Cold Storage If you require an integrated solution for a cold store conveyor system call and talk to us about it. We can provide advice and expertise on what solution will work best for your business, plus examples of how…
Materials Handling & Conveyor Systems Specialists
Call: 01405 768 900
Email:
Andrews Automation takes the strain out of materials handLing all day... Everyday!
See what our clients say ...
Thank you for contacting Andrews Automation. We will reply shortly.
Thank you
Andrews Automation Ltd has developed a reputation for providing problem solving solutions for applications in a wide and varied number of industries across the UK. We were recently asked by one of our wood industry clients to look into providing a solution to a problem where they needed to get product stacks off the packing line and onto pallets. This would enable product to either go straight into stock or onto the back of a wagon. As the products were to be loaded onto Euro pallets, this enabled us to create a reasonably straight forward solution whereby empty pallets can be manually fed into the system and pneumatically lowered into the centre recess of the system. Once the pallet is lowered, product stacks will pass over the top of the waiting pallets and into position prior to collection. An operator will then activate the pneumatic control and lift the pallet so that it engages with the load, lifting it clear of the rollers the load was once sat upon. The pallet has now lifted to a point where it lines up with the exit rollers and palletised load can then me manually moved towards the end of the exit rollers. The exit rollers are split into three narrow sections to allow pallet collection either via fork lift truck or PPT. This particular version is a manually operated system with no powered components other than the lifting facility which is pneumatic. We are able to offer this system as an automated solution and as with all of our solutions, we are able to design them to meet a range of options and requirements. For more information on how this, or any other of our products and services can improve your business processes, please call today on 01405 768900 or email darren@andrewsautomation.com [gallery size="pages-thumb" link="file" ids="1525,1526,1527"]
Pallet Insertion Systems from Andrews
Although Andrews Automation Ltd widely recognised for providing a broad range of materials handling products and services, the ‘bread and butter’ system that pays the bills is roller conveyor, and in particular, roller conveyor for pallet handling.
Andrews Automation Ltd are able to provide solutions for applications where small units are being handled, such as customer totes or cartons. Systems can be made at just a couple of hundred millimetres wide and a metre or two long which can be non-powered ( or gravity fed ), powered, or powered with Zero Line Pressure (ZLP) accumulation capabilities. Where we excel the most though is with our heavy duty pallet roller conveyors.
Andrews Automation Ltd design their roller conveyors for heavy duty applications with quality and system longevity in mind. If anything, fabrications tend to be slightly over engineered with a view to providing a fit and forget solution. Powered systems are designed with SEW Eurodrive geared motors, although we are able to provide an alternative manufacturer of drives upon request. Subject to load requirements and conveyor widths, roller conveyor systems for pallet handling are usually built utilising 89mm diameter rollers allowing the conveyor to carry weights in the region of 1500kg per linear metre. Although there is a preference for chain driven roller conveyor, on occasions where the application sees fit, or upon client request, we are able to design our roller conveyor with a belt driven design.
When providing Zero Line Pressure solutions, Andrews Automation Ltd look to keep zone sensors away from where they can be accidentally moved or damaged. This photo shows how then sensors are hidden within the system to provide protection and a sleeker look:
For more information on how Andrews Automation Ltd can assist with your pallet handling requirements, please call 01405 768900 or email sales@andrewsautomation.com
Bespoke Roller Conveyor Options from Andrews Automation
Integrated conveyor systems are a speciality for Andrews Automation Ltd and this is how we stand out from the crowd against our competitors. Many conveyor suppliers out there purely concentrate on the provision of conveyor hardware only, whether that be belt conveyors, roller conveyors, chain conveyors etc.
Andrews Automation Ltd are able to design and manufacture complete conveyor systems for materials handling from start to finish. Our conveyor systems can be designed with any number of the following value added products integrated into the solution:
- Pallet wrapping solutions
- Strapping machines – vertical and horizontal
- Pallet lifts or lift tables
- Turntables
- Cross-transfer (chain or belt transfer) solutions
- Transfer car / trolley
- Automated / robot palletising
- Pallet dispensers
- Pallet inverters
- Sortation systems
- Barcode reading
- Labelling solutions
- ‘Bag-in-a box’ technology
Our conveyor systems are designed by our design engineers in-house, where we also build and functionally test all of our solutions.
We design all mechanical and control elements of our conveyor systems giving us greater control in designing the right system for the clients application. All of our conveyor systems are designed with safety systems including fencing, emergency stops, light guarding, system interlocks, warning signals etc. and system training can be arranged for any number of operational staff.
Throughout February and March 2018, we set to work on building a tipping system capable of emptying a magnum pallet with up to 1000kg of contents onto a series of conveyors in preparation for sorting and processing.
The images below show the system design, as well as the early stages of manufacture and testing:
[gallery link="file" columns="4" size="pages-thumb" ids="1511,1512,1513,1514"]
For more information on how conveyor systems from Andrews Automation Ltd can improve your business, please call the office today on 01405 768900 or email darren@andrewsautomation.com
Conveyor Systems for all Applications
Business is as busy as ever for Andrews Automation Ltd in 2018 as clients look to invest in future-proofing their processes to guard against the looming increases in the minimum working wage, and indeed the possibility that some areas in the UK may struggle to attract the ever decreasing numbers of manual workers. Andrews Automation Ltd have a broad range of automation solutions for many industries including warehouse distribution, picking and packing facilities, manufacturing production facilities, and e-commerce distribution.
The last 12 months has seen a number of applications where chain conveyors have been the best solution for client requirements. Our chain conveyors have been installed all over the UK and can also be found as far a field as India and the USA, in applications such as raw material processing and automotive component handling.
Chain conveyor solutions are a versatile conveyor system that has the capability of transporting a variety of load types and is an ideal choice for loads that have non-uniform bases such as stillages or quarter pallets, particularly those with corner feet. With chain conveyor solutions the load is transported on top of the chain allowing a safe and smooth movement. Chain conveyors are that versatile that they can be designed with various different chain pitches in mind or by utilising mutli-strand chain depending on load weights or dimensions. Drives can also be specified using a varied range of sprocket sizes to give a broad range of speeds, plus inverter drives can also be added to achieve an even more speed control.
All Andrews Automation Ltd chain conveyors are designed and built in-house at our facility in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, including all mechanical elements AND control elements. Our systems are built and tested prior to shipping allowing us to deliver our systems in modules so that our installation team can install with the minimum of fuss and in the quickest time possible.
For more information on how chain conveyors, or our other conveyor systems can help with you materials handling requirements, call our office today on 01405 768900, or email Darren@andrewsautomation.com
Multi-purpose chain conveyors
Andrews Automation Ltd are one of only a few conveyor manufacturers in the UK that design, build and install all mechanical and electrical element s of the systems we provide. Our facility in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, has the capacity to mechanically build and test our systems, and also has an electrical bay where our control panels are designed and built. Many of our clients take up our offer of a Factory Acceptance Test prior to dismantling the system ready for despatch and installation. This proves very beneficial in minimising the amount of time we spend on-site installing, reducing the impact on production.
A large number of the conveyor systems that Andrews Automation Ltd have provided over the years have included value added products to further assist with creating lean manufacturing processes for our clients. We are able to provide pallet wrapping solutions through our ties with Pieri in Italy, as well as include pallet or magnum strapping systems via contacts we have at SIAT, again in Italy. We can integrate bar code scanning solutions into our systems, labelling and gluing solutions, carton lifts, pallet lifts, stretch wrappers, hooders, and much more.
With all these solutions we work closely with the manufacturer to obtain the best out of the solution and where we can, install and support the entire system in-house. In recent years we have installed seven separate robot palletising solutions and together with ABB, we will continue to support our clients for years to come. Andrews Automation Ltd prides itself in all aspects of our solutions from receiving the initial enquiry to post installation support. We look to go that extra mile to ensure that client expectations have been met, if not exceeded.
For more information on how Andrews Automation Ltd’s integrated solutions can help your business, call the office today on 01405 768900 or email darren@andrewsautomation.com
Integrated Automation Solutions
Andrews Automation Ltd has recently been awarded the contract to provide a centralised returns handling solution for a major distribution company.
Following on from months of discussions and design work, a centralised returns handling system has been devised to remove the need for the Client’s network of satellite facilities, of which there are many, to process their own product returns in-house. This will enable the Client to concentrate on their primary objective of supplying outgoing product in a fast and efficient manner. Each satellite branch will be able to send their product returns in magnum containers via road to the central returns depot in Sheffield, South Yorkshire to be processed.
Our team of project engineers have designed a solution that incorporates a number of our standard materials handling products, together with a bespoke tipper unit that will handle and feed the sortation conveyors.
Fully loaded magnum containers sent in from each satellite depot are loaded onto powered roller pallet conveyors which then carry each magnum to the specially designed tipper unit. This inturn tips the contents of each magnum onto a number of belt conveyors with a view to spreading out the contents before they make their way into the Client’s sortation equipment. The tipping action is intelligently controlled so that it can adjust the flow of product accordingly if too much or too little product is being fed onto the belt conveyors. All mechanical and control systems are designed and built by our in-house team.
This project will prove to make significant savings for the Client across the group and will also improve the flow of product both in and out of each facility. The handling of product returns is a hot topic of discussion at the moment, particularly in the distribution and e-commerce industries.
If you’d like to speak to us about how we can help your business handle product returns, call today on 01405 768900 or email Darren at darren@andrewsautomation.com
Returns Handling Solutions from Andrews Automation
Chain conveyors are a diverse alternative to the ever popular roller conveyor systems. Their inherent simplicity makes them an ideal choice for many applications, especially when looking to transport irregular loads such as cages and stillages. Chain conveyors can be designed in various widths, lengths and speeds to suit the needs of the client. Chain conveyors are also fairly uncomplicated so when there is a need to perform maintenance on them, it can be carried out by site engineers employed by the client. Having said that, Andrews Automation Ltd is able to provide Service Level Agreements for client peace of mind if required.
Depending on the duty of the application, Andrews Automation Ltd is able to provide solutions utilising single or simplex chains, duplex chains, or in particularly heavy duty applications we can design our chain conveyors around a triplex chain design. Chain conveyors are typically designed around a 3 strand system which incorporates a strand to support and drive each of the left and right sides of the load, with a third central strand to support the centre of the load.
Chain conveyors are also used on what we call ‘chain transfer’ systems. This is where one conveyor needs to be linked with a second conveyor. ‘Pop-up’ chain transfer systems transport loads at 90˚ with a view to transporting the load onto a second conveyor in order to continue it’s journey. ‘Pop-up’ chain transfer systems are an excellent alternative to the popular turntable as load transfer times are usually quicker with a chain transfer. The downside of a chain transfer system is the potential to change the leading edge of the load depending on the number of directional changes there are in the process.
Andrews Automation Ltd have designed and built many chain conveyor systems with some performing their duties at various sites all over the world. For more information on how chain conveyors can improve your process flow, call the office today on 01405 768900 or email sales@andrewsautomation.com
Chain Conveyor Solutions from Andrews Automation Ltd
Although Andrews Automation Ltd provides a wide and varied range of pallet handling and conveyor solutions, we have built up reputation for providing first class roller conveyor solutions for all kinds of industry. Whether you require low cost, easy to use non-powered roller conveyor, or automated Zero Line Pressure ( ZLP ) solutions that buffer or queue products as part of a production process, we are able to provide a solution to suit.
Andrews Automation Ltd has provided a significant number of non-powered, or gravity powered roller conveyors since their inception in 2003. Having developed a reputation within the wood industry, we have supplied miles of roller conveyor at sites all across the UK. Many of these roller conveyor systems are part of an integrated system that also incorporated scissor lifts and /or transfer trolleys. Although scissor lifts are sourced from our strategic partners, transfer trolleys are built and designed in-house to meet customer specifications and requirements.
Our powered roller solutions can come in many forms, from the light duty aluminium framed tote conveyor or box conveyor, to the heavy duty pallet roller conveyor that can transport loads of 1500kg and more. The powered roller conveyors provided by Andrews Automation Ltd utilise either a sprocket driven powered roller chain drive system, or a timing pulley powered belt drive solution. The final selection will be based on the application and in certain circumstances will be down to client preference.
Design and build work for our roller conveyor solutions is carried out at our facility in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, and systems are tested and broken down again prior to delivery and installation. We also have our own in-house controls team that design and built our PLC’s too allowing us to be a “one stop shop” for our clients, giving us the edge on many of our competitors.
Roller Conveyor Solutions
Over the best part of 15 years, Andrews Automation Ltd have built up a reputation for providing conveyor systems and other materials handling solutions to a wide range of industries all over the UK and beyond. Many of these clients are well known household names and have approached us to provide a solution that perhaps our competitors would shy away from.
Although our flagship product is the conveyor system, in particular the heavy-duty pallet conveyor system, here at Andrews Automation Ltd we specialise in the integrated conveyor system and include many ‘Value Added’ options including pallet lifts, turntables, pallet wrappers, pallet strappers, robot palletisers, transfer cars, sortation systems, barcode scanners, pallet dispensers to name but a few.
When designing a conveyor system for a client, our in-house design team take a standard layout and whether it be a roller conveyor, belt conveyor, or chain conveyor, we will tailor the design to suit the clients application. Whether it is required to transport palletised goods, boxed goods, irregular shaped goods such as stillages, a solution can be worked on based on customer requirements.
Controls for each conveyor system is again designed in-house, and our facility at Goole has its own electrical bay where we build our own PLC’s and control panels. Although our preferred logic source is Allen Bradley / Rockwell, we are equally as comfortable is providing alternative logic systems such as Siemens for example.
A conveyor system need not require controls. Andrews Automation Ltd are also designers and manufacturers of non-powered roller conveyor systems. Having worked within the wood industry for many years, we have built up a portfolio of projects totally a number of kilometres of conveyor. A number of which have incorporated manual flip stops in order to manage and control heavy loads, and manual push transfer trolleys to guide palletised products to the correct area of the facility.
Conveyor Systems Designed and Build by Andrews Automation Ltd