The customer required a dual lane plastic tray denester capable of separating stacked clear poly trays (6.8” x 5” x 2.1”) and placing them onto a conveyor in two lanes for a downstream filling line application. The denesting system needed to maintain consistent tray separation and product orientation at a total throughput of 60 containers per minute while integrating with the customer’s existing conveyor and filling equipment. Because the lightweight plastic trays could stick together during handling, the automated tray denester also needed to support reliable denesting, minimize jams, and maintain accurate tray spacing for downstream container filling operations.
Morrison Container Handling Solutions engineered a custom dual lane vertical denester designed to accept stacks of plastic trays through vertical infeed chutes and discharge one tray per lane onto the customer’s takeaway conveyor. The automated tray denesting system operated at a total throughput of 60 CPM across two lanes (30 CPM per lane) to support continuous downstream filling operations.
To support reliable plastic tray handling and controlled tray separation, the vertical denester incorporated custom timing screw drive cartridges for accurate product release, tray separation, and spacing. The tray denesting machine integrated directly with the customer’s conveyor system, which served as the speed-controlling takeaway conveyor to maintain consistent tray transfer and downstream product flow.
The vertical dual lane plastic tray denester featured a stainless steel structural base frame with adjustable feet and plastic colorcore panels, making the automated container handling system suitable for ambient plant environments requiring low-pressure mild soap and water cleaning. The tray denesting equipment mounted directly to the customer’s conveyor using a linear slide tabletop design and locating hardware for accurate conveyor alignment and product transfer.
Each lane utilized custom timing screw drive cartridges to separate plastic trays from the vertical tray stacks while controlling tray discharge, spacing, and conveyor presentation. The timing screw assemblies were manufactured from white Delrin and configured with four screws per cartridge to match the tray geometry and discharge pitch requirements for the filling line application.
The controls package included Allen-Bradley NEMA 12 controls, photoeyes, stack light indicators for low tray notification, an HMI-mounted DC enclosure, and a separate AC enclosure. Drive components included two AC gearmotors with TorqueTender mechanical clutches to support controlled tray handling operation and overload protection within the automated denesting system.
Custom guard doors and Lexan safety panels provided operator protection while still allowing access for manual stack loading of the plastic trays. The dual lane denester also incorporated change parts, including infeed chutes and timing screw drive cartridges, to support future tray size adjustments and container handling requirements if needed.
The vertical dual lane plastic tray denester achieved a total throughput of 60 CPM while reliably separating stacked plastic trays and depositing them onto the conveyor in two lanes for downstream filling operations. The automated tray denesting system provided controlled tray separation and consistent product spacing to support reliable tray presentation to the downstream filling equipment while integrating with the customer’s existing conveyor system.
The compact vertical denester design also supported efficient operator loading, reduced floor space requirements, and provided consistent automated plastic tray handling performance for the customer’s container filling process.
Learn more about Morrison Container Handling Solutions’ custom denesting and container handling systems for filling and packaging applications.
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