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60 Second Explainer Video

MODU flexible chain conveyors are smooth and efficient conveyors, able to transport products across factories with ease. They have the options of a wide variety of chains, bends, guides and supports. These key elements mean they can be installed by MONK to suit each customer’s specific requirements. The MODU design allows the conveyors to travel horizontally, on inclines and even vertically fitting the needs of many factories.

These conveyors are fast and effective, increasing productivity in factories and providing a reliable product flow. Guide rails included keep products on track enhancing safety and proficiency for the production line and staff.

 

Technology and Control

A key part of any MODU conveyor system is the electrical conveyor control system and software. This controls how the system operates and provides control and information to staff and maintenance. We design and build automation and conveyor control systems and carry out full mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and software installation and setup.

Our electrical control panels are designed and built in-house. We also have our own software engineering team for both PLC and PC warehouse-based software. This helps us provide a high level of flexibility and maximum support to our customers.

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Packing Lines

Packing Conveyor Lines are designed around packing tables and benches to help to reduce manual handling and improve efficiency. Packing Lines convey either packing material or products to and from the packing staff. This allows them to focus on packing and not spend time moving material or products around.

Our packing lines can control the flow of products and make sure that every person is continually fed with work. The system is easy to use and improves efficiency. Packing stations are also designed to be ergonomic and comfortable for staff to use.

 

We also supply Belt Conveyors, Roller, Pallet, Carton Lifts, Spiral Conveyors, Flexible Chain, Matt Top all with full Electrical Control, Software and Installation.

Monk Conveyors supply and install full-working conveyor systems which are designed to suit your specific needs. We install full pneumatic and electrical control with operator touch screens if required.

Our control systems range from simple stop starts up to barcode capable controls, capable of communicating with your Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Tel: +44 (0)1252 369800
Email: sales@monk-conveyors.co.uk

Developing good relationships with suppliers like IFM helps us select the best products and use the latest technology. IFM Electronic visited us to ask about our company, and how quality products along with strong technical support is so important. Watch the video interview to find out more.

We work with companies like IFM because they have the same common goal.  To supply the best products and services to our customers.

 

Visit MONK Technology Website Pages

Our website has been updated with more information on the Technology we use in our systems. A key part of any automation machinery or system is the electrical technology, control system and software. This controls how the system operates and provides information to staff and maintenance.

Our electrical control panels are designed and built in house. We also have our own software engineering team for both PLC and PC based software. This helps us provide a high level of flexibility and maximum support to our customers.

• Conveyor and Automation Control Systems
• Operator Conveyor Control Touch Screens
• Operator Interface Screens with Video
• Remote Access
• PLC Control Software
• Warehouse Management PC Software & WMS
• IO Link and Profinet
• Barcode Scanners & RFID Readers
• KPI and Screen Reporting
• Vision Systems

The Head of Online Fulfilment for Card Factory explains how efficient Sortation Systems and Packing Lines have helped with the growth of the company.

Sortation System

A sortation system automatically separates and sorts products into different bin locations. Product moves continuously through the system and therefore high levels of throughput can be achieved.

The sortation project shown in the video sorts greetings cards, bags, and gifts into 40 bin locations. The barcode is read and the product travels to the correct bin with smooth and safe operation.

Fast moving industries such as Retail, Online Fulfilment, Warehouse and Distribution centres can see major improvements in efficiency and capability. We will work closely with you to understand your process and design a system which works within current and future needs.

Click to Learn More

 

Packing Lines

Packing Conveyor Lines are designed around packing tables and benches to help to reduce manual handling and improve efficiency. Packing Lines convey either packing material or products to and from the packing staff. This allows them to focus on packing and not spend time moving material or products around.

Our packing lines can control the flow of products and make sure that every person is continually fed with work. The system is easy to use and improves efficiency. Packing stations are also designed to be ergonomic and comfortable for staff to use.

Click to Learn More

 

Our engineers have built up over 25 years experience in conveying and handling equipment. Call us today 01252 369800 and we will be happy to discuss your application.

 

We also supply Belt Conveyors, Roller, Pallet, Carton Lifts, Spiral Conveyors, Flexible Chain, Matt Top all with full Electrical Control, Software and Installation.

Monk Conveyors supply and install full working systems which are designed to suit your specific needs. We install full pneumatic and electrical control with operator touch screens if required.

Our control systems range from simple stop starts up to barcode capable controls, capable of communicating with your Warehouse Management System (WMS).

A Pick to Light System shows staff quickly and efficiently where they should pick from. The system lights up a tote bin, shelf location or pocket (pigeon hole) within a stores/warehouse area. Staff see the light and know instantly this is the location of the product they need to pick.

“This system maximizes product storage in a small footprint. It greatly reduces picking time and the chance of picking mistakes”

A Pick to Light system can have a massive impact by increasing:

1. Speed as staff do not have to look for a location or use memory to know where a type of product is.
2. Efficiency because work which is close together can be picked together. Therefore, reducing the amount of walking.
3. Accuracy as staff will pick from a location that has a light, there is less chance of an error by picking from the wrong location.

 

Optical Industry

MONK has established ourselves as a leading company in the Optical Industry with installations around the world.

“Improve efficiency of your optical lab with an automatic conveyor feed system for your job trays. Our systems are design to ensure that every processing machine is kept continuously fed with work”

The design of our optical lab conveyor systems, take into consideration your machine capability, site capacity, available footprint and people integration.

• We offer small systems through to full factory installations which feed job trays through many processes within the lab.
• Our systems are stand-alone and work with many different processing machines.
• Conveyor feed systems are easy to modify, reconfigure and expand as your business grows.

Our engineers have built up over 25 years experience in conveying and handling equipment. Please contact us or call 01252 369800 and we will be happy to discuss your application.

In October 2020 MONK Conveyors were approached by the University of Southampton to see if we were willing to work on an automation project for the NHS. This was part of a new COVID testing facility where non-invasive LAMP saliva testing was being setup in an automated environment. The task given to us was to design a conveyor-based feed system for COVID test samples being delivered to the site every day.

The challenge was the very short lead time, as it was a race against time to get this facility operating. At the time vaccinations had not yet been rolled out and a cancelled Christmas was looming. Because we hold conveyor parts in stock in the UK and have good engineering design capability, we were very keen to do what we could to help the test facility and the NHS.

Our existing customers generously agreed to delay some of their own projects, so we could focus on the COVID system. Designed to handle up to 100,000 samples per day if the need arrived. Our system was to receive bagged live test samples, and distribute them into a room of 28 staff who would unpack the bags and remove the test tube samples ready for testing. A network of outfeed conveyors and specially designed sorting equipment would feed them on to the next part of the process.

The system was design and built in our factory, before shipping and installing in the NHS test facility in Southampton. The whole project was put together in record time and was ready in go live within the tight deadline.

In January of 2021 design work began on a second room. Our task was to automate the feeding of test vials up through the floor and then distribute them to 40 Automata EVA Robots. We designed bespoke conveyors, pneumatic gates, pushers, sensors and indexing star wheels to sort and handle the test vials. Then a precise push and gate device to present test vials to each Robot position. The Robot system would then automatically remove the cap and take the samples dose from the tube.

It was challenging and rewarding to be part of this project and working alongside the other suppliers and NHS staff. It was satisfying to know that our work was helping in a small way to be a part of the fight against COVID and improving the automation of this new NHS testing facility.

Our engineers have built up over 25 years experience in conveying and handling equipment. Please contact us or call 01252 369800 and we will be happy to discuss your application.

MONK have been providing Conveyor Systems and Product handling solutions to a wide range of industries for over 25 years. Designing a handling system tailored specifically to your needs involves careful consideration of your product, operators, machine throughput and line capacity.

Our wide range of products and experience helps us work with you to meet all of your essential business demands. We work with you to provide the best production solution to move materials and products around your factory. Our goal is to provide cost effective solutions with the highest level of service.

Our roller conveyors are a proven cost-efficient solution for the many meters of track used in handling and delivering totes and parcels in warehouses or packing halls. Pallets can also be handled on our special purpose pallet system, feeding to robots, wrappers or racking.

The right conveyor system in your warehouse can reduce manpower, improve accuracy and increase productivity. We will design you a product feed system completely tailored to your site. Monks range of conveyors means we can use standard equipment to reliably handle the size and shapes of your product range.

We are very proud to have worked with The Norville Group, delivering on all of their requirements for new lines across Surfacing, Coating and Glazing. Our knowledge of the Optical Industry and experience helped us to work with Nevil Trotter on completing their project on time and to the highest standard. Take a look for yourself in our video interview…

We supply conveyor systems and product handling solutions to a wide range of industries. Designing a handling system involves careful consideration of product, operators, machines throughput and line capacity. Each industry has specific needs and our wide range of products and our experience help us work with customers to meet their requirements.

Our roller conveyors are a cost-efficient solution for the many metres of track used in handling totes and parcels in warehouses or packing halls. Pallets can also be handled on our special purpose pallet system, feeding to robots, wrappers or racking.

Our Flat Belt and MODU Flex Chain conveyors are ideal to handle everything from medical items, pharmaceutical & personal products, automotive components, wrapped food products, optical lenses, candles and many more. Larger heavy duty belt conveyors can handle cartons feeding between mezzanine floors and bagged laundry.

Our philosophy at MONK is to always look and apply the simplest solution possible. We have a comprehensive range of standard conveyors and automation devices.

By using as many standard products within our systems, they will be reliable, easy to maintain and cost effective. Our 25 years of engineering design capability means we can also manufacture special equipment and machinery. We can supply individual belt conveyors up to fully installed systems with electrical control and software.

Our engineers have built up over 25 years experience in conveying and handling equipment. Please contact us or call 01252 369800 and we will be happy to discuss your application.

Sortation systems automatically separate and sort products into different routes and conveyor lines. They can also dispense directly into bins, bags or stillages. Lines run with product moving continuously through the system and therefore high levels of throughput can be achieved.

Monk Conveyors used the Intralox ARB™ S7000 Sorter in one of our latest installations.  The S7000 bi-directionally sorts a wide range of products at high throughput rates of up to 500 per minute.  In this project, it was used for sorting greetings cards, bags and gifts into 40 bin locations. The Sorter can divert an item efficiently to the left or to the right of the main central conveyor with smooth and safe operation.

Click to view system video

 

Each product has a barcode which is scanned at the start of the line.  The product is then diverted off the central belt into the correct bin location.  There is a continuous flow of products with many on the belt at one time.  From an initial concept drawing the 3D CAD model brought the system to life ready for the build, installation and software.

Software takes the information from the barcode reader and controls the operation of the S7000 Sorter.  Our system communicates via TCP/IP to the customers Warehouse Management System (WMS). We receive barcode data from our scan and request job information from the WMS.  The job information is then used to route the product to the correct bin location.

 

An operator touch screen allows bin locations to be easily turned on and off. Active bins will be highlighted green and inactive bins highlighted red.

Any products which have already been scanned continue to the bin location which is switched off, but any new products continue to an end of line location so they can be manually checked and sorted.

 

 

A high specification Keyence SR-5000 barcode camera reader was used to reliably read a wide range of product barcodes.  This reader features an Ultra-wide field of view, reading depth and high-speed capabilities.

The camera-based system means products do not need to be orientated for them to be read and this cuts down on equipment costs.

 

 

 

Please contact us to discuss warehouse and sortation applications.

A fully automatic conveyor system designed to feed drinking cups from machine-to-machine.  Good access around the machines was maintained by utilising three vertical continuous lifts designed specifically for the product.  The compact lifts take up minimal floor space and lift product vertically up to high level conveyors.  This means product can be fed over walkways keeping the floor area clear.   

MODU System 85mm wide flexible chain conveyors were ideal for this project as they can be routed along straights, into curves and up or down inclines. 

 

Our control system was built to the customers site specification including software and communication with machines upstream and downstream.  If one of the machines stopped our system would pause until the machine restarts.

An operator touch screen positioned remotely from the main control panel, gave operators line information and control on the production floor. 

The system was developed in a short time to meet the customers deadline and included mechanical and electrical installation.  Service and maintenance contracts can be provided along with critical spares.   

Please contact us to discuss your product and application. 

 

Food Industry – Product Feeding 

Our customer provides frozen meals to the retail and wholesale sectors, producing for many of the UK’s biggest retailers and brands.  Their site is an 80,000 square ft state-of-the-art production facility. 

 

 

We Also Supply Spiral and Inter-Floor Conveyors 

Monk Conveyors supply and install full working systems which are designed to suit your specific needs.  We install full pneumatic and electrical control with operator touch screens if required.  Our control systems range from simple stop starts up to barcode capable controls, capable of communicating with your Warehouse Management System (WMS). 

Please contact us on 01252 369800 or email sales@monk-conveyors.co.uk for help and advice.