How conveyors work: 10 ways to optimize your system

03-04-2022 490

This article is designed for users of conveyor belts at any point in their operational life.

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Conveyors are the backbone of an efficient material handling system. In this article, we'll help you discover ways to enhance your conveyor operations from start to finish. From maintenance tips to problem-solving answers to testing advice.
 

10 ways to optimize your conveyor system


This article is designed for users of conveyor belts at any point in their operational life.
 

1 - Maintain your conveyor

To avoid breakdowns and optimize performance, conveyors also need maintenance. Since conveyor downtime is costly, you should perform scheduled maintenance, check lubrication, and replace worn parts on time.
 

2 - Know how to fix common problems

Service is expensive and you can often avoid it by knowing the fixes for common problems. For example

- Conveyor turns off suddenly for unknown reason: Reset emergency stop buttons, which are located around the conveyor and used to turn it off in an emergency. These buttons are often tripped by employees or because packages are stored too close to the conveyor.

- Drive runs, but belts don't move: Check your conveyor for overload. You can eliminate this problem through intelligent load redistribution and training.
 
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3 - Get to know your load

The most common conveyor specification error is the lack of detailed information about the load data and the application target. Often, the load information is ignored and the hardware is chosen on an arbitrary basis resulting in poor performance and inflexibility. Check the load in detail. Make a list of all the units that will be processed on the conveyor.

Consider:

- Shape or shape: The load must be specified for it: a pallet, box, drum, container, engine block, auto body or other item.

- Dimensions: If the load is a container such as a pallet, box or tote, know its length, width and height. If it is a unit item, the size of the interface between the product and the conveyor, such as the load-bearing surface, is important information. In the case of product packed in a container, such as a beer pallet, the dimensions of both the carrier and the load must be known in advance to accommodate factors such as overhangs. . If the load includes bulk materials, the density and flow rate must be determined.
 

4 - Use energy-saving devices and controls

Conveyors are very energy efficient compared to alternatives for moving product through a facility. Significant savings in energy and costs can be achieved. How can you transmit more with less power?

- Know and understand your load factors to avoid various problems. Misinterpretation of load factors is perhaps the most common mistake in conveyor specification and maintenance. We can assist you in tracking the information you need when you specify the load of your conveyor.

- Choose the right engine for the job. The motor should always run at or near maximum power. If the load weights are different, use a two-speed motor and an adjustable speed actuator to allow the motor to run near maximum power.

- Keep the conveyor belt lubricated. Proper lubrication is essential in any energy efficient system using reducers, chains and bearings. Besides saving energy, you will increase the life of your equipment.

- Turn off the conveyor when not in use. In some operations, it may not make sense to constantly turn them on and off, but you can do this effectively in many cases. Smart control can help by turning off the conveyor automatically when it's not needed.

- Use gravity feeds when possible. You can substitute gravity conveyors for electric conveyors where appropriate, reducing equipment costs and saving energy. It is often possible to combine power and gravity units to save energy and reduce costs.

- Designed with the purpose of saving energy. Use the long, straight run with less drive. If possible, power the entire system with a single drive. Using high efficiency reducer. Replace worn conveyor belt. Modern conveyors are designed to be more efficient, with proper controls, providing a substantial return on investment based solely on energy savings. Modern conveyors like using roller cutting power have an E24 DCV motor.
 

5 - Correct selection and integration of vertical and horizontal conveyors

When a change in height is required, choosing the right vertical conveying device can degrade system performance. You must take into account the system's throughput requirements, product characteristics, elevation changes, number of feed and discharge points, manual or automatic, interface with horizontal conveying devices, proximity to future workers, safety equipment, environment and system requirements. Analyzing the above criteria will give the optimal solution.
 
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6 - Performance test

You've installed a new conveyor system and you're ready to go into production.

Not too fast. Might make your system loose, but you'll have money if given the time to fully test it. If you do a quick scan, you'll miss the opportunity to fine-tune the controls and spot potential mechanical problems. Conveyor systems can have millions of moving parts designed to work. Because of that complexity, a new system may need tweaking to perform.

Proper testing ensures that a system works today and in the future. A system designed to handle 80 units a minute may need to transmit half as many units as the first year. A system operating at 20% capacity may look perfect, but can bog down at 80%. It is easier to make modifications during testing than after the system is up and running.
 

7 - Safety is essential

Conveyor belts are a safe way to move materials through your facility, in fact one of the safest, but they require training, procedures, and vigilance to stay that way. .

Part of the problem, unlike many other types of industrial machinery, is that workers and often managers don't realize the potential dangers of conveyor belts. It moves slowly compared to other machines and doesn't seem "threatening". Conveyor belts can be viewed as more of a part of a warehouse than a powerful machine and can be dangerous if used inappropriately. Train new employees on conveyor usage, conveyor on/off switches, emergency stops, and conveyor behavior.
 

8 - Conveyor design workstation with ergonomics in mind

Using conveyors in conjunction with workstations is a great way to increase productivity and increase safety. A well-designed conveyor workstation eliminates risk and optimizes productivity. The two biggest factors are work surface height and approach distance.

Work surface height is the height at which the hand is normally held to perform work on objects being conveyed. Heavier tasks performed on larger objects require a lower work surface height than lighter, more precise tasks.

Since everyone has different heights, one fixed height cannot accommodate everyone and you cannot change the height of the conveyor itself. What needs to be done is to design the appropriate height for the load. If you want to change it, design it for the taller worker and use the stepladder for the lower worker.
 

9 - Choose the right belt

The powered conveyor is the only component in contact with both the drive pulley and the product. Even so, it is an often overlooked component. It can greatly improve conveyor performance if properly selected and installed. There are thousands of conveyor styles, materials, thicknesses, surfaces and colors to consider. Because belting is expensive and sometimes difficult to install correctly, it's important to get it right the first time.

Things to consider include the type of load, the need for increased oil resistance, and applications where loads and conveyors can make tracking the conveyor more difficult. Specialized transport applications such as food handling have completely different belting requirements. Others require a belt to support the conveyor when items are diverted. Your application, load and requirements will determine the right belt type. Know those in detail and you're more than half way through choosing the right belt.
 

10 - Conveyor technology upgrade

Conveyors and sorting systems today offer huge advantages. Distributed systems now operate at levels far superior to their predecessors. One of the more important examples occurs in cumulative systems. Called Dynamic Zone Allocation, the system automatically adjusts the belt length to match the length of the carton being shipped. As a result, product density is increased on demand and system throughput increases dramatically. More importantly, if larger cartons are introduced after installation, the system is not obsolete. This technology creates flexibility for today and in the future.
 

Ending


Conveyor belt is an effective support tool in the production process of each enterprise to help speed up the transportation of goods, and bring businesses many economic benefits in the production process. Care should be taken in the process of using conveyors so that they operate efficiently, safely, and minimize unnecessary risks.

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