WOI Answers Your Pallet Conveyor System Design Questions

Tips for Using Powered or Gravity Pallet Conveyor Systems

What do you do when you have a high volume of pallet loads moving in, around, or out of your facility? You create the most cost-effective paths to transport them. Forklifts and pallet jacks can get them where they need to go, but that can be costly and inefficient when dealing with a high volume. A pallet conveyor presents a cost-effective and productive way to transport pallets safely. With the options and features available today, you can customize your pallet conveyors to streamline and improve operations significantly.  

Pallet conveyors come in two primary forms –automated (powered) and gravity. Automated and gravity conveyors service different needs, although you can integrate them to satisfy various applications. To decide which system design will benefit your application(s), first answer these questions:

Pallet Conveyor Design Questions

• • What warehouse functions require full pallet transport?
  • How many pallets are transported per hour, per day, per week?
  • What is the most efficient path for the pallets?
  • What is the pallet weight range?
  • What type of pallet and what size?

Automated Conveyors

Automated Conveyor Systems

Automated conveyors rely on powered motors and smart technology. They can perform a number of tasks aside from merely moving the pallets in a single direction. Depending on system design and application, they have very heavy capacity options and can shift, accumulate, stop, rotate, and reverse pallets.

Powered conveyors can also go the distance, spanning extensive lengths to move pallets from one point to the next. So, depending on how frequently or how far your pallets need to move, you may want to plug into a powered solution.

Lastly, automated conveyors don’t require manual assistance, so you can run them as needed regardless of shift hours, breaks, etc.

Automated Conveyor Applications

• Inventory & Raw Material 
• Palletizing
• Picking & Packing
• Production Lines
• Storage & Retrieval (paired with ASRS)
• Dock Staging 
• Kitting Operations
• Repack Workstations

System Designs

• Accumulating conveyors – use photosensors to feed, hold, or stop pallets according to the pressure setting.
  • Minimum pressure – items can touch
  • Zero pressure – contactless accumulation
• Drag chain conveyors – designed for very heavy loads (up to 6,000 lbs), can be used as an accumulating conveyor.
• Chain-driven conveyors – powerful option for heavy-duty applications, with positive results in dirty or oily environments.
• Belt conveyors – a versatile option for light- through heavy-duty applications. They are quiet and low maintenance and can integrate with zero-pressure accumulation conveyors. The smooth, vibration-free operation makes them a good choice for drums.

Gravity Conveyor

Gravity conveyors are simplistic yet effective… so much so that they are the most common conveyor worldwide. They are cost-effective, low maintenance, and easy to install on raised adjustable legs or along the floor. Gravity rollers are galvanized for rust prevention, durable, and manufactured for friction-free movement. Pallets flow with a slight push to start in a pitched system or with a guided hand along a flat lane. Typically you want to reserve gravity conveyor for shorter distances and lightweight to medium capacity or volume use. Gravity conveyors can also be mounted in racking for flow through FIFO.

Accessories such as guard rails, pallet stops, and lift gates make your system safer and easier to incorporate into your operation. A ball transfer deck can connect gravity conveyor lines to create an easy way to direct pallets from one area (say intake, for example) to several options such as case picking, layer picking, or storage.

Ball Transfer Deck

Gravity Conveyor Applications

• Work in Process
• Assembly
• Order Packing
• Pick Modules
• Work Stations
• Dock Receiving/Shipping

System Designs

• Raised Adjustable Leg Height – set at an ergonomic or spatially convenient height with a slight pitch for gravity flow pallet movement or flat for push assistance.
• Floor-mounted – custom mounting supports allow you to control the pitch of your system, or you can mount wheel-style rails, or roller-style conveyors flush to the floor.

Floor-Mounted Pitched

Floor-Mounted Flush

Finding the Best Path Forward with Pallet Conveyor

Can one system streamline operations, maximize warehouse space and help control labor and handling costs? Well, that is a tall order, but essentially, yes, a well-designed pallet conveyor solution can significantly benefit your operation. 

Similarly, working with a full-service, expert systems design and installation team can optimize your pallet conveyor system to meet your unique needs.

Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. (WOI) is a leading full-service warehousing distributor with a responsive team that gets the job done… and not merely to our satisfaction, but we strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. Each WOI associate is committed to our Total Satisfaction Experience:

WOI 5-Step Total Satisfaction Experience™

1. We will listen to your needs
2. Execute your project with particular attention to your unique application
3. Stick to project timelines
4. Ensure a safe environment
5. Pay close attention to the detail of the finished product

Don’t leave your pallet conveyor installation to chance. WOI’s full-time rack and systems installers are the best at what they do. We follow strict guidelines to ensure a safe and expertly installed project.

• Industry Experienced Installation Teams
• OSHA Trained & Certified
• Certified Drug-Free Workplace
• Licensed General Contractor
• Job Safety Analysis
• Forklift, Scissor Lift, and Aerial Lift Operator Trained

Call WOI today for a free consultation and no-obligation site inspection. Dial (865) 540-4004 or email info@warehouseoptimizers.com for prompt service. We proudly serve customers throughout the Southeast, including KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA.