COUNTERBALANCE
Quick die change (QDC) systems are an essential lean manufacturing practice that can increase press uptime, lower costs per part, and help boost the return on investment for many manufacturers.
Quick die change systems involve the planning and grouping of dies and presses in a uniform and organized way to maximize efficiency by reducing wasted time, movements and processes to a minimum.
Many operations depend on specialty die change lift trucks to move the large and heavy dies from the press to storage racks or holding areas. As a manufacturer of custom material handing vehicles, RICO’s engineering team often helps companies working with large press dies and molds, protecting their equipment with high quality and trusted quick die change trucks.
All of RICO’s quick-change die cart vehicles are tailor made to fit an end-user’s specific operation and application requirements.
Load Capabilities
Dies are a significant investment. If a die is damaged from an ill-suited lift truck, not only is production stalled, but now the die must be repaired or replaced, which can be very expensive. Outfitting your operation with die lift trucks made for your unique load specifications is an important customization.
A custom die cart must be built to securely hold, lift and move dies from racking to both staging and the press.
No matter the die size or change over frequency, RICO can build an efficient solution with the right load capacity for every system.
Additional Tiers
Die change handlers are designed to minimize downtime. RICO’s engineers can build die carts with multiple tiers to make the die change even faster. Two-tier systems can allow for the movement of multiple dies at once, saving unnecessary trips back to staging or storage areas.
Safety Features
All RICO trucks are built with the safety of both the load, but more importantly, operators and nearby pedestrians in mind.
Often, when manufacturers don’t have the proper equipment necessary for die transportation, they resort to using traditional forklifts, putting the die and operator in a potentially dangerous situation. A custom designed quick-change die truck not only maximizes production but makes the job safer for all involved.
Additional safety measures provide the right level of safety and protection for the cargo, the operator and those working nearby. These safety features include a visual laser alignment system, a brake override button and die retention pins.
Do you need the right vehicle to take your quick die change system to the next level? Contact RICO to learn more about how our quick die change carts can maximize efficiency.