Ferguson Engineering offer a range of fully automatic loaders and unloaders to suit all plant rates, products, strap types and sizes. Prover and oven loaders are available for all pan types and sizes either as a single stage design or a two stage design for bakeries with a higher plant rate. Integrated with the final prover / oven or stand alone, loaders are fully automated with built in alarms and safety systems to minimise operator requirements and to keep running costs to a minimum.

Installed in conjunction with infeed conveyors, product is automatically queued and loaded without the need for the conveyors prior to the prover / oven to stop, therefore maximising plant rates and efficiency through the mixing and panning stages. PLC controlled, the clutch protected pusher arm is driven via a single inverter driven motor by Hepco slides to ensure smooth and accurate loading during each operation. The prover and oven loader design is well established with maintenance and running costs kept to a minimum whilst substantially reducing plant downtime. All our loaders are a stainless steel construction with fully integrated guards, accessible doors and serviceable parts.

The conveyor medium is typically UNI chain although this can be changed on spec. Oven unloaders are available for all strap types and sizes and can be designed to suit any type of travelling oven. Fully automatic, the unloader is installed with built in alarms to warn nearby operators of any issues downstream of the unit and with the option of the escape roller bed, product can be saved from the oven without damage or risk of a fire during a stoppage. PLC controlled, the product is accelerated from the oven and transferred to the cross conveyor by one single inverter driven motor. The cross conveyor then raises and transfers the product onto the oven to depanner loop conveyors before the whole cycle resets itself ready for the next batch of product.

The oven unloader is constructed from stainless steel with the option of an integrated or separate electrical control panel. All guards are removable to allow full access for maintenance and hygiene. Prover discharge conveyors are a simplistic yet effective method of unloading product from the final prover onto a prover to oven loop without operator intervention. Each unloading operation is accurate yet smooth so as not to deflate proven product by using a radial unloader pusher arm and careful programming.

Prover discharge conveyors are installed as a stand alone system complete with its own control systems and guarding. The unload arm is typically integrated within the final prover itself and can be retrofit or upgraded as required. It is installed with a Shearguard clutch unit to prevent damage in the event of a tin becoming stuck. The whole conveyor unit complete with guarding is designed to be removed to allow full access to the prover if required.