This project evaluated a high-speed sawtooth merge designed to combine product flow from multiple conveyor lanes into a single downstream path operating at 400 feet per minute. The objective was to validate whether the proposed design and control logic could reliably sustain 90 cases per minute while avoiding excessive accumulation, blocking, and merge instability.

Challenge
At high conveyor speeds, small differences in release timing, case spacing, slug length, and downstream availability can quickly disrupt flow. The merge needed to maintain stable performance at 90 cases per minute while coordinating multiple inbound lanes and preserving sufficient spacing for reliable downstream movement.

Approach
- Built a FlexSim model of the sawtooth merge layout, conveyor speeds, and control logic.
- Simulated product flow across multiple inbound lanes merging onto a single downstream conveyor.
- Measured throughput, accumulation, queue length, blocking, and conveyor utilization.
- Tested alternative release sequences, slug lengths, and control settings.
- Evaluated the impact of arrival variability and downstream interruptions on system stability.
- Identified the operating conditions required to sustain target performance.

Outcome
The simulation validated the merge design’s ability to support 90 cases per minute at 400 feet per minute under the tested conditions. It also helped identify the release logic and operating parameters needed to reduce blocking and maintain stable flow before equipment procurement and implementation.