It is the end of an Era for Dorner: our very last 4100 conveyor system shipped out at the end of June!
In 1972 Wolfgang Dorner developed the very first 4100 conveyor, known back then as the “Slug-O-Matic.” This was the first low-profile conveyor on the market, designed to carry scrap and parts from under the die of a punch press into a safe place for operators to handle. It also carried Dorner away from the tool and die industry, and into the world of precision conveyors.
As time went on, the Dorner engineering team saw different industry needs develop. 4100 conveyor customers split into two groups with separate requirements for their conveyance systems. This gave rise to two product lines, the 2200 and 3200 conveyors. For industries with automation applications and the need for low-profile conveyors, the 2200 system is the perfect fit. Whereas companies requiring more power for larger product and faster speed, our heavy-duty 3200 is ideal.
For 50 years the 4100 conveyor was the foundation of Dorner’s conveyor systems. Technology has advanced quite a lot since then, and so have our conveyors! It is bittersweet to retire a signature product line that has made us who we are, but this will help us make room for bigger and better innovations in the future.
Dorner will still be offering parts and services for all of our customers who currently have a 4100 system, but we will no longer be accepting orders for complete 4100 systems.
It’s been a great journey for Dorner since 1972, and we can’t wait for what the future holds.