Shown: a new surge hopper in servicePreform Recirculation That Gave the Floor Back
A bottled water plant swapped the elevators on two blow-molding lines for cleated incline conveyors, recirculation loops and stainless surge hoppers, and pulled its gaylords into one place.
A major bottled water producer fed preforms to two blow-molding machines through elevators and floor hoppers. The gaylords were spread around the floor, taking up space the plant needed.
Han-Tek audited the site, then replaced the elevators with 60° cleated incline conveyors that form a recirculation loop on each line. A stainless surge hopper and short feed incline were added to each line, new chutes tied everything to the existing machinery, and the gaylords moved to central feed points. The plant got its floor space back while moving the same amount of product.
Elevators, floor hoppers and gaylords everywhere
Preforms are the small plastic tubes that a blow molder turns into bottles. At this plant they rode elevators down into hoppers and gaylords on the floor before feeding the machines.
Lost floor space
The elevator and floor hopper setup took up production floor the plant needed.
Scattered gaylords
Gaylords of preforms sat in different spots around the plant instead of at one central feed point.
No way to recirculate
Excess preforms had no loop to ride while a full gaylord was being changed.
The goal: free up the floor, centralize the gaylords and keep both lines moving the same amount of product.
Inclines, hoppers and chutes in place of the elevators
Han-Tek walked both lines, confirmed dimensions and interface points, then designed the new equipment to fit the existing machinery. Here is how preforms move now.
- 1
Recirculate
Preforms not taken by the machine drop through a chute onto a 60° cleated incline that carries them back up into the loop.
- 2
Buffer
A stainless steel surge hopper on each line holds a supply of preforms, with photo-eyes watching the level.
- 3
Feed
A short cleated incline carries preforms from the hopper up to the machine's infeed, so the line keeps running while gaylords are changed.
- Steep cleated inclines: 12-inch belts with 2-inch cleats lift preforms at 60°, which keeps the footprint small.
- Stainless surge hoppers: built to match the style of the plant's existing hopper and incline.
- Custom chutes: new chutes connect the inclines and hoppers to the existing conveyors and machines.
- Less conveyor, not more: existing conveyor sections were removed or shortened to fit the new layout.
- Supported overhead: Han-Tek designed cantilevered support steel for the new equipment.
More floor, centralized gaylords, same output
| Area | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting preforms | Elevators | 60° cleated inclines |
| Gaylords | Spread around the plant | Centralized feed points |
| Excess preforms | No return path | Recirculation loop on each line |
| Floor space | Lost to elevators, hoppers and floor gaylords | Freed up |
| Output | Baseline | Same amount of product |
- Floor space back: removing the elevators and floor hoppers freed up production floor.
- Gaylords in one place: centralized feed points made moving and changing gaylords easier.
- Time to change gaylords: the recirculation loop keeps preforms moving while a full gaylord is swapped.
- Tuned at startup: Han-Tek's technician stayed on site, added vibrators to stop preforms bridging in the hoppers, reset photo-eyes and flappers, and sped the conveyors up. Scrap from the feed conveyors dropped to none.
- A repeat customer: the new conveyors were built to match ones Han-Tek had already supplied to the same plant.
Questions about preform handling conveyors
What is preform recirculation?
A conveyor loop that carries preforms the machine does not take back into the feed, so they keep moving instead of piling up or being handled by hand.
Why use a cleated incline instead of an elevator?
A steep cleated incline lifts preforms in a small footprint and can be part of a loop. Here, 60° inclines with 2-inch cleats replaced the elevators on both lines.
What does a surge hopper do?
It holds a buffer of preforms ahead of the machine's feed, so the line keeps running while gaylords are changed.
Can new conveyors work with our existing machines?
Yes. Han-Tek audited the site first, then built chutes and supports to tie the new inclines and hoppers into the existing conveyors and blow-molding machines.
More conveyor and packaging projects
Put them on a loop.
Tell us how preforms reach your blow molders today. A Han-Tek engineer will tell you what inclines, hoppers and recirculation could do.
"*" indicates required fields