Shared material handler
Manual transfers
0Batches out
One transport resource moves between all stations.
Michigan + Great Lakes / Robotics & automation
Material handling automation.
Keep work moving.
Your best people have better work to do than move the next load. Put robots on the routine trips between stations.
Mid-State Litho helps you plan and install AGV and AMR transport and robotic palletizing systems for your existing plant. We also assess machine-loading applications.
Michigan-based since 1984Built around your existing operation
From the floor / 3Ă— speed
Station-to-station transportRobotic palletizingMachine loadingIntegration planning
01 / Mobile robotics
Start with the trips
your team makes all day.
A cart waits. An operator leaves a machine. The next station runs short. Automate repeatable transfers so your people can focus on production.
AGV and AMR integration for the work between machines
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) carry materials between defined pickup and delivery points.
We start with your loads, routes, staging space, and production demand. Then we assess the vehicle, transfer method, and controls your application needs.
- Deliver parts, work in process, and finished goods between stations.
- Replenish materials before the next operation runs short.
- Move carts, totes, or pallets with equipment matched to the load.
- Plan pickup, docking, charging, and pedestrian access together.
AGV
Repeatable routes
Guided movement along defined physical or virtual routes. A fit to assess for stable, repeated transfers.
AMR
Flexible navigation
Map-based navigation with route choices around obstacles. A fit to assess when traffic and destinations change.
Watch the work, not just the robot
The same machines.
A better way to feed them.
When one person handles every transfer, work waits for a ride. Dedicated transport and staging can keep the next batch ready.
0 model sec
Dedicated transport + staging
Automated transfers
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Three transport resources serve the same process.
Illustrative model
Both layouts use the same processing times and travel speed. The automated example adds transport capacity and staging. These model counts are not a production forecast.
What changes the result in your plant?
Both models start with one batch at each machine. Each machine takes eight model seconds per batch. Playback compresses time at 2Ă— speed. The manual model has one shared handler and no spare input staging. The automated model has three carriers and two staging slots per station.
Travel distance, load transfer time, machine cycles, charging, and staffing affect real output. We assess the actual bottleneck before we recommend equipment.
02 / Robotic palletizing
Stack a stable load,
one layer at a time.
A palletizing robot picks each case from the infeed and builds the load in the pattern you choose. Alternate the layers, and each one ties the load together.
Palletizing cell, illustratedConcept only
Stacking pattern
Interlock the layers. Lock the load.
Layer A runs two rows lengthwise and turns four cases at the back. Layer B is the same pattern turned 180 degrees. The seams cross from layer to layer like brickwork, so most cases bridge two or more cases below.
Dashed lines mark the seams of the layer below. Numbers show the placement order. The robot fills the far side first, so the gripper never works over a case it already placed.
Example: 16 Ă— 12 Ă— 10 in cases, 10 per layer, 5 layers on a 48 Ă— 40 in pallet.
End-of-arm tooling
A fork gripper scoops the case.
Vacuum cups need a flat, sealed top. A fork or scoop gripper lifts from below instead, so it can handle open trays, bundles, bags, and cases with weak tops. Your product decides the tool.
- Illustration
1. Slide under
The tines pass between the rollers of the pick station and under the case.
- Illustration
2. Clamp and lift
A top plate presses down. The case rides on the tines, held from above and below.
- Illustration
3. Pull out
On the stack, the plate lets go and the tines withdraw. The case settles in place.
Gripper photos
Illustration only. The robot, gripper, cycle, and pattern show a concept, not a specific product, rated payload, cycle time, or safety design. Case size and weight, box strength, overhang, and the wrap method decide the right pattern. We confirm reach, tooling, cycle time, and guarding in an application review.
Plan my palletizing cellFit the robot to the complete load.
Box weight alone is not the payload. The gripper, center of gravity, stack pattern, and required cycle time all matter. We review the infeed and pallet exchange with the cell layout.
03 / Machine loading
Keep operators on
the work that needs them.
Repetitive pick-and-place tasks can tie an operator to a machine. A robot arm can handle a defined loading cycle while your team manages setup, quality, and exceptions.
We assess part presentation, gripping, machine access, and the controls handshake before we propose an integration.
Discuss a loading applicationEquipment experience. A wider application.
From print production
to your factory floor.
MSL brings robotics experience with Horizon and other equipment vendors. We now bring that experience to material flow in manufacturing, packaging, and other production environments.
Start with a task you can measure.
One repeated route. One loading cycle. One pallet pattern. Define the work before you choose the robot.
Photos and clips are MSL's footage of equipment demonstrations. They illustrate applications, not completed customer installations or guaranteed results.
A practical first step
Bring us the bottleneck.
You do not need a finished automation specification. A description of the task and a few basic measurements are enough to start the discussion.
- 01
Map the work
Tell us what moves, how often, and where people lose time.
- 02
Check the fit
Review loads, routes, equipment interfaces, and access with MSL.
- 03
Define the project
Discuss a practical scope, a measurement plan, and the next engineering steps.
Before you start
Questions from
the plant floor.
Do I need an AGV or an AMR?
The application decides. AGVs follow defined routes. AMRs can choose routes within a mapped area. Load transfer, traffic, floor conditions, and your controls matter as much as navigation.
Can we automate part of an existing plant?
Yes. Start with a repeatable task or route in your existing operation. We review the layout and interfaces to define what can work alongside your current equipment.
Does MSL work outside printing and packaging?
Yes. We welcome material-handling and robotic integration projects from manufacturing and other industrial operations. Our initial service area is Michigan and the Great Lakes region.
What determines the cost of an automation project?
The load, travel distance, pickup and delivery method, tooling, controls, and required output shape the scope. A project assessment provides the details needed for a useful estimate.
Can a palletizing robot reach the whole pallet?
Reach depends on the robot, its mounting position, the tool, and the box locations at every layer. We check the full motion path, not just the arm's stated reach.
What information helps with an initial assessment?
Describe the material, its weight and dimensions, and the pickup and delivery points. Include the number of moves per shift and the task that causes delays.
Michigan + the Great Lakes region
Put your next
move on the map.
Request an automation assessment.
Tell our sales team where work waits and what your people move. We will contact you to discuss the application and the next step.
Mid-State Litho Inc.
Michigan-based equipment experience since 1984.