What Type of Material Handling Conveyor Do You Need?
After you understand what type of conveyor you need, it is best to choose an automation solution that can help you meet your demands and better compete in your marketplace. It all just depends on whether you're conveying full cases, individual products, or pallets--not everyone is going to need the same designs or power.
What kind of conveyor do you need? What business are you in? From pneumatic tub conveyors to beverage conveyors, tire and wheel conveyors to part handling and assembly, there are literally hundreds of different types of conveyors to choose from to handle all of your material handling needs.
So which is the best, the most effective material handling solution for your company? That really depends on what business you are in. You obviously aren't going to want to use a cooling and drying conveyor for your materials which need a type of sortation conveyor, right? So why don't we take a look an at aspect which will make any choice the right choice for you and your expanding business.
Your Conveyor Is Only As Good As Its Belt
No matter which conveyor you decide to go with, choosing the right belt for your products is one of the most important and usually overlooked part of selection. You should always pay close attention to the type of material your belt is made of, it is absolutely vital to your success of using this application. Making the wrong choice here can tremendously affect safety, throughput, and downtime--ultimately causing your company loss.
There are several different kinds of belts to choose from. The first step for choosing the right belt is to know your product. Study it. There are many key questions to ask yourself:
It is important to have a good understanding of what your material handling needs are before you can select the proper conveyor systems and belts. Once you've got a good grasp on the idea, you can begin proper selection of a belt that will do your conveyor justice. Here are a few types of belts to consider to help you get started:
After you understand what type of conveyor you need, it is best to choose an automation solution that can help you meet your demands and better compete in your marketplace. It all just depends on whether you're conveying full cases, individual products, or pallets--not everyone is going to need the same designs or power.
What kind of conveyor do you need? What business are you in? From pneumatic tub conveyors to beverage conveyors, tire and wheel conveyors to part handling and assembly, there are literally hundreds of different types of conveyors to choose from to handle all of your material handling needs.
So which is the best, the most effective material handling solution for your company? That really depends on what business you are in. You obviously aren't going to want to use a cooling and drying conveyor for your materials which need a type of sortation conveyor, right? So why don't we take a look an at aspect which will make any choice the right choice for you and your expanding business.
Your Conveyor Is Only As Good As Its Belt
No matter which conveyor you decide to go with, choosing the right belt for your products is one of the most important and usually overlooked part of selection. You should always pay close attention to the type of material your belt is made of, it is absolutely vital to your success of using this application. Making the wrong choice here can tremendously affect safety, throughput, and downtime--ultimately causing your company loss.
There are several different kinds of belts to choose from. The first step for choosing the right belt is to know your product. Study it. There are many key questions to ask yourself:
- What is the size of the product? Its weight and distribution?
- What is your product made of? What kind of material?
- How is your product loaded onto the conveyor?
- Will your product's orientation ever change?
- At what speed will your product be conveyed?
- Will your product travel? (i.e. incline/decline)
- What kind of environment will your conveyor operate in?(i.e. hot/cold temperatures? wet/dry? indoor/outdoor? corrosive?)
It is important to have a good understanding of what your material handling needs are before you can select the proper conveyor systems and belts. Once you've got a good grasp on the idea, you can begin proper selection of a belt that will do your conveyor justice. Here are a few types of belts to consider to help you get started:
- General Purpose-These belts are typically made of inner-carcass and outer-cover.
- Plastic-Belting-You may more commonly refer to these as MatTop, MicroSpan, and TableTop. These types of belts and chains are often durable, lightweight, and resistant to wear.
- Hinge-Metal-This type of belt is extremely durable, and is often used in scrap removal and machine chip.
- Woven-Wire-This type of belting is most often used in extreme high and low temperatures, and also during drying.
- Flat-Wire-As suggested, this belting has a flat surface which makes it ideal for handling food. It is also more economical to use these types compared to woven-wire belts.