Conveyors are material handling systems that are designed to move all sorts of materials, parts, and supplies. The purpose of each of these systems is to save business on time, energy, and cost. When it comes these conveyor systems, there are many different kinds. Each has their own “pros” and “cons.” This series of articles is going to cover all of the major kinds of conveyor systems and which systems are best suited for certain operations. Factors that determine this are costs, energy consumption, materials being conveyed, and more. With out further delay, lets determine which conveyor is best for your business.

Belt Conveyor

These conveyors tend to be our bread and butter since they tend to use our belts. A belt conveyor has at least two pulleys with some sort of belt material stretched over them to varying degree (keep in mind each kind of belt has a specified elongation rate). These conveyors offer a high degree of control over the movement of the product so that objects with abnormal weight distribution, strange/small shapes and surfaces, and bags can move in the same speed and direction of the pulley. With that being said, common products that are used in these systems are light boxes, bags, and products that are easily damaged. The products can move in complex layouts or incline/decline operations. If you have an incline or decline conveyor the belt is crucial due to the friction between the surface of the belt and the product being conveyed. Typical applications of these conveyor systems are:

High speed scan tunnels/bar coding (belt conveyors are important because it keeps the product stabilized)
Distribution centers (gapping, tracking , pusher sorters , etc. within these centers necessitate belt systems)
Assembly, kitting, and pacing lines
Economic and high speed transport

Please note that this video gets into other kinds of conveyors after the 50 second mark.

Roller Conveyor

These conveyors tend to either be belt driven, chain driven, or not driven at all. When a roller is driven it is often referred to as a “live roller.” Common belts that are used on these live rollers are belts like Nitta’s CFTG series. These are belts with aramid (Kevlar) core and TPU covers. These conveyors are used for solid, stable, and heavier products (such as heavy boxes or pallets) in settings where continuous flow is more crucial than the precise positioning of the product. When it comes to rollers, the transfer speed will fluctuate with the weight of the material that is being conveyed. Common applications include:

Long distance conveying
Distribution centers (load accumulation, bulk goods receiving, pallet dispensing)
Curves and spires
Laid transfer

Slat/Apron

These conveyors use chain driven slats (or plates) to move materials that are too large to be carried by a belt. Slats provide a hard, flat surface for the items that are being conveyed which is perfect for heavy items with inconsistent shapes. The plates in these system are usually made of plastic or metal which not only allows them to withstand high weight but also allows them to function in hazardous high temperature environments that would normally damage belts. There are three things to consider when it comes to selecting slat/apron conveyors.

Product description - one must always consider the weight and size of the product and the distance that it is being conveyed.
Slats and supports material composition - when purchasing this kind of equipment you need to note any potent chemicals, hot materials, or significant physical interaction.
Any special considerations during manufacturing

Based on those selection criteria, there are three main kinds of apron/slat conveyors; standard, heavy duty, and apron.

Standard

This is the fastest and most energy efficient of these kinds of conveyors. They are used when there is a need to transport small to medium sized materials that do not accumulate but DO require precise orientation control.

Heavy Duty

These are very similar to the standard version, however, they convey many thousands of pounds at a much slower rate. The upside to these is that they provide not only conveyance but a workplace for people to work on the product as it is being conveyed. This is why heavy duty slat conveyors are found in the automative assembly industry. They are also very reliable and easy to maintain. The only downside to heavy duty slat conveyors is that they are expensive when it comes to the initial purchase and powering the machine.

Apron

Aprons differentiate where the slats are interlinked with raised edges so that there is a seal on the conveyor. Another benefit to apron conveyors is that they can be made from materials that allow the conveyance of hot or corrosive materials without leaking (for example the chemical production and recycling industries). Other industries that apron conveyors are used in are; grain production, iron works, and concrete delivery.

Ball Transfer

This is a very simple conveyor system where there are balls on the surface of a table that are able to roll. This is usually not powered and allows things with flat bottoms to roll from one place to another. A major benefit of this conveyor system is that products can move in any direction. This is why these conveyor systems are usually placed at the start, end, and at any point where the product needs to change directions in a system. A major drawback of this system is that the product being conveyed needs to be flat bottomed. You will be unable to use bags for this kind of conveying system. There are two major factors that need to be kept in mind when selecting a ball transfer system.

The length and width of the smallerst conveyed item should be at least three times the table’s ball spacing dimensions.
The largest item being conveyed needs to with less than the combined capacity of the ball transfers supporting it.

Chute

This one is really easy. Just imagine the slides that you used to go down as a child. This is hands down the least expensive method of conveying materials. You put the package on the chute and let gravity do the rest. Chutes are generally used to accumulate things between floors. These chutes can be in spiral formation to minimize the floor space needed to install one. The biggest problems with this system is that; items can only go down, you can not control the orientation of the product, and packages can jam and block the chute.

Walking Beam

An overhead lifting mechanism is used to move a beam that has “fingers” attached to it by bearing brackets. This beam is lifted and lowered in a circular motion allowing things to “walk” down a path.

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