Your warehouse operators cover miles in a working day. To minimize trips where they waste the most time during picking, motorized roller conveyors are the ideal solution. In fact, the use of this system can quadruple the number of orders prepared, which considerably improves the productivity of your warehouse.
In this article, roller carriage we discuss the situations where it is appropriate to install a motorized roller conveyor for bins or for pallets. In addition, we present and analyze the types of motorized roller conveyors available on the market, their operation and their applications.
- What is a Motorized Roller Carriage?
Motorized roller conveyors constitute, as a whole, an automatic handling device responsible for moving, accumulating and/or transferring goods from one place to another. They allow the connection between two warehouses, from a warehouse to a production plant, or between two areas of the same warehouse.
The main mission of motorized roller conveyors is to speed up the transport of goods to save time and gain efficiency, all the more so as the distance to be covered and the weight of the goods to be transported increase. It is a versatile transport system: multiple circuits can be created according to the needs of each installation.
Unlike conventional conveyors, motorized roller conveyors are equipped with electric motors that move load units (pallets or bins) in a controlled manner. These conveyors are made up of a series of rollers supporting the load and pushing it along a circuit.
- How Motorized Roller Conveyors Work
The operation of motorized roller conveyors is highly dependent on the type of circuit and the connection needs they meet. In general, motorized roller conveyor circuits require a control system ( WCS, for Warehouse Control System ). With the exception of plug and play type pallet conveyors , only used in simple circuits (a single starting point and a single destination, or several starting points and a single destination). The current that turns the motor of plug and play conveyors is transmitted through the connection of one conveyor to another.
For moderately complex circuits , consisting of several starting points and destinations, the WCS software is responsible for executing the movements and coordinating them with the other robotic devices. But how? Indeed, the conveyors are equipped with photoelectric cells which permanently trace the location of the goods. In this way, the control system can punctually transmit the orders to the other systems so that the product can continue its course.
For highly complex circuits with widely varying starting points and destinations, where conveyors interact with other robotic devices such as elevators or shuttles, warehouse management software acting as the brain of the warehouse is necessary in addition to the control system. In addition to coordinating the movements of the various automatic devices, this software also optimizes the flow of goods and controls the stock in real time for each reference.
In addition, motorized roller conveyors are equipped with protective elements such as safety mesh partitions , walkways or controlled access doors, all with the aim of ensuring maximum safety for goods and operators. . Other equipment such as wrappers, strapping machines, scales, automatic opening doors, etc. can also be part of the conveyors. In addition, it is common to install an inspection station where the condition, weight and dimensions of the unit load are checked to ensure that they correspond to the requirements of the installation.
Each conveyor circuit is made up of one or more types of conveyors to ensure smooth, unlimited and secure movement of goods. The type of conveyor varies depending on whether it is for pallets or for bins.
The motorized roller conveyors for pallets, capable of supporting load units of 800 x 1000 x 1200 mm and a maximum unit weight of 1500 kg, are as follows:
The roller carriage: it is the most common and the most used in warehouses. It performs longitudinal movements covering long distances between two points of the installation, at low cost. The distance between the pallets is controlled by photoelectric cells responsible for maintaining their separation. Movement speed: between 10 and 20 m/min.
The mixed roller and chain conveyor : made up of rollers and chains, it allows the direction and orientation of the pallet to be changed.
The rotating roller conveyor : it changes the direction of movement of the pallet and maintains its orientation. It can orient the pallet at any angle relative to the direction of entry.
The accumulation conveyor : it is used to accumulate the pallets one after the other, maintaining a small separation between them. It is ideal for a buffer zone. Once the pallet has started to move forward, the movement of the rollers resumes so that the pallet behind it takes up its position.
The roller conveyor with head at ground level : it is used to insert or ship pallets in the circuit of conveyors by means of a pallet truck , this makes it possible to do without forklifts