Product category:
Conveyor systems (production and general purpose)
News Release from: Excel Automation | Subject: Conveyor refurbishment/replacement
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 May 2008
Should conveyors be refurbished or
replaced?
For companies facing a major investment to replace conveying equipment, Marcus Hunter advises that they carry out an audit to determine refurbishment or replacement.
Thousands of materials handling systems in factories and warehouses built in the 1980s and 1990s are reaching the end of their working lives Businesses may have to make a major investment to replace worn out and inefficient equipment, inflexible control systems and outdated software
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 3 Oct 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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But a system that appears at first to be too tired to resuscitate, may well be a candidate for refurbishment.
* Handling system audit - for companies faced with a need to upgrade their handling systems we strongly recommend an audit to establish the viability of refurbishing rather than replacing.
The audit should start by establishing whether the existing layout meets future needs and whether an increase in throughput is required by the customer.
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This analysis should be followed by a survey of existing equipment to assess its condition and performance potential.
For example, fitting modern control systems and introducing the latest software can produce dramatic improvements in the throughput and efficiency of the systems that manage warehouse infeed and outfeed operations.
The latest software can also balance handling systems to eliminate bottlenecks and improve stock availability.
Historical data shows that the performance levels that equipment was designed to achieve can, in the hands of an experienced materials handling specialist, be significantly improved with a combination of a selective upgrade and thorough refurbishment programme.
* Refurbishment - experience tells us that major mechanical items such as conveyors and cranes are prime candidates for refurbishment; while software and most electrical and electronic equipment (including machinery and process safety systems) should be top of the list for replacement.
Where conveyors are concerned, providing that adequate planned maintenance work has been carried out, apart from lubricating chains and oiling gearboxes the amount of refurbishment work necessary is minimal.
So good housekeeping and a realistic spares/service budget could save money on the conveyor system alone.
* Control systems - while mechanical advances in conveyor technology in the past 40 years haven't been so significant that older equipment can't be upgraded, control devices and systems have improved dramatically.
Yesterday's conveyor systems used binary flags, photocells and self adhesive reflectors.
Today, the entire operation can be programmed into a sophisticated control system that knows exactly where every item is and confirms its position using technology.
Such technology includes the following.
* Intelligent frequency inverters.
* Laser positioning systems.
Therefore, introducing new control equipment to a refurbished conveying system can produce significant improvements in performance.
* operating software - another key issue is operating software.
A significant proportion of the cost of an automated warehouse built 20 to 30 years ago was spent developing the bespoke software to run the system and to manage the stocks.
Many thousands of man-hours and many hundreds of thousands of pounds will have been spent developing the high-level software needed to do the following functions.
* Identify products.
* To match orders to pallet loads.
* To ensure that pallets were stored in the correct storage aisle and storage bay.
* To maintain information on their location.
* To record shelf life and how long products have been in storage.
* To control where they are distributed across the aisles; and much more.
Much of the software would have been written from scratch.
Today's software has, of course, advanced beyond recognition: functionality has improved and prices have reduced.
So the highly specialised software that runs modern automated storage systems can be bought as an off-the-shelf package for as little as GBP 100,000 or less.
Importantly, there are significant time benefits because it can be commissioned 'on the bench' before ever seeing the mechanical elements of the conveying system.
The combination of more powerful software and control systems also ensures that upgraded and refurbished conveying systems are more robust and operate much more smoothly.
* Safety and access - operator safety and access for maintenance personnel are additional but important considerations.
Since the 1970s and 80s, when many high bay warehouses were built, safety requirements have increased and the need to restrict personnel from entering areas where automatic equipment is operating or can operate is much more stringent.
However, compliance with the latest safety standards can be easily achieved using the new generation of electronic safety equipment available.
Electrically locked guard doors now cut power to process machinery the instant the interlock is opened and in controlled circumstances can allow power to be maintained while service or maintenance work is carried out.
The potential for refurbishing conveying systems should at least convince businesses to investigate before scrapping an old system.
The UK manufacturing industry in particular needs to seriously consider refurbishment as companies come under pressure from countries such as China and India.
Designing new models or components to make maximum use of existing materials handling facilities with minimum modification, is a far more attractive proposition than replacing everything and starting again.
This is certainly a view shared by senior managers in the automotive industry.
The number of cars being manufactured in the UK is shrinking, and with investment likely to shrink as a result, manufacturers needing to maximise their production and assembly budgets should think seriously about retaining conveying systems and other handling equipment when planning production of new models.
* About the author - Marcus Hunter is with Excel Automation.
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