NGF Europe - Gantry Conveyor System

The Client

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Central Conveyors Ltd were commissioned by Applied Integration Ltd to design, manufacture and install a gantry and bridge system for NGF Europe Ltd, based in St Helens.

NGF Europe Ltd are a specialist manufacturer and the sole producer of a glass cord product developed using proprietary technology. This glass fibre reinforcement is used to strengthen rubber and resin materials, helping to improve strength, reduce weight, and enhance efficiency in industrial applications.

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The Challenge

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NGF’s existing process relied on forklifts to transport pallets of totes between two factory buildings located approximately 40 metres apart. With increasing emphasis on reducing forklift use for safety reasons, an alternative automated solution was required.

The project presented several structural challenges. The two buildings were of differing heights and of older construction, requiring careful integration of the gantry system with the existing infrastructure. Any solution needed to ensure safe, efficient and continuous movement of materials between the two locations without disrupting ongoing operations.

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The Solution

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Central Conveyors developed a bespoke gantry and bridge system incorporating vertical lift units and conveyor technology to overcome the height differences between the buildings.

The system operates as follows:

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• Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) collect totes from an automated storage system supplied by Kardex Ltd.

• Each tote measures 600mm x 400mm and weighs approximately 25kg, containing spools of glass cord.

• The AMRs deliver the totes to a Central Conveyors lift, which raises them to the height of the gantry.

• At gantry level, belt conveyors transport the totes across the 40-metre bridge to the second building.

• A second lift unit lowers the totes, where they are collected by another AMR and delivered to the appropriate workstation.

• Once emptied, totes are returned via AMR to the gantry and transported back using a separate return conveyor positioned beneath the main conveyor.

 

This dual-level conveyor arrangement allows for simultaneous forward transport of full totes and return of empty totes, improving overall system efficiency.
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The Results

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The completed system provides a fully automated method of transferring materials between buildings, significantly reducing reliance on forklifts and improving site safety. The integration of AMRs, lifts and conveyors ensures a continuous and efficient workflow, while the bespoke gantry design accommodates the constraints of the existing structures.