Nercon Helps Snack Manufacturer Boost Throughput with Fast Product Changeovers

April 08, 2025

When a global, brand-name snack foods customer asked Nercon to design a packaging line to accommodate the highest possible throughput and rapid product changeovers, our team was up to the challenge. “We’ve partnered with this company for many years,” says Brad Swenty, Senior Electrical Design Engineer at Nercon. “They trust our knowledge in optimizing product lines and experience with conveyor controls. We’re always working to deliver line designs that can meet customer goals with the most efficient, straightforward conveyor systems.”

From Hours to Minutes for Line Changeovers

With this project, boxed cartons of candy bars were coming to the line at ceiling level. Our solution involved moving the cartons gently to the case packer and the palletizer on the floor, with accumulation built in to optimize throughput.

Here’s a look at some of the Nercon equipment critical to this customer solution:

• Adjustable guide rails: Our Rapid-Rail® adjustable guide rails running along the ceiling-height conveyor gave line operators a simple way to accommodate product changeovers from a single location–in this case, from the floor. Rapid Rail reduces downtime for changeovers from hours to minutes. Watch a quick demo.
• Merging conveyor: Our Traffic Cop automatically merged two lanes into a single lane of output. It prevented product collision and overflow by holding boxes back until the merging lane was clear to receive more infeed.
• Gripper elevator: This small-footprint conveyor moved the boxes from ceiling to floor level safely and securely using side grippers. Operators adjust it for product changeovers with the turn of a single hand wheel.
• Vertical accumulation: Again keeping used floor space to a minimum, the vertical accumulation conveyor was used to improve line efficiency by temporarily holding the boxes during downstream line stops. A sensor controlled by a selector switch detected the correct product width adjustment for different box sizes.
• Integrated sensors: To enable our customer to monitor the line and ensure smooth product flow at all times, we integrated photo eyes and proximity sensors throughout the system.

Fine-Tuning to Ensure Optimal Throughput

“We did a lot of in-house testing with this customer’s product with the line design to see where adjustments could be made to optimize throughput,” says Brad. “It’s one way we go the extra mile to deliver a high-quality conveyor and controls system that’s aligned with how our customer will use it.”

Want to streamline your operations? Let’s explore some ideas backed by nearly 50 years of experience in designing and building conveyors and electrical controls. Call us today at 844-293-2814 or request a callback.