Floor Space is King: Conveyors That Maximize Every Square Inch
March 05, 2025
Location, location, location. This old real estate mantra may have more meaning for manufacturers this year with the cost of industrial rent on the rise and construction of new industrial space slowing down. Manufacturing facilities continue to become more compact and efficient using layouts that maximize productivity in smaller footprints.
Costs of Wasted Space
Inefficient use of factory floor space can have significant financial and operational consequences for manufacturers. Facilities in high-demand or urban areas are already paying a premium for space. Wasting valuable square footage can result in:
There are operational impacts of too much or poorly utilized floor space, too. Placing workstations or equipment too far apart can create bottlenecks and inefficient workflows. Maintenance becomes more challenging and downtime adds up when inoperative machines are hard to reach or surrounded by clutter. And, disorganized space can make it more difficult to quickly adapt to changing production demands.
Nercon Conveyors Optimize Floor Space and Production Efficiency
Conveyors do more than move products from point A to point B. They’re key in minimizing use of floor space, streamlining workflows, and eliminating bottlenecks. At Nercon, our conveyor systems and standalone conveyor equipment enable manufacturers to maximize every square inch and achieve high levels of efficiency.
Here are some of the ways we do it:
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Making use of vertical space – When a global snack foods customer asked us to design and install two new production lines, floor space was constrained. So we went up. We used a sanitary washdown side drive spiral elevator to move products up to a Rapid-Rail® conveyor that is attached to the plant’s ceiling. This customer wanted to run multiple products on the lines, so these two pieces of equipment were essential. Despite its small footprint, the spiral elevator has capacity to move several product types at high throughput. The RapidRail® allows for rapid product changeover adjustments from a single location – in this case, from the plant floor.
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Making way for traffic – We offer several conveyor elevators that move production lines up and over foot- or forklift paths. They handle products gently with grippers or scoops. On the Draper Z Incline conveyor, a second, self-contouring upper belt gently drapes over the product shape, allowing for even steeper inclines/declines without product damage or tipping.
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Reducing length before and after curves – A high percentage of production lines need curves in their conveyors. With traditional equipment, that requires a lot of runway to maintain product orientation and integrity as it travels the curve. Our Zero Tangent Radius conveyor eliminates the need for a straight conveyor section before and after a curve. We engineered this reliable, versatile solution to reduce maintenance and operational costs as well as the footprint.
Optimizing smaller industrial spaces has advantages beyond cost. A well-designed plant floor can also reduce the risk of accidents and enhance employees’ productivity and satisfaction with their work.
Fabricating For Fit
Nercon’s team of experienced mechanical and electrical engineers helps manufacturers create and identify opportunities to improve floor space utilization and production line efficiency. We also have extensively tested, highly reliable conveyor designs we can use as a starting point to fabricate and quickly deliver small-footprint conveyors that fit your space and your budget.
See Nercon’s Space-Savers at PACK EXPO Southeast 2025, March 10-12
If you’re going to PACK EXPO Southeast in Atlanta this month, take advantage of our expertise to talk through challenges and ideas you have on your facility floor. We’ll have a knowledge and friendly team in Booth #1520.
You can also take a close look at the equipment we’ll have on hand:
Have challenges or conveyor needs that can’t wait? Connect with our experts today by calling 844-293-2814 or requesting a callback online.
