Life’s scary, unstable, changeable. On any given day there’s a million things that could go wrong, countless incidents that could interrupt your work. It’s comforting to have a fall back option, someone to call when things go wrong. Someone who will take charge, stay calm, fix your problems for you.
Temperzone Ltd NZ knew who to call recently when they needed to make upgrades to the plant JIPL recently installed for them and to make additions to their overhead conveyor.
A couple of years ago in their quest for a state of the art solution, Temperzone turned to Jonassen Industrial Projects Limited to replace their existing plant and provide them with a fully automated powder coating plant. JIPL undertook the full design, project management, installation, supervision, and commissioning services. Fully commissioned in June 2014 the plant achieved all expectations and provided Temperzone (Auckland) with the enhanced capacity they required.
Early this year Temperzone had to upgrade their compressor due to the expansion of the factory and increased production. Temperzone used JIPl to add a heat recovery system to the compressor for the powder coating pretreatment plant and to integrate it with the heat recovery system of the original compressor. Temperzone uses the recovered heat to run the water treatment process on the mezzanine level. All the pipe work needed to be upgraded due to higher temperatures. JIPL managed the project and supplied all the piping.
As part of the upgrade, Temperzone wanted to add a takeoff rail to their overhead conveyor, to divert flight bars off the main track for servicing, and then when fixed, to rejoin the conveyor, all without stopping production
Overhead Power & Free Conveying System
One of the most versatile and effective conveyor systems is the overhead power & free conveying system. An automated power & free conveyor system allows superior production control and can help increase production dramatically.
Power & Free conveyors provide enormous flexibility in the handling of overhead unit loads as they can be slowed down, accelerated, stopped, re-started, accumulated and subsequently separated out to designated areas, which is exactly why Temperzone opted for the Power and free conveying system. It allows them to expand the system to cater for futur requirements.
Incredibly powerful and efficient, overhead conveyors have applications in many industries – from simple paint-lines to complete on-line manufacturing and distribution centres.
The key benefits of overhead conveying systems over floor level systems include:
- Allowing variable workflow, online and offline manufacturing
- Excellent control of production and inventory
- Reduction of inventory & storage areas required
- Maximising Plant usage by freeing up floor space
- Reduce double / triple handling and associated damage issues
- Removing clutter and associated safety issues from the floor area
- Optimising of product accessibility for workers
- Reducing bending and lifting involved for workers
Put simply, a basic overhead conveyor consists of an overhead track and chain and objects are suspended from the chain to be transported along the path of the track. The machinery for overhead conveyors is mounted above the floor, away from workers and equipment. This can reduce noise levels and safety concerns about pinch points and careless workers, plus the conveyor does the lifting, which reduces worker injuries and claims.
Power and Free systems get their name because they use twin rails – one powered, and one ‘free’. A continuously driven top ‘power’ chain carries pusher-dogs that engage the lower ‘free’ trolleys to move the product forward. They disengage at points where work on the product is desired. This makes power-and-free one of the most popular choices for warehousing and work-in-process assembly.
They not only go around and around, up and down (and yes, vertically), and upside down, but they can also perform an amazing variety of functions. An individual load can be stopped on-line while everything else keeps moving, or it can be routed into a siding (either powered, or unpowered), and then later fed back onto the main line again. Items can be transferred from one circuit to another (running at different speeds), and then be returned to the original circuit.
Importantly, the system is able to grow with the growth of the business and automation can be added as growth and/or the need for improved productivity dictates. When designing an overhead conveyor system, speed, capacity, work-flow, and facility layout must be taken into consideration. A facility can be redesigned by breaking up a linear process into more efficient sub-assembly workstations, instituting ‘just-in-time’ methods and can ultimately eliminate current inventory storage completely.
JIPL have designed and supplied overhead conveyor systems not only for Temperzone Ltd but also for companies like Fisher and Paykel and Skope Industries Ltd to name a few. JIPL provides full consulting and design services as well as complete processing Plant for turnkey operations.
JIPL is currently installing a new overhead conveyor at Tubals for their powder coating plant. JIPL, is supplying and installing the conveyor, including the design and installation of all the supporting steel work.
JIPl also provides ongoing support and resources and can deal with any new additions or upgrades that may be required. Because an overhead conveyor system can have an impact on the way things are done, it should be approached as part of an overall strategic process and operation redesign. JIPL provides design options, ancillary equipment, control systems, installation, and commissioning.