Automatic Feed Company (AFCO) announces the availability of its newest generation of bundle turnovers, also known as inverters, which automate the process of flipping over an entire stack of material 180-degrees bottom over top. This equipment eliminates the difficult task of flipping over metal blanks by hand or by crane, reducing the potential of damage to the blanks and enabling the same die to be used for stamping left-hand and right-hand mirror image components. The bundle turnovers can accommodate many types of stacked materials including cold-rolled and advanced high strength steels (AHSS) as well as aluminum.
AFCO’s standard front-loading bundle turnover has bridge surfaces made of 0.75-inch steel plate for use with pallets on the top and bottom of the stack for loading and unloading. With this style, a fork truck loads the stack into the inverter where it is flipped and then unloaded by the fork truck. A design option featuring lands-style bridge surfaces with urethane pads is also available, allowing for loading and unloading of stacks via tow-motor with or without the use of pallets or dunnage.
The company also offers a through-style bundle turnover, where the stack is loaded onto a conveyor by fork truck or overhead crane and moved by the conveyor into the bundle turnover via an operator pushbutton. Once the material is flipped, it is automatically moved out of the bundle turnover by conveyor via operator pushbutton and then unloaded by fork truck and moved to a desired storage location.
AFCO’s systems all feature automatic clamping, rotating and unclamping, providing safe and efficient turnover of heavy material stacks. The hydraulic clamping operation features screw jacks. The rotation system is powered by an AC motor with a typical turnover cycle of only a few minutes.
The front-loading style has a weight capacity of up to 26,000 lbs. and the max opening accommodates an 84” (2134 mm) wide by 168” (4264 mm) in length by 36” (914 mm) tall stack.
The through-style has a weight capacity of up to 36,000 lbs. and the max opening can handle stack sizes to 84” (2134 mm) wide by 184” (4674 mm) in length by 57.25” (1454 mm) tall.
Automatic Feed can design a bundle turnover to meet a customer’s exact needs. For more information and to see videos of equipment in action, contact us.
