From simple to specialty conveyors with deep inclines to space-saving vertical conveyors, in the wake of SKU proliferation, smaller batches and more frequent changeovers, beverage conveyors not only have to handle a plethora of packaging shapes and sizes, but original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to ensure that their conveyors — and all of their automation technology — are outfitted for the present and the future.
Terry Wicklum, senior consultant for Precision Distribution Consulting (PDC), York, Pa., explains that automation has been called the “future” of warehousing for many years. “Automation technology, including conveyors, has matured now to the point that I’m comfortable saying it is ‘the present and the future,’” he says. “That being said, there is no solution that I have seen that should be considered as a one-size-fits-all, or that is appropriate for all applications.