Automation can transform workstations and conveyors from simple equipment into intelligent systems that communicate, make decisions, and collaborate with human operators. Some facilities utilise conveyors to manage complex sorting operations, while workstations serve as collaboration points between workers and robots.
Understanding how automation is changing the role of workstations and conveyors can help businesses prepare for this shift and invest in equipment that adapts to evolving technology, rather than becoming obsolete.
The Traditional Role
Historically, conveyors and workstations played separate, straightforward roles in production and warehousing. Conveyors moved items from one point to another without intelligence or decision-making capability. Workstations provided surfaces where workers performed manual tasks before returning items to the line.
These systems worked independently in linear processes. A conveyor delivered products, workers processed them at stations, then placed them back for transport. This separation made sense when human labour drove most operations and technology couldn’t support integration.
Today’s operations require more from this equipment. Rising labour costs, customer expectations for faster delivery, and competition drive businesses to find efficiency through automation.
How Modern Conveyors Become Intelligent Transport Systems
Conveyors now function as the nervous system of facilities, actively managing product flow, not just providing transport.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Modern conveyor systems integrate with Warehouse Control Systems (WCS) or Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to perform complex autonomous tasks. Barcode scanners read item identities and activate diverter arms or cross-belt sorters, directing products to their correct destinations without requiring human intervention.
Sensors throughout the system collect real-time data on throughput, item location, and operational status. Managers monitor efficiency, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions based on actual performance metrics rather than estimates.
Integration with Robotic Systems
Conveyors work in sync with robotic systems, precisely positioning products for automated picking, placement, or processing. Powered roller conveyors, like 24V Powered Roller, Lineshaft Driven Roller, and Chain Driven Roller Conveyors, can slow, stop, or accumulate items to match robot cycle times, creating smooth workflows between mechanical and automated processes.
This integration requires precise engineering. Standard conveyors often lack mounting points for sensors, incorrect heights for robot access, or incompatible control systems. Custom-designed conveyors address these challenges from the start.
Workstations Turn into Human-Machine Collaboration Points
The evolution of workstations reflects how automation is changing the role of workstations and conveyors together. Instead of passive surfaces, modern workstations become active participants in automated workflows.
Collaborative Robot Integration
Workstations now accommodate collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside humans. The bench provides stable platforms where cobots handle heavy lifting or repetitive tasks whilst operators perform quality control or delicate assembly work.
Industrial workbenches designed for automation feature reinforced areas for mounting cobots, cable management systems, and safety features that protect workers while they are productive.
Pick-to-Light and Put-to-Light Systems
Modern fulfilment workstations feature integrated lighting systems that direct operators to the exact bins for picking or placing items. These systems deliver multiple benefits:
- Increased picking speed with visual guidance, reducing search time.
- Reduced training requirements as lights show new staff exactly where items go.
- Lower error rates through clear visual confirmation of correct locations.
- Real-time order tracking with systems updating progress automatically.
- Improved ergonomics by highlighting optimal picking sequences.
New staff members become productive when the workstation itself provides clear visual instructions, reducing the learning curve from weeks to days.
Seamless Data Integration
Workstations equipped with touchscreens, scanners, and scales feed data directly into Warehouse Management Systems. This reduces manual data entry, minimises errors, and provides real-time visibility into order progress.
Workers scan items at packing stations, verify weights, and update inventory automatically. This integration converts the workstation into a data collection point, enhancing operational visibility and productivity.
The Important Role of Bespoke Design in Automation
Standard equipment can fail to meet automation requirements. Off-the-shelf workbenches may be the wrong height for cobots, whilst generic conveyors lack sensor mounting points or integration capabilities.
Why Customisation Matters
Automated systems operate on fine tolerances where millimetres matter. Common challenges include:
- Height mismatches between conveyors and robotic work envelopes can reduce efficiency.
- Mounting requirements for sensors and scanners vary by system, with limited standard options.
- Cable management becomes key when multiple systems connect through workstations.
- Load specifications change when robotic arms or automated equipment are added.
- Safety integration requires specific guards and emergency stops positioned for compliance.
The Value of UK Manufacturing Expertise
Our approach to addressing automation challenges starts with understanding specific requirements rather than imposing generic solutions. Our bespoke workbench service enables us to build equipment that matches exact automation specifications.
We design workstations with specific cut-outs for cobot mounting, reinforced areas to handle additional loads, and integrated cable management, ensuring clean and safe installations. Conveyors feature custom brackets for scanners and diverters, precise heights for robotic integration, and control systems that communicate with existing automation systems.
This customisation level matters for successful automation projects. Equipment designed for automation from conception avoids costly modifications, reduces installation time, and performs reliably from day one.
Six Steps to Prepare Your Facility for Automation
Understanding how automation is changing the role of workstations and conveyors helps businesses make smart investment decisions through systematic preparation:
- Assess current equipment for automation readiness, identifying which workbenches can support collaborative technologies and which conveyors allow sensor installation.
- Map workflow processes to understand where automation provides the greatest value and which manual processes should remain.
- Calculate space requirements for automated equipment, taking into account robot reach zones, safety barriers, and maintenance access.
- Plan data infrastructure, ensuring workstations can connect to management systems and conveyors can communicate with control software.
- Budget for flexibility, choosing modular workbenches that reconfigure as technology evolves, protecting investments whilst maintaining adaptability.
- Consider integration requirements, thinking beyond individual pieces to complete systems, and plan how workstations connect with conveyors and where data collection points are located.
Future-Proofing Through Smart Equipment Choices
Automation continues to advance, making equipment flexibility even more valuable. Workstations and conveyors that adapt to new technology will help protect investments and support business growth.
Modern equipment should accommodate various levels of automation. A workbench might start with manual operations, add pick-to-light systems, then integrate cobots as business grows. This scalability reduces the need for repeated equipment replacement.
Data capability is also key as facilities digitise. Equipment that captures and shares information supports better decision-making and process improvement. Even manual workstations benefit from basic data integration, as it prepares them for future automation.
Automation-Ready Workstations and Conveyor Systems Built by Spaceguard
We at Spaceguard understand how automation changes equipment requirements, as we work with businesses at every stage of the automation process. From companies taking first steps toward automation to those implementing advanced systems, we create solutions that match current needs while preparing for future growth.
Our bespoke workplace equipment combines decades of manufacturing expertise with an understanding of modern automation challenges. We design workstations and conveyors that integrate seamlessly with automated systems, providing stable platforms for technology while maintaining flexibility for future changes.
Contact our specialists to explore how custom workstations and conveyors can support your facility’s evolution from manual processes to intelligent automation.