Spiral and pallet conveyors show versatility of profile system

Where products need to be conveyed vertically and space is severely limited, the recently introduced MiniTec WF 3000 spiral conveyor provides a lift height of up to 3m and a conveying distance of up to 50m in a floor area of around 3m2; it can also act as a storage and production buffer for conveyed items.

The spiral conveyor's modular track has up to 15 sections with a width of 240mm. The vertical distance between the sections is just 200mm, so the angle of inclination remains small to safeguard against load slippage. Standard WF 3000 spiral conveyors have an inlet height of 800mm and an output height of 4000mm. A variable speed of 5-50m/min allows for regulation of the flow rate, and the maximum weight of the conveyed load is 3000N. Despite its considerable conveying capacity and large buffering potential, the outer dimensions are just 1600 x 1600mm and the overall height is 4500mm.

Pallet conveyor

As with the WF 3000 spiral conveyor, the MiniTec UMS pallet circulation conveyor is also constructed from the aluminium profile system. It, too, requires minimal floor space for its function of linking various stages in an automated or semi-automated production or assembly process, including serving robot cells. The recirculating chain design serves as both carrier and drive unit for the system. At the downstream end, pallets are inverted by a gripper, then returned to the start by hanging beneath the conveyor. Alternatively, the system can operate as an overhead suspension track, returning empty pallets at the upper level. If required, pallet accumulation is possible on the conveying level as well as on the return.

MiniTec's UMS pallet circulation system is designed for pallets 400-600mm wide with lengths of 100-300mm in the conveying direction. For standard range applications, the maximum installation length is 20m and the maximum load capacity is 100kg per pallet. The maximum permissible load of the complete unit is 1.2t with a conveying speed of 6m/min or 0.8t at 12m/min.

Customisation

Both the spiral conveyor and pallet conveyor take full advantage of the high-quality modular machine building components that are readily available in its modular Profile System range - and remember that a key advantage of the MiniTec system is the Powerlock fastener that enables joints to be made without having to drill the profiles, which makes on-site modifications much simpler.

As well as the standard systems described above, MiniTec can quickly and cost-effectively build customised conveyors to include additional automation features such as motion-controlled or sensor-controlled electric or pneumatic actuators, or simple structural elements such as guards, screens, wheels and doors.

MiniTec's range of conveying and parts handling systems has been extended considerably through acquisitions in recent years and now includes products for many different materials processing applications. The portfolio includes heavy-load roller conveyors, belt-driven conveyors, roller and accumulating roller conveyors, as well as comprehensive assembly systems like the heavy-duty RMS series or the FMS flexible assembly system.

All of this is backed up by a high standard of customer service from MiniTec's team of experienced engineers who can help during project planning, design and implementation of conveying systems.

Follow the links to find out more about the MiniTec aluminium profile system, Powerlock fasteners and MiniTec conveyor systems.