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Stainless Steel Z-Type Vertical Conveyor: Proven 5.2m Lift

Project Overview

A leading infant nutrition and dairy powder manufacturing facility located in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam, required a sanitary vertical transfer system to replace an obsolete, high-maintenance reciprocating lift. The processing cleanroom elevates sealed boxes and tubs of raw milk powder ingredients (weighing up to 30 kg, with maximum dimensions of 400 mm x 600 mm x 250 mm) from a ground-level de-bagging station to an elevated 5.2-meter mezzanine blending reactor. The facility operates under strict hygienic standards, demanding zero paint flaking, zero carbon steel rust, and complete washdown compliance.

Country/Region: Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
Client Facility: Infant Formula & Nutritional Dairy Powder Cleanroom Processing Plant
Equipment Model: Custom Stainless Steel Z-Type Vertical Conveyor (Model: SS-ZLC-5200-SUS304)
Industry Classification: Food & Beverage
Target Material & Payload: Milk powder ingredient boxes (30 kg nominal load, dimensions <= 400 mm x 600 mm x 250 mm)
Continuous Elevation Rate: >= 6 units per minute (360 to 480 cartons per hour continuous throughput)
Overall Equipment Footprint: 1,400 mm (L) x 1,100 mm (W) x 5,200 mm (H)
Infeed & Outfeed Elevation: Infeed conveyor 1,000 mm above finished floor, discharge conveyor 1,000 mm above mezzanine deck
Installation Constraint: Restricted interior door access requiring complete Modular Knock-Down Assembly for on-site bolting

To meet strict international hygiene regulations and continuous dairy production demands, factory configured the unit as an automated Sanitary Milk Powder Elevator conforming to the ASME B20.1 Safety Standard for continuous vertical material conveyors . The structural framework features a rigid SUS304 Four-Column Frame paired with precision food-grade drive chains. Management integrated this sanitary continuous vertical lift alongside custom stainless sanitary vertical lifters to modernize their ingredient staging workflow.

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Operating a continuous vertical lift inside an active dairy powder cleanroom presented critical spatial, hygienic, and mechanical challenges:

Tight Entryways and In-Plant Erection Constraints: Cleanroom access passages and airlocks provided only 1.2 meters of width, making fully assembled transport impossible. The Stainless Steel Z-Type Vertical Conveyor required a Modular Knock-Down Assembly where the 5.2-meter tower breaks down into sub-frames, transported via manual pallet jacks and bolted on-site without hot welding.
Hygienic Cleanability and Powder Contamination Risks: Airborne milk powder residues settle into unsealed seams, creating microbial harborage zones. The lifter demanded full SUS304 construction across structural posts, sprockets, and chains, combined with an IP65 Washdown Perimeter Enclosure to permit routine chemical foaming and sanitization.
Continuous Z-Path Infeed and Outfeed Slat Hand-Offs: Transferring 30 kg boxes from a 600 mm infeed conveyor onto ascending slats at >= 6 units per minute requires exact positioning. Any timing variation causes boxes to clip ascending carrier slats, risking carton rupture and line stoppages.
Chain Pitch Elongation and Parallel Flight Synchronization: Moving dual vertical chain loops under continuous load stretches chain links over time. The system requires an all-stainless Stainless Steel Roller Flight Chain running on CNC-machined SUS304 sprockets with low-friction food-grade polymer guide tracks to eliminate chain skewing.
Gentle Infeed and Mezzanine Discharge Transfer: Fragile infant formula boxes cannot tolerate impact shocks during high-speed transitions. The infeed and discharge stations require an Intermeshing Infeed Conveyor Bed equipped with non-marking rollers and Variable Frequency Slat Indexing to cushion carton transfers.
Dust-Proof Operator Safety and Electrical Reliability: Milk powder dust impairs optical photo-eyes. The control architecture requires side-directed optical sensors and an IP66 stainless control console running specialized PLC sequencing to ensure zero misreads.

Solution

Gradin teams developed an all-stainless, hygienic vertical conveyance solution tailored for food-grade cleanroom operation and rapid on-site assembly:

SUS304 Four-Column Frame with Modular Bolted Joints: The vertical chassis is fabricated from 80 mm x 80 mm heavy-wall SUS304 stainless steel square tubing with precision laser-drilled connection plates. This SUS304 Four-Column Frame was delivered as a Modular Knock-Down Assembly, allowing rigging crews to navigate narrow cleanroom airlocks using manual pallet jacks and complete precision bolted erection in under 24 hours.
Sanitary Roller Flight Chain Drive Mechanism: Motion is delivered via dual high-tensile Donghua Stainless Steel Roller Flight Chain loops engaging CNC-machined SUS304 drive sprockets. High-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE-UHMW) chain guides ensure ultra-low friction, zero metallic dust generation, and quiet operation without external grease lubrication.
Full SUS304 Platform Slats and Brushed Enclosure: Cargo carriers feature 600 mm x 800 mm SUS304 stainless steel tubular platform slats engineered to support 30 kg boxes with zero deflection. The entire 5.2m tower is enclosed in brushed SUS304 sheet metal and heavy stainless wire mesh panels, creating a sanitary IP65 Washdown Perimeter Enclosure with sealed inspection hatches.
Variable Frequency Slat Indexing with Inovance Control: Actuation relies on a sanitary CPG/Yongkun gearmotor controlled by an Inovance variable frequency drive. The system executes smooth Variable Frequency Slat Indexing, automatically modulating speed between 0.15 m/s and 0.35 m/s to match upstream packaging flow and achieve steady throughput exceeding 6 units per minute.
Intermeshing 600mm Infeed and Outfeed Conveyors: The lift integrates two dedicated 600 mm stainless steel motorized conveyor beds (one infeed at 1,000 mm elevation, one discharge at mezzanine level). The Intermeshing Infeed Conveyor Bed interlaces with ascending carrier slats for shock-free, zero-jam handoffs of milk powder boxes.
PLC Automation and ASME B20.1 Compliance: Controlled by an advanced PLC enclosure with a color touchscreen interface, the Stainless Steel Z-Type Vertical Conveyor incorporates triple optical alignment sensors, reverse jogging controls, and safety light interlocks in strict adherence to the ASME B20.1 Safety Standard.

Technical Specifications

Specification Parameter	Value / Technical Standard	Manufacturing Material & Component Details
Equipment Architecture	Sanitary Z-Type Continuous Vertical Lifter	Continuous Z-path vertical flight platform elevator
Target Cargo Application	Sanitary Milk Powder Elevator	Sealed dairy powder ingredient boxes & bulk cartons
Structural Frame Design	SUS304 Four-Column Frame	80 mm x 80 mm heavy-wall SUS304 square steel tube
Site Installation Architecture	Modular Knock-Down Assembly	Fully bolted sub-frames for narrow cleanroom entryways
Rated Material Payload	30 kg per carrier slat	Static structural overload factor: 200% (60 kg per slat)
Cargo Dimensional Envelope	Cartons <= 400 mm (W) x 600 mm (L) x 250 mm (H)	Standard infant formula cartons and plastic totes
Continuous Elevation Rate	>= 6 units / minute (360-480 cartons/hour)	Smooth non-stop vertical indexing loop
Total Equipment Dimensions	1,400 mm (L) x 1,100 mm (W) x 5,200 mm (H)	Compact footprint fitting restricted plant floor layout
Carrier Slat Dimensions	Minimum 600 mm x 800 mm usable area	Fabricated from SUS304 food-grade stainless tubing
Infeed / Outfeed Elevation	Infeed 1,000 mm / Discharge 1,000 mm	Level matching with manual staging & mezzanine hoppers
Conveyor Auxiliary Units	Intermeshing Infeed Conveyor Bed (2 Sets)	Infeed & outfeed stainless motorized lines (600 mm each)
Main Transmission Chains	Stainless Steel Roller Flight Chain	SUS304 high-tensile chain with UHMW-PE wear tracks
Drive Sprocket Material	Precision CNC SUS304 Stainless Sprockets	Hardened stainless steel teeth for maximum wear life
Drive Motor & Inverter Unit	Variable Frequency Slat Indexing	CPG/Yongkun motor + Inovance vector VFD controller
Sanitary Outer Enclosure	IP65 Washdown Perimeter Enclosure	Brushed SUS304 stainless sheet metal & wire mesh panels
Industry Safety Compliance	ASME B20.1 Safety Standard	Compliant with North American food facility safety codes
Electrical Enclosure & PLC	Integrated Siemens/Inovance Smart PLC	IP66 stainless steel cabinet with color touchscreen HMI

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Stainless Steel Z-Type Vertical Conveyor: Proven 5.2m Lift

Project Overview

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Solution

Technical Specifications

Project Gallery

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