about iki

Industrial Kinetics was founded on January 20, 1969 with a simple premise: conveyor systems should be engineered around real operating conditions, not forced from a catalog. More than five decades later, that principle still defines how we work. From our manufacturing facility in Downers Grove, Illinois, we design and build engineered conveyor systems for demanding industrial environments across North America. Our focus is unit load and heavy-duty pallet handling where uptime, stability, and integration accuracy directly affect revenue.

  • 1 Engineering Comes First

    Industrial Kinetics approaches every project as an engineering problem, not a product sale.


    We design around:

    • Load characteristics and weight distribution
    • Throughput rates and accumulation behavior
    • Duty cycle and starting torque requirements
    • Environmental realities such as mill scale, washdown, or sub-zero conditions
    • Downstream and upstream automation interfaces

    This approach matters when standard equipment fails under real production stress.


    Our customers contact us when they need conveyor systems that operate predictably inside complex automation environments that include Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems, palletizers, stretch wrappers, Autonomous Mobile Robots, and robotic positioning cells.


    We engineer the conveyor as part of the system, not as a standalone component.

  • 2 Built Under One Roof

    Engineering, fabrication, assembly, controls integration, and project support are handled internally at our Downers Grove facility.


    This structure provides:

    • Direct engineering accountability
    • Reduced handoffs between design and manufacturing
    • Controlled fabrication quality
    • Predictable execution timelines

    Where appropriate, equipment is shipped at a high degree of assembly with factory-mounted sensors, brackets, and wiring. This reduces field labor, installation time, and commissioning risk for integrators and end users.


    Before shipment, specialty equipment or key areas of systems can include Factory Acceptance Testing, where equipment is assembled and operated to verify mechanical performance and control logic prior to arrival at the customer’s site.


    The goal is straightforward: fewer surprises during installation.

  • 3 Designed for Uptime and Serviceability

    Our systems are engineered for long-term reliability in environments where downtime carries real financial consequences.


    We design for:

    • Controlled accumulation and stable load handling
    • Robust transfers that prevent tipped or damaged product
    • Proper drive selection based on real torque demands
    • Maintenance access and component longevity
    • Lifecycle performance rather than lowest initial cost

    Industrial Kinetics specializes in heavy-duty pallet handling, including Chain Driven Live Roller (CDLR), multi-strand chain, and drag chain systems built for loads that can exceed 10,000 pounds.


    These systems operate in steel mills, automotive assembly plants, cold storage facilities, and high-volume distribution centers where conditions are demanding and performance expectations are high.

Making Kinetics Work For You

We know how to make the science of “kinetics” work for you. Our designing and manufacturing of productivity tools in the form of material handling equipment range from the integration of new technologies into existing systems, to the complete design/build requirements of massive, new automated turnkey operations.


From the simplest conveyor equipment to the complexities of highly technical robotic parts manipulation, we are your single-source answer to even the most difficult questions of material handling. We offer superior quality equipment and state-of-the-art controls on our standard as well as our custom engineered systems.

celebrating 56 years

We’re Industrial Kinetics, and for 56 years we’ve been applying our resources and experience to the creation of innovative material handling concepts that make a quantifiable difference to the bottom lines of our ever-growing list of national and international clients.

Integrator and End-User Focused

Our customers typically fall into two groups:

System Integrators and OEMs

Partners who require a conveyor supplier capable of aligning precisely with ASRS interfaces, AGV docking tolerances, AMR toppers, and robotic material handling cells. They value predictable lead times, responsive engineering, and reduced installation risk.

Manufacturing and Distribution Operations

Across both groups, the core value is the same:

Confidence that the system will work as designed.

Confidence that timelines will hold.

Confidence that engineering intent will carry through fabrication and commissioning.

National Reach, Midwestern Accountability

Industrial Kinetics operates from:

2535 Curtiss Street
Downers Grove, Illinois 60515


Located near the intersection of I-355 and I-88, our facility supports project collaboration, design reviews, and Factory Acceptance Testing with customers from across the continental United States.


We are members of the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) and the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), reflecting our commitment to both material handling standards and integrated automation advancement.

Support Services

Just as important is our dedication to the need for intelligent and innovative support services vital to efficient material handling. We follow through with project management, equipment selection, design and manufacture of custom equipment, right down the line to the complete on-site training of operators. And, we’ll be there during your new systems first operational run to assist with any unexpected problems. In short, whatever your receiving, in-process, storage, order selection or shipping requirements are, Industrial Kinetics can handle them from start to finish...and beyond.

project management

We rely on personal interaction between ourselves and our customers to ensure the best product and system solution be provided in the end.

conveyor engineering services

We begin every project with a detailed analysis of the customers’ specific needs and provide conveyor engineering services.

Focused on the Right Applications

Industrial Kinetics is not a light-duty catalog supplier.

We concentrate on engineered conveyor systems for:

  • Heavy manufacturing and primary metals
  • Automotive and Tier suppliers
  • Cold storage and washdown environments
  • High-stakes distribution operations
  • Automation-intensive facilities


When conveyor systems are treated as commodities, instability, downtime, and integration problems follow.


Our work exists to eliminate those root causes.

Speak With an Engineer

If you are evaluating a heavy-duty conveyor system, upgrading an automation interface, or planning a facility expansion, our engineering team is available to discuss your application.

Contact Industrial Kinetics to request a quote or speak directly with an engineer.

2535 Curtiss St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: (630) 655-0300
Fax: (630) 655-1720

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