Buyer’s Guide for Conveyor System

The fast and efficient handling of the apparatus automatically is called a conveyor system. It is the best system for transporting materials and loads within an area. Conveyor systems are excellent as it lessens human errors and reduces labor costs.

Another benefit of the conveyor system is to lower workplace risks. One of the good things about the conveyor system is that it helps move heavy and bulky items from one place to another. Usually, in a simple conveyor system, wheels, belt rollers, and chains are present to transport the goods and materials.

This article will learn what a conveyor system is and how it is used, especially what its applications are, and much more. All these discussions will help a lot about how to excel in your business using a conveyor system. Now, you can run your business efficiently as we are specialized in warehouse automation and conveyor systems.

Many industries use conveyor systems for mechanical handling, and without conveyors, the system is incomplete. Through this conveyor system, you can quickly move the products, goods, and other materials from one place to another, especially in the same building or area.

So conveyor systems services are best for the business that deals with sharp items, heavy goods, raw materials, and different mass-produced products.

The good thing about the conveyor system is that it saves a lot of time as they give you efficient transportation of business materials and goods. These materials or goods are transported very actively on the conveyor belts in less period.

If there is an intention of moving the objects from one place to another in the industry, then conveyor belts are always there to serve the process. Conveyor systems serve best for the systems, which consist of the transportation of heavy objects.

Even they are ideal for too many bulky or too heavy items which humans feel challenging to carry. The conveyor systems are considered to be best in saving time while transporting objects or items.

Not only the simple transportation of items, but they are also used to move the items up and down floors. If this task is performed manually through humans, it will take time and cause physical strain. In these types of conveyor systems, inclined belts are used, which automatically unload the materials.

After installing the conveyor, you do not require the person to stand near the conveyor to get the product. With the help of conveyors, it is straightforward to transfer high quantities of different sizes, shapes, and weights. Elevated conveyors are made for the safe transport of goods and materials from one level to another.

Conveyor systems are also helpful in increasing the worth of the process, and they also keep the safety at the workplace. These types of systems are equipped with advanced safety features which prevent injuries and accidents. The conveyor systems can be semi-automatic, or some come with fully automated options.

There are many factors on which conveyor system depends such as:

• Which type of materials are transporting on the conveyor
• Speed of the conveyor
• Loads of the items or goods
• How many items are transported and accumulated at one time
• The time is taken to check the items
• Looking for the pickup points
• Widths and lengths of the goods

The conveyor must be made up of high-quality materials that are resistant to wear or impact. If they are resistant to impact, they will handle a high volume of items moving on it.

Whether these items are heavy or sharp, the conveyor system can take them very easily. Therefore, the conveyor system requires different types of materials designed to conduct or dissipate the conveyor’s electrical charges.

Different industries use different types of conveyor systems depending on the need. But keep this thing in mind that the conveyor system you are purchasing is according to your needs. You must consider which variety of materials or goods are to be transported on the conveyor system.

There are many types of conveyor systems present in the market where they are used extensively in industries.

• Automotive conveyors
• Belt conveyors
• Aero mechanical conveyors
• Bucket conveyors
• Belt driven live roller conveyors
• Drag conveyors
• Dustproof conveyors
• Chain driven live roller conveyor
• Chain conveyor
• Gravity conveyor
• Flexible conveyors
• Electric track vehicle system line shaft roller
• Conveyor Gravity skate wheel conveyor
• Plastic belt conveyors
• Overland conveyors
• Pharmaceutical conveyors
• Motorized driver roller conveyor
• Overhead beam conveyors
• Pneumatic conveyors
• Spiral conveyors
• Screw conveyor
• Vibrating conveyors
• Vertical conveyor
• The wire mesh conveyor
• Inclined Conveyor
• Square Roller Conveyor
• Vertical Lifter
• Curved Conveyor
• Pick-up Conveyor
• Roller Conveyor
• Turntable Roller Conveyor
• Unpowered Roller
• Bag Flattener

All types of conveyor systems described above are bespoke for every business. It all depends on the company and nature of products or items you want to move on the conveyor belts. You must also ensure that the particular type of conveyor belt can handle the load.

There is an utmost requirement of carrying the products at the particular required speed. For this purpose, the material which runs on the conveyor belts must not break or damage. On the other side durability of the conveyor belt also matters a lot. The conveyor belts must be made according to the item’s weight to be transported so that they could not be damaged or break.

The conveyor belt usually consists of two motorized pulleys that rose over the long stretch of thick, durable material. These motors in the pulleys work at the same spin and speed in the same direction. Therefore these belts move between the two pulleys at the same rate.

The conveyor belt must be able to carry heavy or bulky objects for a longer distance or duration. Many conveyor belts consist of rollers which are usually present on the sides of the conveyor belt. These rollers actually give support to the conveyor belts. The rollers help in keeping the objects in place.

Every type of conveyor is made for different specific purposes. It does not have a pulley system that pulls the items.

From different types of conveyor systems, if there is a requirement to pull the object in an upward or downward motion, then the chain conveyors are normally used.

A slat conveyor is another example that is made up of plates or slats instead of the belt. The reason is that heavy materials which are usually more oversized or too bulky for traditional belt movement.

Conveyor belt applications: Where are conveyor systems used?

Conveyor systems are widely used in different types of industries. These industries are agriculture, food, mining, Automotive, manufacturing, bottling, beverages, warehouse, logistics, and packaging industries.

Keep in mind that the conveyor system comprises different types of conveyor belts. The reason is that some conveyor belts are specially designed to manage heavier loads and materials.

Many common items are manufactured and transported through conveyors. These common items are food, vegetables, beans, pet food, fertilizer, chemical, etc.

Keep in mind that the particular conveyor system used is dependent on certain factors. You must be aware of how the conveyor system is used and the nature of the product or material to be transported. It is to note how the conveyor system is used according to the particular need. Conveyor belts are also used at an airport. It is the best way to check the load process and unload the passenger’s luggage efficiently.

In the pharmaceutical industry also, conveyor belt systems are used. These belt systems transport the pallets for cardboard boxes full of medical supplies.

Different manufacturing and mining processes also included transporting enormous amounts of materials through the tunnels on conveyor belts.

In food processing, food products also transfer through conveyor belts. While moving through the conveyor belts, these items are spread rolled, stamped, glazed, fried, sliced, and powdered.

So the conveyor system is considered to be the best system that reduces manpower. Otherwise, all this transport process takes many hours to bring each food item through the process.

We all know very well that every industry is different and comes with different specifications and requirements for the conveyor belt type. So conveyor belts are widely used in various sectors such as food Industry, pet Food Industry, chemical Industry, snacks Industry, seeds  Industry, mining Industry, fertilizer Industry, biomass Industry. These conveyor belts are used everywhere due to their reliability and simplicity.

In the conveyor system, three main parts are present, which are very much important for processing and transportation.

These main parts are

• The pulley
• The drive unit
• The belt support

Without any part, the conveyor system is incomplete. Therefore, every part is essential for the conveyor unit’s operation. Although these three main parts are present in every conveyor system, the designs are different, however.

Belt support

Belt support is an essential part of the conveyor system. This belt support gives you the reliability that the belt moves smoothly. If this belt support is not smooth, the belt sags when the heavy object or the material is placed on the conveyor belt.

So when there is sagging of the belt, it will not move swiftly or smoothly as it should be. So when the firm support unit is present, then it keeps the belt tied and running smoothly. The pulley system is present externally and is considered to be the external component. To control the belt movement Pulley system is made in the conveyor belts.

Usually, a unit consists of at least two pulleys, but many Complex conveyor systems comprise additional rotors throughout the frame. When the system starts moving, it is actually due to the drive unit allowing it to move. The other function of this unit is to move the belt in the reverse direction, and it also can manage the repeated adjustments according to the system.

For the industries, the conveyor system serves as the backbone of the system where its primary function is to receive, store, handle, distribute, and in the end, ship the products.

It is sometimes difficult for the manufacturers to choose the right conveyor system. Especially for the warehouse managers and skate holders, selecting the accurate conveyor system is somewhat challenging. The reason is that there are hundreds of possible units of conveyor systems from which you have to choose according to your particular industry.

While purchasing the ideal conveyor system for any warehouse, it is essential to consider certain factors. In these factors, considering the process requirements and products is very much important.

First of all, the conveyor system must be:

• Energy efficient
• Safe to operate
• High quality and long-lasting parts and components
• Adaptable to change
• Cost-effective

When the wrong conveyor system is installed, it will quickly disturb the warehouse in operational efficiency. Ultimately, it will cause higher costs and lower customer satisfaction. Therefore choosing the wrong conveyor system will eventually trip the business according to the competitive demand.

Product requirements

The conveyor system is specially used to move the objects from one place to another through the conveyor belt; the product requirement for it is very much necessary. The type of products required to carry on the conveyor belt will determine the dimension, design, and style of the conveyor system installed.

For installing the best conveyor system according to the industrial needs, many questions arise in our mind. The following questions will assist you in choosing the right conveyor system in terms of design and configuration. You will also evaluate different things through these questions and factors such as the horsepower or belt pull for individual conveyors.

These questions are:

• What type of product will be used to move on the conveyor belt?
• What is the maximum weight of the products?
• What is the average weight of the product per foot?
• What will be the dimension data for each product?
• What is the width, length, and height of the particular product, which means the minimum, maximum, or average product dimension?
• What will be the orientation of the product to be conveyed?

However, in addition to these questions, it is essential to consider the most important factors such as dimensions, fragility, and product weight. These things will significantly impact your decision about buying the conveyor system.

Therefore, the products’ dimensions will choose the guide rail specifications, conveyor, width, and roller centers. Most importantly, the weight of items will help select the correct roller gauge and motor sizing, and roller diameters.

Process requirements

After considering different factors, process requirement is also a very important thing to keep in mind. There are also various factors in process requirements: how the conveyor belt will move and other operating environments’ unique conditions. These considerations are:

Product orientation

In product orientation, the items must be placed in a particular way for easy transfer or scanning of barcodes, etc.

Ambient environment

The distance between the items should be maintained to move between the functional areas.

The Pathways where the product moves and considers any elevation changes, stops, curves, or diversions while moving it.

What will be the transfer speed, whether it is a short or rapid movement or slow or steady movement

• Flow rate

If the conveyor belt’s flow rate is greater, then ultimately, the production of the item will also accelerate. So it is very important to consider the flow rate when installing the particular conveyor system for your industry.

For this purpose, the conveyor system must have the ability to handle the average transfer rate. To determine the conveyor length and speed, the number of products to transport per hour should be considered.

Keep in mind that certain types of conveyors are ideal for particular kinds of products. If there is a need to transfer plastic food pallets, then plastic chain conveyors would be perfect. On the other side, if the industry requires wooden pallets to transfer, chain-driven roller conveyors are best. Also, the plastic conveyor belts are ideal for moving smaller objects from one place to another.

• Transfer requirements

It is challenging to decide the item’s transfer area on the conveyor belt from one place to another. Keep in mind the nature of the transferring item that you select to run on the conveyor.

Everyone knows about different conveyor transfers, such as gravity rollers, side-to-side transfers, powered transfers, etc. If the items are smaller in size, then the powered transfer will be the best one. However, on the other side, the larger and longer products required gravity rollers.

In modern warehouses, for order fulfillment, there should be speedy completion of the order. If the conveyor system is efficient, then it is very easy to increase production in a very less period.

Also, the conveyor system would be fruitful for modern warehouses as they are cost-effective and speedy. They serve the purpose of increasing productivity and improve ergonomics. Moreover, the conveyor systems will also reduce product damages or accidents caused by manual transfer operations.

For small and medium-sized operations, the lifetime cost may be high, but it depends on the nature of the industry’s work. This may be the cost of buying, installing, and maintaining the small and medium-sized operations.

Therefore the cost of the conveyor system depends on:

• The overall length of the conveyor system
• The required speed of the conveyor belts
• Dimensions
• Type of the conveyor system
• Transfer and curve method