New Video from Ultimation Industries Shows How Power and Free Conveyors Provide Material Handling Versatility

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (Sept. 10, 2022) – A new video released by Ultimation Industries LLC explains how Power and Free conveyors work to provide material handling versatility and accuracy in demanding industrial environments. Ultimation is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer, specializing in solving productivity challenges with fast-to-deploy solutions for the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery sectors.

 

“Power and Free conveyors are the workhorse of the overhead conveyor product family and have long been the first choice for industries where high volume, durability and reliability are very important,” said Richard Canny, president of Ultimation. “They are also exceptionally flexible and easy to maintain.”

Power and Free Conveyor

Power and Free conveyors have two tracks, with one track located above the other. The “power” track features a rivetless conveyor chain that runs continuously when the overhead conveyor is in operation. On the second track, the loads that the conveyor will carry are attached to the conveyor system via load bars and trolleys. This second track is known as the “free track” of the conveyor. Small mechanical devices called “pusher dogs” are located at regular increments along the moving chain to push the free trolleys along the conveyor track.  Unlike basic continuously moving overhead monorail conveyor systems, power and free conveyors provide the unique ability to stop individual loads without stopping the entire production line.

 

Power and Free Conveyors are routinely used in harsh environments, including paint ovens, above dip tanks and throughout paint pre-treatment facilities. Ultimation and Webb’s overhead conveyor systems may be used in food-safe environments with appropriate component and lubrication selection. Ultimation’s range of Webb power and Free Conveyors can handle loads from as light as 5 pounds per unit to 20,000 pounds.

 

Watch the video on the Ultimation website: https://www.ultimationinc.com/blog/how-do-power-and-free-conveyors-work/

 

For more information about Ultimation Industries, visit https://www.ultimationinc.com.

 

About Ultimation

Ultimation Industries, LLC is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer serving the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery industries. The company offers a line of proprietary automation systems and is also the largest integrator of Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems. Ultimation’s e-commerce channel sells Ultimation, Interroll, Itoh Denki, Jervis Webb, and a wide range of other conveyor equipment. Ultimation was recognized in 2020 and 2022 as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies in America. Ultimation was also named a 2022 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. Visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/ for the latest product information and news about Ultimation.

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For further information please contact:

Nancy Sarpolis

248-219-5651

How Do Power and Free Conveyors Work?

Many people have heard about Power and Free Conveyors, but often don’t know exactly how they work. Ultimation shows you how this simple but elegant mechanical system enables trolleys to stop and start as well as accumulate (buffer) at different points along an assembly line. Their simplicity and versatility are one of the reasons they are among the most common overhead conveyor types. Learn more about them here.

For the 2nd Time, Ultimation Industries Appears on the Inc. 5000 Ranking with Three-Year Revenue Growth of 112 Percent

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (Aug. 17, 2022) – Ultimation Industries, LLC was named one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the second time, achieving a three-year revenue growth rate of more than 112 percent. Ultimation is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer, specializing in solving productivity challenges with fast-to-deploy solutions. In addition to major automobile manufacturers, Ultimation’ customers include those in the sectors of food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery.

 

“Being named to the Inc. 5000 for the second time confirms the effectiveness of our multi-year strategy to expand into e-commerce, innovate for our mainstay automotive customers and develop new products that provide greater material handling efficiency across multiple industries,” said Jacqueline Canny, CEO of Ultimation. “It is an honor to be recognized alongside so many successful and growing U.S. private companies.”

 

Highlights of some of Ultimation’s recent business successes include:

  • Offering “quick ship” standardized components with low price points sold through the Ultimation website and in Amazon stores.
  • Landing the contract to design and build the conveyors and material handling system for one of the world’s largest indoor vertical farming facilities.
  • Using Industry 4.0 tools such as additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing), for some tooling and fixtures. This gives Ultimation more creative freedom to design parts in-house and will allow the company to create prototypes for customers in hours rather than weeks.
  • Introducing new products and technologies for improved productivity, including warehouse robots, Qimarox lifters and Portec conveyors that allow companies of all sizes to transform their facilities into fully integrated warehouses.
  • Adding a new warehouse facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan in 2022 to better accommodate e-commerce growth.

The Inc. 5000 national honors cap a recent string of regional business awards recognition. Earlier this year, Ultimation was named a “2022 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” by Michigan Celebrates Small Business and earned a “2021 Best of MichBusiness” award. The company was also recognized as the leading Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems Integrator.

Inc. 5000

“The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated.”

 

The 2022 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021.

 

“We’re always looking to improve as that’s how we continue to grow,” said Canny. “At any given time, we’re working on new products, and also investing in tooling or new processes to produce our existing products more efficiently. Our vision is to become the ‘Ultimate in Automation.’”

 

For more information about Ultimation Industries, visit https://www.ultimationinc.com.

 

About Ultimation:

Ultimation Industries, LLC is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer serving the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery industries. The company offers a line of proprietary automation systems and is also the largest integrator of Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems. Ultimation’s e-commerce channel sells Ultimation, Interroll, Itoh Denki, Jervis Webb, and a wide range of other conveyor equipment. Ultimation was recognized in 2020 and 2022 as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies in America. Ultimation was also named a 2022 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. Visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/ for the latest product information and news about Ultimation.

 

 

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For further information please contact:

Nancy Sarpolis / nancy@scgmich.com / 248-219-5651

Growing UP: How Conveyor Systems from Ultimation Industries Can Improve Vertical Farming Productivity

Solutions range from simple to sophisticated

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (Aug. 8, 2022)— Indoor farming is all about maximizing food production per acre, but growers who want to further increase yields should consider growing “up” with the help of conveyor technologies that make use of the available vertical space within a facility, according to Ultimation Industries. Ultimation is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer for the food processing, vertical farming, warehousing, delivery and other industries.

A “growing” industry

Indoor vertical farming is expected to grow to $9.7 billion worldwide by 2026 from $3.1 billion in 2021, due to higher yields when compared to conventional farming, its capacity for year-round crop production and advances in lighting and other technologies.

 

“Conveyors are one of the simplest and quickest productivity improvements a fast-growing business can implement and are especially suited to the vertical farming industry,” said Richard Canny, president of Ultimation. “Simple roller conveyors or overhead I-beam trolleys can have a payback of days or weeks, while larger custom-built systems often have payback periods of only 3-6 months.”

 

Ultimation is currently building the material handling system for what is believed to be the world’s largest indoor vertical farming facility.

Ultimation Industries - grow lettuce

Increasing indoor farming productivity

Perhaps the most obvious way conveyor technologies can help increase indoor farming productivity is by taking advantage of unused vertical space above a work area. Overhead conveyors can lift growing trays when they’re not being actively managed and bring them back to operator level for tending and harvesting, allowing more produce to be grown within the same footprint.

Conveyors can also help reduce the manual labor of carrying items by hand, quickly and safely transporting plants from point A to point B. According to Canny, systems can be engineered to seamlessly integrate with harvesting and packing equipment available through Ultimation’s expansive partner network.

Ultimation uses materials made of galvanized steel, zinc-plated materials and powder-coated frames which are approved for food-grade applications and are easily cleaned—another productivity savings for indoor farmers. Ultimation can also design systems for hanging towers and growth pods made of food-grade plastic when required.

Types of conveyors used in indoor farming

Different types of conveyor systems are typically used for different parts of the growing process, according to Canny. For example, the sections of the farms where plants are sitting still can use simple, standardized material handling systems. Vertical format conveyors such as hanging towers or horizontal formats such as growing trays can be customized to match the grower’s needs.

Once plants are grown, more sophisticated technologies like automated motorized conveyors and automatic storage and retrieval systems are needed to safely move produce to the harvesting area. The most commonly used industrial automation equipment for indoor farming are gravity roller, belt, and skate wheel or flow rail conveyors. These systems use the force of gravity to move the load, allowing the product to roll along the upper surface.

More recently, the technology used in larger vertical farming systems is including motorized and overhead conveyors that take advantage of the generally unused vertical space above the working area. Using curved sections or even lifters, they bring produce down to operator level and back up to higher elevations as needed.

Power and Free conveyors are the ultimate in space and volume optimization for vertical farming systems as they enable tight concentration of product in some areas while also enabling separation of the products for movement to processing areas.

 

“The best planned and best-run indoor farming facilities take into account the product’s growth cycle and will likely use a combination of a conveyor system designs to maximize productivity,” said Canny. “Our engineers understand the economics of indoor farming and can help growers design, build and implement material handling solutions that meet their needs and budget.”

 

For more information about using conveyors to maximize indoor farming productivity, visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/.

About Ultimation:

Ultimation Industries, LLC is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer serving the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery industries. The company offers a line of proprietary automation systems and is also the largest integrator of Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems. Ultimation’s e-commerce channel sells Ultimation, Interroll, Itoh Denki, Jervis Webb, and a wide range of other conveyor equipment. Ultimation was named a 2022 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. In 2020, Ultimation was recognized as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies in America. Visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/ for the latest product information and news about Ultimation.

 

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For further information please contact:

Nancy Sarpolis for Ultimation Industries at nancy@scgmich.com.

Ultimation Recognized as Leading Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems Integrator for Third Time

Company has long history of selling the “gold standard” of conveyors for multiple industries

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (July 14, 2022)— Ultimation Industries, the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer, was named the largest integrator of Jervis B. Webb conveyor systems for a third time during a recent event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ultimation designs, builds and installs material handling equipment for the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfilment and delivery industries. Jervis B. Webb Company is a subsidiary of Daifuku North America Holding Company.

 

“Whether it’s a multi-million-dollar power and free conveyor system or a spare part that needs to ship today, Ultimation sells more than three times as many Webb products as any other integrator in the U.S. and Canada,” said Richard Canny, president of Ultimation. “We’re delighted to be at the top of the Webb rankings again for a third time.”

Jervis Webb Chain

Ultimation’s alliance with Jervis B. Webb began with their first major project in 2012. However, Webb’s history goes back much further. Young engineer Jervis Bennett Webb founded the company in 1919 with the idea of adapting the heavy chain conveyors used in the mining industry to suit Detroit’s fast-growing automobile industry. Webb’s breakthrough chain system was different from other conveyor chains: rivetless, stronger, forged and easily assembled. It could go from slack to tensioned quickly without breaking. In 1920, Webb realized that most existing floor-laid chains got in the way of the production process and got the idea of mounting the chain above the working area, and the overhead conveyor as we know it was born.

An overhead conveyor is generally used in a production facility to move parts from one location to another and take advantage of the generally unused vertical space above the working area. Using curved sections or when paired with elevators, they bring parts down to the level of operators and back up to higher elevations. Overhead conveyors can pass through production areas that humans can’t like through ovens and robot work cells.

 

“Installation of overhead conveyors takes time, so it’s all the more important to choose quality components and work with a trusted, experienced designer to make sure the system can meet the company’s needs for many years to come,” said Canny. “Jervis Webb is the gold standard for overhead conveyors and the genuine Webb product as designed and installed by Ultimation is going to achieve the long life that these conveyors can provide.”

 

For more information about Ultimation Industries and Jervis B. Webb conveyor solutions, visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/.

 

About Ultimation:

Ultimation Industries, LLC is the leading direct-to-consumer conveyor manufacturer serving the automotive, food processing, vertical farming, heavy equipment, warehousing, fulfillment and delivery industries. The company offers a line of proprietary automation systems and is also the largest integrator of Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems. Ultimation’s e-commerce channel sells Ultimation, Interroll, Itoh Denki, Jervis Webb, and a wide range of other conveyor equipment. Ultimation was named a 2022 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. In 2020, Ultimation was recognized as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies in America. Visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/ for the latest product information and news about Ultimation.

 

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For further information please contact:

Nancy Sarpolis for Ultimation Industries at nancy@scgmich.com.