JCB Heavy Products has installed an overhead conveyor system at its new powder coating plant in Uttoxeter.
The heavy duty, drop forged conveyor designed, manufactured and installed by CI Logistics is used to carry a range of fabrications through the various stages of the painting facility.
This powder coating plant is part of a new installation to increase the capacity of JCB Heavy Products based in a 450,000 sq ft purpose built factory alongside the A50. JCB’s Heavy Products manufactures excavators weighing up to 46 tonnes for the global market.
A JCB spokesman said: “It was a joint decision between JCB and our turnkey process equipment supplier to use the Leicester based company, CI Logistics. It is a well established company in the manufacturing industry with a strong reputation for quality products.”
Inside the painting facility excavator parts are loaded manually onto saw-toothed flight bars for their overhead journey around the paint plant. Products can be hung securely from any part of the flight bar.
The Conveyors International 458 overhead conveyor system is 250m long with a load bearing of 750kg over a 2m span. Powered by dual drive electric motors, the conveyor moves the fabrications continuously around the plant.
Once loaded, the parts are taken through a pre-treatment zone, then on to the powder spraying booth, drying ovens and finally, to an unloading area. Here the parts are systematically checked for quality of paint finish by operatives, before being taken down from the overhead transport system.
