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Smart Conveyor Systems for Increased Speed and Accuracy

Smart Conveyor Systems – Fundamental for Speed and Accuracy

The rise of E-Commerce and the change in customer expectations regarding delivery  time has put enormous pressure on material handling systems. Every link in the supply  chain is feeling the need to do things faster and more accurately.

Modern, smart conveyor systems are crucial to accomplishing these goals.  For decades, conveyor systems were considered mundane in comparison with, for  example, packaging machines. Yet, how important is the spine for the functioning of the  human organism? And so it is with conveyor systems – they are the backbone of factory  and warehouse automation.

And modern conveyors have acquired “super-powers” relative to previous generations.

Product Tracking

In the past, conveyors did not track individual products, nor did they detect material  speeds. Using only belt speed for measurement assumed that any material will also be  moving at that speed, even if the material was not actually present.

Smart conveyors can track individual items in real time – including their position,  direction, and speed. All of this data is monitored by a Warehouse Execution System (WES) or Warehouse  Management System (WMS) to provide a top-down overview. Such a purview enables  continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks and error conditions using real-time  data.

Modularity

Agility is a crucial factor in today’s rapidly changing market. Manufacturers and logistics  providers need to be able to adapt to evolving conditions easily and quickly.

Modern  conveyor systems use standardized wiring connectors and a modular design from the  ground up to allow for easy and quick reconfiguration. Welding, soldering, and other  time-consuming operations are no longer needed when conditions change and systems  must be modified.

Greater Throughput

Going faster is not simply a question of increasing the speed of a conveyor belt. It’s also  about integrating with other key components in factory and warehouse automation. In today’s modern facilities, conveyors synchronize with robotics, packaging machines, and sorting systems.

Optimizing Order Picking

Order picking is one of the most labor-intensive tasks in warehousing. Conveyor  systems help to reduce labor by efficiently transporting containers to warehouse zones  for picking. In a goods-to-person system, conveyors can connect to automated storage  systems. Intelligent use of conveyors can revolutionize order picking operations.

Versatility

Depending on the application, conveyors can accomplish tasks that might otherwise  require a separate machine. For example, by putting objects through a right-angle turn, a  conveyor system can rotate an object. If needed, a conveyor can flip an object upside  down by precisely tumbling it over an appropriate vertical distance.

Spiral conveyors and continuous elevators can lift objects to a higher level in tight  spaces. Objects can be sent onto different routes depending on their sizes – very useful  for packaging lines. Vibrating conveyors can reorient objects.

The greater positioning accuracy of modern conveyors can make them an integral part  of a manufacturing process – supplying the x-axis of movement in collaboration with a  label application or product assembly process, for example.

Sensors

Gone are the days when simple proximity sensors were sufficient. With conventional  conveyor systems, materials could only be sensed at specific points in their movement.

Smart sensors and computer vision can monitor movement continuously and can align  the material with other objects. Barcodes and RFID tags provide additional layers of  product tracking.

Conclusion

Modern, smart conveyor systems are the foundation of the intralogistics supply chain.  Factory and warehouse automation systems rely on conveyor systems in combination  with robotics and artificial intelligence to deliver greater throughput and accuracy.

Advanced Equipment Company has a wide range of specialized equipment to fit your needs. Our conveyor specialists will work alongside your team to create efficient and productive custom conveyor solutions.

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Since 1960, Advanced Equipment Company has been providing our services to the Carolinas and throughout the United States.

We look forward to hearing from you and how we can help you with productivity-boosting innovations in automation, material handling, and storage applications.

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