A popular manufacturer of processed cheese products was struggling with productivity on a production line that feeds 640 pound blocks of bulk Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese into a shredding machine for packaging into household-sized consumer products.

Under their previous system, cheese was brought in one block at a time on small pallets, using electric lift trucks, and was delivered directly onto the conveyor belt. The trucks then left the area and returned with another block. To keep the conveyors full, several trucks ran continually, feeding two separate conveyor lines. The trucks were constantly in each other’s way, and the conveyors remained underutilized. After exploring the cost of additional trucks, the company came to Ingersoll Rand looking for an alternate solution.

Because of the clean environment required in the room, Ingersoll Rand recommended an all-aluminum, ceiling mounted Overhead Rail Workstation, air balancers that require

The total cost of the solution was less than the cost of an additional truck and driver, resulting in an immediate savings to the company. The solution requires minimal maintenance (unlike the electric lift trucks) and is a safer, more environmentally clean solution.