ChallengeTo deliver an automatic line, from the warehouse through the grinding and fitting processes to the dispatch area. Limited floor space and a need to handle three job types with full traceability.
SolutionA complete turnkey solution, comprising elevators/lowerators, conveyors, diverters and a control logic system.
BenefitsDoubled capacity to 4000 lenses a day, while virtually eliminating manual handling operations.
“We needed a system to transport job trays from the warehouse, through the grinding and fitting processes, to the dispatch area,” says the customer’s Group Manager. “The solution had to accommodate increased volume in the limited space available, with enough flexibility to handle three job types.”
“Prior to its installation, trays of product were loaded manually onto trolleys and wheeled between workstations, causing frequent bottlenecks and increasing the probability of error,” he explains. As the laboratory produces each pair of glasses to prescription, the ability to identify and trace the product during the process was also critical.
FlexLink supplied the system as a complete turnkey solution, comprising elevators/lowerators, conveyors, diverters and a control logic system.
A friction top chain lowerator, takes the job trays through the ceiling of the grinding room on the first floor. Trays are then transferred onto four accumulation conveyors, which provide 45 minutes of curing time between the blocker and the generator, allowing the blocker to set between machines.
Further accumulation is provided between the generator and grinder. As the two units operate at varying production rates, the buffering capacity absorbs trays without disturbing the grinding process, thereby increasing system uptime.
In the fitting room, trays are diverted selectively into one of three sections, depending on job type. FlexLink’s control system interfaces with the existing software program, which allows operators to trace the product throughout the process.
After exiting from the fitting machines, gravity roller conveyors transfer the trays through the final stages of assembly, eliminating the need for operators to walk between workstations.
Since production commenced, the system has doubled capacity to 4,000 lenses a day, while achieving a continuous product flow and virtually eliminating manual handling operations.
The Group Manager says that, “The system has not only enhanced productivity and output, but also customer satisfaction and value. When a customer enquires about an order, the logic of the system enables us to quickly and accurately trace the product and estimate the delivery time. The equipment has also improved product quality by limiting the amount of variance caused by human error”.
FlexLink AB
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