Case Study

Preform Recirculation Conveyor System Replaces Elevators, Reclaims Floor Space

Industry: Food & Beverage, Pre-Form

A major bottled water producer needed to overhaul the preform handling system on two of its blow-molding production lines. The facility was running vertical elevators to deliver preforms to floor-level hoppers, but the configuration spread gaylords across the production floor without a defined feed structure. The arrangement consumed more floor space than the process required and provided no recirculation path for excess preforms.

Han-Tek performed a site audit and engineered a full replacement. The solution installed 14-foot cleated incline conveyors to establish recirculation loops in place of the elevators, added custom stainless steel surge hoppers paired with 7-foot cleated incline feed conveyors on each line, and integrated new chute interfaces between the new equipment and the existing downstream machinery. Han-Tek supplied and installed the complete system across both production lines.

Their Challenge:

Vertical elevators delivering preforms to floor-level hoppers required a large equipment footprint, consuming production floor space needed for other operations.
Gaylords were scattered across the production floor rather than consolidated at defined feed positions, creating a disorganized material flow and adding unnecessary handling steps for operators.
The existing layout lacked a recirculation path, meaning excess preforms had no efficient route back into the feed cycle without manual intervention.
Chute interfaces between the elevator discharge points and downstream equipment were not optimized, creating potential points of flow interruption in an active production environment.
The replacement system had to integrate with existing downstream machinery on both lines without disrupting ongoing production.

Our Solution:

Han-Tek conducted a full site audit of both production lines before engineering began, confirming existing dimensions, equipment clearances, and interface points to ensure the new design would fit without modification to the building or downstream machinery.
Two 14-foot cleated incline conveyors were designed, fabricated, and installed, one per production line, replacing each elevator assembly and establishing a true preform recirculation loop on both lines.
Two custom stainless steel surge hoppers were fabricated and installed to buffer preform flow, each paired with a 7-foot cleated incline conveyor to feed preforms reliably from the hopper into the recirculation system.
Han-Tek engineered and installed custom chute interfaces connecting the new conveyor system to the existing downstream equipment on both lines, ensuring smooth preform transitions throughout the loop.
Existing conveyor sections were removed or shortened as part of the redesign, reducing the overall system footprint and allowing the new equipment to integrate cleanly without requiring additional conveyor purchases.

The Results:

Floor Space Recovered: Centralizing gaylord positions at the new surge hopper feed points eliminated the scattered floor-level equipment that the elevator-based system required, freeing production floor space across both lines.
Recirculation Loop Established: Preforms now cycle continuously through a closed-loop path on each line, removing the manual feed management steps that the elevator system required.
Zero Additional Conveyor Sections Purchased: Han-Tek’s redesign was efficient enough that both lines met their throughput requirements using the new inclines and hoppers alongside existing conveyor sections, with no supplemental conveyor purchases needed.
Both Lines Upgraded Under a Single Project: The full scope covered supply and installation across two production lines simultaneously, standardizing the preform handling approach and simplifying ongoing maintenance across the facility.

Facilities running elevator-based preform or bulk material handling systems often accept floor space losses and manual feed steps as fixed constraints. A properly engineered conveyor recirculation system can eliminate both. If your facility is working through similar preform handling challenges, Han-Tek’s integrated systems engineers can assess your operation and design a solution around your production requirements. Contact Han-Tek to start the conversation.

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