Amber Automation Win With Practical System Design

Amber Automation was commissioned to design, manufacture and install a warehouse conveying system for leading computer software and hardware distribution company, Bell Microproducts Europe Ltd. Amber’s proposed design, cost effectively incorporated the use of an existing lineshaft carousel conveyor with new powered roller conveyors and full electrical controls to convey packed cardboard boxes from the current sixteen packing stations, to a new despatch unload area.

Awarded the contract against stiff competition and previous suppliers to Bell Microproducts, a spokesman for the customer commented, “Amber Automations proposal not only met our project criteria to the full, it presented us with a very competitive and practical tender, which included the integration of new and existing equipment, with minimal disruption to our ongoing business requirements. The project was completed on time, to agreed budget and has been successfully operating trouble free.“

Practical & Cost Effective

Amber Automation's design proposal incorporated a new lineshaft carousel conveyor with a lowered existing roller bed, which enabled order pick boxes with raised flaps to be transported underneath the proposed new conveyor. Amber also supplied and installed additional un-powered infill rollers to provide a closer pitch to ensure maximum flexibility in handling cartons of various sizes.

Operators at the 16 packing stations remove cartons containing fulfilled orders from the lower carousel for final checking and sealing. These are then returned on to the new top tier LS50 lineshaft roller conveyor manufactured by Amber and transported to a despatch area via lineshaft and inclined / decline belt conveyors in order to maintain a clear gangway access. Cartons continue to the unload area with accumulation for manual scanning and unloading.

To ensure a good ergonomic working position for packers, purpose built new modular work platforms were positioned and bolted together in order to ensure the top tier was at a comfortable and acceptable working height. Also, two side mounted drive motors were unobtrusively fitted to the new conveyors to ensure total clearance for cartons being transported at the lower level.

The new warehouse conveying system operates on a nine hour shift, handling cardboard cartons up to a maximum weight of 20kg. and is fully controlled from Amber’s main system electrical control panel. Emergency pull cords are positioned on the side of the conveyors and ‘line full switches’ strategically positioned at the exit of the inclined/ start of the declined belt conveyors as a safety precautionary measure.

The system continues to reliably meet the handling needs of the customer.