SIMPLE BELT CONVEYORS BECOMING OBSOLETE
UPM Conveyors celebrate their 40th Birthday this year and Roy Fowler reports a positive change within the Plastic’s Industry where processors require more integration of belt conveyors into fully automatic cells incorporating product orientation; singluation and counting prior to presentation to assembly machines which has resulted in more bespoke custom…engineered solutions being necessary.
The days of offering a simple belt conveyor to transfer parts from the moulding machine to a stillage have virtually disappeared claims Fowler and UPM have established a product testing area in conjunction with 3D software to simulate the customers production environment and to prove the viability of a solution allowing UPM to offer a Performance Guarantee based on equipment performing to the agreed specification but in the event of any issues arising then UPM will supply labour and parts to remedy the situation totally free of charge.
Such tailor made solutions naturally require more sophisticated control systems which may cater for vision; barcode reading’ product positioning; interfacing with robots and orientation requiring PLC programming allowing an operator single point use of a complete cell with data capture to a central PC.
Fowler endorses this change in demand from moulders to the extent that UPM are now classed as system integrators with the infrastructure to cater for total turnkey projects as demonstrated with their project for Lindal Group who invested $3.5 million in Mexico.
Each moulding machine has an under press reversing reject belt conveyor to operate via the machine SPC control to ensure only good product is transported via swan neck belt conveyors to high level conveyors to minimise floor area occupied then through a fire wall to assembly / filling lines with over capacity storage facility subject to high level detectors.
Should the reject parameter from the SPC be energised the under press conveyors reverse transporting potential rejects to a holding bin ensuring only good product is transferred to the GIMA assembly machines.
Total versatility of operation is provided for all products from injection moulding machines to be transferred to the fully automatic assembly and packaging machines without any manual involvement. This is achieved by the incorporation of multi way diverters which were based on the unique conveyor design developed by UPM that resulted in their being awarded the A Queens Award for Innovation.
Due to the tight time schedule UPM organised air freight of all equipment to Lindal Group in Mexico and UPM engineers completed the installation before the required operational date deadline to the total satisfaction of both Lindal Group and Unilever.
website: www.upmconveyors.co.uk/
