Frequently Asked Questions
What are packaging conveyors?
Packaging conveyors are engineered systems used to transport, orient, accumulate, elevate, divert, combine, rotate and transfer products through a packaging line moving raw product into packaged wrapped, boxed or case packed output for shipping, e-commerce and distribution operations. Multi-Conveyor basically provides process to pallet packaging conveyor solutions by combining a myriad of our conveyor technologies to achieve your production line goals.
What types of packaging conveyor systems does Multi-Conveyor offer?
Multi-Conveyor’s packaging conveyor technologies are limitless since we are a custom (and standard) conveyor manufacturer. We provide packaging industry standard conveying solutions as our core to include but not limited to accumulation (mass flow, bi-directional, rotary, spiral, alpine and more), inclines, declines, C and S style grippers, product inverters or orientation conveyors, rotation and product turning, lift gates, MDR, product transfers, spirals, ARB and hand pack stations. Our engineers design custom systems based on our customer’s direct project, product sizes and weights, line layouts, production floor and production goals. Hygienic food safety or pharmaceutical sanitation construction demands are followed and met as directed by individual agencies such as FDA. Meeting sanitation criteria up to the most strict Dairy assurance criteria is a key focus of our engineering and manufacturing production teams. Our engineers install the operator to controls interface needs not only to run our conveyors, but to communicate to other OEM equipment on your line. Besides custom packaging conveyors, Multi-Conveyor has two pre-engineered packaging conveyor technologies including economical standard modular portable basic quick-ship plastic chain, which we call our Success line; and sanitary low profile product transfer conveyors called Slim-Fit.
How do packaging conveyors support product orientation in line operations?
Packaging conveyors are cost-consciously designed and engineered to rotate, grip, flip, index, orient, upend, transfer, merge, combine, divert or reposition exactly as your packaging line requires to align with upstream and downstream ancillary OEM equipment. Our conveyors will seamlessly feed wrappers, labelers, x-ray or inspection, check weighers, case packers, pallet forming and robotic pick and place – improving throughput and production in the process.
Can Multi-Conveyor packaging conveyors be customized for specific products or markets?
Absolutely! Multi-Conveyor is one of the few conveyor manufacturers that creates custom conveyors tailored to your individual application. Our mechanical and electrical engineers create custom packaging conveyor systems tailored to your explicit product size(s), weight(s), shape(s), speed requirement, product changeover and line layout – from concept and design through build and installation. Multi-Conveyor’s Project Managers are instrumental in accommodating change requests midstream. These periodic requests happen for many reasons including safety, sanitation, line layout adjustments, floor space or even your internal product or brand packaging priority shifts during that were unforeseen or not addressed in the initial conveyor quotation process.
What materials and construction options are available?
Multi-Conveyor is one of the only packaging conveyor manufacturers that uses stainless steel made from 11 ga. as standard, many times with a 2BN #4 and #8 polish for raw food applications, vs. a lower 12 ga. thick material that is typically provided by others. Non-sanitary or non-food applications typically call for our mild-steel construction for cost benefits. Yet, we have made several systems where the customer has required varying sanitation levels. Multi-Conveyor recently built a food-grade transport conveyor system consisting of two levels of sanitary compliance. The initial conveyors are stainless steel constructed for maximum dairy assurance, FDA and USDA compliance as required to move processed dairy product in a food-grade, wash-down atmosphere through the bagging process. The filled bags then travel through a sectional wall, into a reduced sanitation area of the line where much more cost-effective, sanitation Level 2 conveyors made of painted mild steel are acceptable.
Are Multi-Conveyor constructed conveyors suitable for both sanitary (food, beverage) and industrial packaging lines?
Yes. Multi-Conveyor systems are requested across raw or packaging food processing including human and pet foods, beverage, craft brew, RTD and liquid dairy products; clean room hygienic pharmaceutical applications; as well as industrial and e-commerce material handling applications. Our keen sanitation levels require continuous welds for bacteria free food applications whereas mild-steel bolted construction is used for industrial applications, respectively.
How do packaging conveyors handle accumulation and flow control?
Packaging conveyors require our established electrical engineers to equip each system with individual controls, timing or reject sensors, PLC systems, VFDs (variable frequency drives) and onboard logic so our systems will easily integrate with accompanying line OEM, automation and robotics controls, assuring optimum line performance and production throughput. Mult-Conveyor’s accumulation conveyors and spiral systems are used for staging, buffering, bakery cooling, ambient cooling, reducing downtime and maintaining consistent flow between downstream and upstream packaging line equipment. Our mechanical engineering and estimation teams determine what form of accumulation conveyance will achieve the customer’s objectives in the most common sense, logical and cost-conscious way possible. Our accumulation systems run from standard, bi-flow, mass flow, single file, spiral, alpine, rotary and serpentine.
What services does Multi-Conveyor provide besides conveyor equipment?
Beyond the conveyor system concept, design, mechanical and electrical engineering services, project management and FATs, Multi-Conveyor is one of the only conveyor manufacturers that offers upfront OEM technical support by application. Other services with relation to installation assistance, start-up support, parts and long-term services solutions, owners manuals with suggested preventative and scheduled maintenance are always available from Multi-Conveyor, all combined to extend the performance and longevity, life of your conveyor system.
Why choose Multi-Conveyor packaging conveyor systems?
Our customers and industry leading OEMs return to Multi-Conveyor time after time for our common sense yet robust custom design, electronically and mechanically durable conveyor manufacturing history for most any application – from tremendous industrial systems to highly sanitary agency compliant food product and packaging lines. Whether your project is $3,000 or $3+ Million, Multi-Conveyor has solutions.