ARTCC RADAR CTLR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN 2 ACR ACFT UNTIL AFTER SEPARATION IS LOST.

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ACFT #1 WAS ON A VECTOR AT FL310. ACFT #2 WAS ALSO A DC9; NBOUND DSNDING TO FL310. ACFT #1 NEEDED TO BE DSNDED AS HE WAS WBOUND LNDG DAY; OH. ACFT #1 WAS NOT ON THE RTE THAT THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP INDICATED AND NO INCOMING COORD FROM ZOB HAD BEEN EFFECTED AUTHORIZING THE ACFT'S RTE. ADDITIONALLY; ACFT #1 COULD NOT BE DSNDED DUE TO TFC AT FL290 WITH WHOM WE WERE STRIVING TO ESTABLISH COMS. ACFT #2 HAD TO BE DSNDED TO FL310 BECAUSE OF TFC AT FL330. THE SIT WAS COMPLEX ENOUGH WITH TFC LNDG PIT; LNDG CLE; LNDG DTW; LNDG DAY; DEPARTING PIT; DEPARTING CLE; DEPARTING DAY; AND OVER-FLTS TO THE WASHINGTON METRO AREA; ORD AND PHL. THE ACFT AT FL290; LNDG CLE AND NOT IN COM; COMPOUNDED THE COMPLEXITY. ACFT #1 COMPOUNDED THE COMPLEXITY EVEN MORE BY NOT BEING ON THE ARR RTE TO DAY; OH; THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON. SEVERAL ACFT WERE VECTORED; CLBED; AND DSNDED FOR SEPARATION. THERE WAS TOO MUCH TO DO AND TOO LITTLE FREQ TIME. I GOT HELP. ALL CONFLICTS WERE RESOLVED IN TIME EXCEPT ACFT #1 AND #2. THE ACFT SAW EACH OTHER AND TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION. I FAILED TO ESTABLISH EITHER 5 MI LATERAL OR 2000 FT VERT SEPARATION DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS; COORD REQUIREMENTS; AND DISTRS FROM CTLRS IN THE AISLE. SUGGESTIONS: 1) EMPHASIZE INITIAL SEPARATION BY MANUAL CTLRS. 2) COORDINATE WHEN AN ACFT IS ON A NON STANDARD RTE. 3) ELIMINATE CTLR DISTRS. 4) ASK PLTS TO MINIMIZE FREQ USAGE. 5) TEACH RADAR CTLRS TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN THE USE OF THE 'QUICK LOOK' FUNCTION FOR SPACING PURPOSES. NOTE: CONFLICT ALERT DID NOT ACTIVATE UNTIL 36 SECONDS BEFORE AEDP; HOWEVER; IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE.