Executive summary
Large boards and panels are heavy, flat and easy to mark, and turning or stacking them by hand is slow and risky. Our automatic panel rotating and stacking machine turns each panel 180° in a ring turner, so both faces can be worked or checked, then a vacuum lifter places it on the stack in line. This page covers the line layout, how to size it and how to check cycle time before you buy.
This line handles wood-based boards on blue-frame roller conveyors. A large ring turner with a perforated cradle grips the board and rotates it 180°. A gantry vacuum lifter with suction pads on cross beams then picks the board from the roller table and lowers it onto the stack.
Table of Contents
- Why automate panel turning and stacking
- How the line works
- Sizing data we need
- Cycle time check
- Selection checklist
- Safety
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
Why automate panel turning and stacking
A full-size board needs two or more workers to turn it, and every lift risks a dented edge or a scratched face. Manual stacks are also uneven, which causes trouble in later strapping, wrapping or shrink packing. A ring turner turns the panel without sliding it on a hard surface, and a vacuum lifter places it in the same position every cycle. The result is a square stack and fewer rejects.
How the line works
- Infeed: the panel arrives from the production line on a roller conveyor.
- Clamp: the panel enters the cradle of the ring turner and is held top and bottom.
- Rotate: the ring turns the cradle 180°, so the lower face is now on top.
- Transfer: the panel leaves the turner on the outfeed roller table.
- Pick: the vacuum lifter lowers its suction pads, picks the panel and lifts it.
- Stack: the lifter places the panel on the stack; the stack position steps down or the table lowers for the next panel.
Not every panel must be turned. The control can turn every panel, every second panel (face-to-face stacking) or none, as the process needs.
Sizing data we need
| Item | What decides it |
|---|---|
| Panel length and width | Ring diameter, cradle and lifter beam length |
| Panel thickness | Cradle opening |
| Panel weight | Ring drive, number of suction pads, vacuum pump |
| Surface (porous or sealed) | Pad type and vacuum level |
| Stack height | Lifter stroke or lowering table |
| Panels per minute | Turner speed and lifter travel |
Ring size, rotation speed and stack height are confirmed at quote for your panel range. The panel travels through the ring along its length, so the ring turns the cross-section. For a panel of width W and thickness t, the clear inner diameter must exceed √(W² + t²) plus the cradle frame, so wide panels need a larger ring. Panel length sets the cradle and conveyor length, not the ring diameter.
Cycle time check
Line cycle (s) = the slowest of turner cycle and lifter cycle.
Lifter cycle (s) = pick time + lift + travel + place + return.
Required cycle (s) = 3,600 ÷ panels per hour.
Example only: at 120 panels per hour, the line needs one panel every 3,600 ÷ 120 = 30 s. If the lifter needs 25 s and the turner 20 s, the line cycle is 25 s and there is 5 s of margin. If not, a buffer conveyor or a second lifter is added.
| Example step (illustrative) | Value |
|---|---|
| Target output | 120 panels/h |
| Required cycle | 30 s |
| Lifter cycle | 25 s |
| Turner cycle | 20 s |
| Rotation | 180° |
Selection checklist
- Panel length, width, thickness and unit weight range?
- Panel material and surface finish?
- Turn every panel, or only some?
- Stack height and pallet or skid under the stack?
- Panels per hour from the production line?
- Next step after stacking: strapping, wrapping or shrinking?
Safety
We design panel handling machines to EN ISO 12100:2010 for risk assessment, EN 415-10 for packaging machine safety and EN 60204-1 for electrical equipment. The ring turner and lifter area are fenced, the vacuum circuit holds the load if air pressure drops, and an E-stop is on the panel.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Can it turn panels with a finished face? A: Yes. The cradle holds the panel on soft contact surfaces and does not slide it.
Q: What if the panel surface is porous? A: We size the vacuum pump and pads for leakage through the panel.
Q: Can it feed a packing line? A: Yes. The stack can go on to strapping, stretch wrapping or shrink packing in a panel packaging line.
Q: Can the size change between batches? A: Yes, within the designed range; the lifter pads and stack position are set on the HMI.
Next step
- Send your panel sizes, weight and output to info@fhopepack.com.
- We confirm the turner, lifter and line layout.
- We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.
Related reading
- FHOPE products
- Panel wrapping machine (product)
- Automatic strapping machine for panel and board (video)
- Orbital wrapping for extra-long panels (video)
- Mechanical 90° tilter for sheet stacks (video)
Sources
- FHOPE product page: panel packaging line
- EN ISO 12100:2010; EN 415-10; EN 60204-1
- The panel rotating and stacking machine shown above
Last reviewed: 2026-10-20
