Using MDR Motor Drive Rollers for Diesel Truck Manufacturing

By Ben Heinrich
Co-Owner Heinrich Brothers

Recently, Heinrich Brothers received and filled a request for a Motor Driven Roller(MDR)System for a diesel truck manufacturer. This client had a new product to add to the assembly line that included tanks and filters. These new products individually weighed over 3 hundred pounds making them difficult to maneuver and having potential to get damaged.

As the diesel truck tanks and filters moved down the line on individual pallets,the flow of the line was controlled at individual stations by workers stopping and starting according to their individual progress. A desire for greater control between stations and less cost for the truck manufacturer were needed. Product jams between stations required the installation of equipment to minimize the jams and in traditional line control systems,required a lot of electrical power.

Heinrich Brothers addressed this assembly line problem with the suggestion of MDR zones. These conveyor sections include one or two motor driven rollers that stop and start automatically when product builds up down the line. They are driven by 24 volt motors,which provide a great energy savings. This solution additionally eliminated jams and saved the truck tanks and filters from potential damage.

Motor Driven Rollers (MDR)

Roller Measurement Guide

Conveyor Rollers