Pillow blocks allow easy, cheesy conveying

Preparing cheese for grocery store shelves involves many steps, one of which includes slicing large blocks of cheese into smaller portions. Often, this repackaging occurs at automated grocery distribution plants. In one such application, pillow blocks from igus Inc., East Providence, R.I., are used on a cutting machine's input guidance mechanism to center hunks of cheese weighing as much as 187 lb — and ensure that wheels and chunks are sliced properly.

The arms of the centralizing unit are mounted on the pillow blocks and then guided smoothly up from beneath a conveyor. The guides can act as potential bacteria traps, and are inaccessible for maintenance — so they are subjected to severe washdowns. Fortunately, the maintenance-free DryLin pillow blocks are water and chemical resistant, will not corrode, and have virtually no cavities in which food can lodge. For more information, visit www.igus.com.

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Conveying solutions online

Common motor requirements for conveyor systems include low vibration, precise stopping, environment resistance, suitable acceleration/deceleration capabilities, and position retention. Various motors are used for high-precision feed and digital control, but dust-resistant, watertight ac motors are suitable when environmental elements are a factor. To view several conveyor systems in action, check out the nifty animations and motor choices featured at Oriental Motor's website, www.orientalmotor.com/applications/index.html.

Kinder, gentler conveying

A new module lifts and lowers crushable packages and cartons more gently than wedge conveyors. Made by Bosch Rexroth Corp., Buchanan, Mich., the modules work with the company's VarioFlow Modular Conveyor Systems. The new elevators and lowerators combine non-marring flocked chain with soft overhead rollers for gentle upward or downward product transport through vertical curves, including those with steep angles. For more information, visit www.boschrexroth-us.com.

Vector duty motor conveys efficiency

The newly released TENV Vector Duty Motor line from WEG Electric Corp., Suwanee, Ga., is designed to deliver a 1,000:1 constant torque, even over a wide speed range. The efficient, inverter-duty motors are suited to conveyors, cranes and hoists, extruders, and more. Special features include numerous mounting configurations, thermistors, a space heater, IP56, 65, and 66 ratings, tropicalized internal painting, special shaft seals, encoder, and brake. For more information, visit www.weg.net.

Ball transfer units handle heavy loads

J.W. Winco Inc., New Berlin, Wis., now makes a series of GN 509 steel and stainless ball transfer units. These metric-sized components are typically used on conveyor tracks, to enable linear or rotary movement of heavy loads. Three versions are available; all are RoHS compliant. Transfer units have a load capacity of 500 to 2,000 N, depending on size and type. For more information, visit www.jwwinco.com.