Tags: Gravity Conveyors, Gravity Conveyor, Best Gravity Conveyor Models, Steel Gravity Rollers, Aluminum Gravity Conveyor
The global market size for conveyor systems has enjoyed remarkable growth over the years, with the industry valued at about $5 billion in 2018. As the demand for types of conveyor systems continues to grow, the market is expected to reach an exceed $7 billion by 2026.
While most people have seen conveyor systems before, not many know much about these brilliant inventions. Unless you work in an industry that uses conveyors, chances are you are in the dark when it comes to these marvels of technology.
Exactly what is a conveyor system? What are the different types of conveyors available today? How can investing in a conveyor system boost your business?
If you are asking yourself these questions, you have come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we tell you all you need to know about conveyor systems. Read on to learn more.
What Is a Conveyor System?
A conveyor system refers to a piece of material handling equipment which automatically transports loads or uses gravity to move from one place to the next within an area. The typical conveyor systems consist of rollers, belts, and chain that stretch between two or more assembly areas, or where product needs movement for 1 area to another.
Conveyors have many applications and are found in all kinds of industries, from the food sector to the manufacturing industry. These pieces of equipment also have widespread consumer applications and can be found in manufacturing facilities, airports, supermarkets, and so on.
What Are the Different Types of Conveyors?
Conveyor systems come in many different types. Let us look at five of the most common.
- Belt Conveyors
A belt conveyor is one of the simplest and most common conveyor systems. The conveyor system moves items from one end to the other. You can vary the speed of the system using a variable speed drive.
Belt conveyors are unsuitable for use as a working surface or for heavy weight applications. For instance, you can’t use a belt conveyor to present parts to a robot when you’re assembling a pneumatic tool. Conveyor belts also cannot buffer or sequence different parts.
However, belt conveyors are impressively simple to use, which is why they are such hit with many businesses.
- Gravity Roller Conveyors
Much like belt conveyors, gravity roller conveyors are also quite simple in design. These systems feature a series of rollers that are mounted on a side frame. These rollers provide the rolling surface.
Typically, the gravity roller conveyor is designed for a decline angle, which enables items to more by themselves. Omni gravity conveyors are a perfect example of how this works.
One challenge with using gravity roller conveyors is that it can be difficult to control the speed of items that have different sizes and weights. As a result, these loads can run into each other, causing damage. However, the system is still a significant improvement compared to carrying items by hand from one point to another.
- Chain Conveyors
These types of conveyors are common in businesses that deal with heavy loads. Often, these materials have uneven lower surfaces. The chain conveyor will typically feature points of contact for the load.
As the chain moves, it carries the item forward. Because of the size and nature of the load, chain conveyors are typically heavy-duty. Their speed is also considerably slow.
It is the best conveyor system for moving pallets as well as huge industrial containers. These conveyor systems also have huge applications in auto plants.
- Live Roller Conveyor
Also known as a chain-driven live roller conveyor (CDLR), a live roller conveyor features some of the elements from the gravity conveyor and chain conveyor. It has both the rollers of the former and the chains of the latter. In addition, it features a motor as well as a gearbox, which makes it live.
Like the conveyor systems we have already discussed, live roller conveyors belong to the floor conveyor classification.
Given that a live roller conveyor is a heavy-duty system, it is ideal for transporting heavy loads such as tires, containers, seats, blocks and many more. You can also fit these conveyors with loose plastic sleeves on top of the rollers to buffer products. This way, the rollers keep moving while the load is static.
- Slat Conveyors
Slat conveyors feature a two-strand conveyor chain that contains slats joined to the chain. There is also a system to guide the slat.
Generally, there is a smooth surface to which you can mount fixtures or tooling details in the position you desire. Sometimes, the fixtures allow the items to rotate 90 or 180 degrees as desired. This makes slat conveyors perfect as working surfaces during assembly operations.
Benefits of Investing in a Conveyor System
The widespread use of conveyor systems is due to the many benefits the equipment can afford a business. Here are two major gains you can expect from installing a conveyor system in your business today.
It Minimizes Manual Labor
Without a conveyor system, you need workers to move items from one location to another. This means more labor costs for you. Besides, moving materials manually is both slow and strenuous, which ultimately impacts efficiency and productivity.
A conveyor system immediately eliminates this problem. Through automation, a conveyor system makes it easy to move items between locations, sometimes on varying elevations. You can also increase the speed of the conveyor belt, which ultimately increases efficiency and productivity.
A Conveyor System Minimizes the Risk of Workplace Accidents
Work-related injuries are a common concern in many businesses. Many of these injuries are caused by overexertion when lifting and moving materials within the workplace.
Installing a conveyor system can eliminate the need for your workers carrying materials within the workspace. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood of people getting injured within the work environment.
Invest in the Best Conveyor System for You
Hopefully, this guide has aptly answered your questions regarding conveyor systems, including what are the different types of conveyors? As you can see, these pieces of equipment have revolutionized the way people move items within the work environment. Regardless of your industry, the right conveyor system can help you avoid injuries, cut labor costs, and boost productivity.
Are you interested in reliable conveyor system solutions? Please contact us today.
