Efficiency-Conscious Tuffnells Opts for Sovex!

Online, October 1, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Sovex has supplied Tuffnells, a leading business-to-business parcels carrier, with a TL2-8-12-600 telescopic boom conveyor. Installed at the company's new £2m distribution centre in Lanark, Scotland, it helps operators unload vans and large trailers quickly, safely and efficiently.

Established in 1914, Tuffnells offers a variety of domestic, European, and international delivery services. It has a fleet of over 700 transit vehicles operating from 26 strategically placed depots that serve businesses in their designated territory. Tuffnells handles a wide range of goods, from small boxes to pallets, and has the ability to deal with larger, more awkwardly shaped items like industrial pumps.

Tuffnells has operated in Lanark for over 30 years, but outgrew its previous facility. The new distribution centre comprises a 13,000 ft2 warehouse and sortation area accessed through 40 roller shutter doors. It has a team of dedicated employees who work shifts to keep it operational twenty-four hours a day.

A fleet of predominantly 7.5 tonne vehicles collect consignments from customers and take them to the Lanark centre for sortation and onward shipment to their ultimate destinations. The TL2-8-12-600 telescopic boom conveyor serves a single loading bay, which Tuffnells uses to unload large vans and articulated lorries.

Operators unload parcels onto TL2-8-12-600, which carries them onto a Sovex heavy-duty powered roller conveyor. Items flow through a laser scanner, which reads their unique barcodes as part of Tuffnells track and trace service, and onto a sorting table where they are prepared for onward distribution.

TL2-8-12-600 extends up to twelve metres, allowing Tuffnells to unload long trailers. A 600mm wide belt accommodates large or awkwardly shaped parcels, and light emitting diode (LED) lighting allows operators to see in dark vehicles.

Safety features on TL2-8-12-600 include emergency stop controls, roller shrouds to eliminate nipping points (areas of the machine that could trap parts of a person), pop-out rollers, and a sensor that automatically retracts and turns off the conveyor if the end of the boom touches a person or object.

Tuffnells' Sovex heavy-duty roller conveyor has only a small number of moving parts, and operates quietly. It features a Renold Syno nickel-plated chain that drives the rollers, which reduces maintenance requirements and associated costs.

Operational Support Manager at Tuffnells, Chris Johnson, is delighted; "The Sovex conveyors are superb. Well-built, robust and reliable, they reduce the risk of workers sustaining strain injuries by minimising manual handling requirements. The conveyors help the Lanark distribution centre operate efficiently, which means short delivery times for customers!"

"Sovex has an excellent understanding of the parcel handling industry", he continued. "They quickly came up with a system that met our requirement and installed it within the agreed timeframe, allowing us to open our new depot on time."