Different Formats on the Same Line

Task

A mechanical engineering company builds metering systems for applying foam to a range of products with sealants, adhesives and casting compounds. The company requires a partner that can provide the conveyor technology and expertise required for its material flow.

A tailored conveying path is needed for the customer's plant. This conveying path is intended to transport large plastic covers of different shapes and sizes for automatic cleaning and foam application at a metering station. To ensure the cleaning and metering plants can be aligned cleanly, the covers need to be positioned with a repeatability of +- 1 mm. The changeover time to be maintained is four seconds.

Solution from mk

mk built two parallel conveyor lines for this application. Each line comprises two belt conveyors at the track infeed and outfeed. Timing belt conveyors in between serve as centering stations. Cleaning and metering systems supplied by the customer are mounted on a surface gantry above the conveying paths.

The transitions between the conveyors are fitted with rolling knife edges that ensure the products are transferred without any issues. To set down and remove the covers in the correct position, contours that act as retainers have also been fitted on the belt conveyors.

For both process steps (cleaning and foam application), the covers move up to a pneumatic retainer, while a second pneumatic retainer clamps the covers in place from behind. Covers with corners are also pneumatically held in place on the sides, allowing a range of formats that vary significantly to be positioned securely. The lines are designed to process different formats with no need to retool them or change parts.