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Conveyor Control Systems Built to Run
PLC, HMI, and warehouse control system engineering for distribution, fulfillment, and manufacturing operations.
Conveyor Control Systems Built to Run
PLC, HMI, and warehouse control system engineering for distribution, fulfillment, and manufacturing operations across the Intermountain West.
One Team, Sensor to Shipping Data
Modernize Without Stopping the Line
Engineered, Installed, and Serviced by HOJ
Conveyor Systems We Build
Industrial Networking and IIoT
PLC & Controls
HMI Programming
Conveyor Diverter
WMS To WMCS Integration
Your Conveyor Is Choking Throughput
You bought the equipment. The bottleneck is the controls. Three problems show up in almost every line we audit.
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Your WMS and PLC Don't Talk": Orders sit in queue. Operators key in data twice. Carrier lanes get the wrong totes. The line runs, but the data doesn't.
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Sortation Errors Eat Your Margin": Missed reads. Late diverts. Jams at the merge. Every mis-sort costs you a re-handle, a rework, or a chargeback.
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Legacy Controls Are a Liability": PLC-5 panels nobody can program. HMIs running on Windows XP. One bad card and the line is down for a week.
One Team for the Whole Stack
We engineer the controls, integrate the WMS, build the panels, and service the line. From sensor to shipping data.
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WMS, WCS, and PLC, Working Together": We design the messaging layer between your warehouse management software, control software, and the conveyor itself. Real-time, two-way, deterministic.
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Sortation That Hits the Right Lane": Encoder timing, sensor placement, redundant scanning, and fail-safe diverter logic. We tune the line until mis-sorts are the exception, not the norm.
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Modernize Without Ripping It Out": Phased PLC migration, HMI upgrades, network retrofits. Keep the iron. Replace the brain. Run through the whole upgrade.
Testimonials
Every HourbrokenDown Is Real Money
Fulfillment operations report unplanned conveyor outages costing roughly $20,000 per hour.
Micro-stops alone erode up to 25% of shift time.
Three things that compound when controls are broken: Manual data entry between WMS and the floor. Overtime to clear weekend backlogs.
Customer chargebacks for late and wrong shipments.
Run Like It Was Designed To
Orders flow from WMS to PLC without a human in the middle. Sorters hit the right lane the first time. Operators see what's happening, not just what broke.
Three Steps to a Stable Line
Book a Controls Assessment
A controls engineer walks your line, reads your WMS architecture, and identifies what's costing you throughput.
Get a Phased Plan
We give you a written roadmap with options, costs, and timeline. Retrofit, integration, or full system. Your call.
We Engineer and Install
One team, start to finish. Engineering, panel build, programming, integration, commissioning, and service.
Controls That Connect to Your Host System
Our controls integrate with whatever software processes your orders, whether that is SAP, a WMS, or a custom platform. That order data drives every divert and merge decision on the line.
Conveyor controls merge and divert cartons and totes to the right pick zones, then to the right outbound destination.
Release limits cap how much volume enters the system so traffic never backs up. AMR controls manage fleet traffic and task assignment for autonomous mobile robots.
Real-time visibility is available as an option. Count totes in the system, find the last scan on any order, and get an estimated arrival time at the dock.
Service That Shows Up Fast
When a line goes down, you don't need a phone tree. You need a truck and a tech.
We have 70+ service vehicles across the region. Emergency service: Trucks rolling within hours, not days.
Preventive maintenance: Scheduled PMs that catch jams, mistracking, and roller seizure before they stop the line. Parts: Critical spares stocked locally.
FAQs
What's the difference between WMS, WCS, and PLC?
The WMS tracks what to ship. The WCS decides which path each tote takes. The PLC tells the motors and diverters what to do. Most line problems live at the handoff between these three layers, not inside any one of them.
Should I retrofit my conveyor controls or replace them?
If the iron is sound and the logic is the problem, retrofit. If the panels, drives, and HMIs are all past support, replacement is usually cheaper over five years. We assess both and tell you the math.
How do I integrate conveyor controls with my WMS?
Three options: direct API connection, middleware as a translation layer, or full WCS in the middle. Each has tradeoffs in cost, flexibility, and future-proofing. We pick the one your data and ops actually need.
What is a conveyor control system?
A conveyor control system is the layer of hardware and software that runs your conveyor: PLCs, motor controls, sensors, HMIs, and the integration that connects them to your WMS. It decides what moves, when, where, and how fast. The conveyor is the body. The control system is the nervous system.
What are the different types of conveyor control systems?
Three layers usually run together. PLC controls handle motors, sensors, and diverters at the floor level. WCS (warehouse control system) software coordinates routing, sortation, and traffic between PLCs. WMS integration translates orders from the warehouse management system into commands the WCS and PLCs can execute. Most buyers need all three working together, not one in isolation.
How much does a conveyor control system cost?
Costs scale with scope. A targeted PLC retrofit on existing conveyor runs in the tens of thousands. A new WCS integration with HMI and panel work runs from low-six to mid-six figures.
A full controls system on a greenfield warehouse, including engineering, integration, and commissioning, runs into seven figures. The honest answer: cost depends on what you have, what you need, and how much downtime you can absorb during install. We give written estimates after we walk the line.
What is zero pressure accumulation (ZPA)?
ZPA is zone-based logic that lets product queue on a conveyor without touching. Each zone only advances product when the next zone is empty. This prevents line pressure from crushing or jamming cartons at the discharge end.
Do I need a PLC to run an MDR conveyor?
Not always. Many MDR driver cards include built-in ZPA logic and can run a straight accumulation line on their own. You need a PLC once the line has merges, diverts, scanners, or needs to report faults and counts to an HMI or warehouse software.
Should I use a VFD or a soft starter on my belt conveyor?
If the conveyor runs at one speed, a soft starter reduces start-up shock at lower cost. If you need to change speed, meter product, or match speeds between sections, use a VFD. It soft-starts the motor and controls speed for the whole run.
What safety controls does a conveyor need?
At minimum: e-stop buttons or pull cords within reach, fail-safe e-stop circuits, manual reset before restart, and a warning signal before automatic start-up. ASME B20.1 is the standard most facilities design to. Local and industry rules may add requirements.
Learn More
CONVEYOR CONTROLS: HOW THE LINE-LEVEL LOGIC WORKS
Conveyor Controls: How the Line-Level Logic Works
The control system coordinates your whole operation. The conveyor controls underneath it decide what each section of the line does, second by second. Here's how that layer works and what HOJ builds into it as part of our PLC and controls integration work.
Zone Logic and Zero Pressure Accumulation (ZPA)
Most modern accumulation conveyor runs on 24V motor-driven rollers (MDR). The line is split into zones, each with its own roller, photoeye, and driver card. A zone only advances product when the zone ahead is clear, so cartons queue with gaps between them instead of pushing into each other. That is zero pressure accumulation.
- Singulation release sends one carton at a time, spaced for scanners and merges.
- Train release moves a full group of zones together when the line ahead opens up, for higher throughput into a sorter or pack station.
- Run on demand shuts empty zones off until product arrives, which cuts energy use and roller wear.
- Standalone or networked cards. Driver cards with built-in ZPA can run a straight accumulation line with no PLC. Networked cards let the PLC see and command every zone. You need that for merges, diverts, and fault reporting.
Motor Control: Across-the-Line, Soft Starters, and VFDs
Belt conveyor, live roller, and inclines usually run on AC motors. How those motors start affects belt life, gearbox wear, and your power bill.
| Starter type | How it starts | Speed control | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across-the-line | Full voltage at once; high inrush current | None | Small, lightly loaded sections |
| Soft starter | Ramps voltage up, then bypasses | None (fixed speed) | Loaded belts and inclines at one speed |
| VFD | Ramps frequency and voltage from zero | Full range | Variable rates, metering, speed matching between sections |
We size starters and drives to the load, build them into the panel, and report their status and faults to the PLC and HMI.
Photoeyes and Jam Detection
- Sensor selection is matched to your product mix, including shrink-wrap, dark, and reflective packaging that can fool the wrong photoeye.
- Timed jam detection: if a photoeye stays blocked longer than a carton should take to pass, the logic flags a jam at that zone. It stops only the sections that need to stop.
- Gap and spacing control ahead of merges, scanners, and sorter induction.
Conveyor Safety Circuits
ASME B20.1 is the governing safety standard for conveyors. We design the safety circuits into the panel from the start:
- Emergency stop buttons and pull cords within reach along unmanned or remotely controlled sections
- Fail-safe e-stop circuits that stop the conveyor if the circuit loses power
- Manual reset at the tripped device before restart
- Warning horns or beacons before automatic or remote start-up
- Interlocks so conveyors in series stop together
Tripped e-stops show up by location on the HMI, so your team can find and reset them without walking the line.
Control Panels Built In Our Shop
Every project runs through an HOJ-built, UL 508A control panel with full schematics, labeled wiring, and a bill of materials. New builds run on Beckhoff with EtherCAT I/O. We also support existing Allen-Bradley and Siemens lines. Code is written in commented structured text, and you get the backups.
Signs Your Conveyor Controls Need Work
- Product gets crushed or jammed at the end of accumulation lines
- Relay logic or end-of-life PLCs still run part of the line
- One jam stops far more conveyor than it should
- Operators can't locate a fault or tripped e-stop without walking the line
- Belts, gearboxes, or couplings wear out early from hard starts
- MDR zones run continuously, or cards were never tuned after install
READY TO GET STARTED?
REACH OUT TO US TODAY
Whether it’s a project, product, repair or service, let’s chat to see if we can make your warehouse operations more efficient.
READY TO GET STARTED?
REACH OUT TO US TODAY
Whether it’s a project, product, repair or service, let’s chat to see if we can make your warehouse operations more efficient.