A major advantage is in the wide range of products units can carry, with loads ranging from 25 to 25,000 lb. These consist of everything from a small part transported through a paint shop to an airplane fuselage. That allows a worker to get right under an assembly without a track getting in the way. Ford Motor Company uses a number of Dearborn Midwest units at its Wixom, Mich. assembly facility. The Continental, Town Car, and LS models produced in Wixom all have different engines that are installed at separate areas of the plant.
Carriers simply move forward when the trolley conveyor is powered.
To stop them, the operator shuts down the conveyor. These units are best suited for simple conveying of materials over long distances where work does not need to stop. Some trolley conveyors are also manufactured without power. An assembly station worker completes work on the product, then simply pushes the carriers ahead by hand to the next line worker. Short-distance moves within facilities are often accomplished with overhead cranes.