MCM Overhead Conveyor Installations at Mitras Automotive (UK) Ltd

MCM Conveyors has completed the fourth of a series of overhead conveyor installations which have vastly improved storage and handling efficiencies at Mitras Automotive (UK)’s Winsford manufacturing plant over the last two years.

Mitras manufactures specialised resin moulded components for the automotive industry. Major clients include Ford, Vauxhall, Renault and ERF. Components are produced in relatively large volumes by a compression moulding technique, prior to being assembled as necessary and finally painted to the customer’s specification.

Replacing floor space storage and forklift transportation, MCM has installed four separate systems to improve storage and handling of components during production.

The first installation constituted an MCM Powertrack 30 system with a total overall length of approx 300 m, which carries Ford Transit front panels from the moulding area to the paint line conveyor. Components are manually hung onto purpose designed carriers on the system. The track then rises to high level and runs down the centre of the factory prior to descending to low level where the components are manually transferred to the paint line conveyor. In view of the total loading, the system has dual drives and all the high level runs of track have safety underguarding.

The second installation was a Powertrack 30 system arranged in a small loop configuration to convey front panels for the new Renault van between the various moulding and assembly stages. The components are placed onto purpose designed carriers at 915 mm pitches at the moulding station, for subsequent transfer to the riveting operations at a production rate of 72 components per hour. Because of extreme space limitations, the use of an overhead conveyor meant that the delivery and return carriers could pass within a gap of just 900 mm between the production machines.

Thirdly, a Powertrack 100 system was installed to store and transfer Vauxhall Frontera roof canopies from the trimming operation to the paint line. Two products are manually placed on each carrier. The track rises to high level above a mezzanine floor, prior to descending back to low level where the components are transferred to the paint line conveyor.

The system has an overall length of 110 m and has a storage capacity of 96 components. This enables components to be manufactured in batches and finally finished to the customer’s requirements.

A variable speed facility ensures that the optimum speed can be set according to whether the system is being loaded or unloaded.

The final system installed was a Powertrack 30 system to transfer Land Rover roof spoilers from the moulding lines to the paint line conveyor. Again components are loaded and unloaded manually at ground level and the track then rises to high level, to run alongside the Powertrack 100 system. The products are placed onto purpose designed carriers fitted at 2,058 mm pitches, giving a total storage capacity in excess of 1,300 components.

In view of the overall system length of 236 m dual drives with full variable speed control are fitted to cater for the relatively high total loading. All the systems were installed without disruption to the client’s production.

Mitras Automotive (UK) Engineering Manager Carl Kettle said: “The MCM systems have made a massive difference to our storage efficiency during production. Combining both storage and transportation, the systems have freed up massive amounts of floor space, and throughput is now definitely faster. There is also less product damage and the whole operation is now much more streamlined and efficient. It’s a vast improvement over the old methods, without a shadow of a doubt.

“As well as the obvious technical expertise of the company, we were also very impressed by the lead time offered by MCM, as well as the fact that they were able to complete the installation without disruption to existing production. After the success of the first installation, we had no hesitation in calling on them to complete the second third and fourth installations, which have proved just as worthwhile.”