Factories, warehouses and distribution centers all use conveyor belts. These are great for moving objects along a single route. However, should you need to turn, sort, descramble, separate or space the objects, additional machinery is required: Diverters, rotators, alignment stations and the like. All of these bring added cost, additional space requirements and of course, installation time.
German company Cellumation has invented a system that does away with all of these extras. Their Celluveyor consists of a hexagonal module containing three omnidirectional wheels, and motors inside.
These modules are built into a line, honeycomb-style.
Working in concert, the modules can sort, divert, rotate and more:
The system provides flexibility, obviating the need for mechanical changeovers. Maintenance, too, is fast; problematic units can be popped out for service, with a fresh one swapped in.
The system was devised over a decade ago at the Bremen Institute for Production and Logistics, then spun off into its own company. Today they’ve got a subsidiary in Texas and clients on multiple continents, DHL among them.
