Ensures zero contact between pallets
January 1st 2008

A heavy-duty conveyor system suitable for handling pallets of various dimensions and weights to 1000kg has been completed by European Conveyor Systems (ECS) at the Bradford premises of Kemira Chemicals

The factory manufactures chemicals for water treatment and operates 24h/day, 360 days a year.

The conveyor system was designed to carry full pallets loaded with sacks of chemicals from a hooding machine to an external area for collection by fork lift truck and delivery to storage.

Buffer capacity was required to provide flexibility in lift truck availability, and the system also had to ensure the loads did not touch in order to avoid damage.

The system designed and installed by ECS uses the Gebhardt series 525 zero-pressure accumulation conveyor system, which provides precise control of the pallets and ensures there is no contact between them. Six accumulation lanes have capacity for 36 pallets – almost two hours of average output from the hooding machine.

The discharge ends of the accumulation lanes are exposed to the weather, so they have been built to a weatherproof specification, including the lift truck sensors at the end of each lane.

As part of the contract ECS arranged a pre-delivery works test to demonstrate the system to Kemira personnel and to reduce installation time on site.

More articles from European Conveyor Systems Ltd: