Intralox Empowers Magowan Tyres to Double Distribution Center Capacity

Customer Objectives

Magowan Tyres has over 50 years’ experience in the tire distribution industry, handling distribution and delivery for major tire manufacturers all over the world. To meet export demand, the company wanted to increase handling capacity at its newest distribution facility in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

Operations at Magowan Tyres’ 105,000-sq-ft (32,000-sq-m) distribution center were labor intensive. Workers manually unloaded tires from incoming containers, which required heavy lifting in confined workspaces and made inventory management a challenge. Tires were then redistributed using an inefficient system of flat belts and gravity rollers that demanded regular monthly maintenance due to tracking and alignment issues.

The company turned to Intralox and OEM ConveyorTek for a technological solution that would improve working conditions, provide inventory control, and increase the distribution center’s inflow and output.

Intralox Solution

Intralox employed its Series 4400 Transverse Roller Top (TRT) belting to streamline Magowan Tyres’ operations. This allowed conveyor paths to extend into containers for easier unloading, using the TRT belt’s 90-degree turn and transfer capability to merge incoming tires efficiently. Other advantages of S4400 TRT belting include:

• Enhanced beam stiffness, allowing for fewer wearstrips and sprockets and reducing conveyor costs
• Sprocket design that extends sprocket life, lowering maintenance and ownership costs
• Staggered pattern of large-diameter, alternating rollers, eliminating jams and reducing downtime
• “Rodless” belt-edge link, making maintenance and installation quicker and easier
• Reduced noise levels, improving worker safety

With Intralox technology in place, worker challenges and stock control problems were eliminated. It also solved the tracking and alignment issues of the old flat-belt system, utilizing positive tracking and embedded rollers for a smooth, organized operation.

Results

With Intralox’s S4400 TRT belting, Magowan Tyres increased its distribution center’s output potential more than twofold. Formerly handling four containers per day, the facility now has a handling capacity of nine containers per day without the need for additional workers.

By eliminating maintenance issues and strengthening worker performance, Intralox also saved Magowan Tyres $124,600 in annual operating expenses. The company calculates a yearly savings of $99,700 in labor costs and $24,900 in maintenance costs from its investment in the simplified, low maintenance solution.