The Complete Guide To Industrial Conveyors
Conveyor systems are the backbone of industrial operations. Without them, manufacturers would not be able to efficiently transport large volumes of material from one place to the next within their production facilities. Productivity would suffer, workers’ health would be more at risk, and the modern age as a whole would be able to advance as much as it did in a short amount of time.

In 2020, the global conveyor market was estimated at $7.73 billion. By 2026, this value is expected to increase up to $10.07 billion. Short production cycles, advancements in e-commerce (especially due to the global health pandemic), and an improved international flow of goods all contribute to the growth of the conveyor market. The globalization of the economy is a direct result of the automation that conveyors bring.

If your business needs a new, faster, and more reliable way of transporting items (raw materials, goods, or products) within the same facility or area, industrial conveyor systems are the right solution.

The complete guide to industrial conveyors will present you with the basics of what you need to know about these systems, how they work and how they are used, and how you can select the best type of conveyor for your organization.

Conveyor Systems: Definition
Intralogistics is the process of managing the flow of information and material goods inside a production or distribution facility. Conveyor systems are an important segment of intralogistics. They serve to transport bulk products, raw materials, goods, or any other type of materials from point A to point B that are usually located in the same area or even building.

The industries that benefit the most from conveyors include:

• Mining industry
• Warehouse and logistics
• Agricultural industry
• Aerospace industry
• Chemical and pharmaceutical industries
• Food processing industry
• Packaging industry
• Beverage industry
• Automotive industry
• Bottling and canning industry, and more

The main reason why industries have almost completely switched to automated material handling and transport is that this enables them to move vast amounts of material and continuously operate. Compared to workers who need rest, conveyor systems don’t need much downtime due to maintenance and cleaning. They can run almost non-stop, which means the production numbers of your facility will skyrocket.

The System Breakdown
How does an industrial conveyor system work, anyway?

Depending on the type of material it is handling and its purpose, different conveyors, work differently. Nevertheless, all of them have a few basic components they cannot function without.

Drive
There are three most common drivers (power sources) for conveyor technology:

• Motors
• Gravity
• Manual drive

Industrial systems are typically powered by motors. The most prevalent motors for conveyors are three-phase AC motors, perfect for systems that continuously run in one direction. Single-phase comes with starting windings and capacitor delays, which are not suited for conveyor systems. Most facilities utilize 440V motors because, with high voltage, there are lower transmission losses over the grid.

However, not all conveyors need to be powered by electricity. Manual and gravity-based systems are usually centered around rollers. Rollers inside a frame allow workers to push an item from one point to another if the frame is horizontal or slide it down an angle if the frame is tilted. These conveyors do not require any energy to function and are a good fit for packaging processes, where large, non-fragile items are moved around.

Mode of Transfer
The main difference between conveyor types is the way they move materials. This can be done in any number of ways or combinations determined by the production facility’s goals. You will often run into the following methods of transporting goods:

• Belts – made from various materials that rest on a steel frame that supports them and the items they’re moving.
• Chains – endless chains move thanks to sprockets at each end of the trough.
• Buckets – containers attached to belts, cables, or chains that move the material along.
• Cables – moving materials with the help of a coated, flexible, stainless steel drag cable with discs attached to it.
• Pneumatic – moving materials thanks to compressed air (positive conditions) or a vacuum (negative conditions).
• Screw or auger – a helical blade called an auger, typically placed inside a tube, that rotates and moves the material.
• Aero-mechanical – the material is driven at high speeds on evenly spaced discs.

These are just some of the examples of how conveyors transport materials. Which one is most suitable for your business depends on a series of factors we will cover in a bit.

Support and Controls
An industrial conveyor system would not be able to operate without many of its support mechanisms. It needs the proper frames to hold the belts, chains, sprockets, buckets, and similar components. It also requires cleaning or maintenance features. Lastly, industrial conveyors are controlled in various ways. Some operate only in one direction, while others can reverse direction if needed. All conveyors should be outfitted with emergency stop buttons and safeguards in case of an accident.

Conveyor Applications
What are industrial conveyor systems used for? We already mentioned that their primary purpose is to move products or materials. These systems can also store and buffer materials if the process requires it.

Moving Materials
Conveyor systems provide an effective solution for a variety of material moving needs:

• Standard transport – If there is a need to move the same type of material from the same starting point to the same endpoint over and over again, there is no point in forcing workers into these repetitive motions that might endanger their health. The movements of forklifts can also be reduced by installing a conveyor that will cover this distance and take over the transport.
• Heavy load transport – Some items cannot be moved due to their size and/or weight. Special conveyor systems are built for materials that are too large or too heavy for a worker or forklift.
• Assembly conveyor – Working on an assembly line requires a conveyor to move an item as workers perform their tasks. These conveyors are frequently used in a wide range of industries, especially in the automotive sector.
• Protection from damage or injury – Some items are not too heavy or too difficult to move. However, performing repetitive movements, such as transporting a product from one location to another, represents a danger to workers’ health. Conveyors can achieve the same in less time and with much less muscle strain involved.
• Reducing the risk of error – Human error is a significant factor in why businesses suffer losses in the manufacturing process. To reduce this risk, it is good to introduce conveyors as a safe way to transport easily damaged products.
• Bulk material transport – Gravel, sand, iron ore, coal, and similar materials are not easy to transport, no matter what your options are. The right type of conveyor can prevent many headaches when it comes to moving materials in bulk.
• Complete automation – In the end, perhaps you are aiming to automate your business from head to toe. If there are no workers involved in some segments of your production, conveyors and robots go hand in hand. If robots deliver products to the conveyor or receive them from the conveyor, it is easy to control the production and adjust it for just the right output you need.

Storing and Buffering
Conveyors serve many crucial functions in industrial production beyond the simple movement of goods. They are integral parts of the storage, buffering, and sequencing processes. Below is a table detailing these important functions and their descriptions.

Types of Conveyor Systems
Based on this outline of conveyor basics, it is right to assume that there are various systems. So, what are the different types of industrial conveyors? Let’s explore the seven most common conveyor types.

• Aero-mechanical Conveyors
• Auger ( Screw) Conveyors
• Conveyor Belt System
• Bucket Elevators
• Cable Conveyors
• Chain Conveyors
• Pneumatic Conveyor systems

Importance of Conveyor Systems
An industrial facility would not be able to function efficiently without material handling equipment. Conveyor systems can be found everywhere: in the chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace, mining, bottling and canning, printing, packaging, and many other industries. A reliable system for transporting products and materials inside a distribution center or production facility is crucial for industrial processes.

An industrial conveyor needs a power source to drive it. This can be electricity, gravity, or it can be manually driven. It can have a range of different modes of material handling, such as belts, rollers, buckets, cables, chains, and more. It also needs a support framework and controls for turning it on and off, adjusting its options, and potentially stopping it entirely in an emergency.

Additional Benefits – Storage, Buffering, and Sorting
Beyond their primary function of material movement, conveyors also play significant roles in storage, buffering, and even sorting items. Special types of conveyors have been developed to carry out these tasks effectively.

Seeking Expert Help for Automation Conveyor Systems
Designing the optimal conveyor layout can be a complex task. If your business could use expert guidance, especially regarding tubular cable conveyors, reach out to Cablevey Conveyors, a leading conveyor system manufacturer. Our team of experts is ready to understand your business needs and help you transition into the future of conveying technology!

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Cablevey Conveyors
Cablevey Conveyors is a leading world-wide tubular drag conveyor manufacturer based in Oskaloosa, Iowa. For over 45 years, we’ve engineered, installed and maintained cable and tube conveyors in over 65 countries around the world.