How the Humble Chip Cart Helps with Floor Space Issues
Size matters! The footprint of machine tool is just the beginning of the space required to efficiently use a machine tool. The required footprint grows substantially when you consider the needed accessories such as:
- Tramp oil collectors
- Misters
- Coolant reservoirs
- Chip dumping carts
- Access for raw material delivery & storage
- Access & storage for completed parts before they are removed from the machine tool area
In addition to the above required space, you need to add the required clearance around each machine tool to properly access the equipment for general and/or preventive maintenance.
We all know time is money, but floor space is money, too. Shops with tight aisles or limited space around machine tools tend to have higher costs associated with their machine tools. Limited space around machine tools can create a significant barrier to completing needed tasks. The more obstacles in the way of completing any task, the less likely it will be completed correctly and in a timely manner and therefore, you create higher costs. By removing the barriers to complete needed tasks, the more likely the task will be completed both timely & properly.
Let’s take a closer look at how dumping carts affect floor space and productivity:
Capacity/Frequency
A larger cart capacity means fewer trips to dump it out. On the other hand, a larger cart needs more clear space for access.
Dumping Mechanism
Carts with a built-in dumping mechanism tend to have a larger footprint and smaller capacity compared to carts with a separate dumping mechanism.
Mobility
Dumping carts on casters are more mobile and give you more options than carts with only fork pockets. Carts on casters can be moved by hand to the aisle for easier transport.
The More Carts You Have, the More Size Matters
As a manufacturing plant adds production capacity, the style of dumping cart makes a bigger impact on available floor space (and your bottom line). Most plants have designated areas for metal chip collection. Sometimes these areas are too small for the daily chip volume, and facility managers are typically reluctant to allocate additional space. This is precisely why chip cart size and process matter so much. Labor becomes an issue unless you strike the right balance between dumping cart capacity, distance to dumping area and how often the cart needs to be dumped.
Choosing Chip Carts for Maximum Efficiency
Your chip carts don’t have to all be the same size, though they should use a common dumping system – one that’s safe and easy to use, with minimal labor required. To determine the best system for handling metal chips in your plant, consider the following:
- How are chips processed currently?
- How many chips are produced per hour per machine tool?
- What’s the average round-trip travel time to dump out and replace a chip cart for each machine tool?
- What resources are required to move chips from the machine tool to the dumping area?
- Does metalworking fluid in the chip carts need to be removed before dumping?
- Does the chip cart leak on the floor creating a safety hazard?
- How much access is available around the machine tools?
- How often is each dumping cart emptied out?
- How many dumping carts are required to process chips without stopping production?
- Does it make sense to use an automated tugger to move dumping carts in this setting?
CECOR Chip Carts Work Smarter
CECOR equipment helps job shops & manufacturers lower the expenses associated with moving metal chips, metalworking fluid and sludge from machine tools to the dumping area. We help by reducing the footsteps required for the task. The fewer the steps, the lower the cost.
CECOR chip carts are designed for the machine tool industry. Our carts can be equipped with a patented dumping frame, fork pockets, tee-cleats for hydraulic dumping or a combination of these. Thanks to our unique design, our carts fit under almost all machine tool conveyor systems, letting you reclaim aisle space and having a much smaller footprint than most machine tool chip bins.
Extra Square Footage Hiding in Plain Sight
CECOR’s metal dumping cart model 243 has a capacity of 9.4 cu ft but occupies only 7 sq ft. Compare that to a rocker style chip cart with the same 9.4 cu ft capacity that takes up to 12 sq ft of floor space. If you replace 22 chip carts and gain 5 sq ft per cart, that’s 110 additional square feet in your plant, for a fraction of the cost of expanding. Just think of the additional aisle space for maneuvering!
CECOR has a Chip Cart Perfect for Your Shop
Because CECOR chip carts are designed for the machine tool industries we have many shapes and sizes purpose-built to fit under any number of machine conveyor systems and outputs. We offer loading heights from 12” to 40”, and capacities from 4.9 cu ft to 27 cu ft. CECOR chip carts are mounted on heavy duty non-marking casters for easy movement, reducing the need for forklifts to get in close to your machine tools. Our carts also come with drain plugs so you can easily drain off excess coolant. Many special options are available, and we encourage you to contact us. If broad selection of dumping carts does not meet your requirements, let us know and we can see if we can help customize a cart for you.
Check out our selection of industrial carts or call us to discuss options to fit your needs.