Simultaneous release 2:1 Merge for bagged products
Multi-Conveyor was recently challenged to merge two lanes of separately fed 12” long bagged food products that needed to merge into a single lane at 110 products per minute. The initial multiple servo solution would have exceeded the customer’s overall budget so Multi-Conveyor’s design team got to work to find an alternative, less expensive solution.
After revealing that twin heads of the baggers could be set for a simultaneous release, and noting that the pair of conveyors traveled up inclines and through curves, Multi-Conveyor designed the system to maintain bag registration while calculating “speed to length ratios” necessary for proper product stagger at the merge. Even if the system is stopped and started again, the bagged product remains in position for a successful 2 to 1 combine.
A powered side rail was used to maintain the position of the bags in the lane that was being plowed across the merge belt and into the gap between the bags in the lane that travelled straight through the merge. This solution reduced the overall cost of the system.
Also incorporated are urethane belt transfers at the bagger discharges to allow loose product to fall through; high friction side flexing transport conveyors; bag settling conveyors with modular belting over powered square shafts, and case settling conveyors with boxed transported on revolving square shafts as well.
Multi-Conveyor’s experience electrical team implemented a complete control system with line control devices, control panel, variable frequency drives, PanelView™ Plus operator interface, and system logic that were key to the solution.
The system met the customer’s budget requirements and accomplished the necessary tasks to effectively deliver the merged product to downstream operations.
