FLEXLINK CONVEYORS
FlexLink has conveyor systems to handle, divert, rotate, push, or accumulate your products in the manufacturing processes. With FlexLink, you gain enhanced production efficiency from our conveyor systems, process expertise, and advanced software.
The conveyors are based on an aluminium conveyor beam with low friction slide rails guiding a plastic multi-flexing chain. Products to be conveyed travel directly on the conveyor, or on pallets/carriers. Products that are handled have a weight from a few grams up to 30 kg and up to 1400 kg using roller and belt conveyors. The chain design permits horizontal as well as vertical change of direction.
The alpine conveyor differs from the common FlexLink conveyor in the way that the alpine is built in a compact spiral configuration. The common use of the alpine conveyor is as an accumulation/buffer zone between machines. Or, as an in-process step, e.g. for cooling or drying, or simply for elevation and loweration.
A wedge conveyor uses two conveyor tracks facing each other to provide fast and gentle transport, horizontally as well as vertically. The chain has flexible cleats to carry the product without damaging it. Different cleats are available to accommodate the wide variety of products which may be handled.
Examples of application are transport of soda cans, glass and plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, tissue paper, etc.
Diversity of Application
In the Unilever Lipton plant in Belgium, FlexLink is used for the complete transportation system whether for the packaging of the tea bags or complete cases to the palletiser. This decision was made because of the flexibility and re-usability of FlexLink conveyors which future proof their investment for the future.
The proven virtual maintenance free qualities of FlexLink mean that in 24 hour 7 day week operations, production is kept at maximum efficiencies.
The use of vertical buffering for a leading packaging supplier allows dynamic storage and retrieval of product when up-stream packaging machinery needs filling. This allows a defined amount of buffering to occur without stopping the filling machine. Once the packaging machine is back up the product on the buffer is reversed and the product is introduced back onto the line in a controlled manner.
Pfizer in Amboise in France produce more than seven million bottles a year for injection solutions. Various lines are transported at different heights and brought down via wedge conveyors in a stable and controlled manner.
Buffering is used prior to the packing machines to allow undisturbed filling lines independent of downstream stops.
FlexLink's wedge conveyor concept provides fast gentle handling of a range of bottles at Trensum Foods of Sweden. The system, through quick manual adjustments is capable of handling some 460 products in a variety of bottle shapes and sizes.
It was chosen for it's ease of installation and understanding along with superb reliability
Bestfoods in Poznan have continued to install FlexLink solutions in their factory producing instant soups and spices under the Knorr brand. The FlexLink conveyors now carry everything from the bouillon packets to the cases and cartons.
The systems consist of 15 conveyor lines with a total length of over 400 metres. Each line is capable of handling 600 carton boxes per hour and transport product right down to the palletising stations.