Necessary calculations of ultra-light overhead conveyor systems for in-house transportation

Due to the ever-increasing level of global competition, logistics companies face difficult challenges on a daily basis. In order to survive this competition, they need to develop new technologies. The term ultra-light overhead conveyor system is relatively novel to the logistics industry. It is a rope-based conveying system in which the vehicles can move automatically on the rope using a specific mechanism which drives the vehicle. The concept and design of an ultra-light overhead conveyor system are explained by using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software. The operating time of the vehicles and recharge time of batteries are calculated, a number of assumptions as well as some rope sag calculations are made according to different scenarios. A discrete event simulation model is built using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation in order to test the impact of certain variables on the performance of the system.