Merge & Divert Conveyors
A merge and divert conveyor combines several product lanes into one, or splits one line to several destinations, using a lane divider, pusher, or servo divert with photo-eye tracking so every product reaches the right lane.
AQS builds merges and diverts as part of the line, not as a bolt-on sorter: the divert mechanism, its guide rails, and the conveyors on both sides share the same continuous TIG-welded stainless construction designed to 3-A Sanitary Standards, and the routing logic runs on the line's Allen-Bradley PLC with photo-eye tracking from the upstream machine.
Merges hold the gap: after two lines combine, the belt speed or the gap has to change, and the line flow simulator below shows which. Diverts route on a count, a barcode, or a vision result, and the mechanism — pneumatic pusher, servo lane divider, or belt-driven transfer — is chosen for the product's weight, speed, and how gently it has to be handled.
Where a merge and divert conveyor earns its place
Merge two or three packaging lines into a single case packer or palletizer infeed while holding the gap the packer needs.
Divert cases by barcode or code date to the right palletizer, dock door, or reject lane.
Split one stream into the two or three lanes a multi-lane case packer or tray loader expects.
Pull a failed package off the line after a checkweigher, metal detector, or VeriPak inspection without stopping the belt.
How AQS builds it
Pneumatic pushers for light cases at moderate rates, servo lane dividers where the pattern changes every product, belt-driven transfers where product must not be pushed.
Every product is tracked from the upstream sensor so the divert fires on the product it was meant for, at the belt speed the line is running.
Merge angle and guide rails set for the product; belt speed or gap recalculated after the merge so nothing collides downstream.
Count, barcode, vision, or an inspection result from VeriPak — the PLC routes and logs the decision.
Continuous TIG-welded stainless frames and guarding, sealed pneumatics and sensors — designed to 3-A Sanitary Standards.
Merge, divert, and the conveyors around them run on the line's Allen-Bradley PLC; no separate sorter controller to integrate.
Engineering render
Typical ranges
Every AQS conveyor is engineered to order around the product, the rate, and the room. The ranges below are typical, not limits — tell us what the line needs and we size to it.
| Merge types | Angled merge, side-by-side lane merge, alternating merge |
|---|---|
| Divert types | Pneumatic pusher, servo lane divider, belt-driven transfer, reject arm |
| Routing | Count, barcode, vision, or inspection result |
| Frame | 304 or 316 stainless, continuous TIG-welded, sloped for drainage |
| Protection | IP65 washdown standard; IP69K available |
| Controls | Allen-Bradley CompactLogix; VeriPak SCADA integration on request |
| Rating | Protects against |
|---|---|
| IP54 | Dust-protected, splash-resistant |
| IP65 | Dust-tight, low-pressure water jets |
| IP66 | Dust-tight, high-pressure water jets |
| IP67 | Dust-tight, temporary immersion |
| IP69K | Dust-tight, high-pressure/high-temp |
Size It Yourself
The free calculators our engineers use to size conveyors — belt pull, speed, throughput, and drive selection. No login; your inputs stay in your browser.
Free packaging line flow simulator: chain splits, merges, rejects, dwell stations, stacking and batching, and size accumulation buffers in feet or seconds.
Free conveyor speed calculator: belt speed in ft/min from packages per minute, product length and gap, or solve for rate or gap. Gap time and transit time.
Free accumulation conveyor calculator: buffer length in feet for seconds of stoppage, or the time a length absorbs, with zero-pressure zone counts.
Free light curtain safety distance calculator per ISO 13855: S = K × T + C from stopping time, response time, and detection capability.
Common Questions
Tell us about your line
Send us the product, the rate, the room it runs in, and how it gets washed down. An AQS engineer comes back with a layout sketch and a budgetary range — no catalog, no sales script.
Tell Us About Your Line →