Belt Conveyors Are The Most Common Type of Equipment

If you want to move materials of all types, from one place to another, you will need equipment known as conveyors. The uses of industrial conveyors vary according to the location, the type of product that is being moved, the distance where the object is to be moved. Standards for conveyors measure and define maximum load, volume of product, number of pieces per time unit, load capacity, speed and flow of materials. Two main types of conveyors are in production today. These types are conveyors that handle units of materials and those that handle bulk materials. Belt conveyors are the most common type of equipment. A belt conveyor is usually an endless belt made of some type of fabric or fabric-covered substance. The endless ring of belt moves between pulleys with support at intermediate points along the circumference of the belt. Belt conveyors can carry many different types of materials. The materials might be ore sized boulders or fine powders. The speed will vary according to the needs of the product and processing equipment. Conveyor belts include many ways to contain products. Air tables and ball transfer tables are used when positioning of a product is necessary. They are also used to move products from one conveyor line to any of several other conveyors that are connected. Bucket elevators, cart and track conveyors, chute conveyors and chain conveyors work to get the materials moving. The bucket part of belt conveyors are made of a series of buckets or bins attached to an endless belt or chain. Similar containers on the belt includes a cart and track conveyor. The carts are attached to the chain which moves on an endless belt. Moving to chain conveyors, there are five basic types. These include apron or slat conveyors, heavyweight plates for assembly lines, sliding chain conveyors, twin chains conveyors and push-bar conveyors. Vertical conveyors of a reciprocating type use a platform, cage or forks to move goods from one level to another. This is not a continuous loop, but a alternative lift and lower operation. Augers are another way to move loads between levels. Vibration is another way more fine particles along a trough. Vibrating conveyors are supported by springs and hinged links with a drive system. Some types of conveyors are designed to move items continuously. Examples are cleated conveyors on a horizontal or inclined plane. Belt, Gravity and live roller conveyors are intended to accumulate materials before they are moved on. Conveyor belts are used to sort, join, separate, identify and mix products for transport to specific locations. Sorting can be by weight, size, shape, static charge or other properties that allow for dividing items of one characteristic or set of characteristics from those with another set. For example, magnetizing a conveyor will sort ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Some conveyor belts are designed to be sanitary for food or medical applications. Uses of industrial conveyors might include processes where the belts need to be sanitized. At a minimum, hygienic applications require the ability to wash down surfaces and eliminate microscopic deposits in and on the surface of the belt or container. Source: hicow.com