Improved flow of product, better ergonomics, and elimination of shipping damage claims are just some of the benefits realized by this manufacturer of exterior door components after the installation of a Hytrol pallet handling conveyor system.

Prior to the Hytrol system, workers were forced to move products 5 to 7 times before they reached the shipping area. The production floor was often overcrowded with materials and orders. The amount of orders that needed to be merged and the sheer volume of these orders also created a safety issue when forklifts and personnel were working so closely together.

The solution was delivered by the system integrator who teamed up with a Hytrol Integration Partner on this project. The system integrator is a national distributor of packaging equipment and supplies and works with manufacturers to optimize their packaging operations and designs. The system integrator did the concepting and integration and the Hytrol Integration Partner did the application engineering and equipment selection. Objectives were to organize the work areas with a safe, ergonomic system which could handle any carton pack order or load and provide a continuous flow of materials. The system needed to be designed so that forklifts could be eliminated in the workcell areas. All of these objectives were met and actually exceeded as the system began operating and other benefits were realized.

Workers pack boxes with product in several packing stations, then push the boxes onto the 190-ACC. At the discharge end, a worker uses an overhead vacuum lift to load the boxes onto pallets. When pallets are loaded, they are manually pushed onto the Hytrol DC-60 drag chain conveyor. The worker then engages a foot operated switch and the pallets are conveyed down the line to a Hytrol 36-CRRH Chain-Driven conveyor.

After passing through the wrapper, pallets are moved to shipping by a Hytrol Model 25-LREZ heavy-duty accumulating conveyor.