Saginaw Control & Engineering
Saginaw Control & Engineering Automates Pallet Wrapping, Frees Forklifts, and Speeds Production
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The Challenge
Saginaw Control & Engineering, a leading manufacturer of electrical enclosures in Saginaw, Michigan, faced mounting operational challenges as their business scaled to nearly 500 employees across multiple facilities. When Chris Sims, Product Distribution Manager at Saginaw Control & Engineering, started in 2006, he began to witness inconsistencies with their current turntable wrappers.
Key Challenges Included:
- Eliminating safety risks: Horizontal turntable wrappers require the driver to set the load on the platform, back away, exit the forklift, operate the machine, then return to the forklift to remove the pallet load. Though no serious injuries had occurred, the specter of slips, trips, and falls weighed on Sims.
- Costly product damage: Unstable loads fell off turntable platforms during wrapping and during transit, with each pallet having an average value of $1,000.
- Inefficient operations: Manual processes tied up equipment and operators, creating bottlenecks during Michigan’s challenging labor market conditions.
The TAB Wrapper Tornado Solution
After discovering the TAB Wrapper Tornado in The Fabricator magazine and seeing it demonstrated live at FABTECH in Chicago, Sims knew he had found the solution that would transform Saginaw’s packaging operations.
Key Technology Features:
- Forklift-integrated operation: Operators control the wrapping process from their forklift seat, eliminating the slip, trip, and fall hazard that Sims had been concerned about.
- Complete pallet security: The stretch wrap wraps around and under pallets, securing loads directly to the base to prevent shifting or sliding during transit.
- Fast cycle times: Quick, efficient wrapping that eliminates bottlenecks.
- Consistent tension: Ensures even, tight wrapping for maximum load stability and minimized product damage.
- High capacity: The 100-inch wrapping ring can work with products up to 60” tall on 72” x 72” pallets.
Implementation and Results
Sims began with a single Smart Controls TAB Wrapper Tornado model at the Saginaw EAST facility, with immediate positive results.
The implementation delivered immediate results across all metrics. “Everyone loved it,” said Sims. “It wraps fast with consistently tight tension, it’s quiet, and our drivers really appreciate being able to control the wrapping process without getting on and off the forklift.”
The automated wrapping freed workers for more productive tasks while improving forklift utilization, eliminating product damage during customer deliveries, and removing safety risks associated with exiting forklifts.
Read the full Saginaw Control & Engineering case study.
Scaling the Solution
Based on the proven ROI and overwhelming positive response, Sims expanded the TAB Wrapper Tornado implementation:
- 8 Smart Controls units: Purchased seven additional 100-inch models over four years to modernize all distribution centers.
- 3 Perfect Storm systems: Fully automated units for manufacturing facilities featuring roller conveyor integration.
- Complete turntable replacement: Nearly all original horizontal turntable wrappers were sold as obsolete equipment.
Annual Cost Savings:
- $100,000+ annually in labor costs and forklift utilization from Perfect Storm systems alone.
- Fastest ROI of any automated equipment investment at Saginaw.
- Reduced overtime previously required for their turntable wrapping operations.
TAB Wrapper Orbital Stretch Wrapper Solutions
TAB Wrapper offers proven orbital stretch wrapper technology, available in multiple configurations with wireless remote and automation options, for metal fabrication operations handling challenging products.
For more information on Saginaw Control & Engineering: Visit saginawcontrol.com
