Conveyor system

Introduction or conveyor
A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling
equipment that moves materials from one location to another.
Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the
transportation of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow
quick and efficient transportation for a wide variety of materials,
which make them very popular in the material
handling and packaging industries. Many kinds of conveying
systems are available, and are used according to the various needs
of different industries.
Industries That Use Conveyor
Systems

Conveyor systems are used widespread across a range of industries

due to the numerous benefits they provide. Conveyors are able to
safely transport materials from one level to another, which when
done by human labor would be strenuous and expensive. They can
be installed almost anywhere, and are much safer than using a
forklift or other machine to move materials. They can move loads of
all shapes, sizes and weights. Also, many have advanced safety
features that help prevent accidents. There are a variety of options
available for running conveying systems, including the hydraulic,
mechanical and fully automated systems, which are equipped to fit
individual needs.

Conveyor systems are commonly used in many industries, including

the automotive, agricultural, computer, electronic, food processing,
aerospace, pharmaceutical, chemical, bottling and canning, print
finishing and packaging. Although a wide variety of materials can be
conveyed, some of the most common include food items such as
beans and nuts, bottles and cans, automotive components, scrap
metal, pills and powders, wood and furniture and grain and animal
feed. Many factors are important in the accurate selection of a
conveyor system. It is important to know how the conveyor system
will be used beforehand. Some individual areas that are helpful to
consider are the required conveyor operations, such as
transportation, accumulation and sorting, the material sizes,
weights and shapes and where the loading and pickup points need
to be.
Care and Maintenance of
Conveyor Systems

A conveyor system is often the lifeline to a company’s ability to

effectively move its product in a timely fashion. The steps that a
company can take to ensure that it performs at peak capacity,
include regular inspections, close monitoring of motors and
reducers, keeping key parts in stock, and proper training of
personnel. Increasing the service life of your conveyor system
involves: choosing the right conveyor type, the right system design
and paying attention to regular maintenance practices.

A conveyor system that is designed properly will last a long time

with proper maintenance. Here are six of the biggest problems to
watch for in overhead type conveyor systems including I-beam
monorails, enclosed track conveyors and power and free conveyors.

Poor take-up adjustment: This is a simple adjustment on most

systems yet it is often it is overlooked. The chain take-up device
ensures that the chain is pulled tight as it leaves the drive unit. As
wear occurs and the chain lengthens, the take-up extends under the
force of its springs. As they extend, the spring force becomes less
and the take-up has less effect. Simply compress the take-up
springs and your problem goes away. Failure to do this can result in
chain surging, jamming, and extreme wear on the track and chain.
Take-up adjustment is also important for any conveyor using belts
as a means to power rollers, or belts themselves being the mover.
With poor-take up on belt-driven rollers, the belt may twist into the
drive unit and cause damage, or at the least a noticeable decrease
or complete loss of performance may occur. In the case of belt
conveyors, a poor take-up may cause drive unit damage or may let
the belt slip off of the side of the chassis.

Lack of lubrication: Chain bearings require lubrication in order to

reduce friction. The chain pull that the drive experiences can double
if the bearings are not lubricated. This can cause the system to
overload by either its mechanical or electrical overload protection.
On conveyors that go through hot ovens, lubricators can be left on
constantly or set to turn on every few cycles.

Contamination: Paint, powder, acid or alkaline fluids, abrasives,

glass bead, steel shot, etc. can all lead to rapid deterioration of
track and chain. Ask any bearing company about the leading cause
of bearing failure and they will point to contamination. Once a
foreign substance lands on the raceway of a bearing or on the track,
pitting of the surface will occur, and once the surface is
compromised, wear will accelerate. Building shrouds around your
conveyors can help prevent the ingress of contaminants. Or,
pressurize the contained area using a simple fan and duct
arrangement. Contamination can also apply to belts (causing
slippage, or in the case of some materials premature wear), and of
the motors themselves. Since the motors can generate a
considerable amount of heat, keeping the surface clean is an
almost-free maintenance procedure that can keep heat from getting
trapped by dust and grime, which may lead to motor burnout.

Product Handling: In conveyor systems that may be suited for a

wide variety of products, such as those in distribution centers, it is
important that each new product be deemed acceptable for
conveying before being run through the materials handling
equipment. Boxes that are too small, too large, too heavy, too light,
or too awkwardly shaped may not convey, or may cause many
problems including jams, excess wear on conveying equipment,
motor overloads, belt breakage, or other damage, and may also
consume extra man-hours in terms of picking up cases that slipped
between rollers, or damaged product that was not meant for
materials handling. If a product such as this manages to make it
through most of the system, the sortation system will most likely be
the affected, causing jams and failing to properly place items where
they are assigned. It should also be noted that any and all cartons
handled on any conveyor should be in good shape or spills, jams,
downtime, and possible accidents and injuries may result.

Drive Train: Notwithstanding the above, involving take-up

adjustment, other parts of the drive train should be kept in proper
shape. Broken O-rings on a Lineshaft, pneumatic parts in disrepair,
and motor reducers should also be inspected. Loss of power to even
one or a few rollers on a conveyor can mean the difference between
effective and timely delivery, and repetitive nuances that can
continually cost downtime.

Bad Belt Tracking or Timing: In a system that uses precisely

controlled belts, such as a sorter system, regular inspections should
be made that all belts are traveling at the proper speeds at all
times. While usually a computer controls this with Pulse Position
Indicators, any belt not controlled must be monitored to ensure
accuracy and reduce the likelihood of problems. Timing is also
important for any equipment that is instructed to precisely meter
out items, such as a merge where one box pulls from all lines at one
time. If one were to be mistimed, product would collide and disrupt
operation. Timing is also important wherever a conveyor must "keep
track" of where a box is, or improper operation will result.

Types of Conveyor Systems

• Gravity roller conveyor

• Gravity skatewheel conveyor
• Belt conveyor
• Wire mesh
• Plastic belt
• Belt Driven Live Roller
• Line shaft roller conveyor
• Chain conveyor
• Screw conveyor
• Chain driven live roller conveyor
• Overhead conveyors
Pneumatic Conveyor Systems
Every pneumatic system, makes use of pipes or ducts called
transportation lines that carry mixture of materials and a stream of
air. These materials are such as dry pulverised or free flowing or
light powdery materials like cement, fly ash etc. These materials
can be transported conveniently to various destinations by means of
a stream of high velocity air through pipe lines. Products are moved
through various tubes via air pressure, allowing for extra vertical
versatility. Pneumatic conveyors are either carrier systems or dilute-
phase systems; carrier systems simply push items from one entry
point to one exit point, such as the money exchanging tubes used at
a bank drive-thru window. Dillute-phase systems use push/pull
pressure to guide materials through various entry and/or exit points.
Three basic systems that are used to generate high velocity air
stream:

1. Suction or Vacuum systems: utilizing a vacuum created in the

pipeline to draw the material with the surrounding air. The system
operated at a low pressure, which is practically 0.4-0.5 atm below
atmosphere, and is utilized mainly in conveying light free flowing
materials.

2. Pressure Type systems: in which a positive pressure is used to

push material from one point to the next. The system is ideal for
conveying material from one loading point to a number of unloading
points. It operates at a pressure of 6 atm and upwards.

3. Combination systems: in which a suction system is used to

convey material from a number of loading points and a pressure
system is employed to deliver it to a number of unloading points.
Vibrating Conveyor Systems
A Vibrating Conveyor is a machine with a solid conveying surface
which is turned up on the side to form a trough. They are used
extensively in food grade applications where sanitation, wash down,
and low maintenance are essential. Vibrating conveyors are also
suitable for harsh, very hot, dirty, or corrosive environments. They
can be used to convey newly cast metal parts which may reach
upwards of 1,500 °F (820 °C). Due to the fixed nature of the
conveying pans vibrating conveyors can also perform tasks such as
sorting, screening, classifying and orienting parts. Vibrating
conveyors have been built to convey material at angles exceeding
45° from horizontal using special pan shapes. Flat pans will convey
most materials at a 5° Incline from horizontal line.

Flexible Conveyor Systems

Flexible conveyor

The flexible conveyor is based on a conveyor beam

in aluminium or stainless steel, with low friction slide rails guiding a
plastic multi-flexing chain.
Conveyor operation: The Laws
of Loading

Proper loading and discharge methods must be employed to ensure

efficient belt conveyor operation. While each application should be
considered individually, there are certain laws on loading and
discharge that apply to most situations. While the Conveyor
Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) outlines these
principles in detail, following is a simplified synopsis:
Center the load
When it comes to proper loading, keep your material in the middle.
Quite simply, loads should always be centered on the conveyor belt.
Off-centered loading will cause the belt to run to one side,
increasing the potential for belt tracking problems, material spillage,
subsequent downtime and damage to the belt and conveyor
components.
Systems such as deflectors, liners, baffles, screens, grizzly bars or
curved loading chutes are designed to consistently direct material
flow onto the center of the belt.
Consider loading direction
Loading in the direction of belt travel is, not surprisingly, the easiest
and most simple design challenge. The flow of material down a
loading chute and onto the moving belt surface can be engineered
so that the material leaving the loading area is traveling at the
same speed or forward velocity as the belt itself.
But often, loading is transverse to the direction of belt travel. With
angular transfers of up to 90 degrees, it is more difficult to center
the load at all rates of material flow. So, field adjustments may be
required on a fairly consistent basis. To minimize wear in angular
transfers, skirtboards may need to be higher and longer. Also,
loading chutes will likely require much more detailed design
considerations.

Material Handling
Apical Conveyor Systems Inc. can provide you with a wide
variety from part and packaging conveyors to bulk and scrap
conveyors. We are a proud distributer of both Omni Metalcraft part
and packaging conveyors as well as Endura-Veyor bulk material
handling conveyors. We can supply you with a wide variety of
conveyors for an even wider variety of applications, such as;

 Candy, confection, and bakery production

 Metal stamping
 Parts handling
 Recycling – Glass, plastic, rubber, e-scrap
 Wood – Pallet converting, construction debris
 Foundry – Sand, castings, scrap
 Waste-to-Energy Products – Corn, wood, tires, municipal waste
 Plastic recycling, shredding, grinding and baling
 Plastic injection molding and blow molding
 Fruit and vegetable processing
Services Offered by Apical
Conveyor Systems
Our focus at Apical is on Preventative and Predictive
Maintenance using the latest and most advanced technology
available. Our areas of specialization are Paint and Pretreatment
Systems, (E-Coat, Top Coat, Powder Coat, Phosphate/Wash Lines),
also all types of Conveyor Systems (Scrap, Enclosed Track,
Overhead Monorail, Power and Free, Inverted).

Apical Conveyor Systems Inc. can provide a complete, customized

service and inspection program to suit your every need. From your
basic belt and roller conveyors to the most complex overhead
conveyor. Apical Conveyor Systems Inc.has been a leader in
conveyor preventative maintenance since 1991, we have the
experience and expertise to get you up and running and keep you
running.

Let an Apical Conveyor Systems service and inspection package be

the missing link between your conveyor and improved efficiency
and productivity, with less down time.

We know that to you every second of downtime counts. To prevent

valuable loss of production time, your conveyor system and its
individual components must run at peak performance and have the
utmost in reliability. Through our customized service contracts,
knowledgeable and experienced service team, and detailed
inspection reports you will know of potential problems before they
become catastrophic failures.

Proper lubrication and cleaning is key to the performance for any

equipment, and Apical Conveyor Systems are the lubrication
specialists, from installation to inspection, to brushes and
accessories we have what it takes to keep your conveyor clean and
performing at its best.