Industry
Parcel
Application
Package sortation
Product
Flexco Hitch Guard
Objective
Reduce downtime from belt damage
Eliminate package damage
Conveyor Detail
Solid woven PVC belt
Problem:
One of the largest package delivery companies in the world was looking for a solution to their hitch problems. A hitch transfer enables a transition from a horizontal belt to an incline belt, in which packages move over the head pulley of a horizontal belt in a “waterfall” fashion and on to the inclined belt below, utilizing one continuous conveyor belt. Oftentimes, envelopes and small package parcel bags would get sucked back under the drop and end up being damaged by the bend pulley below. The gap that resulted in the waterfall drop was not only allowing packages to get sucked in and damaged, but also damaging the belt and even causing catastrophic splice failures.
Solution:
Being able to transfer items from a horizontal path to an incline is a must in the sortation process, so removing the hitch transfers was not an option. What was an option, however, was a Hitch Guard, which acts as a guide to help the packages smoothly transition over the hitch. After reviewing several homemade options, as well as some OEM choices, the package delivery company chose the Flexco Hitch Guard because of its segmented design, precision fit, and high visibility.
Result:
Flexco Hitch Guards were installed and the maintenance team immediately saw a reduction in damaged packages, as well as fewer problems with the belts. The tight seal of the Flexco Hitch Guard also reduced the potential for damage caused by foreign object debris. If a package or object did get stuck, one of the Hitch Guard’s segments spontaneously dislodged to save the belt and protect the product that was being conveyed. Because of the bright yellow color of the guard, it was easy for the maintenance team to see a missing segment and replace it, by simply snapping a replacement segment into place in a matter of seconds.