How does conveyor work

Select the following link if you would like to recover a report that has been previously deleted. Over the years, manufacturing and industrial processes have developed in leaps and bounds. Today, manufacturing is characterized by mass production, great efficiency, and the use of high-speed machines. With the need to handle and move large, heavy industrial and agricultural material, it was necessary to integrate mechanical devices, such as a conveyor system, that would move the items with minimal effort.

Conveyor systems play an important role in facilitating manufacturing and distribution processes. However, it is important to ensure that the systems work efficiently and do not undermine the various processes. This means training employees on how to prevent and troubleshoot problems and to correct them. Regardless of whether a conveyor system is motor powered or manual, it will consist of pulleys, idlers, rollers, wheels and belts.

A frame supports the belt carrying objects from one location to another. In order to move the belt and transport the material it carries, the head pulley is usually the drive pulley. This makes a device that can be used to handle, move, and transport bulk materials, large volumes of resources, items being manufactured, and agricultural materials.

With the proposed use of the systems, the conveyor belts are usually made of PVC or rubber. Bucket Conveyors or bucket elevators use multi-sided containers attached to cables, belts, or chains to convey products or materials. The containers remain upright along the system and are tipped to release material. Bucket conveyors are used in applications such as parts, bulk material, or food processing and handling.

The conveyed material can be in liquid form or dry such as sludge, sand, manure, sugar, and grain. The systems can be used horizontally or can be inclined or vertical to change levels of the delivered products.

Many sizes and load carrying capacities are available depending on the application. Chute or Trough Conveyors are material handling systems that use gravity to convey product along smooth surfaces from one level to another. Key specifications include the chute material and the physical dimensions such as length and chute width.

Chute conveyors are used for scrap handling, packaging, postal service package or mail handling, etc. Chutes are designed to have a low coefficient of dynamic friction, allowing the product or material to slide easily, and can be straight or curved depending on the needs of the application.

Drag conveyors are used for moving bulk materials in bins, flights, or other attachments and can have multiple discharge or loading points. Tubular drag conveyors use a fully enclosed system of chains to convey product in any direction. Chain conveyors use a chain, or multiple chains to move pallets or other hard-to-convey products. Tow conveyors use a towline such as cables or chains, usually in the floor or just above it, to tow product directly or to tow wheeled carts or dollies.

Overhead Conveyors are mounted from ceilings that use trolleys or carriers moved by chains, cables, or similar connections. Overhead conveyors are primarily used in material handling applications where the product needs to be hung, such as dry-cleaning garment lines, paint lines, or parts handling systems, or for cooling and curing. Various types of overhead conveyor systems configurations are available including electric track, monorail, trolley, as well as inclined or ramped.

Depending on the application, the load-carrying capacity may be critical. Most overhead conveyors systems are powered and controlled, while others are hand-operated conveyor belts. Materials for the conveyors can be metallic or non-metallic depending on the media being conveyed.

Various sizes are available depending on the load and throughput requirements. Screw conveyors , sometimes known as spiral, worm, or auger conveyors use helical elements to move materials.

They consist of a helical screw element or steel auger that rotates around a central shaft, driving the work material according to the screw design and rotational direction. The helical screw functions within a casing, trough or compartment to take full advantage of the rotational force.

Manufacturers use screw conveyors to transport materials such as flakes, grains, powders, seeds, and granules. Alternatively, these devices can be used to mix, agitate or blend such materials, or to maintain solutions.

They are used widely in agricultural applications, from use in farm machinery like threshers and balers to factory-based grain and crop movers. A mini screw conveyor can also transport wet, non-flowing and caking materials that might otherwise be difficult to move, such as concrete. Other applications for screw conveyors are the conveying of various mechanical parts or to function as a bottling system conveyor.

The screw can be of a paddle or ribbon design depending on the application and can be driven via a chain and sprocket, gears, or direct drive. Types of screw conveyors include bottom conveyors and centerless screw conveyors. Bottom conveyors use multiple screws in an open trough. Centerless, or shaftless, screw conveyors do not contain a central shaft and instead consist of an empty helix. This design still moves the substrate but allows for more freedom within the casing.

Materials can be metal or non-metal depending on the media being conveyed. Vertical Conveyors move products vertically between levels of conveying lines. Key specifications include the lift speed and maximum load height.

Vertical conveyors move material or product to higher levels within a facility. They are further classified as continuous lifting or reciprocating. Various sizes and load capabilities are available depending on the application. Vibrating Conveyors use rotary or linear vibration to move material along their system beds.

Vibrating conveyors are used for moving dry, bulk materials such as aggregate , gravel, coal, etc. The bed of the conveyor vibrates to move the material along its length. The conveyor can be a trough, a tube, or a flat table top.

Many sizes are available depending on the application. Walking Beam Conveyors use a combination of static supports and moving supports to index workpieces through manufacturing cells.

Walking beam conveyors are used on automation and assembly lines, where items need to be placed in specific locations in a sequential manner. The item being supported at a stationary position is picked up by the walking beam and indexed to its next position, where another manufacturing step takes place.

This movement repeats over the length of the conveyor. Walking beam conveyors can have single or multiple lines depending on the product. Wheel Conveyors use unpowered wheels to move objects along their lengths by gravity or manual power. Wheel conveyors are used for item or package handling and are commonly employed for loading and unloading trucks and moving packages, pallets, etc.

The conveyors are configured by the number of wheels and wheel spacing, depending on the load requirements and the application. The four main types of light-duty conveyor belts are:. For your toughest applications, use heavyweight conveyor belting with a tension of at least pounds per inch of width.

A heavy-duty belting system is used for applications that require continuous movement of bulky, heavy materials. The belt is often coated with PTFE to withstand high temperatures.

Lightweight and heavyweight belting have a range of uses and applications across different settings and industries. Whether you need light-duty or heavy-duty belting, conveyor belt systems are remarkable in their ability to impact efficiency, productivity and labor.

Conveyor systems are at work across many industries, including air travel, mining, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food processing and more. At an airport, a conveyor belt is the best way to process, sort, load and unload passenger luggage efficiently. The baggage carousel is a practical use of industrial conveyor belts that most people encounter in life — luggage is loaded onto the belt in a secure area and then swiftly delivered to the terminal where the passengers have access.

The belt continuously passes through the loading area and circulates back around to the baggage reclaim area for efficient delivery. For the pharmaceutical industry, conveyor belt systems transport cardboard boxes or palates full of medical supplies before and after packaging and distribution.

In manufacturing and mining, enormous amounts of material are transported through tunnels, along roads and up steep slopes on conveyor belts. Durable belting material and good use of support rollers are necessary for conveyor belt systems in these industries. For food processing, products go through their life cycle on a conveyor belt.