Palletizer

The Tekla Structures Palletizer workflow tool is a 3D application for planning and arranging precast elements for production, considering the needs of precast manufactures and supplying engineering offices. It is available in the Production Planner - Concrete configuration and in the Full configuration.

The following features are available in Palletizer:
• You can allocate element geometry on production pallets, visualize them and define the casting sequence.
• You can select elements to be placed on the pallet or for planning from the model view. 
• You can print the finalized layouts to .pdf.
• As the geometry is shown in 3D views, each element can be zoomed, and rotated in the orthogonal direction. In the 3D representation, the problems can be identified immediately.
• While you are working in a project, Palletizer constantly checks the limit values. When you reach or exceed the limits, you will be notified.
• Palletizer automatically calculates the occupancy ratio of each pallet for optimizing. 
• You can save settings for later use.

Install Tekla Structures Palletizer

Download the .TSEP-installer from Tekla Warehouse, launch the installer application and follow the instructions.
Install to desired Tekla Structures versions.
Open Tekla Structures in Full or Production Planner - Concrete -configuration and run the tool from Applications & Components.

Create a pallet layout in Tekla Structures Palletizer

Before you select elements using the application, set the top in form face of the elements and perform numbering.
1.  Select elements in the Tekla Structures model to be added on the pallet layout.
2.  Click 

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To interrupt the import, click the button again.
 

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3.  Add elements from the elements list on the pallets in one of the following ways:
• You can manually drag elements to the pallet from the element list. You can also drag elements from the pallet back to the list.
• Low space placing: Click 

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or, on the menu, click Tools --> Low space placing to place the elements automatically on the pallet using as low a space as possible:
 

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• UDA placing: Click 

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  or, on the menu, click Tools --> UDA placing. This option places the elements automatically on the pallet on the basis of the elements' UDA settings:
Transport unit number and Transport sequence number (these can be found in part Unitechnik UDA-tab)
 

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• You can select several elements from the element list with Shift or Ctrl keys, and place those automatically or manually on pallets.

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Note that if the element does not fit on the pallet, the element is shown with a different color. You can then remove the element from the pallet, or perhaps rotate it.

4.  To rotate an element on the pallet, right-click the element on the pallet and select 90, 180, or 270 degrees.

5.  To remove an element:
• If you want to remove an element from the pallet only, right-click the element on the pallet and select Remove, or drag the element away from the pallet.
• To remove an element from the pallet or from the list, right-click the element on the list and select Remove from list or Remove from pallet.

6.  If you need to add or remove a pallet:
• Click 

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 or 

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• On the menu, click Tools --> Add pallet or Remove pallet.

7.  To create a .pdf file, click File --> Export. Define the export settings:
• Output range refers to pallets. Options are All, Current and Selected. If you select Selected, enter the numbers of the desired pallets.
• Set the Size and the Orientation. 
• Set the Export path.
• To open the .pdf file after the export, select the View PDF after export check box.

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(1) The element list contains the elements that you have imported. The elements placed on the pallet successfully are shown in green on the list, and in gray on the pallet. If there is not enough space for an element on the pallet, the element is shown in orange on the pallet and in the list.
(2) Different pallets are on different tabs
(3) 2D view from the top of the pallet (XY plane)
(4) 2D view from the side (XZ)
(5) Palleted elements shown in gray on the pallet
(6) If there is no space for the element, it is shown in orange on the pallet and in the list.

Tekla Structures Palletizer settings

To adjust the Palletizer settings, on the Palletizer menu, click Options --> Settings. When you are done, click OK.
 

Setting	Description
Pallet width	Objects that exceed the size limits do not fit on the pallet, and are shown in the color displayed on the right side of the settings.
Pallet length
Maximum cast unit thickness
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Display cast unit position on pallet	Select the check box to show the element position number on the element on the pallet.
Display cast unit position on list	Select the check box to show the element position number on the element in the element list.
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UDA placing: Rotate to fit pallet	Rotate the element so that it fits on the pallet.
Do not display steelpart with class	Enter the class of the steel element that you do not want to show.
Max cast unit weight	Define whether the maximum cast unit weight is considered when placing the elements by selecting Yes or No. If you select Yes, specify the maximum element weight. Elements heavier than the maximum value will be shown in the color displayed on the right side of the setting. In the example below, the color is red.
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This product includes software developed by devDept Software S.r.l. (http://www.devdept.com/).