In 1976, two engineers at Monsanto Corporation saw a problem on the plant floor that needed to be solved. Workers were manually handling heavy 55-gallon drums Their people were handling 400- to 500-pound drums and sustaining frequent injuries. So, the idea was simple. Build a modular palletizer that takes the lifting out of it.
The hydraulic palletizing system that followed used an overhead wiper with cam followers and a stripper plate to efficiently place drums onto pallets automatically placed from a dispenser. And on top of that, it paid for itself within a year or two. These workhorses could last 20 years or more – an obvious good ROI.
From this, the engineers saw a larger market. If Monsanto needed this solution, it was likely that every other manufacturer moving heavy products would need their variation of the solution, too. They quit their jobs and started a company with one fabricator in a garage. [Read more…] about PASCO Marks 50 Years in Industrial Automation