Home / Movers and Shakers: Conveyors

Movers and Shakers: Conveyors

In the dawning Age of the Smart Factory, the workhorse of the shop floor is getting sleeker, smarter, more efficient and much more flexible in moving material from one point to another in more applications than ever before.

Posted: November 22, 2019

Low profile, space-saving 2200 Series box frame-style belt systems from Dorner are strong, fast and flexible, with fully enclosed bearings for protection from harsh metalworking environments and plastic chain conveyors that resist cutting from sharp edges on metal parts or scrap and allow drainage of machine coolants and oils. These conveyors can more than double belt life, reducing maintenance time and total cost of ownership. (Photos courtesy of Dorner) (first view)

As automation remodels traditional metalworking operations and communications architecture into leaner, more competitive smart factories, the workhorse of the shop floor – the conveyor – is becoming a sleeker, smarter machine that can handle a variety of tasks more efficiently and is much more flexible in moving material from one point to another. Here are some of the latest system configurations in conveyor applications that can help you reduce cycle times by optimizing flow and slash costs by decreasing the number of times material is touched:

Automated Handling of Small to Medium-Sized Parts
Strong, fast and flexible 2200 Series low profile belt conveyors from Dorner are engineered for part transfers to part accumulation, precision part movement, small part handling and positioning, part/package infeed and outfeed, automated and manual assembly.

Automated Chip Handling and Coolant Filtration for Machining Operations
The flexible, cost effective, self-cleaning EcoFilter conveyor and filtration system from Jorgensen easily fits the existing coolant tanks of machining center and lathe envelopes and can be retrofitted with a kit.

Automated Orbital Wrapping with Multi-Pallet Accumulation Zones and Integrated Weighing
Multi-pallet accumulation zones and integrated load cells on the fully automated Perfect Storm wrapping system from TAB Industries improve efficiency, keep lift trucks from being idle, and eliminate extra freight charges and delays due to inaccurate weights.

Vacuum Cleaning System for Below-Floor Mechanical Metal Chip Conveyors
To reduce cleaning time and increase machine tool uptime, the Central Vacuum Cleaning System from VAC-U-MAX collects and deposits wet or dry cast iron, steel, aluminum and composite chips, abrasive materials and metal debris onto existing below-floor mechanical chip conveyors.