Both time and space are at a premium in warehouse facilities.
That's why flexible expandable conveyors are a valuable solution. Like a sofa that pulls out, flexible expandable conveyors expand when you need them and compact when you don’t. This adaptability makes them a cost-effective way to streamline assembly, packing, shipping, and receiving — especially for warehouses that deal with a lot of cross-docking, loading, and unloading.
But as useful as traditional gravity-based flexible expandable conveyors already are, there’s a way to make them even better: power. The powered version of flexible expandable conveyors delivers benefits that can reduce labor while simultaneously boosting efficiency and throughput.
How Adding Power Multiplies Flexibility
Powered flexible expandable conveyors are designed to adapt to your operation in real time.
- Expands from 3 to 12 feet
- Bends easily around obstacles and tight spaces
- Connects seamlessly with additional conveyor units
- Mounted on casters for easy mobility and positioning
This flexibility allows you to position one end near storage racks and the other at a truck or van for efficient loading and unloading. You can also use them to move products directly from one truck to another.
Because they’re compact when collapsed and quick to deploy, these conveyors can be rolled into place as soon as shipments arrive and then stored away when not in use.
Traditional gravity conveyors still require manual effort and often depend on an incline, making them more labor-intensive. By contrast, powered versions don’t require an incline so they can be deployed anywhere on your floor. Simply roll them into position, plug them in, and let them move product automatically – reducing effort, increasing speed, and improving overall efficiency.
Gravity vs. Powered Conveyors
The advantages of powered flexible expandable conveyors include:
1. Ease of Use. Powered flexible expandable conveyors feature simple deployment; it only takes one person to set up a conveyor and move it into position. Operating them is similarly easy, with minimal manual handling.
2. Reduced Labor. That ease of use means that one person can do the same work as three to four people using a gravity conveyor, which multiplies productivity.
3. Better Ergonomics. By reducing the effort needed, powered flexible expandable conveyors reduce the risk of injury to workers, while also promoting more efficient handling and less chance of damage to products.
4. Increased Throughput. With more efficient loading and unloading, powered flexible expandable conveyors move more product with less effort, which increases productivity.
A Smaller Footprint
The ability to scale up and scale down in response to changing circumstances has never been more important than it is today. With ongoing labor shortages and rising costs, warehouses are under pressure to do more with fewer workers.
Any innovation that provides warehouses with a way to adapt quickly and efficiently is a boon. Adding power to flexible expandable conveyors means you can get more out of your available warehouse space, without increasing the footprint.
Ready to reduce labor and increase throughput? Contact the team at Ultimation, an MCE company, to speak with a conveyor expert or request a quote.