Resumen
An MDF board inline packing line takes boards straight from the exit of the board production line and turns them into stacked, packed bundles without a forklift buffer in between. Boards arrive on the infeed conveyor, a vacuum stacking head builds the stack in a programmed position, and the closure step — strapping, wrapping or shrinking — finishes the pack before palletizing. This page is written for MDF and wood-panel plants that want to replace discrete handling with a connected, single-operator line. It covers the module architecture, the PLC handshake with the production line, and the cycle-time method used to size the stations.
The video below shows the line running from board infeed through stacking to the packed bundle:
How the Inline Line Is Built
The line is a chain of modules on a common conveyor, each built as a separate machine so stations can be added or dropped per plant. The video shows the vacuum lifter and stacker feeding straight into the packing stage.
| Módulo | Función en la línea |
|---|---|
| Elevador y apilador por vacío | Lifts each board from the production exit and places it in a programmed stack position. |
| Stack transport | Moves the completed stack between stations on roller or belt conveyor. |
| Estación de cierre | Applies the finishing pack: PET or PP strapping, six-side wrap, or shrink, selected by destination. |
| Palletizing (option) | Places the packed bundle on a pallet for storage or dispatch. |
The line is laid out in process order — stacking, edge protection, closure, then palletizing — so the material moves in one direction. Board program, closure method and station mix are confirmed per project before the layout is frozen.
PLC Integration Between the Board Line and the Packing Line
Each machine runs on its own PLC with an HMI, and the packing line is designed to connect to the board production line so a size change is a settings change rather than a mechanical re-rig. The handshake uses a short, agreed signal list:
| Signal | Propósito |
|---|---|
| Pila completa | The stacker tells the downstream station a stack is ready to advance. |
| Estación lista / Estación ocupada | Each packing machine reports whether it can accept or is still processing. |
| Despejado para avanzar | The downstream station releases the bundle when the next position is free. |
| Fallo y alarma | Any station flags a fault so the infeed stops before boards pile up. |
For plant reporting the line can feed production rate and material-usage data into the ERP system. Interface points and the exact signal list are agreed with your plant PLC at the layout stage — including when the plant runs a controller brand of your choice — so the packing line behaves like one more station on the network.
Cycle Time: Sizing the Line by Its Slowest Station
Line output equals the output of the slowest station, so each module is sized against the required takt time:
Takt (seconds per bundle) = 3600 ÷ bundles required per hour.
Apply the same rule at each station:
| Estación | Lo que marca su tiempo |
|---|---|
| Vacuum stacker | Pick-and-place rate against the board pitch leaving production. |
| Closure (strapping) | Number of straps per bundle times the per-strap cycle. |
| Closure (wrap or shrink) | Film pitch advance, ring or tunnel pace, and layers required. |
| Paletizado | Pallet change rate where every bundle passes through the changer. |
Where the pallet changer serves only the loads that change carriers, it sits outside the bundle takt and does not govern the line. The constraint appears where one bundle per hour must pass straight through every module. Cycle-time values are confirmed for your board program during quotation and validated on your own boards at commissioning through a film and strap trial.
What to Confirm Before the Line Is Sized
Work through these items with the vendor before the layout is frozen:
| Parámetro | Qué proporcionar |
|---|---|
| Board program | Board length, width, thickness, weight range; boards per stack; stacks per hour. |
| Closure per destination | Strapping only, six-side wrap, or shrink; edge protection or timber bearers. |
| interfaz PLC | Plant PLC brand and the required signal list. |
| Servicios públicos | Voltage, total installed power and compressed-air requirement at site. |
| Piso y acceso | Tunnel and conveyor envelope, and access for film loading and maintenance. |
| Alcance de seguridad | Guarding, light beams and the standards set for the destination market — with ISO 12100 for risk assessment and EN 415-10 as the packaging-machinery reference where CE applies. |
Factory Test and Acceptance
Two practice points apply when planning acceptance on this line family. First, the vendor’s stated
practice is to put each machine through sustained functional and safety testing before delivery (about
24 hours where stated), including the control system and the emergency-stop function; treat this as the
stated family practice, not a single-unit measurement, and confirm the specific test record for your unit.
Second, for CE markets EN 415-10 is used as the packaging-machinery safety reference and an ISO 12100 risk
assessment guides the guarding; confirm the delivered documentation covers your market.
Preguntas Frecuentes
Q: Can one line pack both single MDF boards and full bundles?
A: Yes, when the closure stations are sized for both. The stacker and closure module are specified against your smallest and largest package so the line handles the range in one flow.
Q: How many operators does an automatic MDF packing line need?
A: The line is designed to run the packing steps with one operator when the stacker takes boards directly from the production exit and edge protection is fed automatically. Headcount is confirmed against the final module mix per project.
Q: What closes the bundle — strapping, wrapping or shrinking?
A: The closure follows the destination: strapping for load integrity on short transfers, and six-side wrap or shrink where a full film enclosure is needed for export or humid storage.
Q: How do we estimate cycle time before ordering?
A: Use takt = 3600 ÷ bundles per hour, then check each station time from the preliminary datasheet; the slowest station governs. Commissioning on your own boards fixes the final values.
Q: How does the line connect to our factory PLC?
A: Every module communicates over an agreed signal list (stack complete, ready/busy, clear to advance, fault); the interface with your PLC brand is confirmed at the layout stage.
Próximo Paso
- Submit your layout drawing with board sizes, stack heights and daily volume to info@fhopepack.com.
- FHOPE returns a line proposal with station selection and a takt check against your volume.
- A site survey confirms the interface to your production line, utilities and installation plan.
- Automatic Board Packaging Line for MDF and Wooden Board – The line architecture for board plants in the same family.
- Máquina de envoltura estirable orbital horizontal de paneles – The wrapping station used for board bundles.
- Máquina flejadora automática para paneles y tableros. – Strapping closure shown on board stacks.
