DARB Technology Saves $63,000 Annually for Tire Manufacturer

Transporting green tires is always difficult. Experiencing jams, scrap, and dealing with high maintenance pop ups and roller switches, a global tire manufacturer was ready for a change. The tire manufacturer turned to Intralox for assistance replacing one green tire sorter, one green tire merger, and one green tire transfer.

Intralox determined that the best solution was its patented Dual-Stacked Angled Roller Belt (DARB) S4500 technology. DARB conveyors divert products at a 90-degree angle gently and accurately without the use of pushers or other devices that may damage product. A pneumatic actuation divert zone within the carryway activates the rollers in the belt, causing the product to move perpendicularly to its initial direction of travel. The DARB Sorter S4500 sorts unidirectionally.

One DARB Merge S4500 and two DARB Sorters S4500 were installed during a scheduled plant shutdown in 2014. Two and half years later, all three units have been running with no reported performance or quality issues. Green tire scrap has been reduced by 70%, resulting in average annual scrap savings of $63,000 (€55,440).