What Is a Conveyor System?
A conveyor system is a system that automatically transfers goods, parts, etc. They are effective for transporting heavy items that are difficult to move by hand, at sites with large quantities of items to be transported, or at sites with complex conveyance lines.
Various forms of equipment are available for conveyor system, including belt and chain conveyors, overhead conveyor system, and lifting equipment. Furthermore, conveyor robots, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), and picking equipment can be combined to automate conveyance, reducing costs through labor and manpower savings and improving the efficiency and quality of conveyance operations.
Uses of Conveyor Systems
Conveyor systems are widely used in the manufacturing and logistics industries.
In the logistics industry, they are used at sites where goods stored in warehouses are shipped. The system combines automated warehouse systems, sorting equipment, picking equipment, and other peripheral equipment to achieve a system that matches the characteristics of the products and the environment of the warehouse.
In the manufacturing industry, they are used to transport parts, intermediate products, etc. between factory processes, and to distribute final products in warehouses. In the automotive industry, in particular, these systems are indispensable for transporting large parts such as bodies and tires, as well as intermediate products during manufacturing.
Features of Conveyor Systems
Most types of conveyors consist of systems in which a belt or chain is slowly rotated by a motor to convey loads on the belt.
Resins such as polyurethane and Teflon are often used for the belt material, while leather, woven fabric, rubber, and steel are also used. Depending on the cargo to be conveyed, the conveyor belts may require oil resistance, heat resistance, anti-static properties, and other characteristics.
For the shape of the belt, flat belts or mesh belts are used when the cargo to be conveyed is sand, cement, grains, food products in the process of manufacturing, etc. in bulk, while rough top belts or roller belts with uneven surfaces are used when the cargo is packaged in containers such as boxes or bags. If the conveyor is inclined at an angle, belts with fins are used to prevent the material from sliding downwards.
Overhead conveyor systems are systems in which conveyor equipment automatically runs on rails installed in the ceiling and moves up and down at target points to transport goods. Since these systems makes effective use of factory space, they is used for transporting parts and products at manufacturing sites.