A new handling system has been completed one month ahead of schedule at Avon Cosmetics thanks to the electrical design used.
The installation of a major new mechanical handling system at Avon Cosmetics' Northampton manufacturing facility was made faster and simpler thanks to innovative electrical design.

The system was designed, manufactured and installed by European Conveyor Systems (ECS) and contains AS-i products and sensors from control company IFM Electronic. It is used to transfer up to 3000 cartons/h from the production line to a palletising area.

A conventional control system for such a plant would have been very complex and needed a large amount of on-site wiring, installation and commissioning. By using the AS-i products to control the motors directly from the AS-i network the main control panel was simplified as it was not necessary to house motor control components. An adjustable mounting system was used to minimise installation time of opto sensors and ensure ease of future maintenance.