Research Details

The manufacturer (which asked to remain anonymous) needed a solution that would eliminate the time and labor required to sort, by hand, 40 small, hot, degated parts from their long runners every molding cycle, at each machine. Also, it needed to address quality problems from belt particulate contamination and part distortion resulting from pieces getting caught under the conveyor's side rails.

The company had previously purchased a conveyor system from Dynamic Conveyor (Muskegon, MI; www.dynamicconveyor.com), so it turned again to DynaCon, saying it wanted an adaptable modular conveyor system that would be useful for more than just this problem. Within a couple of weeks, DynaCon developed a system using two modular conveyors equipped with Intralox modular plastic belting.

The first conveyor, which collects parts and runners that free-drop from the mold, employs tall, vertical flights that enable ejected parts to slip between them while the long runners rest on top. This conveyor then discharges to the second one, which is equipped with a perforated belt holding vertical pegs. These pegs grab the runners and carry them to the grinder, while the parts fall into a collection bin.

Four of these two-conveyor systems were installed in April 2007, and labor requirements have been significantly reduced, while part quality has improved. Maintenance times have been reduced by 15-20% on the absence of belt changes alone, since none has been required. But the most significant gain for the company is the increase in output, as the conveyors can sort parts more quickly than can human labor. "We were able to shave 1 second off of the press cycle time, and this has so far resulted in a $90,000 savings attributable to increased output," the company's engineer says.