The Ultimate Guide to Conveyor Systems

A conveyor system is a mechanical device that moves materials from one place to another. These are common in the material handling and #packaging industries for moving bulky or heavy items. They can minimize human error, lower workplace risks, and reduce labor costs.

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Working of a Conveyor System

#Conveyor systems are part of production processes. It is important to understand how everything fits together when discussing the workings of these systems.

How a Conveyor System Works

The following material concentrates on belt #conveying systems, which are the most prevalent, in order to limit the topic of conveying systems.

Belt:

A belt conveyor system uses thick, durable belts that are looped over pulleys. The belt moves between the pulleys when the motor is turned on.

Pulleys:

A driving pulley and a return pulley are required in conveyor belt systems to control the movement of the belt.

Belt Cleaner:

Belts frequently carryback objects. Any carryback that is still on a belt after a load has been unloaded from the belt is removed by a belt cleaning.

Drive:

You can find belt drive in a variety of places on a conveyor, depending on the design. Most belt conveyors use AC motors to power the pulleys that move the belts.

Types of Conveyor Systems

There are several different conveyors. The three most prevalent types are overhead, belt, and roller, with overhead being the two-fold form. Conveying systems benefit large-scale operations.

Belt Conveyors

The most popular and straightforward type of conveyor is the #beltconveyor. A belt that supports moving materials moves on a series of rollers or belt-style supports.

Gravity Roller Conveyors

Gravity roller conveyors are a set of rollers connected to a side frame. If a gravity roller conveyor is tilted or mounted on an angle, pieces of various sizes are moved by gravity. Workers must take care to prevent larger items from colliding with smaller ones. Shipping companies employ gravity roller conveyors to load and unload trucks.

Chain Conveyors

Chain conveyors can have multiple chains that make contact with items to be moved. As they are moved, the materials rest on the chains. Chain-driven conveyors are ideal for items with uneven bottoms or ones that are very heavy.

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Motorized Roller Conveyors

Conveyors use motors to power evenly spaced rollers. Adding motors changes the design such that it resembles a gravity conveyor. It is connected by a chain or belt and sometimes has a sensor that prevents pieces from getting packed together.

Slat Conveyors

Slat conveyors can be used for assembly applications because they can be loaded and unloaded using robotic automation. They are similar to belt conveyors in the sense that their smooth surface prevents damage or harm to items being moved.

Overhead Conveyor Systems

There are different types of overhead conveyor systems, each with a similar function but different designs.

• Enclosed Track Conveyor - An enclosed track conveyor has an enclosure that completely covers trolley connectors, which allows for easier placement of bends and curves in the system.
• Open Track Conveyors - Open track conveyors don't cover the track, making them ideal for long straight configurations.
• Chain Overhead Conveyors - Chain overhead conveyors use a powered chain, fitted at regular intervals with pendants or pusher dogs, that runs along a track. Power and free systems fall under this category.

Monorail Conveyors

Monorail conveyors use the space above production areas and have power supplied by signal lines from conductor lines inside the mounted rails. In order to get out of the way, the carriers first go upward before descending to the level of output.

Power and Free Conveyors

The manufacturing and assembly process uses power and free conveying systems to transport parts through the process so that finished products can travel from station to station while they are being worked on. It is a special kind of overhead conveying system.

Inverted Conveyors

Inverted conveyors are used for power and free conveyance. They usually don't use belts or chains.

Paternoster Conveyors

Paternoster conveyors, also known as platform conveyors, are a vertical conveying system that uses platform carriers attached to a chain drive.

Chute Conveyors

Chute conveyors are made of wood, metal, or plastic and they have an angled surface. Items slid down the surface.

Screw Conveyors

Screw conveyors move bulk substances such as granular products and loose materials. A screw conveyor's central part is a rotating helicoid on a shaft inside a pipe. Screw conveyors are called auger, helix, and spiral conveyors.

Pneumatic Conveyors

Bulk commodities are transported using pneumatic conveyors. A pressurized gas that pushes the material through a sealed pipeline lifts and moves it through the pipe as pressure builds.

Vibratory Conveyors

Vibrating conveyors use vibrations to move materials along a conveying trough. They're ideal for moving grains, food products, and mined materials. Vibrating conveyors have a specific design to fit their function, and they are especially good at moving products in harsh environments.

Chain on Edge Conveyors (COE)

A chain-on-edge conveyor (COE) is a single-strand chain conveyor (SSCC) capable of flexing along the horizontal axis and making horizontal turns and vertical curves. Various types of twists and turns make COE more versatile than traditional chain-driven conveyors.

Skid Conveyor

Skid conveyors move products on fixtures with longitudinal runners called skids. Skid conveyors are valued for their efficiency and quiet movement.

Friction Conveying System

A friction-conveying system is a safe alternative to power and free systems. It consists of a friction drive, load-bearing track, switch, stopper, trolley, elevator, and steel structure with the major benefit of operating cleaner and quieter.

Why Conveyor systems are Crucial to Industrial Automation

Conveyor systems can be used in a wide range of industrial sectors for a variety of processes, including production, packaging, and even delivery.

Reduces Manual Waste

Certain tasks in a process can be done without manual labor. In fact, you can reduce this by automating such tasks. In a production line, conveyors will not only expedite the procedures but also increase plant productivity.

Provides Flexibility

Conveyors that are modular help achieve the flexibility needed for diverse applications. Additionally, they are simple to put up in the field as well.

Enhance Quality Control

Automation helps in the identification of significant product flaws like faulty components and unwanted metal, among others. Conveyor solutions aid in orienting products for the subsequent assembly or operation, preventing time from being lost to product repositioning.

You can integrate a variety of technologies into your manufacturing and/or production unit. Conveyors are guaranteed to stand out as the winner among them.

Application Systems for Conveyors

Conveyors are used in a variety of sectors, including those that produce food, automobiles, bottles, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, chemicals, and many more. #Conveyors are frequently used for buffering, storage, and transportation.

Benefits of the Conveyor System

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When seen as a mechanical method of transferring bulk materials, it has various benefits. Well, the benefits of a conveyor system are as follows:

• One of the cheapest methods for moving material over large distances is a conveyor system.
• The material can be seen on the conveyor belt while it is conveying and the conveyor's height may change.
• Belt conveyors may be equipped with metal separators and trippers that allow the belt to be unloaded practically anywhere.
• The discharge can be moved in an arc by turning a belt conveyor at one end. The belt can also be given sidewalls to stop product spillage.
• For continuous product weighing, weigh belt sections can also be attached to conveyors.

Cons of the Conveyor System

The following are a conveyor system's drawbacks:

• The belt conveyor's general layout is opened. Therefore, a product fall is a possibility. It can get expensive if you have to install covers.
• Sticky substances have a tendency to get stuck on belts and spread to the return side, rolls, idlers, and pulleys.
• When the material is sticky, cleaning the belt can be challenging and frequently fails, necessitating a belt replacement.
• Belt discharge almost always involves the discharge of material, which causes a maintenance issue.
• Controlling odors is quite difficult.

SUMMARY

Conveyor systems are used in almost every sector.

They help in completing various tasks, and by automating them, you can gain the extra benefits of flexibility and safe procedures. Additionally, they support improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your processes.

If you want to buy a conveyor &#; whether your first, additional or replacement &#; analyze these factors:

• How long does the conveyor need to be?
• Does it need to position items a particular way or maintain a space between items?
• What transfer rate does the conveyor need to be able to accommodate?

Knowing the specs of your warehouse or distribution center means these answers are easy to find. Here&#;s an additional question the team at East Coast Storage Equipment wants you to consider:

• Do you need a gravity conveyor or a power conveyor?

The differences between gravity and power conveyors can affect how your entire warehouse or distribution center operates. Make the wrong conveyor choice, and the job won&#;t get done or won&#;t get done efficiently.

Ready for some good news? We&#;re here to help. Our material handling experts have put together this simple guide to help you choose between a gravity conveyor or power conveyor system.

Read on to learn more.

What Is a Gravity Conveyor?

Conveyors are all about physics. The word &#;gravity&#; in &#;gravity conveyor&#; describes the physical force that moves products along the conveyor system. To put it simply, a gravity conveyor moves loads without the assistance of any powered source. Gravity is all it needs.

The basic idea of any conveyor system is to transport materials from one point to another. In the case of gravity conveyors, that can happen in a few ways. There are two main types of gravity conveyors:

1. Gravity Roller Conveyors

These conveyor systems use tube-shaped rollers mounted on individual axles longways between either side of the steel or aluminum conveyor frame. As materials move along the conveyor, the rollers rotate to allow forward movement from the force of gravity. The roller axles are typically spring-mounted to allow for some bending on the conveyor.

These conveyors are well-suited to heavier loads, such as drums, cans, canisters, barrels and lumber.

2. Gravity Skatewheel Conveyors

Skatewheel conveyors are similar to roller conveyors in how they move materials along the system, but instead of rollers, they use a system of small round wheels spaced and mounted on axles. As products move over the conveyor, the individual wheels rotate to allow the movement. Tube-shaped spacers between the wheels keep the wheels from moving from side to side and allowing the materials to tumble.

Skatewheel conveyors are common in the food and beverage industry, as well as any industry that can benefit from reducing the labor required to transport large numbers of lightweight items.

Other Types of Gravity Conveyors

Although roller and skatewheel conveyors are the most common types of gravity conveyor systems, there are other options. Many bend, curve and merge conveyor systems can operate via gravity. And, of course, there is the simplest gravity conveyor of them all: the chute conveyor. This conveyor looks like a slide on a playground &#; it&#;s just a declined metal chute that uses gravity and a low-friction internal surface to move materials from point A to point B.

What Is a Power Conveyor?

The key difference between gravity conveyors and power conveyors is how they generate movement. A power conveyor uses a source of power to move materials along the frame. Usually, this power source is an electric motor that moves either individual rollers or a tensioned belt.

Power conveyors can come in a lot of shapes and sizes, but the most common types are belt conveyors and roller conveyors.

1. Power Belt Conveyors

If you have ever waited for your luggage at baggage claim in a large airport, you have probably seen a great example of a power belt conveyor. Using an external electric motor and pulley system, these conveyor systems move items on a wide, flat belt over supports between the two sides of the conveyor frame. The supports are usually a smooth, flat surface or rollers.

Belt conveyors are typically best for moving lighter loads, such as packages, bulk materials and individual retail items.

2. Power Roller Conveyors

Power roller conveyors are highly similar to gravity roller conveyors. The primary difference is that power roller conveyors use an external powered mechanism to cause the rollers to rotate and move items along the line.

There are three common ways to rotate rollers in a power roller conveyor system:

• A belt on which the rollers rest
• A lineshaft, which is an external drive shaft attached to each roller via an O-ring
• A chain connected to each roller via sprockets

Each of the above options provides a different level of power. Belt-driven roller conveyors are best for lightweight objects that won&#;t need to travel up an incline. Lineshaft roller conveyors provide a little more power and allow the rollers to go either forward or backward. And chain-driven roller conveyors provide the most power, suiting them well for industries that deal with heavy loads.

Other Types of Power Conveyors

Many other types of power conveyor systems are designed to meet unique needs in various industries. Examples of other types of power conveyors are motorized roller conveyors, overhead conveyors and accumulation conveyors.

Gravity Conveyors vs. Power Conveyors

The descriptions of gravity vs. power conveyors above provide some clear differences between the two types of systems, but let&#;s take a closer look.

How They Move Products

The difference between gravity and power conveyors goes deeper than simply moving materials via gravity or power. For example, gravity conveyors can move items downhill, and with human assistance, they can move items across a level surface. But power conveyors can move items uphill or downhill and across a level surface with no human intervention.

Additionally, power belt conveyors will maintain space between items on the belt, while gravity conveyors cause items to accumulate after a decline or at the end of the line. Similarly, gravity conveyors cause items to move at varying speeds, depending on how steep the decline is. Meanwhile, power conveyors can maintain a consistent speed for all items throughout the system.

Belt conveyor (left) and power roller conveyor (right)

How Far They Can Reach

Gravity conveyors are best suited to move products short distances. While this is not a technical rule, keep in mind that high levels of decline or human assistance will be required to allow a gravity conveyor to move materials over a longer distance.

On the other hand, power conveyors can reach virtually any length you need them to. That&#;s because the system maintains equal power and speed over inclines, declines and flat surfaces for the entire length of the power conveyor.

Price Differences Between Gravity and Power Conveyors

While multiple factors will influence the price of a gravity conveyor or power conveyor, gravity conveyors will be more affordable as a general rule. The reason why is intuitive &#; gravity conveyors require no expensive motors and fewer parts, meaning they can have both a lower initial cost and lower maintenance costs over time.

There are, of course, further degrees of affordability within each category of conveyors. For example, gravity skatewheel conveyors tend to be less expensive than gravity roller conveyors. And systems that combine sections of power conveyor and sections of gravity conveyor can vary widely in price, depending on whether they are new or used and the various bends, curves, merges and other features they include.

Find the Perfect Conveyor for Your Warehouse or Distribution Center

The differences between gravity and power conveyors are clear, and they&#;re extremely important. If you&#;re still not sure which conveyor system is right for you, we&#;re here to help. The conveyor experts at East Coast Storage Equipment are ready to listen to your needs and match you with the perfect used conveyor system.

To speak with a member of our friendly and helpful team, give us a call at 732-451- or contact us online.

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