What Are Conveyor Systems?
No matter what facility you’re working in, you know that a crucial part of the operation involves material handling: manufacturing, movement, sorting, processing, and disposal. Typically, these processes are handled by a variety of conveyors, and although most conveyors can be used as standalone equipment, they are more powerful when they’re connected and integrated into conveyor systems. Conveyor Systems refer to all the pieces of conveyor equipment within a facility, including how they connect and work together to facilitate the effective handling of materials.
How Do Conveyor Systems Work?
Conveyor systems function by utilizing a continuous loop of moving belts, rollers, or chains to transport materials or goods from one point to another within a facility. The process begins with the loading of materials onto the conveyor at the input point, which can be done manually or automatically, depending on the system’s design and application. As the conveyor belt, rollers, or chains move along a predetermined path, the materials are carried along with them, propelled by either friction or gravity. Along the conveyor route, various components such as rollers, pulleys, and drives help guide and support the moving load, ensuring smooth and efficient transportation. Depending on the specific requirements of the application, conveyor systems can be configured with additional features such as sorting mechanisms, diverters, sensors, and controls to facilitate material handling tasks such as sorting, merging, diverting, or accumulating. Finally, the materials are unloaded from the conveyor system at the output point, either manually or automatically, completing the transportation process. Conveyor systems provide a reliable and versatile solution for efficiently moving materials or goods within industrial facilities, contributing to increased productivity, reduced labor costs, and improved workflow efficiency.
Benefits of Conveyor Systems
Conveyor Systems can increase efficiency, productivity, and consistency, as well as improve employee safety. Firstly, standalone conveyors often require operators to manually transport materials between conveyors for different stages of processing. Conveyor systems are more efficient because they automatically move material between conveyors or machines as part of the overall system, leaving operators free for other tasks and improving productivity.
Types of Conveyor Systems
Conveyor systems are typically utilized to improve efficiency and consistency with manufacturing, sorting, and recycling. Most conveyor systems have a customized design, specifically created for the space constraints and specific needs of a facility. Depending on the task at hand, there are a few options for conveyors that may be part of the conveyor system, and conveyors may be installed horizontally or at a variety of inclines to connect the conveyors throughout the system.
Belt Conveyors:
Belt/horizontal conveyors use a continuously moving belt to move products along the machine. The conveyor belt will be stretched across between rollers at each end which creates tension to place the product on to move it along. This type of conveyor is similar to what you see at the grocery store at the checkouts. Belts are commonly made out of rubber, plastic, metal, fabric, or leather. The belt’s thickness will be determined by the size and weight of the load being hauled.
In food processing plants and packaging facilities, belt conveyors provide a hygienic and efficient solution for transporting food products safely. We often see them used in other facilities like airports, assembly lines, and automated warehouses.
Roller Conveyors:
Roller conveyors don’t use belts or power to move products along. These use rollers that are mounted in parallel with each other to let goods freely move along. There are two varieties of roller conveyors, powered and non-powered. The powered rollers require more maintenance and upkeep but can be used in more functional ways. The non-powered ones generally require the machine to be installed at an angle to utilize gravity to move the product along.
Magnetic Conveyors:
These conveyor systems use magnets to move ferrous material along a plate. The magnets are mounted underneath a stationary non-magnetic plate and they move along the plate. These can be used horizontally, vertically, or even upside down.
Chute Conveyors:
Chute/Trough conveyors are material handling devices that use gravity to move products from one level to another. These are used for scrap, packaging, and mail and are designed to have low friction.
Conveyor Systems for Your Facility
If a conveyor system seems like the ideal solution for your needs, contact our experts to discuss creating the perfect system for your facility. With the combination of our high-performance horizontal conveyors, inclined conveyors, or troughing conveyors, we will help you find the right system and solution for your needs. Contact us now!
