Almost every product has been transported at some point or another along a conveyor during its manufacturing or packaging process. Whether it is foodstuffs, cosmetics, medical supplies, metals or plastics, a conveyor has played a vital role somewhere in its production.
This is why conveyors come in so many different shapes and sizes. Some have relatively tiny belt widths of just a few centimetres for the transport of extremely small components, while others can be a metre or more wide in order to transport large and heavy goods.
These automated tracks simply move items from one place to another, but they have become integral to a wide variety of automated facilities because they greatly improve the efficiency of material-handling applications. Modern technological developments have also seen many significant advances with regard to the materials used to build conveyors and the control systems that handle their operations.
With so many different options available through conveyor chains suppliers like Yorkshire-based YB Components, it can take a while to sift through all the unsuitable ones to find the ideal conveyor system for your purposes, so here is a quick guide to choosing the right conveyor.
Primary Conveyor Criteria
The first thing to consider is what type of load the application will be moving. For large and heavy loads, a robust and rugged conveyor system will be ideal, while small items will benefit from a more compact and precise conveyor.
You will also need to assess the equipment surrounding the conveyor during operation, and how it will interact with the load being carried by the conveyor. There are four classes of conveyor to consider in this respect:
- Class 1 transports loads in a steady stream without any interaction and is the most common conveyor type.
- Class 2 includes short journey conveyors that move loads quickly from one point to another and is also very common.
- Class 3 conveyors move materials into or out of other machines.
- Class 4 conveyors are able to travel through or under other machinery.
Secondary Conveyor Criteria
When choosing a conveyor system from a reliable conveyor belt supplier, Yorkshire-based YB Components come to mind, you will need to ensure the conveyor you choose can handle the maximum weight of whatever load your application will be transporting. Also have an idea of what kind of speed you would want the conveyor to be realistically moving the load.
Check to see if the application will require the conveyor system to operate on an incline or decline, and ascertain if the conveyor will need to secure or enclose the load as it transports it.
Other potential issues to consider include whether or not the conveyor will be exposed to moisture and whether or not it needs to be sanitary, as would be the case with foodstuffs and medical supplies.
If you require any conveyor belt products then contact YB Components who are the UK’s leading conveyor belts supplier. Yorkshire-based with local stocks ready to ship out fast and free all over the UK and the rest of the world, YB Components are the premium conveyor chains supplier.