Anonymous Manufacturer

For manufacturers running high-speed assembly, dispensing, and packaging lines, conventional conveyors impose a hard ceiling on OEE. Fixed-speed belt and line-shaft cam systems move products at a uniform pace, meaning the entire line runs only as fast as its slowest station. Changeover between SKUs is slow, tolerances drift with mechanical wear, and there is no mechanism to accelerate or decelerate carriers between stations. For a Fortune 500 customer operating multi-SKU production, this rigidity translated directly into missed OEE targets and constrained ROI — with no path to improvement short of replacing equipment for each product configuration.

DT Engineering, a Lebanon, Missouri-based system integrator, deployed a 'double-decker' independent cart technology (ICT) solution built on the Rockwell Automation iTRAK intelligent track system. The architecture uses two stacked iTRAK tracks: the lower transports products through processing stations while the upper overhead track can transfer tooling, stage multiple SKUs, or perform material dispensing in synchronization with the lower track. Carriers are propelled by linear synchronous motors with embedded sensors continuously calculating position — enabling programmable acceleration, deceleration, velocity, and position per station. The solution runs on an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5380 controller integrated over EtherNet/IP with Kinetix 5700 servo drives, PanelView HMI terminals, and FANUC robots for pick-and-place. Rockwell Automation ran simulations to determine carrier counts and dwell times required for each station.

The system exceeded its design target of 85% OEE, currently achieving 97% OEE — a result that directly improves ROI for the Fortune 500 customer. Key outcomes include:

• Precise synchronization at ±0.007 inches (7 thousandths of an inch) for dispensing/filling operations — tolerances unachievable with mechanical conveyors
• Improved changeover flexibility: the system can run two SKUs simultaneously and supports component revisions for warranty items
• High repeatability: tolerances are electronically tuned and controlled, eliminating mechanical drift
• Augmented reality maintenance: PTC Vuforia AR integration guides operators through maintenance procedures, reducing downtime

The programmable motion profile allows the line to run faster between slower stations, compounding overall throughput gains.

• Independent cart technology removes the fixed-speed constraint of conventional conveyors, enabling per-station optimization that compounds across the full line.
• Achieving sub-10-thousandth-inch synchronization in dispensing applications requires simulation up front — validate carrier counts and dwell times before commissioning.
• A double-decker ICT architecture can support multi-SKU production, QC staging, and additional processes without dedicated equipment for each configuration.
• Electronic tolerance control eliminates mechanical drift, making repeatability a software problem rather than a maintenance problem.
• Pairing ICT with AR-guided maintenance (e.g., PTC Vuforia) preserves OEE gains by reducing unplanned downtime from operator error during procedures.