The S-Five System

Every attempt is made at Imperial to be a true Just-in-Time manufacturing process. With the diversity of models, fabrics and quilting patterns, building to finished goods inventory is not feasible. Thus when orders come in, delivery routes and drop off points are evaluated and trailer loads are determined in proper item sequence. This schedule then drives all of the operations within Imperial, so he was assured by the engineering manager that his requirements of a wide belt, hydraulic lifting capacity, steep incline and smooth push-button operations could all be easily accommodated. A proposal was prepared, the drawing checked for interface with his dock area requirements and a firm price was issued. The unit selected featured three telescop as to make maximum use of its manpower and to avoid high investments in work-in-process inventories. Ideally a box spring and its mattress are assembled in the order that they are required for a specific delivery sequence that day. All of these steps bring the product to the wrapping machine. From this point, Ron wanted to provide a flexible system to avoid multiple handling and to allow the bedding items to flow onto the Adjustoveyor in the proper sequence so the loader could position the Adjustoveyor to the proper location and height in the trailer and simply guide the wrapped item into its proper place. No more lifting, no more climbing ladders with 200 pounds balanced precariously overhead, and no more bone aching fatigue for his employees at the end of the day.

The S-Five System (Shipping Schedule Storage & Soration System) involved some simple belt-on-roller conveyors which moved the wrapped bedding item from the wrapping machine up an incline and onto an overhead system of several straight conveyors which moved it along and made several turns to properly align the bedding for loading width-wise onto the Adjustoveyor. These overhead conveyors allowed for a temporary storage capacity of about thirty items, or a little more than two full stacks in the trailer. One em to truly drive all the steps in the manufacturing process. No longer was his shipping dock filled with bedding while an item or two were rushed through the process to make a specific drop sequence near the front of the trailer. The days of having four or five hours of production piled on the shipping floor and then having to work overtime to complete several trailer loads were gone. The S-Five System had become the "conductor" of the orchestra and the music was sweet to his ears.

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