20090200137 | VERTICALLY STAGGERED PALLET STACKING ASSEMBLY LINE AND METHOD - A pallet stacking assembly line having at least two pick-and-place robots are used. The first robot has a relatively low position. The second robot is in an elevated position. A pallet dispenser dispenses a first pallet onto a pallet conveyor The pallet conveyor moves the first pallet to a first build position in front of the first robot. The first robot picks products from a first pick position and stacks them on the first pallet. Once the stack of products on the first pallet reach approximately half the finished stack height, the pallet conveyor carries the first pallet to a second build position in front of the second robot. At the same time, the pallet dispenser dispenses a second pallet which is carried to the first build position. The second robot picks products from a second pick position and places them on the upper portion of the stack on the first pallet to complete the stack. Meanwhile, the first robot is picking and placing products on the lower portion of the second pallet. The process continues indexing, with both robots ideally being busy all the time. Each robot builds half the stack on the pallet, | 08-13-2009 |