The assembly handles soft drink, beer, wine, food, and other household products. It distributes items from a nested pattern into multiple lanes. As the lanes fill and items accumulate in the low-pressure area, electronic sensors signal the conveyor to increase speed, which maintains balance. Each lane carries items downstream where lanes narrow and the items line up with lane guides. Monitoring lanes and controlling conveyor speeds let items enter lanes with low pressure and zero gaps. The infeed operates at speeds up to 2,000 bottles/min. Initial set up lets operators complete changes without adjusting settings during production.

Standard-Knapp Inc., 63 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480, (860) 342-1100, standard-knapp.com