Moving it about

By automating plant or the production of consumer goods it is possible to improve the efficiency with which products are processed or packed ready for transport to the user.

This is not as simple as it sounds. There are many options available to automate basic tasks and position them for the next stage of the process. Add the need for quality control and removing items that do not meet specifications and it becomes more difficult to find the right handling system.

Everyone is familiar with moving conveyors on which items are carried on an (often rubber) belt - you see them at supermarkets and most of us have spent more time watching airport baggage carousels than we would have liked.

There are many types of conveyors in addition to the moving rubber belts we all know. Conveyor systems can also be built using motorised rollers, vibrating beds or even rotating balls (ball transfer units), which can switch the direction of products or pallets and deal with heavy items in multiple units.