To keep up with the proliferation of new package sizes and increasing SKUs, beverage warehouse and distribution facilities have turned to other industries for inspiration. Beverage makers are choosing conveyor technology and systems that have been proven in other industries, such as retail and consumer products distribution centers, says Bryan Boyce, product manager for Intelligrated Inc., Mason, Ohio. The new solutions feature conveyors that can handle multiple material types, offer automated options and make better use of the facility’s space.
Consolidation in warehouse and distribution also has affected the demands on conveyors, says Rich Rittermann, vice president of operations for Conveyor Handling Co. Inc., Elkridge, Md.
“The result is they need to convey higher volumes of product with faster conveyor speeds from the picking areas through accumulation, merging and sortation to the trucks,” Rittermann says.