Moving products, cartons and other materials between different floors or levels of a warehouse can create significant challenges. Traditional methods may rely on forklifts, pallet trucks or manual handling, all of which can take up valuable floor space and create additional movement through busy working areas.
A Vertical Lift Conveyor (VLC) provides an alternative way to move goods vertically between different levels of a warehouse, distribution centre, manufacturing facility or mezzanine.
By transporting materials upwards and downwards within a relatively small footprint, vertical conveyor systems can help businesses make better use of available space while creating a more efficient material handling process.
At IDC Conveyors, we design and supply conveyor systems around the operational requirements of individual sites, including solutions for moving products between different working levels.
What is a Vertical Lift Conveyor?
A Vertical Lift Conveyor is a material handling system designed to move goods vertically between two or more levels.
Instead of transporting products horizontally along a conventional conveyor line, a vertical conveyor transfers loads upwards or downwards within the building.
Depending on the application, products may be transferred onto a platform, carrier or conveyor section before being raised or lowered to the required level.
Vertical lift conveyors can be incorporated into a wider warehouse conveyor system, allowing goods to move automatically between horizontal conveyors positioned on different floors or mezzanine levels.
They can be particularly useful in:
- Warehouses with mezzanine floors
- Distribution and fulfilment centres
- Manufacturing facilities
- Production environments
- Multi-level storage areas
- Packaging and dispatch operations
The exact design will depend on factors including the products being moved, load size and weight, required throughput, available space and the layout of the building.
What are the Benefits of Vertical Lift Conveyors?
For the right application, a vertical conveyor system can provide several operational advantages.
Better Use of Warehouse Space
One of the main reasons businesses consider vertical conveyors is the ability to make better use of the available building height.
Where warehouse floor space is limited, creating storage or operational areas on mezzanine levels can provide valuable additional capacity.
A vertical lift conveyor allows products to be transferred between these levels without requiring long inclined conveyors or extensive vehicle movements.
This can help businesses increase usable warehouse capacity without necessarily increasing the overall footprint of the building.
Faster Movement Between Levels
Moving products manually between floors can quickly become a bottleneck, particularly where order volumes or production requirements are high.
Integrating a vertical lift into a conveyor system can create a more controlled flow of goods between levels.
Products can be transferred from one conveyor section to another as part of the wider material handling process, reducing unnecessary handling and helping goods reach picking, packing, production or dispatch areas more efficiently.
Reduced Manual Handling
Regularly lifting or carrying products between different working levels can place unnecessary demands on employees.
A vertical conveyor system can reduce the amount of manual handling required by allowing equipment to undertake the repetitive movement of goods between floors.
This can support a safer and more consistent warehouse operation, although the overall system must still be designed around appropriate workplace safety requirements and operating procedures.
Reduced Forklift Movement
In some environments, goods are transferred between areas using forklifts or other materials handling equipment.
Where appropriate, a vertical conveyor can reduce the need for this type of movement between different warehouse levels.
Reducing vehicle movements through busy working areas can also help simplify traffic management and separate pedestrian and materials handling activities.
Integration with Existing Conveyor Systems
Vertical lift conveyors do not necessarily operate as standalone pieces of equipment.
They can form part of a wider automated conveyor system incorporating equipment such as:
- Belt conveyors
- Roller conveyors
- Powered roller conveyors
- Gravity conveyors
- Scanners and sensors
- Warehouse control systems
- Packaging machinery
- Sorting equipment
Designing the vertical lift as part of the complete material flow can help create a smoother journey from goods-in through storage, picking, packing and dispatch.
Can Vertical Lift Conveyors be Customised?
Yes. Vertical conveyor systems will normally need to be designed around the building and the products being handled.
Important considerations include:
Load dimensions and weight: The equipment must be capable of safely handling the size and weight of the goods being transferred.
Required throughput: The number of products or loads that need to move between levels will influence the design and operating speed of the system.
Vertical travel distance: The height between floors, mezzanines or conveyor levels will affect the type and specification of equipment required.
Available footprint: One of the benefits of vertical conveying is efficient use of space, but sufficient room is still required for the lift mechanism, guarding and connecting conveyor equipment.
Product type: Cartons, totes, packaged goods and other materials can have very different handling requirements.
Integration requirements: The vertical conveyor may need to communicate or physically integrate with existing conveyors, machinery, sensors or warehouse automation systems.
Understanding these requirements before specifying the equipment is important if the finished installation is to work reliably within the wider warehouse operation.
Things to Consider Before Installing a Vertical Conveyor
A vertical lift conveyor can provide significant benefits, but it will not be the right answer for every application.
Initial Investment
A vertical conveyor system usually requires a greater initial investment than simple manual handling equipment.
The cost will depend heavily on the height, capacity, controls, safety requirements and level of integration involved.
The more useful comparison, however, is often the total operational cost rather than the purchase price alone.
Reduced labour requirements, improved product flow and better use of warehouse space may make the system commercially worthwhile over its working life.
Maintenance Requirements
As with any powered conveyor or automated material handling equipment, vertical lifts require appropriate inspection and maintenance.
Motors, sensors, controls, safety devices and mechanical components should be checked in accordance with the requirements of the system.
Planned conveyor maintenance and servicing can help identify wear or potential faults before they result in unplanned downtime.
Building Height and Layout
Vertical conveyors save horizontal space, but sufficient vertical clearance is obviously essential.
Before designing the system, factors such as floor heights, mezzanine construction, access routes, surrounding equipment and structural restrictions need to be considered.
This is why site assessment and careful conveyor design are important parts of the specification process.
When is a Vertical Lift Conveyor Worth Considering?
A vertical lift conveyor is particularly worth investigating where a business needs to move goods regularly between different floors or mezzanine levels.
It may be suitable where:
- Warehouse floor space is restricted
- Additional mezzanine storage is being introduced
- Manual movement between floors is slowing operations
- Forklift traffic needs to be reduced
- Products need to move continuously between production areas
- An existing conveyor system needs to connect different working levels
The best solution depends on the required throughput, product characteristics and existing warehouse layout rather than simply choosing a particular type of conveyor.
Vertical Conveyor Systems from IDC Conveyors
At IDC Conveyors, we work with businesses to design conveyor and material handling systems around the way their operation actually works.
Rather than treating a vertical lift as an isolated piece of machinery, we can consider how it will interact with your existing conveyors, warehouse layout and wider production or distribution process.
Whether you are adding a mezzanine level, expanding your warehouse capacity or looking for a more efficient way to move goods between floors, we can help assess the available options and develop a suitable conveyor solution.
Talk to IDC Conveyors
If moving products between different warehouse levels is creating delays, excessive manual handling or unnecessary forklift movements, a vertical conveyor could form part of the solution.
Contact IDC Conveyors today for a personalised quotation or call +44 (0) 1285 770 890 to discuss your warehouse layout, product handling requirements and conveyor system.
