Month: June 2018

Top 4 Custom Conveyor Features For Manufacturing Facilities

Posted on by Seth Bailey

Manufacturing Conveyor

Every business is unique, which is why it’s essential that each one has manufacturing conveyors that perfectly suits its needs. Consider the following features to create a custom conveyor system that sorts your products quickly and keeps your workers safe.

High-Speed Switch

If you have a wide variety of products to separate while maintaining product pitch, the High-Speed Switch feature is for you. This custom conveyor belt feature can support up to four lanes of product switching, converging, and sorting.

The High-Speed Switch uses a series of guide rods and conveyor chains to pull products away from each other and bring them back again. This powerful system can handle 24-hour continuous operation, meaning your production flow never has to stop.

Lexan Safety Guarding

This add-on is recommended for use in conjunction with the High-Speed Switch. The guarding covers the parts of the conveyor moving at the highest speeds, ensuring that your team members can perform their tasks safely. Lexan Safety Guarding can be placed at any point along your custom conveyor belts where you feel safety would be a concern.

Variable Frequency Drive

The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) gives you complete control over the functions of your custom conveyor. From a single control center, you can start or stop the conveyor belt, change motor speed and direction, and transform power supply. VFD options are available for every SpanTech conveyor, so you don’t need to worry about missing out on it based on the model you choose.

Bump Rotate

Perhaps one of the simplest and most useful features you should add to your custom conveyor system is a Bump Rotate. The mechanical design easily rotates your product 90 degrees without the need for sensors or other powered automation. You can also place two Bump Rotates in succession to achieve a 180-degree rotation. This feature is perfect for operations that require a specific product orientation as they come off the line.

Find The Ideal Custom Conveyor For Your Business

Learn more about manufacturing conveyors that could be perfect for your industry. Then contact SpanTech for a custom quote and the most innovative conveyor solutions on the market.

EZSpan Plastic Belt Conveyor Alternative

Posted on by Seth Bailey

Span Tech has announced its newest line of durably designed power “belt” conveyors, a more efficient alternative to traditional conveyor systems. The new EZSpan plastic belt conveyor can benefit a wide array of industries, including pharmaceutical, cosmetic, e-commerce, packaging distribution, plus many more.

The EZSpan tabletop conveyor system utilizes extremely thin, modular plastic chains, offering several advantages over typical belt conveyors. For one thing, the new flat belt conveyor system from Span Tech virtually eliminates any possible tracking issues that are considered “the norm” with traditional belt conveyors. Plus, the thin conveyors are built to fit perfectly between machines without the worry of the take-up unit creating a large gap or interfering with the machine. And that’s just the beginning.

What Makes EZSpan Belt Conveyors Unique

  • No need for tracking components. Thanks to the self-centering MicroSpan chain in place of a traditional belt, there’s no need for tracking components (like crowned rollers or adjustment screws) that require constant monitoring. And the take-up unit’s new automatic “tension detector” alerts you if there is too much chain stretch in the system.
  • Hassle-Free Maintenance. Rather than using a splice kit or ordering an entirely new belt, EZSpan offers the ability to quickly and easily replace links when needed. The conveyor drive unit has also been designed for increased performance and to make maintenance easier than ever, with most components accessible simply by removing a few pins.
  • Constant end-to-end distance. There are no take-up units at the ends of the conveyor, meaning the length you order is the length you get — and the length it stays. Choose any length from 2.4 feet up to 30 feet.
  • No integration problems. The EZSpan is the thinnest belt conveyor on the market, with a profile height of only 1.5 inches. This makes the power belt conveyor easy to integrate into your existing machinery.

How EZSpan Belt Conveyors Can Boost Efficiency

  • Less equipment needed. No gaps between machinery means no need to buy equipment to fill them.
  • Better use of human resources. Since employees won’t have to monitor the EZSpan like they would standard belt conveyors, they can spend their time more productively.
  • Reduced downtime. Simpler maintenance means more time in operation.
  • Cost savings. EZSpan’s space-saving design equates to long-term cost savings.

A Complete Power Belt Conveyor System

A variable frequency drive is also included with the EZSpan belt conveyor, and all components have been designed for increased performance and durability, and easy maintenance.

Optional low-profile nose bar, adjustable guide rail, and supports and casters are also available.

Tested And Proven

The EZSpan belt conveyor design has been extensively tested to ensure it meets or exceeds demands. Time after time and test after test, it’s proven to be a more practical alternative to traditional belt conveyors — and wiser business investment.

Get your own EZSpan belt conveyor system to make the most of your operation’s time and money. Start here for a quote.

Make the Most out of Your Summer Shutdown

Posted on by Seth Bailey

With beach weather upon us, it’s that time of year that we experience an amped-up surge in our workload approaching — Summer Shutdown.

So what are Summer Shutdowns all about?

Many of our customer’s shutdown for continuous improvement efforts and to minimize or eliminate additional downtime during regular operations. It’s a perfect opportunity to upgrade or replace equipment, make improvements or changes to production lines, and conduct maintenance that CAN’T be done at just any time – many of these functions require shutting down all or portions of an assembly line. Hence, the Summer Shutdown.

Shutdown duration’s vary but typically average 1 – 3 weeks, so it’s important to plan ahead and use that time wisely. Not every worker in an operation gets a few weeks off though – for the most part, summer shutdowns apply only to those working on the assembly lines. But for those that maintain the equipment, it’s time to get things done to ensure everything starts back up and keeps operations moving along efficiently.

 

So how will you be spending your Summer Shutdown?

To get maximum benefit – it’s key to plan ahead. It’s not too early to start thinking about the improvements that will help make your facility future-proof. If it falls upon your shoulders to increase productivity and reduce errors on the line, there’s a good chance you can use a little assistance. Span Tech has been assisting facilities to exceed their goals for decades, so in preparing for seasonal shutdowns, here are some ideas on how we can help;

 

Pre-ordering Spare Parts:

We recommend keeping Bill of Materials Spare Parts on hand at all times – having the right parts on hand when you need them will save you valuable time and money on things like expediting, freight/shipping and can help eliminate patch jobs.

With the job number, we can access drawings and bill of materials to locate everything you need quickly.

We understand things happen, and if you should need something quickly, we have the ability to expedite and can usually fabricate within one day in case of some catastrophic failure or oversight.

Contact our Parts Team today – here to meet your expectations and handle all your parts needs.

 

Schedule Customer Service Calls:

Here at Span Tech, we like to offer a proactive approach to Customer Service.

 

Proactive Services we suggest include:

 

  • System Audits and Conveyor Evaluations – to catch unforeseen issues that may cause costly future downtime.
  • Installation Supervision – we come to your facility and guide your installation crew during the mechanical installation or field modifications of our conveyor to ensure they are installed safely and properly. This frees up your Maintenance Technicians for more complex OEM equipment.
  • Preventative Maintenance Agreements – can be set up on a Monthly or Quarterly basis.
  • Classroom and Hands-on Maintenance Service Training Programs – with over 29 years of combined knowledge and expertise we can pass along to your Maintenance staff to make them at ease when working on Span Tech conveyors. Offered at our locations in; Glasgow, KY and our new Service Center in Waukesha, WI.

Contact our Customer Service Team today to schedule time and order parts to be ready for your Shutdown period – to do maintenance and help get you running in the shortest possible time-frame.

It’s the perfect time to make improvements that will make a major difference to your operation – that you DON’T have the time for other months of the year. Take advantage of the Summer Shutdown and let Span Tech help you refresh and refurbish before your restart.

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