The Goldilocks Effect: Getting Conveyor Engineering Just Right
August 27, 2024
Over-Engineering: Wasteful or Worthwhile?
In today’s world of complex machines and devices, we need to ask, “How much engineering is too much?” Over-engineering makes sense in some industries, like aerospace or high-end consumer electronics. In most cases though, extra features and redundant systems only drive costs higher and make the machine more difficult to use and maintain. On the other side, under-engineering leads to issues with reliability, safety and higher costs in the long run. At Nercon, we’re happy to be right in the middle.
“Every product design situation is unique,” says Nercon president and electrical engineer Mike Weickert. “We’ve found that recognizing what is truly necessary and applying engineering as required to keep it simple is best for creating high-performing, cost-effective conveyor solutions that satisfy our customers.”
Just-Right Conveyor Engineering Has Advantages
Nercon’s ProCore® is a family of conveyors that are engineered specifically to meet modern product handling needs — no more, no less. Grounded in nearly 50 years of experience with conveyor engineering and fabricating for customer requirements, ProCore is also designed to be manufactured efficiently for maximum value and quick delivery.
“High-caliber engineering has been built in at the front of every ProCore standardized design, so our customers don’t see that cost,” says Brian Bancroft, Applications Group Manager at Nercon. “Our iterative design process takes into account feedback from our customers and our own team. The result is a conveyor that is durable, reliable, and flexible.”
In addition to ProCore, Nercon also builds conveyor systems customized to a manufacturer’s unique line needs. Whether a customer selects a fully-customized or ProCore conveyor solution, our goal is the same: Provide exceptionally high value in conveyor solutions. Read about ProCore® solutions versus a custom conveyor.
Case in Point: Enhancing Our Bi-Directional Accumulator
We apply the just-right engineering approach to our conveyors and conveyor equipment ongoing, and our bi-directional accumulation table is a good example. The bi-di table is a temporary accumulation space for products when product blockages, malfunctions, or conveyor system adjustments occur. Though not yet part of the ProCore lineup, the bi-di table was engineered to the same exacting standards for simplicity, performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness. Recently, the bi-di table received an upgrade.
“The trend we’ve seen in customers needing smaller conveyor footprints presented us with an opportunity to re-design the bi-di table,” says Darrick Prill, Engineering Manager at Nercon. “The upgrade is an example where a simpler design has more benefits. We reduced the table structure from five shafts to two, which reduces the footprint and time spent on maintenance. The new design also reduced the cost to fabricate this equipment. The simplification and standardization in our engineering help us deliver value in terms of size, performance, reliability and cost.”
Just-right engineering isn’t easy, but this disciplined approach is the reason Nercon consistently creates maximum value in its conveyor systems. If you’d like an introduction to the capabilities of ProCore conveyors, request an appointment or call 844-293-2814 to speak with our experts.
Meet our conveyor experts at PACK EXPO 2024 in Chicago, November 3-6. Stop by booth S-2138 to talk over your line layout drawings or run your products on our loop.
