Systems Integrator: Atlas
Equipment Company (San Diego, CA)
Supporting a
Mission Critical Operation
Heavy-duty conveyors help SPARTA
automate manual operation, achieve new levels of productivity.
Everyone
talks about their products being mission critical, but in the
case of SPARTA Inc., they really are. The company's San
Diego-based Composites Products division makes the hardware
that goes into some of the military's most advanced weaponry.
For example, SPARTA's composites product is a key component in
the U.S. Army's "Javelin" man-portable anti-tank
missiles.
When you're in the business of supporting the country's
front-line soldiers, you have to make certain that every aspect of your
operation is reliable and efficient. And that includes the materials
handling operations associated with making those products.
SPARTA
adheres to the philosophy of continuous improvement throughout its supply
chain operations.
A good example of this can be seen at the company's San Diego production
facility, which makes the hardware used in the housing for the Javelin
missiles.
In the past, this operation had relied heavily on a few
basic gravity conveyors and a lot of physical exertion. That's all
changed. Today, the facility uses heavy-duty conveyor equipment from
Hytrol to move product through the production processes. In addition, the
company is in the process of adding new equipment to make the San Diego
center even more productive in the future. Assisting SPARTA with these
projects is Atlas Equipment Co., a systems integrator and distributor of
Hytrol equipment based in San Diego. Safety
and Efficiency Prior to
adding the powered conveyor equipment, the load frames and
other materials handled in San Diego were moved around the
production center on gravity conveyors and were handled
manually. The problem, however, was that load frames carrying
the composite materials used for the missile housings
typically weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds. In addition to the
obvious ergonomics problems, this situation brought with it
productivity and potential safety issues. Without an automated
materials-flow system, congestion increased throughout the
facility as new production lines were added. This was not an
optimum situation, either from a productivity or safety
standpoint. Now,
hardware moves from one production area to the next smoothly
and with minimum manual effort. The heart of the system is the
chain-driven live rollers that connect the various production
processes. The load frames are transferred from one line to
the next by means of powered chain transfers. These units move
products at right angles to the connecting conveyor lines. An
air actuator lifts the transfer mechanism while powered chains
transfer the product.
"With the new power lifts and chain transfers, the
load frames change direction very easily," says Joseph R. Cook,
principal manufacturing engineer for SPARTA’s Composites Products
Operation. "It's a much smoother operation than we had before."
Hardware can now move throughout the facility in a more
automated — and much more efficient — manner. Chain-driven conveyors
transport the load frames from the lay-up room, where the
production-preparation activities take place, to the main production area.
Powered transfers then divert the frames down one of three lines serving
the mold-closing stations.
Once the composites product is cured in the
mold-closing station, the load frames are moved via the chain-driven
conveyors to the mold-opening area. There the composites product is
separated from the mold, the mold is cleaned, and the load frame is
released for transport back to lay-up for reuse. The facility now
processes more than 1,600 parts a month. In short, it's a straightforward
system well suited to the compact 36,000 square-foot facility.
Enhancements for the Future
Management
at SPARTA has high praise for the manner in which the conveyor
equipment was installed. "We never stopped production at
any point during the installation," Business Manager
Matthew Barraco recalls. "The people at Atlas Equipment
worked around our schedule and our operations. The entire
installation went smoothly and right on schedule."
Up and running for about a year now, the new
installation already has delivered a number of important benefits. SPARTA
is able to do more with less manpower — in an environment that is safer
and ergonomically friendly for employees.
Productivity and efficiency will increase even further,
management believes, with the upcoming addition of several new conveyor
components. One is a zero-pressure accumulating conveyor in the line
leading from the lay-up room to the main production area. This segment
will incorporate the EZ Logic feature, enabling more efficient staging and
flow of product into the production processes. SPARTA also plans to add
additional chain-driven units to replace the ball transfer tables still in
place. Atlas Equipment is installing this new equipment as well.
"Essentially, we're moving toward a fully
automated operation," sums up Business Manager Barraco. Going
forward, these kinds of improvements will enable SPARTA to continue to
carry out its mission-critical operation.
The SPARTA Production Facility
Load frames housing the composites product move from
the lay-up room to the main production
area on chain-driven live roller conveyor. Powered chain transfers send
the frames down one of three lines serving the mold-closing stations. Once
the material is cured, the load frames are transported to the mold-opening
area. There the product is removed and the frames are cleaned and sent
back on the chain-driven line to lay-up for reuse. SPARTA is adding an
accumulating line with EZ Logic between lay-up and the production area to
more effectively control the flow of material.
A Closer Look At The Distribution
Warehouse
Company: SPARTA,
Inc
Facility: Production Center
Location: San Diego, CA
Size: 36,000 square feet
Employees: 45 (two shifts)
Key Personnel: Matthew Barraco, business manager;
Joseph R. Cook, principal manufacturing engineer
Product Handled: Composites
products for missiles
Throughput: Approximately 1,600 parts per
month
Shipment Method: Primarily LTL
Types of conveyors: Chain-driven live roller
(25-CRR), chain transfer (CT-3000), ball transfer
tables Coming: Zero-pressure accumulating (190-SPEZ)
Conveyor Supplier: Hytrol Conveyor Inc., Jonesboro, AR
Systems Integrator: Atlas Equipment Co., San
Diego, CA
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