Midlands based Conveyor Systems Ltd offer a unique combination of engineering skills and a wealth of experience in providing materials handling solutions tailored to suit individual requirements across a wide range of industries.

image003[2]Using state-of-the-art three dimensional designs, CSL provide the optimum solution to a customer’s handling requirements. These can be viewed as CAD drawings for dimensional detail and in 3D models for visualisation of scheme layouts.

CSL offer simple, cost effective modular conveyor solutions either as a stand-alone or to integrate with other OEM handling and packaging equipment.

A CSL project encompasses installation, commissioning and integrated controls with software for complete automated turnkey materials handling systems.

WLN – As the Conveyors category experts, how has the category been performing in the last 12 months? What are the major trends and developments?

Over the last year CSL have seen a sharp rise in requirements from companies who are looking to invest to improve efficiency, increased volumes and reduce long term costs. This has been specifically noticed in companies with e-commerce operations whose volumes are increasing exponentially. CSL’s market share has increased significantly in this area due to a more competitive edge with smaller overheads and UK manufactured conveyors as compared to the large multinational conveying companies shipping conveyors in from overseas.

WLN – What are your core products and services: what are you best known for providing?

Our core product range comprises of box/tote handling conveyor systems, with the ability to provide merging, transferring and sortation from low – high throughputs.

The range can start with simple powered roller conveyor for transit, with Zero Line Pressure (ZLP) systems for non-contact accumulation, through to the latest technology in sortation, which can handle/sort anything from poly/jiffy bags to boxes or totes.

Another key product is the integration of spiral elevators within our systems, to provide transportation to/from multiple floor levels. These units are the most compact on the market and are reversible as standard.

CSL have supplied almost 100 spiral elevators over a period of 15 years so have built up an enviable reputation with our accumulated knowledge and personal service, as the number one supplier of these units in the UK.

WLN – What developments or upgrades have you made to your core products and services in the last 12 months?

The last 12 months has seen numerous upgrades to CSL systems, many of these are due to advances in technology and the need to handle more and more varied products on the same system in conjunction with higher throughputs. CSL has moved to employ the use of fibre optic sensors and specialised sortation conveyors to cope with the increasingly shallow product heights and high speed sortation. CSL have also worked with various OEM’s to offer an integrated order verification process, these include check weighers, metal detectors, labellers and barcode scanners.

With growing pressure to provide green and energy efficient systems particularly in larger schemes, CSL has turned to the utilisation of 24V ZLP (zero Line pressure) non contact accumulation conveyors which incorporate a sleep mode as standard and only run when it detects product or if the area downstream is free of product.

The requirement for increased volumes is creating a larger demand for pallet handling.  In order to provide effective systems to cater for higher speed pallet layouts, CSL has now developed a powered roller bend for both pallets and larger items which gives continuous transit through 90° or 180?, precluding the need for the more conventional methods such as transfers or turntables. This development, besides being more cost effective, is much faster, eliminates the excessive use of moving parts and greatly reduces the control system complexity.

Finally, one of the biggest changes upcoming in the market is a client base operating in the fulfillment industry that uses Royal Mail for distribution. The use of Royal Mail totes for shipping has increased, driving the need for conveyor systems to handle the sortation and despatch. CSL have gained substantial experience in high speed handling and sortation for many companies and have also worked with multiple machine manufacturers who specialise in this industry to fully automate a system.

Box-Handling-Conveyor

WLN – What makes you the ‘go to’ supplier in your area of expertise?

For customer “peace-of-mind” CSL has always provided the full turnkey design-to- commissioning service and offer a wealth of experience and knowledge. Over the last 18 years CSL have conveyed a vast number of product types in many different environments. To assist in the visualisation stage of a proposal CSL can provide a 3D drawing showing the proposed scheme illustrating how this will integrate into a customer’s site.

WLN – Have you launched any new products and services in the past year? How are they performing?

Due to the increase in e-commerce enquiries and companies requiring rapid sortation CSL felt the need to enhance its product range by adding a DARB (Double Activated Roller Belt) system which can quickly and accurately sort/divert products ranging from poly/ jiffy bags – to large boxes/totes. This conveyor range can provide 90° transfers to multiple lanes up to 4000 products per hour.

WLN – Which industry sectors are your customers in? …are you looking to diversify?

CSL have a wide range of customers in numerous industry sectors, the most common ones include food and beverages, e-commerce, pharmaceutical, automotive parts, packaging, consumer goods, printers, home textiles, warehousing etc!

There are no specific plans to diversify but CSL will never turn down a challenge and welcome the opportunity to provide a solution to convey a product not previously handled or turned down by our competitors.

WLN – Can you name some of your major customers and tell us about the work you do for them?

Due to confidentiality we cannot name specific clients suffice to say that in the last 12 months we have carried out “ turnkey” conveyor installations for companies in industries ranging from Logistics, e-commerce, major supermarket, food and drink, automotive, printing, textiles and pharmaceuticals to name but a few !

3D-Illustration-of-Turnkey-Handling-System
WLN – Can you tell us about your latest major projects, and what they involve?

September 2014 saw the completion of a £400k+ project for an international outsourcing warehouse facility in the Midlands. The project comprised 36 consolidation/packing stations feeding onto 2 bespoke conveyors running alongside. These were designed to ensure correct spacing of the parcels on the belt for both merging, passing through a barcode scanner array reading station and check weigher. Accepted parcels then elevate up a belt conveyor onto a high speed cross roller sortation system which diverts them down one of 4 chutes ready to be loaded onto a pallet/cage for carrier collection. The system is specifically designed to handle a wide variety of products ranging from small 100g jiffy bags up to 30kg boxes. A fifth chute accepts rejects and non-reads.

WLN – Have you made any big moves recently in terms of investment in the business, recruitment and so on?

2014 saw the introduction of CSL’s own in-house Marketing Department using the latest state of the art graphics and publishing software. Headed up by a newly appointed Marketing specialist, the new department will now produce all literature and manage the company’s online presence including social media.

WLN – What was your company’s single biggest achievement in the last year?

A returning customer is always a notable achievement for any company as it shows the initial project was more than satisfactory for the end user. During 2013/2014, as in past years, CSL saw numerous customers return for expansions, new projects and installs at different sites all of which are a great honour. One that stands out for me is a recent enquiry from a Company who gave us the very first order we ever had and after almost 18 years and 12 orders totaling £500k later, is very happy to continue working with us.

WLN – What are your plans for 2015? Are you planning to bring out any more products or services, move into new markets or enter new countries?

CSL is making plans to increase its scope by offering extra items of pivotal machinery such as metal detectors, tape sealers, pallet wrappers, strappers, check weighers etc which are commonly used in the industries we serve. CSL would like to move closer to being a true one-stop-shop and in the process increase its customer base.

At the moment there are no plans to move into new countries but as often quoted “never say never!”

WLN – Are you exhibiting at any major trade shows this year?

Due to the success of the 2014 PPMA show and before it had even finished, CSL were quick to re-book a similar stand position for the 2015 PPMA show which is to be held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Also due to our previous success, a large stand has also been reserved for the IMHX Materials Handling Show in 2016, also to be held at the NEC.

WLN – What are your predictions for the industry in 2015?

Due to many companies cutting operating expenditure the option of outsourcing warehouse and despatch facilities from Logistic specialists is getting more and more common. 2015 is likely to see a further increase in many well known brands closing their own warehouses in favour of a specialist outsourcing partner.

WLN – What other headline news from your company can our readers look forward to reading about in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2015?

We are looking forward to reporting that Conveyor Systems Ltd (CSL) has succeeded in its main goals by both greatly expanding the customer base and achieving a record sales turnover!

Phone: 01283 552255

Email: sales@conveyorsystemsltd.co.uk

Web: www.conveyorsystemsltd.co.uk

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