The Latest Advances in Drive Offerings for Conveyors, Part 1: Green Premium Power Drive System

Arrowhead Conveyor's Electrical Engineering Team continuously reviews the latest technology to ensure that our products deliver the best performance at the lowest possible operating cost. Our team recently focused their research efforts on drive technologies and have developed several new offerings.

The first drive offering we want to explain is the new Green Premium Power Drive System®. The system achieves progressive, high-efficiency performance by pairing new technology from DanFoss variable speed drives and Brother permanent magnet motors and encoders. This combination exceeds the new standard for IE3 green energy requirements, dramatically improves operating efficiency, and considerably reduces maintenance costs. Best of all, this leading-edge approach to product handling includes a 3-year warranty.

The new Green Premium Power Drive System masterfully performs the task while generating significant energy savings. As the chart illustrates, Permanent Magnet AC Motors (PMAC) perform at least 5% more efficiently than other motors in regards to both speed and power. In fact, we conducted several tests and discovered the following: a single 1 HP motor operated at a fully-loaded state with an energy cost of roughly .10 kWh creates a savings of approximately $86 per year. We also found that running an empty conveyor on a standard induction motor creates a minimum current draw of about 70% of the nameplate’s full load amp (FLA) rating. However, when running the Brother configuration under the same conditions, the result was 40% of the nameplate’s FLA rating. That is an additional 30% savings when using the gear motor and drive combination. 



The Green Premium Power Drive System also provides a wide range of operating speeds due to the Brother encoder. The system can achieve a ratio of 1000 to 1 compared to the non-closed loop package which performs at a ratio of less than 20 to 1. As a user, this means that you will not need to keep as many spare parts on-hand because one unit can cover a wider range of speeds.

Another benefit of the Green Premium Power Drive System is the sealed gearbox. First of all, because sealed gearboxes do not require oil changes, you eliminate maintenance tasks. Secondly, you can orient the motor/gearbox combination in any direction, giving you enhanced flexibility. Third, our studies show that on average, closed loop encoder units run at least 30°F cooler, and sometimes as much as 70°F cooler, compared to other units without encoders. This lower temperature equates to longer life for the units and safer conditions for your operators.

In future articles, we'll discuss the advantages of our other new offerings: Decentralized Control Systems as well as the Marathon Motor and Grove Gearbox Combination.

Download more information on the Green Premium Power Drive System.

Create a Winning Situation with the Right Sanitary Conveyor

Modern design features can drastically reduce operational costs

In the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, proper equipment cleaning and sanitation are paramount because the stakes are high. Few players want to gamble with consumer health, government regulations, or profit losses caused by delayed production line start-ups, product recalls, or plant shutdowns. But how much money do you lay out on the table for sanitation costs?

There are many suitable washdown and sanitary conveyor options that transport products in a safe, clean manner. But selecting the correct type of conveyor for your application is critical, especially in a large facility where hundreds or thousands of feet of conveyor are required. The wrong choice could cost a fortune in operating expenses.

Our new white paper, “Create a Winning Situation with the Right Sanitary Conveyor,” profiles the design features of sanitary conveyor and helps you determine which conveyor options quickly pay for themselves through reduced operating costs. Learn how conveyor features can affect the following:

• Benefit the environment and the company's bottom line
• Reduce labor and improve food safety
• Safeguard against workplace hazards

Download White Paper

The Power of the Bison

A herd of bison usually roams our booth at trade shows

At the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver last month, attendees were drawn to the Arrowhead Systems booth by the herd of bison roaming the display table. The little bison-shaped stress relievers proved an icebreaker from which multiple inquiries flowed. 

In fact, one particular topic of conversation came up quite often. Many attendees were of the opinion that Arrowhead Systems “just does conveyor systems.” They were not aware that the Arrowhead Systems family of companies encompasses so much more.

Here is a sampling of conversations that we had with both growing and established craft brewers:

• We spoke to an Operations Manager from a growing craft brewer who had just purchased a used piece of equipment for his facility. As it turned out, this equipment was built by one of our competitors. The Operations Manager needed someone to provide a machine audit and subsequently re-install his new toy. We showed him the capabilities of Arrowhead Systems, with a specific emphasis on A&B Engineering’s ability to install and repair our competitor’s machinery. This turned out to be a solid fit for this craft brewer’s expansion needs.
• We also heard from a well-established craft brewer who had recently purchased a new filler, lifting their capacity from 72 bottles per minute to almost 400 bottles per minute. The craft brewer’s operations team was concerned that their existing depalletizer would not allow them to maximize their upgraded capabilities, and they were not in the market for a fully automated depalletizer. We described the full range of Busse depalletizers designed to fit his needs. However, if he decided to purchase a used piece of equipment, A&B Engineering could assist by providing audits, repairs, relocation, and training.

Overall, attendees at the Craft Brewers Conference found that Arrowhead Systems is much more than “just a conveyor company.” While Arrowhead Conveyor manufactures a wide array of conveyor systems, Busse/SJI is a leader in palletizing and depalletizing equipment. In addition, A&B Engineering Services provides a full array of service solutions including field service, equipment relocation and installation, audits, upgrades, line controls, safety enhancements, training, and parts. Arrowhead Systems assists you in increasing productivity with full-scale solutions. We also take care of you with comprehensive service on your Arrowhead Systems equipment and other major brands.

John Biel - Aftermarket Sales Representative for A&B Engineering Services

P.S. If you’re looking to get your hands on a bison-shaped stress reliever, visit us at Pack Expo in Chicago on November 2-5, 2014.