Power and free overhead conveyor
Drive chain and load track are separate, so carriers can stop, queue and switch tracks; common on paint and assembly lines for cars, appliances and furniture, with a continuous enclosed-track entry model.
Drive chain and load track are separate, so carriers can stop, queue and switch tracks; common on paint and assembly lines for cars, appliances and furniture, with a continuous enclosed-track entry model.
A power and free conveyor has two tracks: above, a continuously running power chain; below, a free track carrying the load carriers. Carriers can disengage from the chain to stop at a workstation, queue before an oven or switch to another line, so the system follows the process cycle. An enclosed-track overhead conveyor runs its chain continuously inside a closed C-section track: simple and economical where parts move at constant speed without stops. Both keep parts overhead and leave the floor to people and machines.
Typical uses
- Paint lines for automotive parts and bodies
- Powder coating and curing of appliance housings and sheet metal
- Coating furniture and aluminium profiles
- Transport and buffering between assembly stations
How to choose
- Whether carriers must stop and switch: independent stops, queues, switches or lifts need power and free; constant continuous flow suits enclosed track
- Load per carrier and per linked carrier set
- Whether it passes pretreatment, spray booths and hot ovens, which sets track, chain temperature rating and lubrication
- Whether the roof steel can carry it, or there is floor space for columns
When it is not the right choice
- Parts must stop at stations, queue before ovens or take several branches: not enclosed track; choose power and free
- Garments on hangers or small e-commerce items: choose a garment-on-hanger system or pocket sorter
- Cartons and pallets in an ordinary warehouse: floor roller, belt or pallet conveyors cost less
Key figures
| Power and free capacity | Published light and medium ratings about 91–181 kg per trolley, about 363 kg for one series' four-trolley load bar; heavier duty per project (load bars up to about 9 t appear in published data) |
|---|---|
| Enclosed track capacity | Published light-medium ratings about 113 kg per trolley, about 454 kg for four linked; heavier duty per project |
| Functions | Stops, accumulation, switches, lift sections |
| Environment | Through pretreatment, booths and ovens, specified by temperature and corrosion |
| Support | Hung from roof steel or on floor columns |
Figures are typical configuration ranges; exact specifications are set per project.
Options
- Lift and drop sections
- Automatic loading and unloading stations
- Carrier identification and production records
- High-temperature chain and lubrication
Scope of supply
- Machine, drives and control cabinet, assembled and dry-run tested before shipping
- The equipment's own control and fleet software; interfaces to your existing WMS / ERP as the project requires
- Drawings: general arrangement, foundation and anchor plan, electrical schematics
- Conformity documents for the equipment and the whole line, the split of responsibilities and the acceptance criteria are set out in the contract according to the project scope
- Spare-parts list and wear-part recommendation; a first batch can ship with the equipment
- Factory acceptance (FAT): attend in person or follow by live video
- Installation, commissioning and operator training can be included in the offer
What we need for an offer
- Part and carrier size, maximum weight and hanging method
- Cycle time, dwell at each station, buffer size and number of switches
- Process zones passed and their temperature and corrosion (pretreatment, booths, maximum oven temperature)
- Building plans, clear height, level changes, allowed roof loads or column positions