You've been searching the internet for a conveyor system or to get some ideas as to what is available and you keep coming across the terms ZLP conveyor or Zero Line Pressure conveyor. For those new to conveyors it's not immediately apparent what this means.
Have a read below and we will explain what ZLP conveyor is and what the benefits are to using it.
What is Zero Line Pressure (ZLP) Conveyor?
In brief, Zero Line Pressure is a type of conveyor designed to have zero build up of pressure between adjacent packages, totes or cartons.
Used primarily in scenarios where accumulation of product is required along a conveyor length to maximise productivity and throughput, ZLP ensures that product does not come into contact with each other leading to a build up in back pressure and ultimately product damage.
Advance Zero Line Pressure Conveyors
Advance have developed their SmartLine™ tote and carton conveyor and SmartLine™ stainless steel conveyor to offer a quality and efficient zero line pressure solution.
Utilising 24vDC Interroll roller drives Advance manufacture their ZLP lines in individually driven zones, designed to suit the maximum product length. These zones are manufactured and programmed as such that only one product will ever occupy a zone, thereby completely removing the risk of products/totes/cartons coming into contact with each other.
How do Zero Line Pressure conveyors work?
The following is a brief description of how Advance SmartLine™ ZLP conveyors work:
- The conveyor is split into individually driven zones along the length, for example a 20,000mm long conveyor split into 1000mm long zones, offering 20 accumulation positions along it's length.
- Each zone is fitted with a product recognition sensor that is connected to the onboard control system. This sensor tells the control system whether the zone is occupied or not.
- As product travels down the conveyor it will continue moving through zones, the control system will be checking the zone in front of the product to ensure it is empty.
- If the zone in front of the product is occupied the control system will stop the zone driving until the zone in front is clear.
- This allows the conveyor system to accurately manage the accumulation on the system with zero input required from operators.
The benefits of accumulating ZLP conveyor
So what are the benefits of using a zero line pressure conveyor system as opposed to accumulating on another type of conveyor?
Energy Efficient
With a zero line pressure conveyor system the zones only run when they need to. When they are not required or when the zone in front of them is full the drives stop. This makes them much more energy efficient than a more traditional roller conveyor which is constantly powered up.
Reduced Wear and Tear
Obviously with the drives and rollers only running when they are needed you are taking out a lot of running time and reducing wear on your equipment. Also, if you are accumulating on non-ZLP conveyor there is a build up in pressure as product builds up, this leads to increased wear on components.
Remove the risk of product damage
When products are allowed to come into contact with other on a conveyor, especially where a build up of products can occur, there is a risk of damage to the product. By removing the possibility of products ever coming into contact you remove the chance of damage.
Zero Line Pressure Accumulation Conveyor
Below is a video showing a test loop system integrating our SmartLine™ ZLP conveyor. This video shows the ZLP in action as well as showing how our system handles merges from one line to another.
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss a project with us then please get in touch.
Published: 24th May 2018