Packaging Line Flow Simulator — Splits, Merges, Accumulation, Rejects

Work a packaging line as a chain of cards. The infeed sets packages per minute, product length, gap, and belt speed — the same card as the conveyor speed calculator — and every card after it recalculates the flow downstream: a split or reject removes a share of the product, a merge adds another line's flow, a process station's dwell time consumes gap at the running speed, and stacking or batching combine several products into one.

The accumulation card sizes a buffer: seconds of downstream stoppage at the incoming rate become feet of zero-pressure accumulation, or a fixed length becomes the seconds it can absorb. Worked example: at 40 packages per minute with a 12 in product closed up to zero gap, 30 seconds of stoppage is 20 products of buffer, or 20 ft of accumulation conveyor. That is the number an IntelliPak or MDR accumulation zone is built around. A feasibility flag on each card and on the whole chain catches negative gaps and speeds outside the practical range.

How it works
  • Accumulation length (ft) = rate (pkg/min) × buffer time (s) / 60 × pitch / 12, at the incoming rate with product closed up.
  • Merges add flows, splits and rejects remove a percentage, and a process station's dwell time consumes gap at the running speed.
  • After a split or merge, choose whether to keep speed (the gap changes) or keep gap (the speed changes), or specify one directly.

Free, no login. Your inputs are saved in this browser. Values are engineering references — verify against manufacturer data and applicable codes before a final design.

Built by the engineers behind MDR accumulation conveyors.

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Questions engineers ask

How long does an accumulation conveyor need to be?
Length = rate × buffer time / 60 × pitch, where pitch is the product length plus the minimum gap when products close up. Buffering 30 seconds at 40 packages per minute with a 12 in closed-up pitch is 20 products, or 20 ft of conveyor.
What happens to the gap after a split or a merge?
A split or reject removes a share of the flow. Keeping the belt speed opens the gap; keeping the gap lets the belt slow down. A merge does the opposite. Each card lets you choose which to hold, or specify a new speed or gap directly.
Why does a process station consume gap?
A device that holds a product for its dwell time while the belt keeps moving eats into the space behind it. At the running speed the dwell time becomes inches of gap; when it exceeds the gap available, the card flags the station as a bottleneck.

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