The New Comau Pallet Conveyor is Designed to Provide Greater Operational Flexibility, Lower Consumption and Reduced Operating Costs

TURIN, Italy, October 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Comau launches its new generation pallet conveyor which is intended to meet customers' needs for flexible technology, ease of use and the ability to limit costs and power consumption. Thanks to technical improvements designed by Comau, the new APC meets the operational needs of virtually any market.

"The new pallet conveyor has been redesigned starting from an analysis of competitive offers and based on the needs of our worldwide customers," says Fulvio Ferrero, Products and Solutions Business Manager for Comau."

With a structure made completely of aluminum and fewer components, it is more flexible, easy to use and needs less maintenance. In addition, the low power engine (0,55 Kw) significantly reduces energy consumption.

"The pneumatic system has been eliminated," adds Gianni Magni, Mechanical Engineering Manager for Comau. "This change results in significant economic and energy savings for the end customer."

Another feature is the single central chain for transporting pallets; the previous model had two. "This change has cut the number of components in half, which translates to a significant reduction in production costs," continues Magni. "The design was also developed from a maintenance perspective, as seen by our use of a single permanently lubricated chain with a mechanical system of automatic tension. These features make it easier to use and less burdensome in terms of operating costs."

The new Comau APC can be mounted in different configurations, with horizontal or vertical motor axes, suspended and floor based. Fulvio Ferrero explains: "This is a significant advantage, especially for customers who need to load very long and narrow pieces. The components can be "hung" from the pallet, improving the ergonomics while loading the part to be collected by a servicing robot with high positioning accuracy. The new APC has also the capability to handle many types of components on the same line. All such features have been designed to meet the needs of a broader market within multiple industrial sectors."

TECHNICAL FEATURES

    Conveyor length            2 - 12 m (Standard) ; 12 - 100 m (Custom)
    Conveyor weight            100 Kg/m
    Transport speed (max.)     10 m/min
    Payload (max.)             100 Kg/m (specific fixture + part)
    Pallet width (max.)        1200 mm
                               Clamped directly onto the driving shaft with
    Motor mounting             anti-rotation bracket
    Maximum installable power  0,55 kW
    Flying roller chain        1 triple chain with 12,7 mm pitch
    Pallet position control    by inductive limit switches
    Pallet stopping accuracy   plus or minus 0,5 mm
    Height of transport level  800 - 1050 mm (floor mounted)
    Conveyor structure         Aluminum
    Load per stopper (max.)    10 pallets

Fulvio Ferrero states: "We expect to exceed our 2014 sales target of 100 units. Our potential customers are primarily major OEMs, many of whom bought the previous model, but also major integrators and Tier 1 players in the automotive industry."

The new Comau Accumulating Pallet Conveyor is officially available as of today.

SOURCE Comau