HT Process Achieves Higher Cylinder Throughput with Minimum Safety Risks

Designing a safe and an efficient loading/unloading system

HT Process had a traditional system in cylinder handling, running with throughput of 300-500 cylinders per hour, and truck loading was done manually. It innovated the filling system to increase the throughput of cylinders per hour. However, with increased upstream throughput, more workers had to be employed in the hazardous area for the purpose of loading cylinders into trucks. Loading and unloading gas cylinders in trucks at a factory is a critical and potentially hazardous process that requires careful planning, strict adherence to safety protocols, and effective coordination.

Human safety being of utmost importance, HT Process required loaders and unloaders which could minimize the manpower required for the loading process in the hazardous area as well as address challenges such as:

• Heavy Lifting: Gas cylinders are quite heavy, posing the risk of back injuries or strains to workers who handle them. The process of manually lifting and maneuvering these cylinders is physically demanding and requires proper training in ergonomic practices.
• Cylinder Integrity: Handling the cylinders carefully to ensure they are in good condition, free from damage or corrosion, and do not leak.
• Time Constraints: There may be time constraints for loading and unloading gas cylinders, increasing the pressure on workers, and necessitating efficient processes without compromising safety.
• Manpower Availability: Limited number of assigned manpower on jobs for maximum trucks in a day leads to posing the risk of back injuries or strains to workers who handles it.

Adopting an advanced robotic loading system over traditional mechanism

HT Process turned to Rockwell Automation to jointly develop a robotic loader which could meet the increased loading speed requirements while minimizing the manpower requirement, thus reducing risk to manpower in the hazardous areas.

HT Process envisioned a robotic system capable of handling high speed loading operation. A custom gantry system was designed specifically for pick and place operation. It was made flexible to adapt to different truck sizes and misaligned truck frames.

The solution is powered by Rockwell Automation’s CompactLogix™ controller along with integrated motion Kinetix^® 5700 Servo Drive. This system ensures reliable cycle times and works with minimal operator intervention continuously.