In a production environment, every minute of changeover time impacts profitability. Whether you’re managing multiple SKUs, shifting production lines, or scaling operations, your ability to adapt quickly can impact everything from throughput to downtime.
Changing over conveyor rails is one of the most time-consuming aspects of a changeover. Tedious and cumbersome, conveyor rail changeovers can also pose safety risks when up in the air. Plant managers, production supervisors, and maintenance technicians alike are seeking out solutions that automate and speed up the rail changeover process.
There are two key products that can speed up rail changeover and increase uptime: quick change rails and Auto Adjust Rails®. Both have become go-to options for operations teams looking to add flexibility for multiple SKUs and changeover speed without sacrificing performance.
Let’s break down the differences—and how each can support your goals.
Quick Change Rails: Mechanical Infeed and Discharge Guide Solution
Morrison’s quick change rails are designed to plug into specific troublesome adjustment areas on lines to speed up targeted rail areas for changeovers. These are most often used to feed and control containers entering container handling equipment.
Quick Change rails are mounted on core plates and pre-set to your centerlines, with a set of rails for each container. Special options are available that are adjustable, reducing the amount of change parts needed for each line. Key features include:
- Tool-less adjustment through easy-to-use handles and guides
- Core plate mounting, easy to retrofit to your existing set up
- Repeatable positioning for reliable container control
- Durability in high-speed environments
- Modularity for integration into existing systems
Quick change rails are ideal for packaging lines that need specific centerline adjustment in certain areas and do not need a complete easy adjust conveyor rail solution. They are a great solution when infeed guides and discharge guides are needed prior to feed screw drive units and other packaging equipment. Using quick change guides, you’ll reduce human error in centerline adjustment and speed up changeover between container sizes.
Quick change guides take the guess work out of centerline adjustments.
Auto Adjust Rails®: Seamless Adjustments with the Push of a Button
For lines with frequent changeovers or where labor resources are stretched thin, Auto Adjust Rails® bring an advanced layer of automation to your container handling. This patented technology:
- Pneumatically adjusts rails to exact, pre-set container widths
- Stores recipes for repeatable, single push-button changeovers
- Integrates easily into new or legacy lines
- Minimizes manual labor, freeing up operators for other tasks
- Reduces need to use ladders and lifts for overhead rail changeovers
Auto Adjust Rails® can be particularly helpful in environments managing a wide variety of SKUs or when running multiple container types on a single line. With container recipes stored in the system, your team can initiate changeovers in seconds—with no manual adjustment required.
Watch the system in action: see Auto Adjust Rails® at work.
Looking to Learn More?
Whether you’re expanding an existing line or planning for future flexibility, Morrison can support you with a solution tailored to your production goals.
Request a quote today to start the conversation with our team.
