Jorge Masis Ulloa's Research
Investigation into Pallet Durability Throughout the Hazards that Pallets Experience During Regular Use and Handling
Jorge Masis Ulloa
Biography:
Jorge grew up in Costa Rica countryside with his parents, siblings and grandparents. In late childhood he moved to the city of Cartago, Costa Rica with his mother and sister. He enjoys music and videogames. Jorge plays the bass guitar and loves to read and learn new things in his free time.
He received his B.S. degree from the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in Industrial Engineering. During his undergraduate schooling, he came to Virginia Tech for an internship. When he decided to move on to graduate school, he remembered how much he had enjoyed his time in Blacksburg, VA and choose to come back to the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials to get his Masters degree.
He is looking forward to learning about the different ISO and ASTM tests and how to perform them here in the laboratory. He is also looking forward to learning as much as possible about the tools and equipment used in the lab, which are also used in the industry. And, he knows that working with other people will help him improve his teamwork and management skills.
Research Summary:
The research focus on identifying the handling modes that are used to move palletized load throughout the U. S. supply chain. It will provide a more updated status of the material handling systems used for palletized loads and will improve the accuracy and repeatability of the FasTrack simulation.
To identify the common handling modes for palletized loads and the number of handlings per trip, multiple warehouses and manufacturing plants will be selected in Virginia and North Carolina. A comprehensive supply chain audit will be conducted at each selected facility to determine the material handling steps used for palletized loads. The observed material handling steps and number of handlings per trip will be compared to the current process used by FasTrack.
To quantify the impact produced by the forklifts, PackTrack sensors will be used. The sensors will be connected behind the fork tines to directly measure the intensity of the impacts. The number of impacts per shift, average and maximum impact intensity, and the vibration experienced during forklift movement will be reported and compared the same measurements obtained during the FasTrack simulation.