Product category:
Robotics, Handling and Storage
News Release from: FlexLink Systems | Subject: XL conveyor
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 10 April 2001
Conveyor line handles 18,000 boxes of
tea a day
Van Den Bergh Foods have installed a FlexLink conveyor line handling up to 18,000 boxes a day of the PG One Cup brand at their Trafford Park site in Manchester.
Van Den Bergh Foods have installed a FlexLink conveyor line handling up to 18,000 boxes a day of the PG One Cup brand at their Trafford Park site in Manchester The FlexLink conveyor system has proved to be highly efficient with a reliable handling system incorporating a simple feature effective and flexible enough to automate two sizes of product
A Van Den Bergh Foods representative said "We needed a reliable handling system to take boxed teabags from the two new machines installed in our recently refurbished packaging hall, to the cellophane over-wrapper.
It had to be a system flexible enough to accommodate both the 50 and 100 size packs and could be changed quickly with minimal disruption to the line." After looking at other systems, Van Den Bergh chose to install a FlexLink conveyor.
Once the tea has been blended it is pneumatically conveyed to the new teabag making machines which create the bags, fill them with tea and deposit them into 50 or 100 size cartons.
After being check weighed, the cartons are then transported on a FlexLink XL conveyor.
An adjustable turning pin at the start of each line rotates the 50's size pack by 90ø keeping the carton central on the conveyor during transportation.
"The turning pin is a simple feature that works very well when switching between pack sizes.
We have the pin in the 'up' position for our 50's size cartons which require turning and we just drop the pin down for our 100's size carton which enables the cartons to be conveyed without rotation," said the representative.
With two identical machines producing the teabags, the lines join at a merge point where they transfer onto a variable speed XB conveyor.
The XB conveyor is variable speed, enabling the 100's pack to transfer at the slower speed and the 50's pack to transfer at the faster speed whilst rotating back by 90ø.
The XL lines also act as a buffer system, allowing accumulation to accommodate any production stoppages to downstream machines.
The XB conveyor running at variable speeds to the XL lines, takes the boxes past the laser coding machine which date stamps each carton.
The boxes are then transported to a cellophane over-wrapper then collated together into shrink wrapped sku's before going out for retail distribution.
"The FlexLink conveyors arrived ready assembled.
We simply had to align them with our machines and they were up and running in less than two days" said the representative.
"Since their installation we have been running up to 6,000 cartons per shift, 5 days a week.
Over the coming months this could increase to 24 hour production cycles.
The changeover from 50's to 100's is extremely quick with minimum down time, thanks to the adjustable guide rails and removable turning pins." Another feature of the system includes a vision panel on the drive unit allowing viewpoints of the chain - this is now a standard feature in all Van Den Bergh Food installations.
"We have installed other handling systems at various Van Den Bergh sites," commented Steve Pinney, Managing Director at FlexLink Systems.
"This is an excellent example of the continuing working partnership between Van Den Bergh Foods and FlexLink Systems.".
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