A conveyor system is a necessary part of the factory, especially for those manufacturing factories that produce goods and require the need for moving materials between certain points in order to fulfill the production flow. The conveyor system helps to save floor space and reduce the necessity of manpower and working time when compared with the use of forklift or other material handling systems. By choosing the right types of conveyor system, it can increase the safety, efficiency, and productivity of the overall manufacturing process. Here we will introduce the most common types of conveyor systems available in the market.
Most of the conveyor system can be categorized into floor conveyor and overhead conveyor, by combining the application of both can achieve the most optimal solution for an internal transportation system which has the highest savings on space, time, and labor.
Belt Conveyor System (Conveyor Belt)
Belt conveyor system is one of the most common and simplest conveyor systems which is mainly used for moving a variety of shaped objects, small or large, light or heavy such as boxes, grain, coal, salt, sand, and many more. This system is the most versatile and least expensive conveyor solution. A conveyor belt act as a carrying medium of the conveyor system, which also consists of two or more pulleys (also known as drums) to drive and rotate the conveyor belt in an endless loop. By powering the pulley, the belt is moving and delivering the items forward to the destination. According to the proposed use, the conveyor belts are manufactured in either PVC or rubber material and it may consist of more than one layer of material to provide greater strength and durability. The lower layer of the conveyor belt, which is also known as carcass, can be made of nylon, polyester, metal fabric, or cotton, while the upper layer cover usually made of rubber or plastic depends on the application requirements.
We choose the type of conveyor belt based on the carrying items. For instance, if the conveyor system is used for carrying heavy objects, steel conveyor belts which are made of steel cords can be used for providing greater strength and durability. If the conveyor is used for carrying foods, we can use a washable /wash-downable belt which is in blue color material, in order to comply with hygiene standards. The conveyor belt system is used in various industries due to its variation of length, material, weight, and items that can carry.
Roller Conveyor System
Roller conveyor is commonly used for flat bottom, low to medium weight items such as boxes, crates, bags, and pallets. It utilizes rollers to create evenly spaced rotating cylinders that form the conveyor belt to allow the items to skate across the surfaces and move to the destination. The rollers are normally hollow tube and made of stainless steel or high impact plastic material. The Roller conveyor system is mainly leveraging gravity and motor to run the system. The roller sections can be removed and added or can be arranged in a decline or incline angle for carrying the items into a different level of height. This conveyor system is suitable for carrying items which have a rigid riding surface to prevent being damaged during the transporting. We normally find it to be used in moving goods across the warehouses, or moving luggage at airports.
By designing the roller conveyor system, you will need to consider the size, weight of the carrying items. Firstly, you will need to decide the size of the individual rollers. For heavy loading and high impact conditions, it requires larger rollers. Secondly, to decide the spacing between each roller by finding out the length of loads when the item touching on the surface of the conveyor.
If maintenance is required, it can be done by simply replacing the broken roller with a new one and inserting it to the same place, which causes little maintenance and no interruption to productivity. Roller conveyor system is considered as a flexible, customizable, adaptable system which can be installed, replace, and dismantled easily. It is also cost and energy saving as it only requires a small amount of energy to power the gravity roller conveyor, reduce the level of industry’s carbon footprint emissions.  Â
Overhead Conveyor System
The overhead conveyor system is mounted in the ceiling or can be suspended with a steel structure that is placed on the floor. It utilizes the unused vertical space above the ground working area, by using the elevators or curved sections to move the items between different levels of height. The overhead conveyor is installed in a continuous path with an endless loop of chain, it can change direction horizontally and vertically. Since the chain of the overhead conveyor system is continuous, all the items loaded on the conveyor will be moving at the same pace and stopping at the same time. The overhead conveyor is available in I-Beam (opened) or enclosed track construction according to the requirements of weight, capacity, and applications. The opened track is easier to install and able to hold more weight per carrier. Whereas enclosed track overhead conveyors can prevent excess damage, it is less susceptible to environmental decay and more suited to be installed somewhere requires bends in the conveyor path.
It will be more costly to install an overhead conveyor system compare with other types of conveyors, but It can provide extra safety and spacing since it is not blocking the pathway. This type of conveyor system is energy efficient and uses a lesser amount of power than most other conveyors. The overhead conveyor system is able to carry those items which are not possible to carry using most conveyors due to their shape. For instance, the overhead conveyor system is popular to be used in paint application booths in the automotive industry for handling the items undergoing the painting process. In terms of maintenance, it may require chain replacement or repairment after a period of usage as the chain will naturally be lengthened as time goes on.
There are various types of conveyors under each system in order to match your requirements. MecHero Malaysia supplies and installs a wide range of conveyor systems in Malaysia. You can always contact us at +6011-7001 7687 or email us at my.mechero@gmail.com for the inquiry. Tell us your requirements now and we can advise you accordingly.
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