Conveyor loads 6,500 bags a day
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A MOBILE conveyor belt has been installed by the North West Postal Region's Parcels Division in Bolton in order to facilitate the rapid loading and unloading of mail bags. Known as the Extendaveyor and built by Sovex Marshall Ltd, of Carlton, Nottingham, the machine loads and unloads a daily average of 6,500 mail bags weighing between 14 and 18kg (30 and 401b) into and from containers and vans.
The model used at Bolton is the TL3 Extendaveyor, which is the largest available.
The new TL3 Extendaveyor has a maximum extension of 6.1m (20ft) and the Parcels Division is using it 91 hours a day for h days a week. It is located on transverse rails running from one side of the dock to the other, so enables it to be used at all three bays. With a base length of 4.4m (14ft 6in), it extends or retracts at 15m/ min (50ft/min) and has a belt speed of 30m/min (100ft/min). Sovex Marshall claims that it can handle loads of up to 60kg/m (401b/ft) or an end load of 90kg (2001b).
The length and height of the TL3 can be adjusted to suit a particular vehicle configuration although it can be supplied in a fixed height version.