Above: One of the two sets of Posi-Turner load rotators that American Baler purchased to enable smooth and controlled 360-degree rotation of the components the manufacturer welds.
October, 2024: Smooth and controlled 360-degree rotation of components being welded was lacking at American Baler Co., says Jeff Mynarsky, director of manufacturing for the Bellevue, Ohio-based manufacturer of recycling balers. The balers are used to manage cardboard, paper, nonferrous metals, plastic and textiles. Founded in 1945, the company primarily sells its balers through a network of global distributors to corrugators, municipalities, recycling brokers and distribution centers.
“The design and manufacturing are all done in house,” Mynarsky says. Prior to 2017, welding components to create the main frame of a baler which vary in length, width and weight depending on the model was “very Stone Age stuff ,” he recalls. “You would use a crane and a forklift truck to rotate these balers and, basically, it was ‘pitch and catch.’ That’s what I like to call it.”
That technique not only created the potential for worker injury, but also making high-quality welds consistently was challenging because of the need to perform out-of-position welding, he says.
American Baler purchased a couple of positioning-style turntables to overcome those issues, but providing the fixturing for the different models was cost-prohibitive. “We use them for something entirely different in our process,” says Mynarski.
Seeking a solution, the company turned to The Caldwell Group Inc. in Rockford, Illinois, which manufactures lifting devices, fork truck attachments and load rotators, including the Posi-Turner.
The initial Posi-Turner set American Baler purchased, the Model 1- 22.5ID 6SP, has two independent drives, which are separate units sold as a pair, with a lifting capacity of 45,000 lbs., says Sean Powers, PosiTurner applications specialist for Caldwell. American Baler uses two cranes to lift baler frame weldments with the Posi-Turner. “With two cranes, independent drives just made more sense.”
In addition, the weldments are asymmetrical, with one end being larger than the other, so the independent drives have variable speed controls to accommodate the different sizes using different speeds, Powers explains. “Otherwise, if they both rotate at the same speed for something that’s not the same on either end, something has got to give, either the weldment or the sling. Altering the speeds is what keeps them rotating the same way."
EASE OF USE
The Posi-Turner’s operation is not complicated, Powers notes. The object a user wants to rotate is positioned inside two slings, one at each side of the load. The slings, or straps, keep the load secure, level and centered. As the slings rotate, so does the load inside of them, regardless of its shape or weight. The operator stops the rotation at an exact spot that allows welders, fabricators and assemblers easy and ergonomic access to perform the next production step.
He adds that Caldwell starts the Posi- Turner build process with an evaluation guide to qualify and understand an application so the company can deliver the proper product. “This is not a commodity you can buy off the shelf. We custom build everything, so it all depends on their application.”
After American Baler purchased its first Posi-Turner and saw how well it functioned, the company purchased its second nearly one year later, Mynarsky says.
The second Posi-Turner set, Model 1-8ID-6SP, also has two independent drives and a 16,000-lb. capacity, Powers says.
Mynarsky says the larger-capacity Posi-Turner set handles two ram balers, which weigh up to 40,000 lbs., and the second one handles the lighter extrusion balers. “We went to the Caldwell Posi-Turner and haven’t looked back since.”
He adds that once a baler frame is fit up, welding is performed in a flat position rather than out of position. “We rotate these balers 360 degrees for ease and efficiency of welding and for safety, too. There was a potential for injury, and this definitely went in the right direction to prevent that.”
As the Posi-Turner’s slings rotate, so does the load inside of them, regardless of its shape or weight
With the Posi-Turners, Mynarsky estimates that the company reduced its welding time by about 25 percent.
American Baler uses the load rotators at least every other day, if not daily, during its single shift and downtime is minimal. “There has been relatively very little maintenance on them in the 16 months I’ve been here,” he says.
One item on a Posi-Turner that needs to be replaced periodically is the slings used to rotate the weldments. The larger-capacity set has synthetic polyester slings with a polyvinyl chloride covering sewn onto one side of the sling to protect the sling and the customer’s product, and smaller units come with ones made of steel mesh, Powers says.
“We just bought a replacement set,” Mynarsky says. “That was the first set we replaced.”
American Baler estimates that the Posi-Turner load rotators reduced its welding time by about 25 percent.
He adds that American Baler personnel replace the belts. “They have quick disconnect coupling links to help make up the endless slings, so they’re very easy to replace.”
PLANNING FOR GROWTH
With order rates remaining robust, American Baler is increasing its manufacturing footprint by 20 percent with the addition of a 13,000-sq.- ft. strategic wing to the existing facility. The company reports that the expansion will improve American Baler’s ability to serve its employees and customers with innovation, safety, quality and efficiency gains.
In addition to installing a new plasma table and laser cutting machine, Mynarsky says the company plans to purchase another Posi-Turner set. American Baler employs about 50 people on the shop floor, including fabricators, welders, machinists, electricians, assemblers, painters, and shipping and receiving workers, as well as 25 in the front office, and plans to add more jobs after the expansion is completed. “Adding all those extra jobs, in the end we will be able to build two to three more balers per month.”
To handle the added capacity, he expects the new Posi-Turner load rotators to perform at the same user-friendly level as the ones already in use. “We haven’t had problems with them. I want to knock on wood, but that’s a positive thing that speaks highly of their product.”
According to Powers, safety is the most important advantage of a PosiTurner, because loads can be rotated and positioned with the push of a button instead of trying to coordinate two or more hoists. “In addition to safety, companies also gain production efficiencies because it takes fewer people and less time to get things in the right place. And because the loads flip gently in a controlled fashion, there’s also less damage to them.”
American Baler Co., 800/843-7512, http://americanbaler.com/
The Caldwell Group Inc., 800/628-4263, http://caldwellinc.com/
