Move along!

There are many industries that use conveyor belts in their manufacturing process. It is a common mechanism for moving materials from one location to another, to save carrying which would be impossible in cases of heavy materials and very time-consuming. They are thus very popular in the material handling and packaging industries.

Conveyor systems provide many benefits and can be installed almost anywhere. They can move all sizes, shapes and weights and can have advanced safety features to prevent accidental injury. There are different types of system depending of what the manufacturing need is, including hydraulic, mechanical and fully automated. You will see conveyor belts in use in agriculture, mining, food processing, bottling, canning and packaging, as well as many others.

Belts are crucial to a company’s ability to move product in a timely manner and so it must be kept operational and performing at peak capacity for a long time. Regular inspections and audits, monitoring of parts and proper training of its use are all essential to avoid downtime if a problem arises. Companies may consider keeping key parts available in stock to reduce having to waiting for a fix. To get the most out a conveyor, it is important to choose the right type for your needs, the right design and the upkeep of regular maintenance. For Gates vee Belts, visit http://industrialbeltdrives.com/.

You may not think about conveyor belts much but when you do, you realise that they are everywhere. In the supermarket, the automotive industry, pharmaceutical factories, production plants, airports and shopping malls. They come under a lot of pressure too and work pretty hard so they have to be made out of durable and tough material. The material has to be suited to the displacement of heavy loads and offer extreme wear-resistance. Examples of conveyor handling materials include Nylon, Nylatron, Tivar and Polyurethane.

Getting the longest possible life out of a conveyor means regular maintenance to identify potential problems such as:

• Lack of lubrication – chain bearings require lubrication to prevent friction
• Contamination – deterioration of track and chain can occur when contact with paint, powder, acid, fluids, glass beads or abrasives has occurred. This causes the surface to become pitted and wear will speed up.
• Product Handling – each new product should be examined before use on a conveyor system that takes a variety of products. Items that are too small, too big or too heavy may cause issues like jams, motor overloads or belt breakage.
• Bad belt tracking – where controlled belts are used, regular inspections need to take place to ensure the belts are travelling at the correct speeds. A computer often controls this but where this is not the case, a manual check needs to be made to ensure accuracy. For items that are merging, mistimings could cause a real headache and disrupt operations as products collide.

There are an incredible amount of different conveyor belts – here are just a few:

• Gravity conveyor
• Belt conveyor
• Flexible conveyor
• Vertical conveyor
• Vibrating conveyor
• Overhead I-beam conveyor

And many, many more. I bet you never thought that conveyor belts could be so interesting!