A Decade of Sovex Conveyors at Parcelforce Worldwide
The last ten years has seen technological marvels like the internet changing the planet. People now shop and work online, and social networking websites enable large groups of users to communicate instantly. Technology has revolutionised many industries over the last decade but some products stand the test of time.
Parcelforce Worldwide’s International Hub in Coventry uses Sovex TL3 -6-12-600 and TL3 -7.5-15-800 telescopic boom conveyors to load and unload vehicles up to 13.5m long. The belt-driven machines extend into trailers at loading bays, and carry parcels to or from the hub’s sortation system. They have provided nearly ten years of reliable service and are still going strong, enabling the facility to handle approximately 14 million parcels each year.
Dave Marson, longstanding Engineering Manager at Parcelforce Worldwide, is happy; “Our Coventry hub is open twenty-four hours a day, six days a week. At peak times, we take delivery of a fully laden vehicle every two minutes across both hubs. This subjects our equipment to an enormous workload. The Sovex conveyors perform well and require minimal maintenance.”
Part of Royal Mail Group Plc, Parcelforce Worldwide is a leading provider of guaranteed express deliveries and has 53 depots across the country. These feed parcels to the Coventry facility, which distributes them to addresses in the UK and abroad.
Three of the TL3-7.5-15-800’s at Parcelforce Worldwide Coventry have ‘droop snoots’, short conveyor sections mounted at the head of the boom. Operators can raise or lower a droop snoot to an appropriate, ergonomic loading/unloading position. When not in use, droop snoots fold upright, leaving the front of the conveyor clear and unobstructed for pedestrians and forklift trucks.
Sovex telescopic conveyors are available with varying extension lengths and feature front halogen lighting to improve visibility in dark trailers, roller shrouds to avoid nipping points, and 800mm wide belts that accommodate large or awkwardly shaped items. Simple push-button controls on the conveyors control the direction of the belt and extend/retract the boom.
Dave continued; “The Sovex vehicle loaders are robust, hardwearing and still function perfectly nearly ten years after they were installed. They help our Coventry International Hub operate efficiently, which means our customers receive an excellent service.”
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