Hytrol Conveyor Company Inc - Manufacturers of Conveyors and Conveying Systems

Each year Hytrol acknowledges six Distributors who have achieved a superior level of performance per an established set of criteria. This is what we call, "The Top 6 Award".

The program is designed to recognize the efforts of all our Distributors and especially those who have distinguished themselves according to a set criterion. This program takes into consideration the size of Distributorships in 4 different groups.

The criteria of the 4 Groups are as follows:

Group 1: Distributors in the top 10 dollar volume producers of the previous year

Group 2: Distributors in the 11-20 dollar volume producing range of the previous year

Group 3: Distributors in the 21-30 dollar volume producing range of the previous year.

Group 4: Distributors in the 31-40 dollar volume producing range of the previous year

Three Distributors are taken from Group 1. The Number 1 position is given to the top dollar volume producing Distributor for the current year. The next two Distributors come from Group 1 and have achieved the highest percentage of increase of Hytrol sales from the previous year.

One Distributor is taken from each of the remaining groups, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 with the highest percentage of increase of Hytrol sales from the previous year.

The Top Six Distributors and the Top International Distributor for the 2001 year are:

Number One, Group One: Bastian Material Handling Corp. Indianapolis, Indiana	Number One, Group Two: W. W. Munroe Equipment Co. St. Louis, Missouri

Number Two, Group One: FloStor Engineering, Inc. Hayward, Calfornia	Number One, Group Three: Siggins Company North Kansas City, Missouri

Number Three, Group One: Babush Material Handling Systems Sussex, Wisconsin	Number One, Group Four: Riekes Material Handling Des Moines, Iowa

Number One International Distributor McKessock Engineering Ltd. Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Top Twenty Distributors for 2001
Number 1	Bastian Material Handling (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Number 2	Conveyors & Drives (Atlanta, Georgia)
Number 3	FloStor Engineering, Inc. (Hayward, California)
Number 4	Cisco-Eagle, Inc. (Dallas, Texas)
Number 5	HCM Systems, Inc. (Willowbrook, Illinois)
Number 6	Babush Conveyor Corporation (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Number 7	Century Conveyor Service, Inc. (Edison, New Jersey)
Number 8	Advanced Equipment Company (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Number 9	W. W. Munroe Equipment Company (St. Louis, Missouri)
Number 10	Curlin, Inc. (Tampa, Florida)
Number 11	Bastian Material Handling (Novi, Michigan)
Number 12	NorthWest Handling Systems, Inc. (Renton, Washington)
Number 13	IBT, Inc. (Shawnee Mission, Kansas)
Number 14	Riekes Material Handling (Des Moines, Iowa)
Number 15	Fortna, Inc. (West Reading, Pennsylvania)
Number 16	Hytrol of California (Azusa, California)
Number 17	Stokes Material Handling Systems, Inc. (Doylestown, Pennsylvania)
Number 18	Conveyor Solutions, Inc. (Schaumburg, Illinois)
Number 19	KMH Systems (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Number 20	Siggins Company, (North Kansas City, Missouri )

Conveyor of the Month

EZDrive� System (Individual Zone Drive)
EZLogic� Accumulation System
Chain Driven Rollers
Zero-Pressure Accumulation
4 ga. Formed Steel Frame
Adjustable Floor Supports

The Hytrol Model 25-CREZD is the most intelligent and efficient heavy-duty, chain driven roll-to-roll accumulation conveyor in the industry. This pallet handling conveyor combines the intelligence of the patented EZLogic� accumulation components with the efficiency of the all new EZ Drive system, eliminating many of the mechanical components.

(Chain guard removed to show "roll-to-roll" chain drive feature.)

How the EZLogic� feature works� The conveyor is divided into accumulation zones ranging from 30 inches to 120 inches in length. Each zone is equipped with a drive. The drive is turned off when there are no pallets present or when pallets are accumulated, greatly reducing the operating cost over conventional pallet handling conveyors.

Application Information

SORTING

In the November issue, we discussed the types of conveyors used for sorting. This month, let�s look at the sortation system as a whole.

Each sortation system consists of four key areas:

1. Induction�Getting boxes onto the sorting conveyor

2. Identification�Reading a code with some type of reader

3. Tracking and Sorting�What logic or computer will tell the case where to go

4. Verification�Assuring the case went to the proper place

This month, we will look at INDUCTION and the issues involved with feeding the boxes or cases into the sorting conveyor.

INDUCTION ...is the input of boxes onto a sorting conveyor and is usually made with a single conveyor. The purpose of induction is to have a place to start timing or counting boxes, create a gap, and bring the cases up to sorting conveyor speed.

The accumulating conveyor upstream from the induction conveyor permits the system to hold or accumulate boxes, if the system requires it.


	Here is a possible induction for the ProSort conveyor. Note that two induction conveyors are used to bring the speed up to that of the sorter.

When a box enters the sorting conveyor, it will be necessary to start the timing after the code is read. This may be done using a photo eye that sees the leading edge of the box or by simply knowing when the bar code read-out has been completed at the reader. For labels which are not located at the same place on each box, a separate photo eye must be used

If a belt conveyor is used, it is easy to track the box since we can also do it with time or by counting RPMs. If a roller bed conveyor is used, timing is difficult due to box slippage. Here, we can use a micro-processor (computer) to count the boxes in such a way that, regardless of box slippage or speed, only the sequence must be maintained. This requires a slightly different program than when the box is timed, and will work on most slow and medium speed sortation systems. Sorting boxes on rollers at high speed is not advisable since box gap may not be maintained due to box slippage on the rollers.

One unit not yet discussed that helps make our system work is the encoder RPM Counter (also known as a Pulse Generator) which will be required on most systems where boxes are being timed to the diverter. This unit counts RPMs for the computer or PLC to keep it informed of the belt speed so that proper timing may be maintained to activate the diverter. In the case of the high speed diverter (ProSort models), timing is accomplished by counting divert shoes

When its all put together, you might have something like the picture on the left.

Top Distributors
For the Month by Volume...

December 2001

Jonesboro... Bastian Material Handling Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana
. . . . .	. . . . .
Stockyard... Bastian Material Handling Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana	International... Intek USA, Morrisville, North Carolina