There is a wide range of conveyor systems on the market today. Some use belts, while others use vacuum systems. Some are made out of stainless steel, while others are made out of plastic. To help narrow down your search through the crowded marketplace more effectively, we’ve put together a guide to three of the most important tips for choosing the right conveyor system for your facility.
Know Your Product
The product you need to transport on the conveyor belt plays the biggest role in choosing a system. Specifically, the weight, material, and basic dimensions (length, width, height) of the product are what you need to consider.
The reason for this is that you need to make sure components of your conveyor system, such as the belt, motor, and guide rails, can move the product without breaking or hindering their performance in any way. Make sure the specifications for the conveyor system you choose match up with the items it needs to carry. For instance, the automotive industry requires overhead conveyors for moving car parts, such as doors, while other industries simply require your average belt conveyor, which typically isn’t capable of carrying heavy loads.
Facility Size
Aside from knowing if the conveyor can handle your product, you have to be sure your facility can handle the conveyor. For starters, you have to make sure your facility is tall enough and spacious enough to fit the conveyor system you need. If you don’t have the available space for one conveyor, you’ll have to settle for a smaller system. However, the issue with available space goes farther than just needing to fit the system itself. You also have to think about the accessibility of employees, maintenance workers, and cleaning crews.
Cleaning Protocols
Take into account how often you need to sanitize conveyors because not all conveyors can handle the same level of cleaning. Some conveyor systems can handle only minimal amounts of hand wiping, while others can withstand more frequent cleaning with chemicals. For instance, food manufacturing facilities need to thoroughly clean conveyor systems on a regular basis to combat contamination. It’s for this reason that stainless steel is one of the most popular materials used for bulk material handling. It’s easy to clean, affordable, durable, and resistant to corrosion and high temperatures. However, not all facilities need conveyor systems of that level.
As you can see, when it comes to tips for choosing the right conveyor system, it ultimately comes down to what you need the conveyor to handle on a daily basis, from cleaning to the product weight and beyond. This is why there are so many different conveyor types on the market. Armed with this information, you should be able to narrow down your search more easily.
