Overhead unit boosts valve painting procedures
March 1st 2008 When Weir Valves &
Controls UK wanted to
improve the efficiency
and handling capacity of its valve
painting system, MCM Conveyors
provided a total handling solution.
The system provides both
flexibility and efficiency, with single
products to 2000kg loaded on to
bespoke rotating, multi-jig
flightbars suspended from an MCM
Autotrack 500 (AT500) overhead
Power + Free system in order to
be conveyed around a circuit to
designated unload/finishing stations.
Individual valves are loaded by
manually operating a pendant
control to lower the cartridge to an
ergonomical height to allow slings
to be attached to the valve.
Data is assigned to each loadbar
assembly via an electronic tag,
which is used at the booth and
oven areas to determine product
routing, paint finish and cure times.
Once slings are safely attached
and the valve masked, the
operative will start to raise the drop
section carriage to a final 200mm,
at which point vertical travel will be
completed automatically through a
PLC that monitors all controls and
movement within the system.
A release button activates and
frees the load bar to transport the
valve to accumulate at the shot
blast entrance, allowing an empty
loadbar assembly to enter the
load/unload station. For safety, a
product load gate was fitted to
detect and ensure that the work
envelope is not exceeded.
The loadbar assembly enters the
enclosure as and when an empty
position is detected by the PLC and
an operative has activated a
product call button. More articles from MCM Conveyor Systems: | 
