InFlight AC (Autonomous Cart) Automatic Feeder

Benchmark’s newest member of the industry-leading InFlight automatic infeed family, the InFlight AC (Autonomous Cart) feeder, is ideal for loading products into cartoners, hard film or shrink wrappers, or other packaging machines that require gentle product handling and precise loading.

The InFlight AC is similar to our current InFlight FT in that it receives product at the infeed end, discharges it in time to the packaging machine, and allows the product flow to drive the operation of the packaging machine.

Autonomous carts receive a single lane of randomly spaced product and time it to the flights of a horizontal wrapper, cartoner, or other packaging machine at speeds up to 500 ppm.

Instead of travelling on a conveyor belt like other automatic infeeds, each product is received individually on a cart. This provides a tremendous advantage with regard to sanitation. The removable carts make cleaning a snap. Carts queue on the underside of the system and move to the top to receive each product on a one-to-one basis. Product can be loaded into a single cart, or for longer products a group of electronically geared carts, to handle a wide variety of product sizes. After receiving the product, the cart travels to the discharge end of the feeder where it queues with other products for delivery into the packaging machine in time with the flight chain. This cantilevered cart system eliminates 4 to 5 belts, making it much easier to clean.

The InFlight AC's rugged design and attention to detail result in long equipment life proving top performance year after year. Paint free surfaces throughout and plastic and stainless steel product contact surfaces provide the highest level of food safety. Changeovers are quick and easy, and most changes can be completed with a simple recipe change. Other product changes can be completed with a quick replacement of the carts.

Benefits:

• Efficient
• Reliable operation
• Quick, easy changeovers
• Maintenance friendly
• Carts remove easily for efficient cleaning
• Products are carried on individual carts
• Highest potential for sanitation
• Short term ROI
• Ideal for fragile and irregularly-shaped products
• 304 stainless steel frame and guards
• Cantilevered design for easy cleaning and maintenance
• Drop through design eliminates product buildup

Typical Product Dimensions:

• Length: 2"-24"
• Width: 1"-18"
• Height: Based on product width
• Speed: Up to 500 ppm based on product dimensions

Benchmark equipment is designed, assembled, programmed and serviced in the U.S.A.