HAN-TEK Announces Unique In-line Conveyor System

Turnkey solution boosts product quality and slashes customer’s annual labor costs by $455,000

(VICTOR, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2003) -- HAN-TEK, Inc., has developed a unique Overhead In-Line Conveyor system that saves the customer hundreds of thousands annually in labor costs, while streamlining production control and allowing the customer to deliver a superior product.

The HAN-TEK Overhead In-Line Conveyor system, installed recently at several plants operated by a leading global PET packaging manufacturer, reduces the need for fork-truck operators by 70 percent, thereby cutting labor costs by some $455,000 yearly in one facility. The system typically pays for itself in 12 months.

"Our customer had identified numerous inefficiencies in moving preforms from injection molding to blow molding," says Kristin Leahy, product manager for Integrated Conveyor Systems at HAN-TEK. "By moving preforms directly rather than filling gaylords, our solution greatly reduces product marring and waste, and eliminates the time, expense and imprecision involved in filling gaylords, cooling preforms, and moving them via fork truck into and out of storage. The typical user of just one HAN-TEK In-Line Conveyor will save $65,000 in fork-truck operator costs each year.

"The bottom line: Our customer can now deliver a higher-quality product faster, more consistently and at reduced cost," Leahy says.

The HAN-TEK system saves space in two ways: Because the In-Line Conveyor operates overhead, factory-floor space is preserved; and because gaylords are used sparingly, the space needed to store them drops significantly.

The HAN-TEK In-Line Conveyor runs at a programmable speed that allows for consistent cooling –- essential for high-quality blowmolding. The preforms’ prompt arrival at blow molding allows for early detection of defects, permitting timely corrections and reduced waste. Reduced handling – gaylords are filled only as backup – minimizes the scuffing that raises the reject rate.

The HAN-TEK In-Line Conveyor system also features:

• Consistent production and inventory control. HAN-TEK’s In-Line Conveyor system is driven by customized controls that perform a variety of functions that track and regulate product flow. Data is provided to the customer’s network so production performance can be optimized.
• FDA-compliance surfaces. In accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifications for all surfaces that contact food or drink, the HAN-TEK solutions feature approved powder-coated surfaces, stainless-steel chutes, and domed Lexan covers to keep the products clean.

To learn more about HAN-TEK In-Line Conveyors or other material handling solutions, contact HAN-TEK at 800-836-0237, or click here to send us an e-mail.

HAN-TEK, Inc., based in Victor, N.Y., customizes advanced automation technology to optimize manufacturing-assembly and product-distribution systems for customers in a variety of industries. Founded in 1961, HAN-TEK specializes in integrated conveyors, overhead cranes, and systems automation and controls.