Astec helps pack snacks fast
July 6th 2005 Astec Conveyors has upgraded packing lines at Walkers Snack Foods, enabling the company to increase handling capacity.
The existing carton handling system transferred complete filled and taped cartons from end of lines through to a number of robot palletising pick off positions. Planned modifications had to be carried out over a number of phases to achieve utilisation of the cells, address current operational issues and provide a manual stack down area. Various cartons of multipack and primary products discharge from end-of-lines via automated top/bottom case sealers to be scanned and routed to feed robot palletising cells.
Cartons are transported on high level conveyors via a series of inclined belt conveyors and combine on a common transit conveyor.
Where space limitations restricted use of an inclined belt, Astec installed a versatile space saving spiral conveyor. With its small footprint the spiral conveyor was a logical solution for transferring cartons to an upper level from within a restricted space, merging onto a common driven roller conveyor.
Strategically positioned prior to the root cells, Astec installed its Lane Divider, specifically designed to provide sortition capabilities on processing and packaging lines. More articles from Astec Conveyors Limited: | 
