If you’re in the food or any type of manufacturing business, a good conveyor belt is going to be crucial to your success, but the fact is that not all conveyor systems have actual belts that they use to operate these machines. There are, in fact, many different types of conveyors, but before you decide on the type of conveyor you need, you have to first take a look at what these systems do so that you can find the right one in the end or you can consult with an expert like Mainway Handling. Below are a few specifications to take a look at before you make your final decision.
1. Drive Location
The drives can be found in several places on your conveyor systems. An end or head drive can be found on the discharge side of the system. This is also the most common type of drive. Center drives are found somewhere along the length of the conveyor and are actually mounted underneath the system. In these cases, the drives are used to reverse the direction for that particular conveyor.
2. Frame Configuration
This is a term used to describe the conveyor frame’s shape. These shapes can be straight, curved, Z-frames, or many other shapes. The product you’re manufacturing and your business goals can all play a part in the frame configuration you choose in the end. The frame’s shape refers to both its width and the length, so it is a very accurate type of measurement.
3. Load Capacity Maximum
This value describes the load capacity per unit length, and you can state this value for all purpose-built, fixed-length conveyors. It is also called the flow rate in some industries. Mass flow measurements on conveyor belts are advantageous because they are user-friendly, cost-effective, and extremely reliable. Especially for items such as bulk solids, flow rates can mean more exact accounting, which makes your bottom line more accurate. It is associated with the load capacity per unit length, which applies only to conveyor systems with custom-made lengths.
4. Load Capacity Per Unit Length
When you are having a customized conveyor that meets a specific length so that you can determine your loading margins, manufacturers include this attribute as an option. This is closely associated with the maximum load capacity as described in this article. Note that this is specifically related to conveyors that are custom-made to be a specific length and usually to no one else.
5. System Speed/Rated Speed for Conveyor Belts
Different conveyor systems use different types of speed ratings. For drag/chain/tow conveyors, as well as apron/slat conveyors, rated speed is applied. Conveyors that use belts are usually rated in terms of feet per minute that the belt can move, while roller conveyors state linear velocities in similar units to cartons, packages, and so on, which move overpowered rollers.
6. Throughput
This is used to describe how conveyors that handle bulk products such as powdered materials measure their capacity. It can be stated as volume per unit time, cubic feet per minute, or numerous others. Some of the conveyors that use this attribute include pneumatic/vacuum, walking beam, bucket, vibrating, and screw conveyors.
