Interroll takes modular conveyor platform to LogiMAT

Reliability and short delivery times are key reasons why system integrators and OEMs choose Interroll conveyor modules. With the new modular conveyor platform that was launched at CeMAT in 2014, Interroll has added even greater flexibility and scalability. Just the right user-specific solution that combines efficiency and the required throughput can now be made available.

The High Performance Divert HPD is a perfect example of the modular concept. Installation in a conveyor, modifications and repositioning are extremely easy to perform, thanks to the plug & play system. Furthermore, subsequent extension can be made at any time in the event of a change in the material flow or the material to be transported.

Modern material flow systems can be planned quickly and efficiently with the help of this modular concept. Together with the world's leading Interroll drive concepts, systems that are known for their maximum availability, energy efficiency and very low operating and maintenance costs can be built.

With the new "Interroll Layouter,” Interroll offers its customers a free AutoCAD plug-in software tool. This allows for modules to be integrated into the customer layout more easily. Because the entries are validated to minimise the risk of bad planning, the conveyor system can be configured much faster and with more planning security. At LogiMAT, interested parties will be able to convince themselves of the ease of use of the software in live demonstrations on the Interroll booth.

The global Centre of Excellence for conveyor modules in Sinsheim has deepened the ideas of lean management in production even further to make processes more efficient. The expanded machinery and two-shift operation increase the production capacities at the factory and contribute to faster delivery to customers.

For 55 years Interroll has now played a leading role in providing key products for internal logistics. 500 million conveyor rollers impressively underscores this. Overall, Interroll offers its customers around 60,000 possible variants. The order statistics show that approximately 47 percent of all orders are for a lot size of between 1 and 10 units. Therefore highest possible flexibility, speed and a very short reaction time are important.

Within the Interroll Group, the global Center of Excellence in Wermelskirchen manages the development of new products and solutions and the application engineering. The product line has been continuously extended from non-powered rollers to RollerDrive that feature controls with a connection to the PLC via field buses and to RollerDrive for deep freeze applications. The production of conveyor rollers and RollerDrive is organized to suit the zero defect strategy and regularly internal and external quality audits and quality circles are conducted.

Interroll RollerDrive can be used to build an intelligently controlled conveyor system that can be divided up into zones. The respective conveyor line consumes considerably less energy than conventional 400 volt drives because the individual RollerDrive are only driven when material actually needs to be transported. With medium throughput rates of 600 to 1,000 containers per hour, up to 50 percent energy savings can be achieved compared with the conventional approach in which a geared motor continues to run regardless of the throughput.

Moreover, the noise level of the system is also considerably lower and less friction is caused too. Generally, maintenance and repair costs are lower because brushless 24 volt drives require less maintenance than conventional geared motors.

Operators of logistics centres and manufacturing operations must be able to cope with increasingly unforeseeable deviations in product output, changes in order structures and the product range. Warehouses are already considered old after seven to ten years and existing structures are often no longer able to keep up with the current demands. "Problems with quality, performance deficits due to wear-related breakdowns, increasing maintenance costs or new legal requirements force the respective companies to think about making investments. System modernisation or expansion, so-called retrofitting, offers a cost-effective alternative,” explains Dr. Ralf Garlichs, Executive Vice President Products & Technology of Interroll Group.

Older systems that are driven by drive shafts or flat belts, for example, can be updated to state-of-the-art technology with very little effort. Pneumatics and clutch brake units are no longer necessary if a conveyor system that consists of zones is used. By using efficiency-optimised drives, lightweight components across the board and material combinations with low rolling resistance, Interroll products offer easy ways to achieve double-digit decreases in energy consumption without having to make significant changes to the basic construction of the system. The Return on Investment (ROI) is two years on average.