Conveyor

Conveyors are extremely useful in the transportation of heavy items. They are very popular for industrial uses as materials can be efficiently transported.

Conveyors are used:

- When material is to be moved frequently between specific points (for an example, from picking to packing)
- To move materials over a fixed path
- When there is a sufficient flow volume to justify the fixed conveyor investment

Conveyors can be classified in different ways:

- Type of product being handled: unit load or bulk load
- Location of the conveyor: overhead, on-floor, or in-floor
- Whether or not loads can accumulate on the conveyor

Many companies favor the usage of conveyors, as firstly, they are much safer to operate rather than operating forklifts or any other kinds of machinery.

Industries minimize the cost, as manpower can reduce with the aid of conveyor. Conveyors allow the movement of all kinds of materials ranging from different weights, sizes and shapes, which many other forms of transport cant conform with.

There are many different kinds of conveyor systems used nowadays. They are the belt conveyor, line shaft roller conveyor and chain conveyor. The belt conveyor consists of a belt, pulley and rollers. When one of the rollers rotate, it will cause a forward movement of the belt which will in turn move the materials on it forward. Belt conveyors are not usually used for bulky materials but for grocery products such as vegetables.

Line shaft roller conveyors are for light materials up to 20kg. The conveyor consists of rollers, shaft and an electric motor controlled by electronic programmable logic controller. The advantages of using this type of conveyor are that it is easy to install and maintain, it doesn’t make much noises and lastly the constructing of it doesn’t requires much capital. Although it has these advantages, not many industries use these types of conveyors. It can only move objects of certain shape as objects moved along this conveyor may fall between the rollers. Chain conveyor is different from the other 2 conveyors. It can transport heavier goods and is commonly used in the car production line.

Those conveyors are some of the example that can be seen in our daily operation.

Following up will be some of the conveyors used in handling materials in warehouse:

1. Chute Conveyor




It can be used:
- to transport Unit or Bulk items
- On-floor, used to convey items between floors
- Items can be accumulated
- to link two handling devices

Cost: Inexpensive

Disadvantage: Difficult to control position of the items

* Require precise and accurate design of inclines and configuration.

2. Skate Wheel Conveyors




It can be used:
- Only for single unit at a time
- On-floor
- Items can be accumulated
- For light-duty application with rigid bases

Uses a series of skatewheels mounted on a shaft, where load is being transported (spacing of the wheels is dependent on the load)

Cost:Economical

3. Roller Conveyors



It can be used:
- Only for single unit at a time
- On-floor
- Items can be accumulated
- May be powered (or live) or nonpowered (or gravity)
- With a minimum of three rollers must support smallest loads at all times

3.1 Gravity Conveyor Conveyors



It can be used:
- For heavy-duty applications
- Slope for gravity movement (depending on the load weight)
- Accumulating loads

This can be an alternative to wheel conveyor.

3.2 Live (Powered) Roller Conveyor




It can be used:
- For belt or chain driven
- For force-sensitive transmission to disengage rollers for accumulation (load should be smooth and firmly based with three rollers in contact at all times.)
- For accumulating loads and merging/sorting operations
- Provides limited incline movement capabilities (Inclines are not recommended)

4. Flat Belt Conveyors




It can be used:
- Only for single unit at a time
- On-floor
- For moving light cartons or cases

Disadvantage: No smooth accumulation, merging, and sorting on the belt

The belt is roller or slider bed supported. They can be made from rubber, plastic, fabric, composites of these, steel and steel-mesh.

5. Chain Conveyors




It can be used:
- Only for single unit at a time
- In/On-floor Unit
- Load on two or more sets of parallel roller chains, and are for heavy loads

Vertical chain conveyors are used for continuous high-frequency vertical transfers.

6. Slat Conveyors




It can be used:
- Only for single unit at a time
- On-floor
- Operate horizontal and inclined
- Used for heavy loads or loads that might damage a belt

7. Power and free Conveyors




It can be used:
- to transport single unit
- On-floor/ overhead
- Items can be accumulated

The power-and-free conveyor uses two tracks: one powered and the other non-powered.


there are different type of conveyor, here are some videos to illustrate.



Conveyor system from custom conveyor. Conveyor with pusher, plow, conveyor escapement stop, pull off and conveyor to conveyor transfer


so if we look into our daily lifestyle, conveyor is also used. have you tried sushi in sushi bar? where you can just retrieve what you want to eat from the conveyor? this time round, we place an camera on the conveyor.


car chain conveyor


conveyor is used everywhere.