M-Stop is go

BITO has launched its PROflow pallet live storage product with a new M-Stop load separator

BITO has revamped its PROflow pallet live-storage system featuring the new M-Stop load separator. The load separator has been designed to be completely out of reach of a lift truck forks and is therefore not susceptible to damage. This is designed to increase functional safety while simplifiying handling in the store.

Load separators ensure that the second pallet in the live racking system is kept at a distance from the first, enabling the first pallet to be removed without interference.

There are various stages of evolution in the field of load separators available on the market. On the one hand, there is the load separator with rigid coupling. When the control flag is depressed by the pallet, the pallet stop locks and the second pallet in the channel is held back. In the event of functional faults or operator error, the rigid coupling often leads to damage and therefore to safety risks. On the other hand, there is the decoupled load separator, where the control flag is always connected to the pallet stop by means of a linkage but the connection is decoupled in the event of functional faults and operator errors. This causes less damage to the separator.

BITO is now launching the next generation of load separator - The MStop - which dispenses entirely with a control flag and a linkage. The separator is outside the range of the stacker and is therefore protected against damage.

BITO's new load separator meets a further challenge. With conventional solutions using control flags, pallets will often not move right up to the end stop.

The stacker driver, who for safety reasons should not get too close to the racking, therefore often does not have the pallet fully on the forks when he lifts it.

Depending on how heavily the pallet is loaded, there is a risk of the stacker truck toppling. If the pallet is not fully on the forks, the stacker must re-engage with it.

To do this, he sets the pallet down. This can trigger the load separator and the next pallet comes along making it considerably more difficult for the stacker driver to remove the first pallet. As a control flag is no longer necessary with the M-Stop, the roller conveyor can be continuously occupied. BITO brake rollers stop the pallet in a controlled manner. The pallet is therefore always in the right position and the stacker driver can lift it completely without having to re-engage or drive too close to the racking. This means considerable time saving and increased safety.