Introduction

What is conveyor

A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves

materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in
applications involving the transport of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems
allow quick and efficient transport for a wide variety of materials, which make them
very popular in the material handling and packaging industries. They also have
popular consumer applications, as they are often found in supermarkets and airports,
constituting the final leg of item/ bag delivery to customers. Many kinds of conveying
systems are available and are used according to the various needs of different
industries. There are chain conveyors (floor and overhead) as well. Chain conveyors
consist of enclosed tracks, I-Beam, towline, power & free, and hand pushed
trolleys.Conveyor systems require materials suited to the displacement of heavy loads
and the wear-resistance to hold-up over time without seizing due to deformation.
Examples of conveyor handling materials include nylon, Nylatron NSM, HDPE,
Tivar, Tivar ESd, and polyurethane.

History of conveyor
Background of conveyor

The inventor is unknown, it’s hard to say for sure. Long before Robbins and Ford,
however, the first conveyor systems are thought to have been used as early as 1795.
They were made of a leather or canvas belt that traveled over a flat wooden bed.
Years later, Robbins developed the modern conveyor belt’s direct precursor in 1892,
while Ford began using and improving upon it in 1913. Henry Ford made conveyors
famous with his automobile assembly lines in the early 20th century, he did not invent
them he just improved upon old technology.

To give you a better understanding of monumental moments in conveyor belt history,

we created the following timeline:

 1795 – The first conveyors appeared. These early conveyors were short, made
from leather belts and wooden beds, and were hand-operated. They were mainly
used in ports to move agricultural products from shore to ship.
 1804 – The British Navy began eating biscuits produced by the first steam
operated conveyors.
 1892 – Manufacturer and inventor Thomas Robbins designed a conveyor belt
system to transport coal and ore for Thomas Edison’s Ore-Milling Company. His
invention won the grand prize at the Paris Exposition World Fair in 1900.
 1902 – Swedish engineering company Sandvik produced steel conveyors for
the
transportation of mined aggregate and coal.
 1905 – Mining engineer and inventor Richard Sutcliffe introduced the first
underground conveyor belt. It was made of cotton and rubber and used during
mining, quarrying and mineral processing.
 1908 – Inventor Hymle Goddard patented the first roller conveyor.
 1913 – Automobile manufacturer and inventor Henry Ford started
incorporating conveyor belts into his company’s assembly line system.
 1920s – Conveyors began replacing locomotive and rail lines in the quarrying,
mining and mineral processing industries.
 1940s – Due to a shortage of rubber during World War II, the first synthetic
belt materials were created. Additionally, the first conveyor safety standards were
developed by the American Standards Association in 1947
 1970 – Manufacturers began creating conveyors that were less noisy and more
durable.
 1980 – Internally powered conveyor rollers and motorized pulleys were
developed to eliminate costly maintenance
 Recent years – – From solar-powered conveyor belts to computerization,
conveyor systems have become more efficient and high-tech than ever before.

Benefits of conveyor systems

Conveyor systems are used widespread across a range of industries due to the
numerous benefits they provide.

 Conveyors are able to safely transport materials from one level to another,
which when done by human labor would be strenuous and expensive.
 They can be installed almost anywhere, and are much safer than using a
forklift or other machine to move materials.
 They can move loads of all shapes, sizes and weights. Also, many have
advanced safety features that help prevent accidents.
 There are a variety of options available for running conveying systems,
including the hydraulic, mechanical and fully automated systems, which are
equipped to fit individual needs.
Generally, The main purpose of a conveyor system is to move objects from one
location to another. The design allows for movement of objects that are too heavy or
too bulky for humans to carry by hand.Conveyor systems save time when transporting
items from one location to another. As they can be inclined to span multiple levels,
they make it simpler to move items up and down floors, a task that, when performed
manually by humans, causes physical strain. Inclined belts can automatically unload
material, eliminating the need for someone to be on the opposite end to receive pieces

How to choose the right conveyor system

A conveyor more or less acts as a central nervous system for operations that receive,
handle, store, distribute, manufacture or ship products. Selecting the right conveyor
system can be challenging for warehouse managers and other stakeholders due to the
several conveyor types and hundreds of possible configurations to choose from.

Also, there are several factors to consider when trying to identify and purchase the
ideal conveyor system for your warehousing or distribution facility. You should
simultaneously consider both product and process requirements.

First off, an ideal conveyor system must be:

 Operationally safe
 Energy efficient
 Reliable (parts and components engineered to last)
 Adaptable to changing needs
 Cost-effective (in terms of TCO, or total cost of ownership)

Installing the wrong conveyor system will quickly undermine a warehouse’s

operational efficiency, leading to higher cost and lower customer satisfaction,
eventually stripping the business of its competitive advantage.

Without further ado, let’s explore factors to consider when evaluating and selecting
the right conveyor system for your operation.
Types of conveyor

 Belt conveyor
 Bucket conveyor
 Chain conveyor
 Gravity conveyor
 Lineshaft roller conveyor
 Overhead I-beam conveyor
 Pneumatic conveyor
 Screw or auger conveyor
 Vertical conveyor
 Vibrating conveyor
 wheel conveyor

Belt conveyor

A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys with a closed loop of carrying
medium the conveyor belt that rotates about them.they are the most versatile and the
least expensive
Pneumatic

Every pneumatic system uses pipes or ducts called transport lines that carry a mixture
of materials and a stream of air. These materials are free flowing powdery materials
like cement and fly ash. Products are moved through tubes by air pressure. Pneumatic
conveyors are either carrier systems or dilute-phase systems.

Vibrating

A vibrating conveyor is a machine with a solid conveying surface which is turned up

on the side to form a trough. They are used extensively in food-grade applications to
convey dry bulk solids[1] where sanitation, washdown, and low maintenance are
essential. Vibrating conveyors are also suitable for harsh, very hot, dirty, or corrosive
environments. They can be used to convey newly-cast metal parts which may reach
upwards of 1,500 °F (820 °C). Due to the fixed nature of the conveying pans vibrating
conveyors can also perform tasks such as sorting, screening, classifying and orienting
parts. Vibrating conveyors have been built to convey material at angles exceeding 45°
from horizontal using special pan shapes. Flat pans will convey most materials at a 5°
incline from horizontal line.

gravity conveyors
Non-powered, gravity conveyors are one of the most economical material handling
solutions. Loads are conveyed on rollers or skatewheels which are mounted in frames.
Typically gravity conveyors are sloped in elevation to allow products to flow freely,
taking advantage of the Earth’s gravity

Chapter two

Vibratory conveyor
What is a Vibrating conveyor?? A Vibrating Conveyor is a machine with a solid
conveying surface which is turned up on the side to form a trough.  These vibratory
machines transmit both static and dynamic forces to their supporting structures. 
Materials can be moved downward, horizontally, or up to 10 degrees slopes.  It can
convey coal, limestone, sand, coke, granite, gravel, food materials etc.

Types of Vibrating conveyor

There are two basic types of vibrating conveyors:
Natural frequency vibrating conveyor 
This is consists of a trough mounted on an elastic element and driven by an electric
motor via an elastic connecting rod, which causes sinusoidal mechanical vibration. 
These are supported by heavy-duty stiff coil or leaf springs. This results in minimum
power requirements, minimum drive forces and a uniform distribution of inertia
forces over the length of the conveyor.
Controlled vibration vibrating conveyor
These supported by rocker arms or rods pivoted at the trough and at the base
connections. The movement of material on the pan of a vibrating conveyor is
dependent on the vibratory motion of the pan.

WORKING PRINCIPLE
Vibratory machines work on the simple principle of throwing the product particle into
the air in both horizontal and vertical direction and then collecting(catching) it and
repeating the cycle .When these actions occur at several cycles per second the
machine has the ability to move a deep bed of material fairly and quickly.The
advantages of utilizing vibratory equipment are its numerous capabilities, versatility
and relatively low maintenance characteristics.
TROUGH TROUGH MOTION LEAF SPRING PUSH ROD ECCENTRIC
BEARING SUBFRAME FATIGUE CRACKING SUPPORT STRUCTURE
Vibratory conveyor configuration
A trough or tube is flexibly supported and vibrated at relatively high frequency and
small amplitude to convey bulk material or objects. A metal trough mounted on
flexible supports and free to move in a vertical plane. It is vibrated at an angle of
about 30 degrees to the horizontal. The material being conveyed moves in a series of
gentle pitches and catches that blend to produce continuous, uniform flow. There is no
tumbling or sliding of the material to cause wear of the trough.
FUNCTION
The functioning is based on obtaining a common frequency between the elastic
system and the drive unit. •The used system relies on the energy conservation
theorem. •If an elastic element supporting a certain mass is pressed or stretched with a
certain force, it absorbs and supplies the same energy.
POWER REQUIREMENT
The power requirement to maintain a vibrating conveyor is extremely low since the
elastic elements themselves act as accumulators of energy. • The energy supplied by
the electric motor is only the energy required to replace losses caused by the friction.
Total energy requirements Energy absorbed by the drive unit Element Energy
produced by the elastic system
SPCIFIC APPLICATION
Vibrating conveyors are used where horizontal or shallow incline conveying is
required. They handle a wide variety of bulk materials, from powders to solids. 
They are designed to handle fragile, sharp and irregularly shaped materials, and are
primarily used in the forest products, stamping, food, grain and chemical industries.
 They are used extensively in food grade applications where sanitation, washdown
and low maintenance are essential.
Vibrating conveyors are also suitable for harsh, very hot, dirty, or corrosive
environments. Due to the fixed nature of the conveying pans vibrating conveyors can
also perform tasks such as sorting, screening, classifying and orienting parts.
Vibrating conveyors have been built to convey material at angles exceeding 45° from
horizontal using special pan shapes. Flat pans will convey most materials at a 5°
Incline from horizontal line.

WASTE RECYCLING CASTING CASTING PIECES

food Industry Chemical industry Rubber Industry Forest Products industry

ADVANTAGES •
Can readily handle hot or abrasive materials.
•Handles fragile materials (potato chips, cereal flakes, etc.). Without degradation •It
is normally self-cleaning.
•No return strand to carry over.
•Simple construction with minimum number of moving parts.
•Moving parts are not in contact with material.
•Minimum safety hazard to persons working on or near conveyor.
• Conveyor can perform special operations (scalping, dedusting, magnetic separation,
lump breaking, washing, heating, cooling, drying, etc.) while conveying.
.
LIMITATIONS
• Not all materials can be conveyed.
• Not a positive type of conveyor; conveying speed obtained may vary with different
materials.
• Degree of slope for conveying is limited.
• Substantial foundation, supporting structure, or special construction is required with
unbalanced forces.
• Limited length of conveyor per drive.