Conveyor Is Designed For PET Preform Handling

June, 2001

Parts Handling:

Conveyor Is DesignedFor PET Preform Handling

TEC Engineering's Soft-TEC Model ST-200 conveyor is designed to handle injection-molded PET preforms without product damage. The unit is engineered to drop the molded preforms softly into a Gaylord or box, avoiding the nicks and scratches from regular filling. It also enables production to continue without interruption, by automatically moving from a full Gaylord or box to another pre-positioned empty Gaylord or box.

The units are constructed using the same design and materials as TEC's all-steel Classic Series. In addition to a 'V' guide belt tracking system and rugged motor and gearbox, Soft-TEC conveyors feature a one-piece, 11-gage frame and slider bed for rigidity and strength.

In operation, preforms are transferred from the equipment associated with the press into the inception hopper of the Soft-TEC conveyor. It lowers its discharge point into the bottom of empty Gaylord or box and begins delivery of product. A photo-eye sensor confirms the presence of a container. The conveyor does not deliver product unless a container is in position. An ultrasonic sensor mounted at the discharge point senses the product level and directs the discharge point to elevate accordingly.

Once the Gaylord or box reaches its capacity based on either the ultrasonic level sensor or the number of molding machine cycles, the conveyor stops delivering product and rotates to the position of an adjacent container and the process is repeated.

An audible alarm alerts operators that the first Gaylord or box is full, and requires removal and replacement with an empty contnainer. Once the second container is full, the sequence repeats, shifting the product delivery back to the first Gaylord or box. Should both containers become full, Soft-TEC will not deliver product to overflow; it stops and operates both audible and visual alarms.

The conveyor has an exposed belt width of 18 in., an incline length of 8 ft and a decline length of 4 ft. Other features include tapered and grooved steel rollers for maximum traction, self-aligning bearings and a support stand structure that includes 3-in. dia locking swivel casters. Belt speed is rated at a maximum of 40 ft/min.

The system also includes a stainless steel inception hopper, 4-in. high stainless steel side rails that overlap the belt by 1 in. to help prevent part damage, a polycarbonate cover on the incline conveyor section, a stainless steel cover on the decline conveyor section and a painted steel return track cover.

A heavy-duty pivot base with swiveling hardware is used to direct the product into one of two Gaylords or boxes. A rodless air cylinder actuator automatically pivots the conveyor from the full to the empty container. A ball-and-screw type electric linear actuator moves the conveyor in and out of Gaylord or box. The controller is an Allen-Bradley MicroLogic 1000 PLC inNEMA-rated enclosure.

Units are priced according to customer specification, so contact TEC directly. Our Key Contact Directory is on p 39.

TEC Engineering Corp.
Oxford, MA Circle 106