ProFlex Case Study - 50% Reduction in Container Unloading Time!

Customer Question:

"Can a ProFlex system make live unloading –  emptying the container while the driver waits – fast enough to avoid drop-and-pick fees and, therefore, save money on deliveries?"

Case Study Summary:

Customer was using manual labor and a multi-step process to unloaded containers. In the trial, they unloaded a 40' high-cube container in 48 minutes instead of 2 hours, with the same size crew, using a 20' ProFlex powered conveyor. This  solution cut their unload labor time from 9 to 4.5 man-hours per container, a 50% reduction!

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The Challenge: Unloading a 40' high-cube container by hand took about 9 man-hours. Receiving (counting, checking, labeling) was done during the unload, which slowed the physical work and tied up the container. The customer wanted to know whether faster unloading could support live unloading — emptying the  container while the driver waits — to avoid drop-and-pick fees and save money on delivery.

The Solution: Ashland placed a 20' ProFlex demo unit at the customer’s facility. ProFlex is Ashland's smart, flexible and extendable powered (live-roller) conveyor system. The system ships fully assembled and runs on standard 120V power.

Key features relevant to container unloading:

• Plug-and-play: 120V single-phase (NEMA L5-30), no installation crew needed
• Smart zone control: 24V DC brushless motors with a photo-eye per zone (Zone Logix Pro 2.0);  runs in Zero Pressure Accumulation or Transportation mode
• Extends to fit the job: 20', 40' or 60' on 3" centers; 24', 48' or 72' on 5" centers; widths 24", 30" & 36" 
• Built for the dock: 6" swivel casters with brakes, height-adjustable legs, quick-change rollers and belts Options for trailer work: impact cart with LED light for the container interior, skatewheel side guards, multi-E-stop safety circuit

The customer’s team separated receiving from the physical unload for the test, so the conveyor carried cartons straight from the container to the dock while receiving happened afterward. The 

Results: On the first container, a crew of four — sometimes five — emptied a 40' high cube in 48 minutes. The same size crew took 2 hours by hand. Labor fell by half, saving about 4.5 man-hours on every container.

• Half the labor per container: freeing receivers for other dock work
• Live unloading now realistic: a sub-one-hour unload fits inside a driver's wait window
• Width confirmed: the conveyor width worked well for the customer's cartons
• Even a short unit paid off: results came from a 20' unit that did not reach the back of the container

"Thanks for the opportunity to test the 20-ft Ashland conveyor! We unloaded a 40 high cube today in 48 minutes using 4 guys, sometimes a 5th person. … The width is great."                                                                                              — Matt M, Distribution Manager

Return On Investment: Unloading 600 containers annually, a 40' ProFlex pays for itself in under 5 months and returns about  $106,000 in net labor savings every year.