Use-Case – SMITH Heavy-duty Electric Stacker

The Challenge

A metal fabrication plant near Graz, Austria processes around 120 finished pallets/day of heavy steel components. Pallets must be lifted up to 4.5 m into high racking within very narrow aisles.

The plant relied on a mix of manual pallet trucks and a semi-electric stacker. Heavy loads were often shuttled in two steps: first to a buffer zone, then lifted by the semi-electric unit. This double handling consumed time, overloaded operators, and led to 8 damaged pallets/month due to unstable lifting and poor visibility.

Management needed a compact, heavy-duty electric stacker capable of continuous 5–6 hour operation, one-pass lifting to 4.5 m, and safer handling of 2‑ton loads in tight spaces.

Manual Process

Before automation, one operator with a manual pallet truck plus a semi-electric stacker handled all finished goods. Turning and positioning in the narrow aisles was slow, and each heavy pallet required two separate handling steps.

Before Automation:

• Daily volume: 120 pallets/day
• Cycle time per pallet: 4.5 minutes (manual move to buffer 2.5 min + semi-electric lift/store 2.0 min)
• Total daily time: 120 × 4.5 = 540 minutes (9.0 hours/day)
• Labor cost: 9.0 hours × €25/hour = €225/day
• Rework/issues: 8 damaged pallets/month (≈ 0.36 pallets/day, average rework and material cost €70/damaged pallet → 0.36 × €70 ≈ €25/day)

The semi-electric stacker also required more physical effort to pump and position heavy loads, increasing fatigue. Operators often slowed down for safety, further limiting throughput during peak hours.

Automated Solution

The plant installed a SMITH Heavy-duty Electric Stacker (2,000 kg, 4.5 m lift) to replace both the manual truck and semi-electric stacker for finished goods. Its side-drive design and small turning radius allowed direct access to high racking in the narrow aisles, removing the buffer-zone step.

After Installing SMITH Heavy-duty Electric Stacker:

• Machine operates at 60% of maximum capacity for reliability
• New cycle time: 2.7 minutes/pallet (single-step pickup, transport, and lift to 4.5 m)
• Total daily time: 120 × 2.7 = 324 minutes (5.4 hours/day)
• Labor cost: 5.4 hours × €25/hour = €135/day
• Quality improvement: damaged pallets cut from 8 to 2 per month (0.09/day × €70 ≈ €6/day in damage costs)

The integrated control handle, turtle speed mode, and precise MOSFETS drive improved fine positioning at height. One operator now comfortably manages the workload with reduced effort and higher consistency, even during the full 5–6 hour continuous shifts.

ROI Calculation

Investment:
Machine price: €5,499

Daily savings (labor):
Before: €225/day
After: €135/day
Labor savings: €225 − €135 = €90/day

Daily savings (damage reduction):
Before damage cost: €25/day
After damage cost: €6/day
Damage savings: €25 − €6 = €19/day

Total daily savings:
€90 + €19 = €109/day

Monthly savings (22 working days):
€109/day × 22 days = €2,398/month

Payback period:
Payback = €5,499 ÷ €109/day ≈ 50 days
50 days ÷ 22 working days/month ≈ 2.3 months
Rounded: payback in just over 2 months

Conclusion

By consolidating two handling steps into one with the SMITH Heavy-duty Electric Stacker, the metal fabrication plant reduced pallet handling time by 3.6 hours/day and cut pallet damage by 75%. The investment of €5,499 is recovered in just over two months, while operators benefit from safer, less strenuous work.

“With the SMITH stacker we went from 9 hours to 5.4 hours of daily pallet handling and cut damage from 8 to 2 pallets a month. Saving around €2,400 every month meant the stacker paid for itself in just over two months.” — Markus Huber, Logistics Manager, Stahlwerk Graz GmbH/Austria