It’s important to know there is a different range of conveyor systems, each having their own unique capabilities and can be used for different applications in different industries. Below is a list of the different conveyors that are in use today.
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- Roller conveyor
- Powered roller conveyor
- Gravity roller conveyor
- Belt conveyor
- Chain conveyor
- Slat conveyor
- Ball transfer conveyor
- Magnetic conveyor
- Chute Conveyor
- Overhead conveyor
- Pneumatic conveyor
- Screw conveyor
- Vertical conveyor
- Vibrating conveyor
- Walking beam conveyor
- Wheel conveyor
With a range of different conveyors, it’s no surprise they can be used in all industries. Each of these different conveyor systems can be altered for their application and modified with custom pieces that can be added dependent on the conveyor’s use.
Before we jump into the different ways a conveyor can be used in businesses, let’s first have a look at a few of the current statistics and future predictions of conveyor used in industries today.
Conveyor belt market demand is set to rise to £3.9 billion by
Polymer conveyor belt market set to witness a growth rate of around 3.5% by
Conveyor system market is expected to reach a market size of £7.8 billion by
31% of conveyor market growth will come from E-commerce and 3PL
Food and beverage industry will witness the fastest growth rate due to rising demand for packaged foods with an anticipated growth rate of 4.5% between and
You can find more detailed explanations on these current statistics and future predictions by clicking on any of the links. But hopefully, you can see that the conveyor market is showing any signs of slowing down soon.
And on that note, let’s look at five different ways a conveyor can be used to give an idea for why the market is experiencing the growth it is today.
A conveyor system has been a common and integral part of a manufacturing line for over 100 years and was a key innovation within Henry Ford’s T Model production line.
The applications of a conveyor system in manufacturing can include being used on a car manufacturing line, a production line for electrical goods, and a food production line for baked food.
The way a conveyor is used in this environment is by moving the product from one point to the next.
So, when a car is being assembled it needs to go through multiple stages to get to the finished product and be able to function for the customer.
This way a conveyor can speed up the time in which a product is finished as it moves the product to the next section in a constant stream.
If you’ve ever wondered how your parcels are handled in a distribution centre, it’s highly likely that their delivery process involved being put on a conveyor system.
The conveyor system can be functioned, so it holds and moves various weighted and sized items through to the correct department in a much quicker time than by manual labour due to a mostly automated process.
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If you look inside any major parcel delivery company, you will see the items going through to different sections which could be using different conveyors.
The sorting section from returned parcels could be using powered roller conveyors while the section for putting parcels on the back of the lorries could be using inclined belt conveyors.
Conveyors are also used for transporting goods and people’s belongings through airports. Notice the next time when you go to an airport the number of conveyors at the bag check security section and in the arrivals when passengers bags come through on the baggage carousel.
When large and heavy goods are being transported, it’s imperative that the conveyor moving these goods can hold the weight while not being damaged by sharp edges or heavy loads.
For this type of movement, a heavy-duty conveyor is required which can come in all different variations depending on what needs to be moved. This allows for bigger items to be moved through a process without the material or conveyor being damaged by the sharp, heavier, or coarse materials.
Heavy-duty conveyors can be built for a range of applications from being designed to withstand chemical corrosion to being able to transport large amounts of coal.
While we mentioned earlier that conveyors can be used to move vehicles on a production line, these production lines could well use heavy-duty conveyors, as I’m sure you can imagine, cars can be rather heavy to move.
With food and beverages being packaged on assembly lines at a quick rate, conveyors can be used in such a way that they can quickly move the food and drink from being made to the next process such as cooling the food or distilling the drink, all the way through to the final process of being packaged.
An added benefit of using conveyors within the food and beverage packaging is that they help with ensuring that all the packaged goods are done in a hygienic way. So not only do the conveyors increase the output of packaged goods on their production lines, and as a result, to their customer, it also ensures that the foods and beverages are meeting the hygiene requirements.
A conveyor system systematically carries and transports materials, typically in an industrial or controlled environment. Conveyor belts are a tried-and-true energy saver designed to increase efficiency. Let’s take a look at how conveyor belts work and why they’ve stood the test of time.
A conveyor belt works by using two motorized pulleys that loop over a long stretch of thick, durable material. When motors in the pulleys operate at the same speed and spin in the same direction, the belt moves between the two.
If objects are particularly heavy or bulky — or if the conveyor belt is carrying them for a long distance or duration — rollers may be placed on the sides of the conveyor belt for support.
While there are numerous types of conveyor systems, all serve the same purpose of transporting materials. Some products may require a system without a belt, using only rollers or wheels for flexible movement. However, many conveyor systems rely on a frame with a belt and possible support rollers to carry materials and products efficiently.
All conveyor systems have three main components — the aluminum profile, the driving unit and the extremity unit.
In a conveyor belt system, the aluminum profile consists of the frame, belt and any supports. Systems that use a belt are generally powered by a motor, though conveyor systems can also use gravity or manual force to function. Motorized conveyor belts are ideal for industrial use as they are more reliable and efficient — the driving unit for such systems would include the motor bracket, electrical drive and any counter bearings.
The conveyor belt system’s extremity unit typically includes any pulleys and clamping straps. Additional stands or lateral guides could be necessary for specific variations or functions, so consider your industry’s needs when choosing these optional add-ons. Parts and functions of a new conveyor belt system might include:
Conveyor belting can be crafted from various materials, including rubber, metal, leather, fabric and plastic. Consider the conditions that your system will operate under to ensure the conveyor belting material is of suitable thickness and strength.
How is a conveyor belt typically used? A conveyor belt’s function is to move objects from Point A to Point B with minimal effort. The conveyor belt pace, direction, curvature and size varies based on the needs of the user. In some industries, a conveyor belt brings products through a manufacturing or packaging line and back out again.
Conveyor belting usually falls under two categories: lightweight and heavyweight.
Lightweight belting is designed to meet various material handling requirements in diverse industries. A lightweight belting system has a working tension of less than 160 pounds per inch of width. The four main types of light-duty conveyor belts are:
Top industries that use lightweight belting include:
For your toughest applications, use heavyweight conveyor belting with a tension of at least 160 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.
Top industries that use heavyweight belting include:
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.
A conveyor system has a wide variety of uses, such as:
The advantages of using a conveyor belt system include:
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. Items can be spread, stamped, rolled, glazed, fried, sliced and powdered — all while rolling on the belt. Think of the hours of manpower that would otherwise be spent bringing each food item through every part of that process. With conveyor belts, goods move from start to finish in mass quantities while still retaining a uniform high quality.
Each industry has its own specifications and requirements for the type of conveyor belt they use. From shipyards and power plants to bakeries and ice cream plants, the conveyor belt is the go-to utility because of its simplicity and reliability.
If you’re in the market for a new conveyor belt or belt maintenance services, SEMCOR can help. Offering everything from customized conveyor belt consultation and fabricationto installation and repair, we can support your conveyor belt applications with the right materials and expertise you need to get moving — and keep moving!
We know that when something goes wrong, you need a quick fix you can trust. You can reach us 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any conveyor belt emergencies.