Problem Solved: How a Fulfillment Center Got Back on Track

Familiar to many consumers nationwide, e-commerce—with its supporting fulfillment centers—is one of the fastest-growing markets for the belting industry. These large fulfillment centers require miles of conveyors.

Conveyor belts of all sizes are used throughout these facilities, with roller drive belts being one of the most important pieces. Located inside the conveyor and driving the rollers from underneath, these belts are often hard to see and inspect. They must be correctly installed and maintained for optimal reliability and service.

A fulfillment center customer had such a need when they asked Motion Conveyance Solutions to review their roller drive application and the original belts. Our discussions with key stakeholders identified the major pain points, such as tracking issues—the leading causes of belt failure.

Increased flexibility and grip, plus a more dependable splicing system, were the major asks. Motion Conveyance Solutions developed the answer: RedDrive® 45 and 77.

These Motion-exclusive belts feature a cord design for better flexibility and a strength rating that supports the harshest roller drive application. The polyurethane material increases the grip needed for the application and the durability required for long life.

For a dependable splicing system, Motion Conveyance Solutions partnered with Flexco to dramatically improve the OEM equipment, requiring a cycle time of 45–60 minutes. The Novitool® Aero® 325 press runs on 110 V power, weighs under 50 lbs and automates the recipe and pressure—all with an 18–22-minute cycle time.

Motion Conveyance Solutions and Flexco also created the Novitool Pun M™ NDX™ belt cutter. It allows the belt to safely clamp to the cutting deck while the operator turns the handle to auto-index cut the belt end fingers. This design lowers preparation time by 80–90%, improves the belt finger cut quality, reduces operator error and operates considerably safer.

These essential components created a need for the Motion Conveyance Solutions Novitool RedDrive workstation. This one-of-a-kind system holds all the splicing equipment needed to complete a splice and provides belt storage for a streamlined process.

Many facilities with roller-driven conveying systems have benefitted from RedDrive’s lowered drive tension—typically reduced by 20–25%, but some cases have neared 50%. This lessens overall strain on all conveyor components and decreases energy consumption from the drive motors.

When downtime minutes count, Motion Conveyance Solutions’ roller-driven conveyor belt delivers longer life and a dramatically improved splicing process.

Seth Stoner is the Director of Product Management for Motion Conveyance Solutions. He has held many roles in his 28 years in the conveyor belting industry. To find out more, visit MiConveyanceSolutions.com.