This article presents a review on two conveyors at the Ford Motor Co.’s Wayne, MI, assembly plant that use the same technology to meet two very different requirements. One system handles fully dressed, pallet-mounted engines in packages weighing up to 1600 pounds, while the other deals with pallet-mounted instrument panels having a total package weight of 80 pounds. The conveyors, supplied by Bleichert Inc. of Sterling Heights, Mich., use a roller drive mechanism that allows them to adapt to the different application requirements. Ford accomplishes the engine/chassis marriage by lifting completely dressed engines into the vehicle from below. The pallet-mounted engines are transported on a cart, called a moon buggy by Wayne plant personnel. The drive motor can be positioned anywhere along the length of the conveyor. It uses a gear reducer and timing belt to transmit power to the driveshaft. Each of the one-meter-long driveshaft sections is linked to the next one by a coupling to complete the modular drive system.
Delivering the Goods