Material Handling

For decades, the wood working process was labor-intensive; hands-on at every stage of processing. This is desirable at the craft level, where hands lend a distinction to the piece that’s impossible to achieve on an automated machine. But when you’re producing hundreds of pieces per shift, two or three shifts a day, labor becomes a significant investment. It also compounds human error that can shut down a machine or an entire line, damage product and drive up waste costs.

While many shops now run processing machines that are semi or fully automated, production rates drop and damage occurs in between machines, as pieces are moved from one processing stage to the next. A wobbly pallet loader or a shaky hi-lo operator can set you back on production and put a dent in your profitability.

Material handling now features technology that matches the sophistication of the machines that prepare the pieces. Swing arm panel feeders ensure continuous operation; panel stackers provide many options for storage and retrieval; robotics transfer pieces from machine to machine; conveyors and lift systems speed the transfer of materials with a minimum of human involvement; fully automated stacking/destacking machines easily handle input from multiple conveyors and trolleys – and you can purchase material handling systems that match up seamlessly with many of the woodworking machines you have, or plan to purchase in the future.

Stiles is pleased to bring you material handling solutions from leading manufacturers, including Bargstedt, Holzma, Ligmatech, FANUC, Q-System, Schmalz, System TM and others to keep your business moving easily, from raw materials to finished products and happy customers.