How to convey confidence
Astec Conveyors has helped Walkers Snack Foods increase output at its Leicester plant by modifying its carton handling system.
Cartons of product are now transported on high-level conveyors, via a series of inclined belts, and combine on a common transit conveyor.
When space limitations restricted the use of an inclined belt to transfer cartons to an upper level in a confined space, Astec installed a compact spiral conveyor to solve the problem.
A line divider was installed to enable products to be sorted efficiently and was combined with detection equipment for quality control purposes.
A barcode scanner is used to determine whether the carton should proceed to the robot palletising cell and rejected items are automatically diverted to a manual stack down station. In the event of such a 'stop', product is also diverted.
The equipment can be used in the packed food, pharmaceutical, chemical and industrial product sectors.
Walkers' Kris Nash said: "Astec Conveyors was able to provide a full package that met the needs of the project with quality-engineered conveyors. Therefore, we did not hesitate to return to Astec when the system needed upgrading."
Contact: Astec Conveyors Tel: 01283 210444
