The use of a ball transfer table was not proving to be an effective solution. The bins with a narrow steel frame base were difficult to control and the ball transfers failed more frequently than was acceptable.
The manufacturer challenged their conveyor supplier to come up with a more effective product for transferring the parts bins through the workstation from one line to the other.
The Rotacaster Solution
The conveyor company used M agnus Mobility’s Max Performance Conveyor Rollers to solve this problem. Max Performance Conveyor Rollers use the Rotacaster multi-directional wheel to provide easy and controllable movement in all directions. The Max Performance Rollers were installed in an existing conveyor section, replacing 1.9” steel rollers as a retrofit.
The Results
The parts bins are now easy to control and move, requiring less force by employees than the ball transfer table. The product selected was a 32” Max Performance Roller with the Rotacaster R2-0484-99 wheel on 2” centers. Rollers were installed on 3” centers. The solution requires no power to the Rotacasters and minimal maintenance, while delivering reliable productivity.