Conveyors: Technology Conveyor Systems Selection Considerations When deciding on which conveyor system best suits your needs, a key consideration is the material is being transported. Some important characteristics to consider are size, flowability, abrasiveness, corrosiveness, moisture content, and the temperature at which it must be kept. The composition of the material, if powders, granules, pellets, fibers, or flakes are being conveyed, should also be considered, along with the particle size, weight, and density. The function of the conveyor system Scanned with CamScannerThe function of the conveyor system itself may vary. The two main categories of moving material through a process are conveying and feeding. Conveying is the moving of materials from one or more pickup points to one or more drop points. The desired window of time for this movement should be considered, as well as the amount of pickup and drop points, the amount of material being moved, and whether or not cross-contamination between multiple materials is a concern. Feeding is more time-sensitive and requires more precise systems than coveying. Material is usually moved from one pickup point to one drop point. The product being moved may have to be delivered in batches, or at a controlled, continuous rate. An essential factor to consider before the selection of a conveyor system is the environment in which it will be used. High humidity, temperature, vibration, pressure, fragile or hazardous materials, and flammable products in the facility should all be discussed with a conveyor maanifantinne ta dntaeming an Scanned with CamScannerAn essential factor to consider before the selection of a conveyor system is the environment in which it will be used. High humidity, temperature, vibration, pressure, fragile or hazardous materials, and flammable products in the facility should all be discussed with a conveyor manufacturer to determine any potential risks and the countermeasures and workarounds needed. The size of the system compared to how much room in the workspace is available should be considered, along with how it will fit alongside existing equipment. Conveyors systems are often relatively complex in their design and construction owing to their large scales and integration into different factory processes. Still, the modular nature of many conveyor components makes even long and complex systems readily achievable. Manufacturers of such systems can offer design assistance so that the conveyor suits the workspace. Additional Conveyor c 1 co. ra Scanned with CamScannerAdditional Conveyor Systems Selection Factors Cleats, high friction belting, buckets, etc. are common forms of preventing product slip. A heavily loaded inclined belt conveyor can slip backward when the drive is off. Such conveyors employ backstopping brakes that engage automatically with de- energization of their motors. Often, the brake is releasable to allow the conveyor to reverse for unloading prior to servicing. In some conveyors, a certain amount of slippage is desirable; those handling glass bottles on packaging lines will often employ some form of back-pressure relief to prevent breakage to the bottles as they accumulate in a staging area such as a filler infeed. Aconveyor belt is susceptible to static electricity as the belt is continuously pulled against the end pulleys. If electrical components are being conveyed, static electricity can be hazardous. Anti-static conveyor belt Scanned with CamScannerAconveyor belt is susceptible to static electricity as the belt is continuously pulled against the end pulleys. If electrical components are being conveyed, static electricity can be hazardous. Anti-static conveyor belt measures such as conductive belts or static control brushes should be considered to protect products. Other safety considerations must be exercised due to often long conveyor lengths and their proximity to personnel. Live roller conveyors can be furnished with pop-out rollers that disengage from their drive belts if a person's hand or foot slips between rollers. Crossovers can be used to permit people to pass over long sections of belt conveyors. Roller style conveyors often use manual or powered gate sections to accomplish this. Conveyors often incorporate some type of soft starter or clutch mechanism to avoid overloading motors when starting fully loaded belts, chains, etc. Some belt conveyors are fitted with geared motor drives that incorporate internal motors and Scanned with CamScannerConveyors often incorporate some type of soft starter or clutch mechanism to avoid overloading motors when starting fully loaded belts, chains, etc. Some belt conveyors are fitted with geared motor drives that incorporate internal motors and gear drives within the head rollers which eliminate the need for externally mounted motors and power transmission components. While many conveyor systems are fixed and permanent, a great many are also portable and designed for loading- trucks, railcars, silos, etc. Outfeed and infeed conveyors built specifically for packaging operations are often caster- mounted for easy transport within a facility. Image credit: TRAIMAK/Shutterstock.com. An overhead conveyor carrying the body of a car. Scanned with CamScannerConveyor Applications and Industries Conveyor selection depends on product type, throughput or speed, elevation change, and in some cases, industry focus. Belt conveyors, for instance, come ina variety of sizes and can range from foot-long units used on packaging lines to mile-long systems used for mining operations. Conveyors can be hand-powered—where products are moved along manually over rollers or wheels—or engine/motor-powered or gravity powered. In general, though, they are driven by AC and DC motors, either directly or through reduction gears, chains, and sprockets, etc. Products generally ride on the top surfaces of conveyors, though exceptions exist. Overhead conveyors, as found at dry cleaners, slaughterhouses, or wherever floor space is a concern, suspend their loads from trollies which ride along overhead tracks. Other conveyors, such as screw and pneumatic types, Scanned with CamScannerconvey their products through semi- enclosed troughs or tubes. These conveyors often handle dry products and powders. Some conveyors are designed to move products precisely between manufacturing operations. Walking beam conveyors are an example of this type. Other conveyors transport hard to handle products, such as cosmetic bottles, through fillers, labelers, and other processes by holding each container in individual pucks or pallets. Conveyors are sometimes custom- designed from modular components such as straightaways, curves, transitions, merges, dividers, etc. Manufacturers of such components often provide design expertise and installation assistance. Other conveyors are stand-alone systems, complete with drives and controls. Manual type roller and wheel conveyors can commonly be purchased in discrete sections and bolted up to form material handling systems of nearly any length. In general, powered conveyors employ head shafts and tail shafts where the head end provides the drive arrangement, and the tail end Scanned with CamScannerConveyors are sometimes custom- designed from modular components such as straightaways, curves, transitions, merges, dividers, etc. Manufacturers of such components often provide design expertise and installation assistance. Other conveyors are stand-alone systems, complete with drives and controls. Manual type roller and wheel conveyors can commonly be purchased in discrete sections and bolted up to form material handling systems of nearly any length. In general, powered conveyors employ head shafts and tail shafts where the head end provides the drive arrangement, and the tail end provides for adjustment of the chain or belt tension. Conveyor Controls can be simple on/off varieties, slightly more sophisticated soft-start types which cushion loads upon startup, or variable frequency drives that can control the speed, acceleration, etc. of ac motors. Very long belt conveyors transporting ore and other products often rely on conveyor belt idlers to form troughs in the belts to better contain the conveyed materials. Scanned with CamScannerConveyor Controls can be simple on/off varieties, slightly more sophisticated soft-start types which cushion loads upon startup, or variable frequency drives that can control the speed, acceleration, etc. of ac motors. Very long belt conveyors transporting ore and other products often rely on conveyor belt idlers to form troughs in the belts to better contain the conveyed materials. Important Conveyor Systems Specifications o Load Capacity per Unit Length Manufacturers will offer this attribute in cases where the conveyor will be built to a custom length to permit users to determine loading margins. o Maximum Load Capacity Associated with Load Capacity per Unit Length, this value can be stated for fixed length, purpose-built conveyors. This can also be known as flow rate. o Conveyor Belt System Speed/Rated Speed Scanned with CamScannerImportant Conveyor Systems Specifications o Load Capacity per Unit Length Manufacturers will offer this attribute in cases where the conveyor will be built to a custom length to permit users to determine loading margins. o Maximum Load Capacity Associated with Load Capacity per Unit Length, this value can be stated for fixed length, purpose-built conveyors. This can also be known as flow rate. o Conveyor Belt System Speed/Rated Speed Belt conveyors are typically rated in terms of belt speed in ft/min. while powered roller conveyors described the linear velocity in similar units to a package, carton, etc. moving over the powered rollers. Rated speed applies to apron/slat conveyors and drag/chain/tow conveyors as well. o Throughput Throughput measures the capacity of conveyors that handle powdered Scanned with CamScanner° Throughput Throughput measures the capacity of conveyors that handle powdered materials and similar bulk products. It is often given as a volume per unit time, for instance, as cubic feet per minute. This attribute applies to bucket, pneumatic/vacuum, screw, vibrating, and walking beam conveyors. o Frame Configuration Frame configuration refers to the shape of the conveyor frame. Frames can be straight, curved, z-frames, or other shapes. ° Drive Location Drives can be located in different places on conveyor systems. A head or end drive is found on the discharge side of the conveyor and is the most common type. Center drives are not always at the actual center of the conveyor, but somewhere along its length, and are mounted underneath the system. They're used for reversing the direction of a conveyor. Conveyor Application Examples for Belt Conveyors Scanned with CamScanneralways at the actual center of the conveyor, but somewhere along its length, and are mounted underneath the system. They’re used for reversing the direction of a conveyor. Conveyor Application Examples for Belt Conveyors o Conveyors are used across a variety of industries for a range of different purposes. They are often used in industries such as automotive, food processing, packaging, pharmaceutical, and bottling just to name a few. If you’re in the market for aconveyor, you might be wondering what kind of conveyor and motor do you need for your application? Rather it is a flat belt or plastic chain conveyance surface or a built-in motor or end drive positioned motor, there is an option to fit your particular application needs. « Previous Next > Scanned with CamScanner