CASE STUDY

Enabling High-Density, Safe, and Efficient Robot Cell Induction

Customer
Robotic Integrators

Application
High-throughput e-commerce and fulfillment operations that demand robust, modular, and scalable conveyor & sorting systems

Challenge

High Throughput, Low Error Sortation

E-commerce operations demand very high rates of parcel or small-package handling, with total warehouse throughput reaching millions of units per day.
Robot induction systems need conveyors that deliver reliable, gentle, and precisely controlled flow into robot cells for picking, sorting, or packing.

Safety & Energy Efficiency

Traditional conveyor systems often use high-voltage (e.g., 480 VAC) drives, leading to larger maintenance burden, safety hazards, and high power consumption.
Integrators need conveyor partners that minimize these risks and operating costs.

Modular, Scalable Automation

As throughput demands change, integrators must scale robot work cells, induction zones, and sortation without a full re-design.
Flexibility is key: conveyors must adapt to different layouts (merges, diverts, transfers, accumulation), and be easily reconfigured or extended.

Reliability & Uptime

Downtime in a robot-fed system is costly as jams or faults at induction or sort zones result in cascading effects throughout the cell.
Maintenance must be fast, modular, and localized.

Solution

Facility Functions designs, manufactures, and delivers integrated conveyor solutions optimized for high-throughput robot induction and sortation, tailored to the needs of the end-users.

Key Elements

24VDC MDR Technology

Much safer than high-voltage systems: reduces pinch-point risk, torque hazards, and eliminates many major hazard sources.
Energy-efficient: Facility Functions claims up to 60% energy savings compared with conventional 480 VAC conveyor systems.
Quiet operations: much lower noise (< 50–55 dB(A) typical) compared to legacy systems (~75–85 dB).

Zone Logic & Accumulation

Customizable accumulation controls: zero-pressure accumulation (ZPA), minimum-pressure, and other zone control logics.
Modular zones: rollers are logically segmented, allowing independent control, diagnostics, and reconfiguration without rewiring entire lines.
This helps maintain smooth, jam-free flow even during surges, avoiding robot starvation or overloading induction buffers.

High-Precision Flow Control

Each zone and roller can maintain exact spacing and velocity for each package or part, ensuring robots receive items at consistent, predictable intervals and locations
Minimizes robot downtime, mis-picks, or jams caused by variable spacing, critical for high-speed e-commerce operations.

Integration-Friendly Design

Conveyor layouts can include curves, merges/diverts, spirals, sort/divert modules, and more.
Seamless interface with automation: Easily integrate with PLC/WCS/WMS, enabling coordination with robot controllers, sortation logic, and higher-level software.

Service & Lifecycle Support

Full turnkey service: design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance.
Diagnostics built in: real-time roller status, fault detection, load detection.
Modular maintenance: zones can be swapped or serviced quickly, minimizing downtime

Benefits

Improved Throughput + Uptime

Smoother merges, precise gap control, and reliable accumulation reduce jams and flow disruptions.
Fewer interruptions to robot cells results in better utilization and more predictable performance.

Enhanced Precision & Robot Efficiency

Accurate control of package velocity and spacing ensures robots operate at maximum efficiency
Reduces errors, improves pick accuracy, and allows tighter cell spacing without sacrificing speed

Lower Cost of Ownership

Energy savings from 24V lowers operating costs significantly.
Reduced maintenance cost thanks to fewer mechanical parts, modular repairs, and diagnostics.

Safety Gains

Safer operation for technicians and integrators, reducing risk and improving compliance.
Quiet operation improves the facility environment.

Scalability + Flexibility

Modular conveyor zones make it easy for integrators to expand or reconfigure as clients scale or change layouts.
New sort/destination lines can be added without a major rework.

System Integration Efficiency

Tight controls and diagnostics feed into integrator's supervisory systems (PLC, WCS), enabling better orchestration.
Lower risk during robot handoff because conveyor behavior is precise and predictable.

Conveyor with AI-powered robotic arm for high-volume parcel sorting

In the video below, you will see our conveyor belt integrated with an AI-driven robotic arm designed for small-parcel sortation in busy delivery hubs. The system sits next to each conveyor belt and handles more than 1,000 lightweight packages per hour. It identifies, picks, and places parcels into the right containers with a level of speed and consistency that manual sorting can’t match.

In a real-world pilot, the setup boosted hourly sorting capacity by roughly a third and helped the facility keep up with a sharp jump in pickup and delivery stops tied to online shopping. It supports larger digitalization efforts aimed at handling growing shipment volumes while keeping service levels high.

Working With Facility Functions, Inc

Expertise: 35+ years of experience in designing conveyor systems for demanding automation environments.
Proven Tech: Our 24VDC MDR conveyors have been successfully implemented in high-throughput warehouses, reliably supporting robot-fed induction and sortation with minimal downtime and precise flow control.
Partnership mindset: Rather than just selling hardware, we deliver full lifecycle support from design to integration to maintenance, critical for those that need reliable systems.
Safety & efficiency: The 24VDC MDRs address real operational pain points for those working in high-throughput, high-stakes environments.

Use Case: Robot Induction for e-Commerce Sorting

Automated Infeed & Accumulation Control

To maintain reliable flow into the robot cell, we use zero-pressure accumulation (ZPA) with tightly managed zoning and photoeye logic. Our approach focuses on protecting product integrity and ensuring the robot always receives a stable, predictable load.

We use independent conveyor zones with photoeye feedback to make sure each product has its own buffer space. This eliminates back-pressure, prevents jams, and keeps orienting devices from getting overloaded
We synchronize zone release with the robot’s infeed demand, so the robot never starves or floods. The conveyor only sends a unit when the robot is ready to accept one.
We maintain consistent product orientation and spacing at all times. This gives the robot a repeatable pick point and eliminates the misalignments that typically cause no-reads, retries, or manual intervention.
Our accumulation logic automatically absorbs upstream surges without affecting the pick window. If upstream lines vary their output rate (common in mixed-equipment facilities), product flow into the cell stays smooth.

Typical ROI Drivers

Based on our data and e-commerce automation benchmarks, here are some projected benefits for integrators and their customers

Metric	Baseline (Traditional 480VAC Conveyor)	With Facility Functions 24VDC MDR + Robot Cell
Energy Consumption	High (continuous 480VAC drive)	~ 60% reduction in energy draw under equivalent loads
Downtime	Frequent mechanical failures, jams	Reduced by up to 40% due to modular zone logic and predictive diagnostics
Noise Levels	~ 75–85 dB	~ 50–55 dB
Safety Risk	Higher pinch-points, torque risks	Significantly reduced (no high-voltage motors, lower torque hazards)
Throughput Reliability	Higher risk of interrupting robot feed	More consistent, jam-free flow → higher robot utilization

Strategic Value

Differentiation: By partnering with Facility Functions, can offer conveyor-fed robot cells that are safer, more energy-efficient, and more reliable than legacy AC-driven systems.
Total System Offering: Integrator can propose not just robot arms, but a turnkey induction + conveyor + robot solution — increasing the project value and minimizing integration risk.
Long-Term Support: With diagnostics and modular zones, maintenance is more predictable, lowering support burden and increasing customer satisfaction.
Scalability: Integrator can build in growth paths (additional induction lanes, sort modules) without re-engineering the entire baseline layout.

Risks & Mitigations

Initial CapEx vs Legacy

24VDC MDR systems may have a higher per-unit price than some belt or traditional roller conveyors.
Mitigation: Total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling should highlight energy savings, lower maintenance, and lower downtime.

Control System Integration Complexity

Integrators must map MDR zone logic and diagnostics into their PLC / WCS architecture.
Mitigation: Early-stage joint engineering planning; Facility Functions supports integration via Ethernet, control cards, and diagnostic outputs.

Change Management

Customer facilities may not be used to 24VDC drive systems.
Mitigation: Provide safety training, documentation, and a phased rollout. Emphasize safety and ease of maintenance.

Scalability Planning

Without a modular design, adding lanes or accumulators later could be disruptive.
Mitigation: Use Facility Functions’ modular zone architecture; design floor plan with future growth in mind.

Conclusion

Our 24VDC MDR conveyor technology aligns exactly with the needs of robot cell integrators emphasizing - safety, energy efficiency, modular scalability, and low maintenance.

The combined solution delivers higher throughput, lower energy costs, and more reliable automation.

Go-To Strategy

Develop a joint proof-of-concept demo (e.g., small induction + robot cell + accumulation) with a target customer.
Build a TCO / ROI analysis that quantifies energy, maintenance, and downtime savings.
Create a scalable roadmap for phased deployment (pilot → scale) that highlights modularity.