't use one or the other!
Something like these: ULINE - Shipping Boxes, Shipping Supplies, Packaging Materials, Packing Supplies
Though I don't like the 5 x 6 trays as they are a bit small and flimsy.
Much better is the 6 x 6. Deeper, stronger and can handle parts that are longer than the width of the crate itself. ( not unlike the OP's product )

thermite · Aug 14, 2019

tait03 said:
Other trays we've used can't withstand the weight of the reamers. Problem with the egg cartons is we think it's a matter of time until they are dropped and once the reamers are ground they cut up the egg cartons.

Very counter-intuitive, but one case i read ages ago, they switched to a soft elastomer - Neoprene, recycled tire-cord, salvaged conveyor belting or such. Square or Vee notches, spaced rows, if waves are too difficult.

You'd expect the cuts to shorten the life, render them nasty FASTER. But the reverse happened. Carrier material lasted FAR longer than expected.

Ever tried to intentionally cut tire material? it does want to just move out of the way, and come back at an angle, yah?

As to reducing risk from spills? Carrier within a carrier help? The wavy goods in an open-top stiffer base tray or such. Or even a closed-top?

Mike1974 · Aug 14, 2019

Damn! Egg cartons triggered Doug, is he a millennial?!? :crazy:

We use "egg cartons" all the time where I work. Not actually the Styrofoam things you buy eggs in, but it is the accepted term as far as I know...(not styro, pressed cardboardy trays with 20-24-26 'pockets').

M.B. Naegle · Aug 14, 2019

ULINE - Shipping Boxes, Shipping Supplies, Packaging Materials, Packing Supplies (note they advertise these with bolts in them.)
We use egg cartons too. Not used trash mind you, but square sheets of plain molded paper-board as linked to. Bigger parts might just get a sheet of cardboard under them. We also have a bunch of these guys rolling around though:

Having a cart is nice, even for onezy-twozy jobs because you can keep your paperwork, measuring tools, soda pop, pen, etc. all there with you as you go around the shop, and it's easier to keep jobs separated. Otherwise you leave a trail of stuff as you go.

thermite · Aug 14, 2019

Mike1974 said:
Damn! Egg cartons triggered Doug, is he a millennial?!?

Too old for that. Starting to go a tad chickenshot OCD over rules and OPB, lately though.

Time to lighten-up, go get blewed, scrood, and tattoo'ed.... or sumthin?

It's only the G-D internet, after all.

DDoug · Aug 15, 2019

SeymourDumore said:
Rest assured, egg cartons ( crates, carriers or whatever other name you wanna call it ) is THE primary way of moving parts through shop floors, regardless of value.
Whether it's the corrugated pressed paper or the plastic variety is your choice, but I'd challenge you to find a shop around these neck of the woods that doesn't use one or the other!
Something like these: ULINE - Shipping Boxes, Shipping Supplies, Packaging Materials, Packing Supplies
Though I don't like the 5 x 6 trays as they are a bit small and flimsy.
Much better is the 6 x 6. Deeper, stronger and can handle parts that are longer than the width of the crate itself. ( not unlike the OP's product )

Jeee....my buddies swiss shop that makes bearing rollers yes...tiny leetle things.

1.375 reamers ?

All manner of things ?

How about...heavy things ?..."Regardless of value".
:nutter:

Bill D · Aug 17, 2019

Fiberglass corrugated roofing sheet screwed to plywood. Maybe a chain handle? look at a bank and see how the deal with rolls of coins.
Bill D.

tait03 · Aug 26, 2019

Same not actual "cartons" using convoluted cardboard, but figured everyone knows what an egg carton is. sorry about the confusion.

michiganbuck · Aug 26, 2019

M.B. Naegle said:
ULINE - Shipping Boxes, Shipping Supplies, Packaging Materials, Packing Supplies (note they advertise these with bolts in them.)
We use egg cartons too. Not used trash mind you, but square sheets of plain molded paper-board as linked to. Bigger parts might just get a sheet of cardboard under them. We also have a bunch of these guys rolling around though:
View attachment 263122
Having a cart is nice, even for onezy-twozy jobs because you can keep your paperwork, measuring tools, soda pop, pen, etc. all there with you as you go around the shop, and it's easier to keep jobs separated. Otherwise you leave a trail of stuff as you go.

I think a wood top on such a cart with the top fitted to the cart and V grooved would be the berries...with having one side small V groves and the other side large V grooves, for a quick flip as needed..likely marine plywood good and a quick job on a mill ... Menards often has the best price for marine plywood.
Marine ply and you can wash the wood tops if needed.

Trick I used to make better reamers was to back grind the last .0005 or so.

Chip Chester · Aug 27, 2019

Bill D said:
Fiberglass corrugated roofing sheet screwed to plywood. Maybe a chain handle? look at a bank and see how the deal with rolls of coins.
Bill D.

And if the fiberglass is too hard on edges or hands, use some spray adhesive to fasten neoprene or other foam to it.

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