A pallet according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a pallet that is stackable in an up-down direction in which upper end portions of a plurality of columns of a pallet disposed in a lower stage are inserted into inserted portions provided in lower end portions of columns of a pallet disposed in an upper stage. A height of at least one of the columns is higher than heights of the other columns.

Object manipulation space optimization is a challenging task and used in applications such as heat treatment operation and transport packaging. Traditionally manual intervention is involved to grasp and place the objects for ensuring multi object stacking with zero gap between adjacent objects. This leads to higher cost infrastructure and low productivity. Further, conventional gripper devices fail to optimize object manipulation space and are unable to handle objects of different cross sections with larger lengths. The present disclosure provides a gripper apparatus addressing a single gripper design comprising an adaptor holding unit with a provision for different modular object holding units which are varied in accordance with size, shape and length of the object to be grasped and placed by the gripper apparatus. The modular object holding unit comprises a plurality of fingers which are actuated for grasping and stacking one or more objects such that object manipulation space is optimized.

Technology disclosed includes a robotic workstation for unstacking/stacking a multi-layer stack of boards and includes an end effector configured to pick up, move and release a layer of boards. The end effector includes first and second pick up and release members, each being (i) disposed below first and second support members, (ii) transversely arranged with respect to the first and second support members and (iii) attached to both of the first and second support members. The robotic workstation also includes a robotic manipulator connected to an attachment plate of the end effector and capable of moving the end effector. The robotic manipulator is under control of a controller executing stored instructions that perform operations including picking up the layer of boards by orienting the end effector such that each board of the layer of boards is transversely oriented with respect to the first and second pick up and release members.

Apparatus to group together oblong products, preferably metal, comprising a sliding plane inclined with respect to a vertical plane and configured to receive a plurality of the oblong products and to allow them to slide in a direction of sliding transverse to the longitudinal development of the oblong products. Retaining elements are provided on the sliding plane.

The modular lumber stacker utilizes a single fork and board width sensor to load layers of boards with varying widths onto a lift table. The single-fork loader allows a fork lift to readily access the opposing side of the lift table to remove a multi-layer stack of boards. An adjustable unloading stop may be used to justify the stack by distributing the dead space in each layer between the boards to justify the stack to avoid jagged stack edges and improve stacking stability.

The modular lumber stacker utilizes a single fork and board width sensor to load layers of boards with varying widths onto a lift table. The single-fork loader allows a fork lift to readily access the opposing side of the lift table to remove a multi-layer stack of boards. An adjustable unloading stop may be used to justify the stack by distributing the dead space in each layer between the boards to justify the stack to avoid jagged stack edges and improve stacking stability.

Apparatus for handling bars (31), in particular metal bars, including a loading unit (22) provided with transporter elements (25) to transfer a series of bars (31) toward a selector unit (34); the selector unit (34) includes a gripping device (35) configured to remove one or more bars (31) from the transporter elements (25) of the loading unit (22) and to release them toward a subsequent collection station (43) and also includes sensors (41) configured to automatically detect at least the number of bars (31) removed and released by the gripping device (35) toward the collection station (43).

A method of forming bundles of glass articles is provided. The method includes transporting individual glass articles to an insert building station using a conveying system. The glass articles are individually located within article receiving slots of a layer separation insert using the conveying system. Each slot of the layer separation insert receives a single glass article forming a glass article layer of side-by-side glass articles. Multiple glass article layers including layer separation inserts are stacked using the conveying system forming a bundle. The layer separation inserts provide a barrier between adjacent glass articles of each of the glass article layers to inhibit glass-to-glass contact.

The modular lumber stacker utilizes a single fork and board width sensor to load layers of boards with varying widths onto a lift table. The single-fork loader allows a fork lift to readily access the opposing side of the lift table to remove a multi-layer stack of boards. An adjustable unloading stop may be used to justify the stack by distributing the dead space in each layer between the boards to justify the stack to avoid jagged stack edges and improve stacking stability.

The modular lumber stacker utilizes a single fork and board width sensor to load layers of boards with varying widths onto a lift table. The single-fork loader allows a fork lift to readily access the opposing side of the lift table to remove a multi-layer stack of boards. An adjustable unloading stop may be used to justify the stack by distributing the dead space in each layer between the boards to justify the stack to avoid jagged stack edges and improve stacking stability.