TURN TABLE

TURN TABLE

Turntables are horizontal, rotatable powered table mechanisms for transferring material/container between conveyors that are in angular relation to one another.  They often provide both loading and unloading of their contents to and from a conveyor.  In order to increase productivity and ergonomics in any manufacturing operation, equipment such as turntables are a small but integral part of the total process to maximize workplace efficiency.  By using turntables operator fatigue can be reduced.  Operators can focus on assembly or other production process rather than have to struggle with the material handling aspect of their operation.  Turntables are also ideal for loading and unloading of pallets and other containers when minimum floor space is a concern.  Turntables keep production operations moving without interruption.

Specifications

Important specifications for turntables include load capacity, maximum dimension or diameter and speed.  The load capacity is the maximum weight or force supported by the turntable.  This will dictate the weight of the load.  The maximum dimension or diameter is the width of a rectangular turntable and the diameter of a circular turntable.  This will dictate the size of the load to be put on the turntable.  The speed is the velocity at which the turntable rotates.

Turntables are commonly powered by air, or by hand, or by a motor.  Air powered turntables have cylinders or air motors powering the turning action of the table.  Manual turntables are rotated manually by a crank or lever.  Motors provided automated turning.  Turntables can be actuated by a pushbutton mechanism.  Some manufacturers will provide integral clamps for handling drums or odd shaped packages.  Some turntables also have the ability to tilt for the facilitation of dumping the contents of the table.  Fixed and retractable rotation stops can be positioned at 90 or 180 degrees for positioning at specific workstations.

Conveyor Turntable – Material Handling Machines

Operation

The rollers advance the pallets to the staging conveyor, which allows pallet-by-pallet passage onto the staging turntable. The turntable positions its rollers in the same direction as those of the separation conveyor to take over the pallet. Once the pallet is detected at its position on the turntable, it starts its rotation and carries out a quarter of a turn to deliver the pallet to the exit conveyor.
A conveyor turntable is driven by a motor reducer connected to a geared chain pinion, which rotates the turntable.
Motorized rollers then move the pallet on and off the turntable.

Examples of Use
Conveyor turntables can be used for transferring pallets in a cement plant, distributing freight, manufacturing automobiles on an assembly line, and sorting containers in a chemical plant.

Names/Types
– Turntable
• Roller turntable
– Turning platform
– Turntable with free or motorized rollers, turntable with transfer
– Turntable with transfer

Related Machinery
– Belt curve conveyor
– Strap or strand chain transfer
– Curve with conical rollers
– Return elements
– Motorized roller curve

System Options
– Guides
– Guide disk
– Pneumatic stop
– Retracting lock
– Conveyor-turntable link
– Gauge and weight tester
– Load identification (bar or magnetic code)
– Electro-zinc finish or stainless steel for food processing
– Flow control software
– PC
– Printer

Upstream Downstream Machines
– Conveyors of all types
– Vertical elevator
– Multiple level elevator
– Continuous vertical elevator
– Elevator table
– Magazine
– Empty pallet magazine
– Automated guided vehicle