A Look At Different Conveyor Systems

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
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Certain types of material handling equipment that help in transferring products from one area to another are commonly known as conveyor systems. These systems can transfer different kinds of material which include food, raw materials and chemicals as well as any other materials that is to be moved from one part of a process to another part of the process involving production or inspection and even packing and dispatching.

When it comes to picking conveyor systems, there are different options available and each will have its own type of conveyor. These conveyors can be belt, overhead, bucket, food, pivoting bucket and pendulum bucket as too vibratory conveyors. Each is normally driven by power obtained from electric motors or they can be powered with the help of vacuum or even air pressure.

Overhead conveyors are normally used when there is need to move items such as assemblies and foods. Though these types of conveyor systems are not cheap, they do help to ensure that the user does not require much manpower and this then means affecting lower operating costs. In addition to being cost effective, these conveyors ...
... also use less space and they are also safer to use. They are mostly used in conveying tires, white goods as well as in the car exhaust industry.

Overhead conveyors are normally hung from ceilings or walls that are constructed out of steel and they obviously are preferred because they do not take up much space. In addition, these systems enable the user to conserve manpower as the conveyor can handle all transportation needs and so there is no need to employ people to do the required work. Such systems are also very commonly used in assembly and manufacturing units as well as in warehouses and in distribution centers and they are also widely used in handling of food items.

The bucket elevator type of conveying system is mostly used when there is needed to move bulk materials (flow type) in vertical directions. Mostly, the materials that need to be conveyed using such conveyors are light or even heavy in weight and which can involve items that are very fine or which are large and lumpy.

Belt conveyor systems are mainly used for moving numerous bulky or even individual loads from one point in a processing system to another. These conveyors generally do not cost much and are also specifically designed for use with certain kinds of products and they can easily be controlled with the help of push buttons that can also be coupled with intelligent control systems to provide more accurate movement.

The roller conveyors are also versatile and cost beneficial and they have certainly evolved over time and are now widely being used in heavy duty environments. Examples of use of such conveyor systems include pallet handling and storage of heavier products as well as automotive requirements in which products need to be loaded onto conveyors with the help of machines or forklifts.

Conveyor systems are mostly used in factories where the overhead types are most commonly used. Such systems are very effective, and will prove their worth when there is limitation of space and also when the system needs to be suspended from the ceiling instead of on the floor.
For more information on Bucket Elevators and Conveyor Systems please visit Gough & Co (Engineering) Ltd.