The engineering students at UW-Stout are showing why the university is known as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University after developing a custom pallet stacker for Wisconsin-based Ashley Furniture, Wisconsin Public Radio reports.
The pallet stacker was part of a capstone project last year, and the company decided to implement the machine in its facilities.
The project helps Ashley to stack nonstandard pallets, which are longer and heavier than typical ones.
Manufacturing Engineer Eric Kramer, the team’s project manager, said the students’ pallet stacker costs about $25,000 and provides the company a “cost reduction of about 60%.”
