The Innoveyance Panel Former Discharge Conveyor (SWARM4) transforms a manual, single-station stacking process into a continuous four-zone automated cell. Formed sheet panels are received on a height-tracking hydraulic scissor lift, staged for downstream availability, strapped with operator-fed bands through built-in board slots, and held in a take-off position for fork-truck pickup — all while the forming machine keeps running upstream. Engineered, built, and serviced in the United States.
US-engineered four-zone discharge automation for panel and building-products lines — the alternative to manual single-station stacking and to imported handling equipment. This four-zone discharge cell is one piece of a larger workflow covered in Corrugated Plant Material Handling: The Complete Guide.
Four parallel zones (stack, stage, strap, take-off) keep the former running continuously
Handles loads to 2,500 lb at 40 FPM, with no limit on panel length
Automates stacking, strapping, and fork-ready staging — no manual panel handling
US-engineered to your forming line, floor space, and cycle targets
Stop letting stacking and strapping idle your panel former.
The SWARM4 runs stacking, strapping, and pickup as parallel operations, so the forming machine never waits — up to a 400% uptime improvement.
Key benefits
Maximize former uptime — parallel zones eliminate single-station downtime (up to 400% improvement)
Remove manual panel handling and its strain and safety risk
Deliver a clean, strapped, fork-ready load every cycle
Handle long, heavy panels — up to 2,500 lb, any length
US-built to your line — no standard-product compromises
What a panel former discharge conveyor does
Downstream of a panel forming machine, formed sheet panels have to be stacked, squared, strapped, and staged for removal — fast enough to keep pace with the former. Done manually at a single station, this is slow, labor-intensive, and the point where the line backs up. A panel former discharge conveyor automates the entire handoff so the former never waits.
Why automate panel former discharge
Eliminates the downtime of single-station stacking by running four zones in parallel
Keeps the forming machine running upstream — no waiting on stacking, strapping, or take-off
Removes manual panel handling and the strain and safety risk that come with it
Presents a clean, strapped, fork-ready load every cycle for predictable removal
Handles long and heavy panels — up to 2,500 lb, with no limit on panel length
The US-built advantage
Innoveyance engineers, manufactures, and services its systems in the United States. That means direct access to the engineers who build your machine, no import duty or ocean-freight lead time, full customization to your forming line, and US-based parts and service. The SWARM4 is sized to your stacker, panel dimensions, and throughput rather than forcing your line to adapt to a standard product.
Applications
Building-products and structural-panel lines — automated discharge from the panel former
Foam, composite, and insulated-panel forming — stacking, strapping, and fork-ready staging
Any single-station drop-stacker operation that has become the line bottleneck
Before automation vs. after automation
Before — manual stack & strap
After — automated 4-zone discharge
Forming machine sits idle during stack & strap
Forming machine runs continuously — up to 400% uptime improvement
Operator guides each formed panel onto the stack by hand
Height-tracking scissor lift auto-receives each sheet
Strapping ties up the discharge zone
Dedicated strapping zone with built-in board slots
Sequential workflow — one bottleneck stops everything
Parallel workflow — stacking, strapping, and pickup run simultaneously
Built to order
Each Innoveyance Panel Former Discharge Conveyor is engineered to the customer’s plant layout, panel sizes, and throughput targets. Innoveyance specs a configuration around your forming line, available floor space, and target cycle times rather than forcing the line to adapt to a standard product.
Engineered, built, and serviced in the USA
Operations: A team of 29 in-house engineers uses InnVision and simulation modeling to validate performance before equipment reaches the field, reinforced by dedicated quality leadership and expert commissioning teams. More than 270 employees work across five production facilities, supported by certified outsource partners and fully vertically integrated roller manufacturing.
Installation: More than 62 installation professionals — 15 experienced technicians and leads, 27 skilled mechanics, and over 20 certified outsource technicians — execute every project. All personnel are OSHA 10 certified and supported by dedicated project managers, with established teams across Latin America and Canada.
Parts & service: 20 sales and customer-service representatives support customers across the United States, Canada, and Latin America, backed by seven dedicated service technicians and four parts managers for fast response and reliable parts availability throughout each system’s lifecycle.
Features
Four purpose-built zones, one continuous workflow.
Each zone handles one stage of the discharge process and operates in parallel with the others, eliminating the downtime of a single-station process.
I. Stacking Conveyor
Mounted on a hydraulic scissor lift, this mesh-top conveyor adjusts its height in real time as the customer-supplied drop stacker deposits one formed sheet at a time. When the target stack height is reached, the lift raises to match the staging conveyor and discharges the load downstream.
Lift Cycle: Approximately 12 seconds to travel from 15" to 30" TOB
Drive: Internally mounted 2 HP hollow-shaft gear motor with roller-chain power transfer to the secondary drive shaft
Belt Surface: Series 1400 Friction Top modular belting riding on birch-plywood carry-way panels
II. Staging Conveyor
A stationary mesh-top conveyor at 30" TOB that holds a completed stack until the Strap Conveyor is clear. By decoupling stacking from strapping, it lets the upstream lift accept the next stack immediately rather than waiting for the strapping operation to finish.
Top of Belt: 30" TOB standard, providing optimal operator working height
Drive: Direct-drive hollow-shaft 1 HP gear motor, internally mounted
Belt Surface: Same Series 1400 Friction Top modular belt as stacking zone for smooth load transfer
Function: Holds a staged load while the strap zone is occupied, then releases on signal
III. Strap Conveyor
The strapping station, engineered with voids every 2 feet to accept slotted 2x3 wooden strapping boards. Operators feed straps through the slotted boards to secure the bundle, a stage that pairs with our strapper control systems. On signal, pneumatically lifted #50 roller-chain panels rise above the mesh belt to transport the strapped load to the take-off conveyor.
Board Spacing: Slotted voids every 2 ft; 2x3 (nominal) boards typically placed every 4 ft
Transfer Chains: #50 roller chain on dual drag-chain troughs, lifted by 7-1/2" double-bladder air mounts
Drive Package: 2 HP gear motor for belt panels and 1 HP gear motor for drag chains, both hollow-shaft
Load Assist: 1.9" spring-loaded rollers smooth the transition from staging
Safety: Pull-cord E-stop runs the full length of the conveyor
IV. Drag Chain Take-off Conveyor
Fixed-position #50 roller chains hold the strapped bundle in a raised pickup position until a fork truck removes it for transport to storage. A floor-mounted, declining bumper guard protects the conveyor from fork damage during pickup. Holding the strapped bundle in a raised pickup position for fork-truck removal is part of our heavy-conveyance and end-of-line systems.
Drive: 1 HP hollow-shaft gear motor, internally mounted
A. A panel former discharge conveyor automates the handoff from a panel forming machine — receiving formed sheet panels, stacking them, staging the stack, strapping it, and presenting it for fork-truck pickup. The Innoveyance SWARM4 does this as a continuous four-zone automated cell while the forming machine keeps running upstream.
Q. How does the SWARM4 automate panel stacking and strapping?
A. It uses four purpose-built zones that run in parallel: a height-tracking hydraulic scissor-lift stacking conveyor, a staging conveyor that decouples stacking from strapping, a strap conveyor with slotted voids for strapping boards, and a drag-chain take-off conveyor that holds the strapped load for fork-truck pickup. Decoupling the zones eliminates the downtime of single-station stacking.
Q. What is the load capacity and panel length of the SWARM4?
A. The SWARM4 handles loads up to 2,500 lb at a belt and chain speed of 40 FPM, with no limit to maximum panel length and a full lift cycle of about 12 seconds.
Q. Is the SWARM4 panel former discharge conveyor made in the USA?
A. Yes. Innoveyance engineers, manufactures, and services the SWARM4 in the United States, with engineer-to-order sizing to your forming line.
Q. How does the SWARM4 reduce downtime at the panel former?
A. Each of the four zones handles one stage of the discharge process and operates in parallel with the others, so the forming machine never waits for stacking, strapping, or take-off to finish. The staging zone lets the lift accept the next stack immediately rather than waiting on strapping.
WESTERN US
