Conveyor Applications

Responding to Current and Future Demand

Flexible conveyor system helps Lucent manage booming demand for its Internet equipment.

It's no great secret anymore. We're in the age of electronics communications and the Internet. And demand for the Internet access concentrators, high-speed access equipment, and access routers that help make it all possible is at an all-time high--and growing every day.

Lucent Technologies makes this critical telecom equipment at its modern manufacturing operation in Alameda, Calif., just outside of Oakland. The facility was designed with growth, ergonomics, process control, and high productivity in mind. It features production cells with multiple workstations for maximum flexibility and control. Each cell has its own operator interface that adjusts conveyor routing with a simple drag and click operation.

The operator-controlled conveyors used in these production areas link up with an elevated powered takeaway conveyor that efficiently transports the finished product through the shipping process. It's a fully integrated operation, supported by a network of Hytrol conveyors.

Efficient and Ergonomic

Initially, two production cells were installed at the Alameda facility. However, market demand has been so great that a third line was recently added. That installation went very smoothly, reports Jack Russitano, senior manufacturing engineer at the plant. And a big reason for this is that expansion was planned into the original design.

Russitano and his staff worked hand in hand with FloStor Engineering of Hayward, Calif., in both the initial design and latest installation. FloStor is a leading systems integrator and distributor of Hytrol conveyor equipment.

The flow of materials and components through the 100,000 square-foot facility is streamlined and ergonomic. Powered conveyors move the equipment on conveyable pallets to one of the three production cells, replacing the manual handling and forklift movement that used to take place.

The two original production cells, where the access concentrators are assembled, have 12 different workstations. Hardware and software configuration as well as product testing takes place at these workstations. The newest production line, which went live in August of 1999, is dedicated to high-speed DSL equipment. For these units, hardware configuration is done off line, thereby streamlining materials flow and reducing congestion in the area. This new cell has eight workstations, with the capability to add another eight.

Powered horizontal conveyors with Hytrol's exclusive EZ Logic capability are used in all of the production areas. This built-in feature allows the workers to effectively control the flow of equipment as it moves to the different workstations. Pop-up chain transfers smoothly move the pallets onto the desired workstation. There's no manual lifting or handling of the equipment, which in some instances can weigh as much as 250 pounds.

Packing is the last activity that takes place in a production cell workstation. When that's done, the finished piece of equipment is conveyed back on the main conveyor line and then moved onto a vertical lift. The lift takes the unit to a U-shaped takeaway conveyor elevated ten feet above the shop floor.

The takeaway conveyor, Hytrol's workhorse 190-ABA model, moves the products to the shipping area where the bar coding, labeling, and final shipment-preparation is performed. Workers then position the products back on the accumulating takeaway conveyor, which moves them to the end of the line. At this point, the units are off loaded and transported by lift truck to the order staging areas at the shipping docks.

Higher Productivity and More

Productivity has increased significantly at the Alameda facility thanks to the upgraded conveyor system. The new production line alone produces more than 85 units during a one-shift period. And that includes an hour and one-half of testing on average for each unit to ensure highest product quality.

The new system also has greatly alleviated congestion throughout the plant while at the same time minimizing manual handling and forklift movement. This reduction in manual activity has another very important benefit--it minimizes the risk of injury that can come from lifting and handling a heavy piece of equipment.

Lucent already has realized a number of important benefits--and they promise only to increase in the future. The system was designed to be fully responsive to future increases in production demand that are almost certain to come. In addition to expanding the number of workstations in the new production cell, Lucent has the option of adding a whole new production line. In short, the Alameda facility is well positioned to respond to current and future demand.

A Look at the Facility

Material moves smoothly through the 100,000 square-foot facility. Equipment is assembled and tested in the production cells, controlled by EZ Logic conveyors. After packing, the units move onto vertical lift and up to an elevated takeaway conveyor. The equipment then moves to final shipment area where bar coding and labeling take place. The finished units are positioned back onto the takeaway conveyor for transfer to the end of the line and then to the shipping area.

A Snapshot of the Facility

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