Conveyors are used when material is to be moved frequently between specific points; they are used to move material over a fixed path. Hence, there must be a sufficient volume of movement to justify dedicating the equipment to the handling task. Depending on the materials to be handled and the move to be performed, a variety of conveyors can be used.

Conveyors can be categorized in several ways. For example, the type of product being handled (bulk or unit) and the location of the conveyor (overhead or floor) have served as bases for classifying conveyors. Such classification systems are not mutually exclusive. A belt conveyor can be used for bulk and unit loads; likewise a belt conveyor can be located overhead or on the floor.

Bulk materials such as grain, dry chemicals, saw dust can be conveyed using a chute, belt, bucket or vibrating conveyors. Unit materials such as castings, machined parts, and materials placed on pallets, cartons or tote boxes can be conveyed using chute, belt, roller, wheel, or tow conveyors. Material can be transported on belt, roller, wheel, vibrating, pneumatic or tow conveyors.

The chute conveyor is one of the most inexpensive methods of conveying material. The chute conveyor is often used to link two powered conveyor lines; it is also used to provide accumulation in shipping areas; a spiral chute can be used to convey items between floors with minimum amount of space required. While the chute conveyors are economical, it is also difficult to control the items being conveyed by chutes; packages may tend to shift and turn so that jams and blockages occur.

Figure 1. Chute conveyor

There are wide variety of belt conveyors employed in modern material handling systems. The most popular types are flat belt conveyor, telescoping belt conveyor, trough belt conveyor, and magnetic belt conveyor.

A flat belt conveyor is normally used for light- and medium weight loads between operations, departments, levels, and buildings. It is especially useful when an incline or decline is included in the conveyor path. Because of the friction between the belt and the load, the belt conveyor provides considerable control over the orientation and placement of the load; however friction also prevents smooth accumulation, merging, and sorting on the belt. The belt is generally either roller or slider bed supported. If small and irregularly shaped items are being handled, then the slider bed would be used; otherwise, the roller support is usually more economical.

Figure 2. Flat belt conveyor

Figure 3. Adjustable angle belt conveyor.

A telescoping belt conveyor is a flat belt conveyor that operates on telescopic slider beds. They are popular at receiving and shipping docks where the conveyor is extended into inbound/outbound trailers for unloading/loading.

Figure 4. Telescoping belt conveyor.

The troughed belt conveyor is often used to transport bulk materials. When loaded, the belt conforms to the shape of the troughed rollers and idlers.

Figure 5. Self-Cleaning Trough Conveyors

Large quantities of fine bulk materials or small parts are easily conveyed without belt jamming with Self -Cleaning Trough Conveyors.

Figure 6. Troughing-idler conveyors 

Heavy wet or dry bulk materials such as sludge, concrete, gravel, ore, coal, earth, etc. are transported with these conveyors. Rugged structural channel construction throughout maintains proper roll alignment for long, low maintenance service.

 Figure 7. Steel Hinge Belt Conveyors

Metal stamping, hot forging, quenched parts, flash, wet or dry chips, borings, turnings, frozen rubber parts, fasteners, castings are easily transported by these rugged conveyors. They are also suited for removing plastic, rubber, wood and steel parts from high-speed automatic presses or other machinery. The conveyor's belt is constructed of heavy-gauge steel with rollers, and rods. Interlocking side wings keep small parts contained within the belt pan. The belt is driven by roller chain on both sides and bears all tension to allow the belt to float freely.

Figure 8. Wire Mesh Conveyors

These conveyors are designed to convey hot parts through spraying, dipping, washing or coating operations. They are also ideal for transporting forgings, treated material or parts. Flat wire mesh belts are especially suited for use in foundries and stamping plants. High tensile strength wire belts for these conveyors withstand temperatures of up to 2000 ^oF.

These conveyors provide a positive method for transporting ferrous parts, horizontally, on inclines or vertically. They're also ideal for separating ferrous from non-ferrous material or parts.

Figure 9. Magnetic belt conveyor.

Figure 10. Inclined magnetic belt conveyor.

Belt/Bucket conveyors are an ideal solution for transporting bulk material or small unbreakable parts up 90 degrees vertical inclines. They're commonly used to feed material into hoppers, chutes or other handling or processing equipment where a minimum of floor space is available.

Figure 11. Vertical Belt/Bucket Conveyors

Conveying powder, bulk material, small items and even liquids horizontally or up inclines are ideal applications for Corrugated Belt Conveyors.

Figure 12. Corrugated Belt Conveyors

The chain conveyor consists of one or more endless chains on which loads are carried directly. In transporting bulk materials, a chain is located in the bottom of a trough and pulls the material through the trough. Chain conveyors are often used to transport tote boxes and pallets.

Figure 13. Chain Conveyors

Figure 14. Roller Chain Conveyor

These versatile conveyors offer an ideal way to automate drilling, tapping, gluing, riveting, spot welding or other assembly functions. Its double roller bearing chain conveyor design allows fast and easy mounting of jigs and fixtures used in assembly or processing operations. As a free moving chain conveyor, it serves as a single unit bar feeder to convey tubing or round bar stock such as axle shafts, to and out of operations such as inspection, treating or testing.

Figure 15. Slat and Drag Chain Conveyors

Slat conveyors are engineered to withstand the effects of high temperatures and high impact loading of heavy parts and assemblies. They're commonly used in foundries, assembly and stamping plants. Drag conveyors are designed to transport non-abrasive materials such as coal or grain - or as dragout conveyors for sludge or chips.

Figure 16. Wash Conveyors And Systems

Wash Conveyors and Systems provide a simple and continuous method for washing, coating, spraying, or lubricating parts. These units are designed to eliminate time-consuming hand dipping by automatically coating cores in a predetermined, even pattern. As cores are moved through a wash tunnel, they are gravity sprayed from the top and pressure sprayed from the bottom as required. Cores are then transported to a draining section where all excess core wash is collected in a main reservoir.

A sorting conveyor is used to assemble material with a similar characteristics by correctly identifying the similar merchandise and transporting it to the same location. Examples are deflectors, push diverters, tilt tray sorters and cross-belt sorters.

A deflector is a stationary or moveable arm which deflects product flow across a belt or roller conveyor to the desired location. A deflector is to be in position before the item to be sorted reaches the discharge point. Stationary arms remain in a fixed position and represent a barrier to items coming in contact with them. Deflectors can support between 1200 and 2000 cartons per hour for up to 75 lb-loads.

Figure 17. Deflector

Figure 18. Deflector

A push diverter is similar to a deflector in that it does not contact the conveying surface but sweeps across to push the product off the opposite side. Push diverteres are air or electric powered and thgey are mounted beside or above the conveying surface. Push diverters can move items faster and with greater control than a deflector. Push diverters have a capacity of 3600 cases per hour for loads up to 100 lbs.

Figure 19. Push diverter.

Continuous chains of tilting trays are used to sort a wide variety of lightweight merchandise on a tilt tray sorter. The tray may be fed manually, or automatically. Tilt tray systems can sort based on function, address or final destination point. This system does not discriminate for the shapes and sizes. Bags, boxes, envelopes, documents can all be accommodated. The tilt tray sorter is not appropriate for long items. The capacity of tilt tray sorter varies from 10,000 to 15,000 items per hour.

Figure 20. Tilt tray sorter.