For First Alert, low-profile conveyors end production jams
First Alert tests a cap for each of the over 2 million fire extinguishers it expects to produce this year.;Efficient low-profile conveyor moves caps continuously to the testing area.
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 6/1/1998
A strong interest in protecting the quality of its products and the strength of its reputation compels First Alert to conduct two separate tests on each fire extinguisher canister produced at its approximately 50,000 sq ft Aurora, Ill. plant. Given that the company produced over 1.7 million residential fire extinguishers in 1997, and expects to produce more than 2 million in 1998, the testing regimen is no small task.These rigorous procedures enable First Alert to offer a 5-yr performance warranty on these products, more than twice as long as the industry standard of 2 years. The company now performs the tests without creating production jams by using more efficient methods, which include low-profile conveyors. Four belt conveyors serve as integral parts of the assembly and testing processes.
Running directly over production lines carrying the fire extinguisher canisters, the low-profile conveyors ensure a continuous supply of test caps at the start and finish of testing. Plant manager Bob Cox comments on their reliability: "It's not that they're low-maintenance conveyors; they're no-maintenance."
Cox explains that the conveyors have been in constant use since the company moved to its present location in 1995. During the busy holiday season, the facility produces between 15,000 and 17,000 units a day.
The identical production lines accommodate a spectrum of product varieties. First Alert offers more than 70 different models for residential, automotive, recreational, and home-business applications.
With the conveyors, test caps are kept in constant supply. Previously, the caps arrived at testing stations in cartons on carts, the unloading of which was a time-consuming and unreliable procedure.
A conveyor also connects two fabricating machines that produce canisters of different diameters. "When we're running one model, the conveyor directs the canister toward one production line; when that line is shut down, or a different canister is being produced, we reverse the direction of the conveyor," Cox explains.
The major challenge of achieving continuous production is met by using reliable equipment. Says Cox, "When the lines aren't moving, the process is ruptured. That's what makes the no-maintenance performance mark of the conveyors noteworthy." Dorner Manufacturing Corporation 414-367-7600
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