Sample Sorter:
How QC Industries and Equipment Depot solved a lab’s problems
When a large pharmaceutical client turned to Equipment Depot (formerly Portman Equipment) to solve a problem sorting samples in their central laboratory, Equipment Depot turned to QC Industries’ Flextrac and InnerDrive conveyors.
Ron Glenn, of integrator Equipment Depot says the customer needed to replace a previous conveyor system because it "required an inefficient system of runners” to move all the samples to their appropriate locations. The customer desired a system that "directed work to and from the technicians." Equipment Depot also sought to reduce the noise the previous system created.
As an integrator, Equipment Depot creates a preliminary design, finds the appropriate vendors and coordinates the solution. For this project, they laid out a system of separate infeed and discharge conveyors that would move the samples to the processing workstations and back out to the appropriate part of the lab for testing.
The conveyors are on three levels and arranged in a “U” configuration around the lab. Along each side of the conveyors are workstations where technicians sort the samples and check them into the company’s computer system. The bottom two levels of conveyors deliver the samples to the technicians. The top level of conveyors routes the samples to the appropriate testing area. One leg of the "U" handles samples packed in dry ice, while the other handles those that are not.
With the "legs" of the "U" reaching approximately 40 feet, Equipment Depot looked to QC Industries’ Flextrac plastic chain belt conveyors for the takeaway level because of their extended lengths. A side benefit of choosing the Flextrac conveyors was the ability to replace a section of the belts every ten inches with a darker color to provide technicians a way to easily separate samples without adding cleats or an expensive mechanical separator.
For the infeed levels, Equipment Depot chose QC Industries’ InnerDrive conveyors. With the conveyors located at leg level, the customer preferred not to have traditional conveyor drive packages in the technicians’ way. InnerDrive conveyors feature a 24-volt DC motor inside the conveyor frame, eliminating any hanging drive packages. InnerDrive conveyors are also quiet running — perfect for this laboratory environment.
Items accumulate on the bottom conveyor of the infeed level and are moved to the middle level automatically to be delivered to the workstations. For this, Equipment Depot designed a pneumatic lift with a reversible InnerDrive conveyor on top. Samples transfer onto the belt, the lift moves up or down as necessary and the conveyor reverses to move the samples onto the delivery conveyor.
The conveyor system has been successful in eliminating runners moving samples around the lab. Ron Glenn says the system has made work “more directed” and has allowed the customer to “add capacity without adding people.” The noise in the lab has also been reduced significantly. The customer has been extremely pleased with the solution.
To configure your conveyor and request a quote, please visit our Conveyor Configurator. For more information, please contact your local distributor or representative or call our knowledgable sales staff at (513) 753-6000.
4057 Clough Woods Dr. | Batavia, OH 45103 | (513) 753-6000 | fax: (513) 753-6001
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