Some manufacturing processes include forming stacks of manufactured objects for handling and/or processing. While some such manufactured objects are consistent in thickness, other are more irregular. Some manufactured objects are generally flat, but are also generally thicker along one edge. When objects having these characteristics are stacked, the cumulative effect of such inconsistent thickness results in an unbalanced stack. The disclosed apparatus and method utilize a novel rotating stacker that rotates the stack of manufactured objects as each new object is added to the stack, thereby distributing the thickness inconsistency of individual objects throughout the stack, producing a more uniform stack without manual intervention.

A product packaging system includes a tipping system that tips a product stack after the product stack is formed. The tipping system may have a turn plate that is selectively pivotable about a horizontal axis to tip a product stack onto a discharge platform located upstream from the product stack.

A palletizing system capable of conserving space in an area for buffer conveyors. The palletizing system includes a supply conveyor for conveying a first type of article and a second type of article, a type detection sensor for detecting the type of the article, a first buffer conveyor for conveying the first type of article, a second buffer conveyor for conveying the second type of article, which is disposed above the first buffer conveyor, a sorting robot which places the first type of article on the first buffer conveyor and which places the second type of article on the second buffer conveyor, and a loading robot which removes articles from the first buffer conveyor and the second buffer conveyor, to load the articles on a pallet.

An apparatus for loading a cargo space includes a conveyor and a stacker for stacking goods in the cargo space. The stacker is before the conveyor. In addition, a buffer conveyor is between the stacker and the conveyor to permit the uninterrupted operation of the stacker. A transfer conveyor is between the buffer conveyor and the conveyor for moving a stack from the buffer conveyor to the conveyor.

A device for picking/commissioning on pallets or goods carriers has a picking chute, and a temporary pallet store for unladen pallets. The temporary pallet store is arranged laterally next to the picking chute. The device also includes a feed device for transporting an unladen pallet from the picking chute to the temporary pallet store or from the temporary pallet store to the picking chute, and the temporary pallet store has at least two storage locations for pallets of different sizes.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage array of storage locations for case units. An in-out case conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting case units to and from the storage array, and an in-out loaded pallet conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting loaded pallets towards and away from the storage array. A palletizer-depalletizer cell includes a bi-directional pallet transport system with more than one independently driven pallet transports, each with a different pallet holder independently movable relative to a cell frame. Placement of case units commissioning a pallet layer loading a pallet, and removal of case units decommissioning a pallet layer unloading another pallet are both effected at the common pallet layer interface at a predetermined level of the cell frame. The pallet transports independently index a first and a second of the different pallet holders, each independently holding the pallet loading at the common pallet layer interface.

A palletizing apparatus and a method for stacking packages on a load carrier. The palletizing apparatus has a stacking location for palletizing the packages and at least two supply stations, which are in conveying connection with the stacking location and each have an intermediate carrier formed for receiving the packages. It is possible for the intermediate carriers to be vertically adjusted by a motor at least to some extent independently of one another between a low-level position and a high-level position. In order to make a rapid palletizing cycle possible, provision is made for the intermediate carriers to be horizontally adjustable by a motor-drive independently of one another between a starting position and an end position. The intermediate carriers are arranged at the supply stations for adjustment in a collision-free manner in opposite adjustment directions between a receiving position and a transfer position.

A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

The invention relates to a stacking apparatus and a stacking method for products in the form of product layers, in which method the stacking apparatus loads each of the product layers in a box-like and stackable slip-on container, which is open at the bottom, and stores the product layer with this container in a container stack, and/or said stacking apparatus removes product layers in slip-on containers from a container stack and unloads the individual product layer from the slip-on container. The stacking apparatus comprises a handling apparatus having a multi-axially movable handling device for the slip-on containers and, if applicable, the product layer accommodated in each of them, wherein the handling device is designed to handle the slip-on containers, which are open at the bottom, and wherein the product layers in the container stack are located on a container base of a lower slip-on container and are surrounded laterally and at the top by an upper slip-on container positioned above said lower slip-on container. The stacking apparatus has a row arrangement of a plurality of stacking places, wherein the handling apparatus comprises a movable support which moves the handling device along a first, facing side of the row arrangement.

A method includes issuing a state change fluid into an internal passage of an additively manufactured article and causing the state change fluid to change from a first state having a first viscosity to a second state that is either solid or has a second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity within the internal passage. The method can also include causing the state change fluid to change back from the second state to the first state and flushing the state change fluid from the internal passage to remove residual powder from the additively manufactured article.