How does an automatic conveyor work?

If you’re looking for a way to make material handling easier in your company, you should consider investing in automated conveyor systems. Commercial and industrial conveyor systems can improve your operational efficiency, ensuring you manage your goods seamlessly, reduce accidents and reach your customers quickly. Their versatility makes them ideal for any industry, including yours. Let’s take a look at why.

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What is an automated conveyor system?

A conveyor system is a technology that conveys goods from one part of the warehouse/production site to another. When this conveyor system is automated and not manually operated, it is called an automated conveyor system.

Interroll Conveyor Systems

Many automated warehouse conveyor systems also come built with sortation systems. These automated sortation conveyor systems not only transport products from one place to another, but also direct products to their respective assembly, packaging, or disposal stations.

Which industries usually use conveyor systems?

Most industries that deal with any type of raw materials, semi-finished parts and finished products use commercial and industrial conveyor systems. These conveyor systems are often used to:

• Prepare containers/parts through cleaning, steaming, cooling, or other processes.
• Move raw materials quickly from one stage of production to another.
• Quickly sort through inventory and send batches of goods to their respective processing zones.
• Transfer goods from the production line to the packaging/transport line.
• Facilitate easier manual/robot-assisted quality checks of goods in bulk.
• Reduce dependency on labor and time wastage.

Now that we know what automated conveyor systems are, let’s understand them better.

Deep diving into conveyor systems

How does a conveyor system work?

Automated conveyor and sortation systems are constructed using the pulleys, drive unit and belts. This belt is stretched over two pulleys – the idler pulley and drive pulley. While the idler pulley gives the belt the tension, the drive pulley tows the belts in a continuous loop, in the desired direction. This way, the belt keeps moving.

How does a conveyor system work?

The power behind the pulleys differs based on the type of conveyor system you choose, but most often, a rotor is used to run the pulleys. To ensure the conveyor belts do not sag while running and heavy goods are provided adequate support over long distances, rollers are placed. If the conveyor belt needs to follow a twisted route through the warehouse, specially-designed conical rotors are attached at the turn to ensure the belt doesn’t tear, get tangled, or drop the goods.

The speed with which automated conveyor systems travel depends on the weight of the goods to be carried, the complexity of the route, the size of the machine, and more.

The conveyor system industries have developed tremendously in the past decade and SRSI partners with global leaders to provide you a variety of lightweight and heavy-duty industrial conveyor systems, ideal for companies of all sizes.

Benefits of using a conveyor system

Automated warehouse conveyor systems offer numerous benefits to businesses of all types. Here are the key advantages you can expect from this material handling technology:

• Cut manual labor costs

Did you know that 70% of a business’s total costs pertain to labor expenses? When you use a manual conveying system for your materials and goods you need to hire more people so you can complete the job quickly. This large-scale hiring can increase your costs tremendously.

Alternatively, when you use automated conveyor systems, you only need to invest in one system to complete the job of 10, even 20 workers. These systems start from just a few hundred dollars, making them accessible for small firms too.

• Reduce human error & workplace injuries

Human workers are susceptible to fatigue. Workers may also lose their focus and accidentally drop goods worth thousands of dollars. They may slip, trip or fall by not paying attention to where they’re going. There can also be risks of on-site injuries and disabilities.

Warehouse processes automation is also a way to reduce the number of workplace injuries

All of this makes it very risky for businesses that use manual methods to handle their materials extensively or transport their heavy goods across long distances.

Conveyor systems, on the other hand, do not require any human intervention or involvement, and as a result, do not pose the same risks.

• Free up space in the warehouse

Imagine if you did not have automated sortation conveyor systems. You would need to manually comb through each package to sort and pile the goods. This would mean you would need to set dedicated space aside on-site to do your sorting and piling.

This can be a very inefficient way to do your business. It is also one of the greatest contributors to workplace accidents. If you wanted to increase the number of worktables or add new machinery, you would need to expand the warehouse layout, which can be a major investment.

Automated sortation conveyor systems prevent all of these problems by offering steady transportation and sorting solutions. Once your conveyor system is running, your products will automatically get sorted and sent to the next processing unit without stopping anywhere and clogging up storage space. You can continuously load and unload specific units as needed, without stopping all the units at once.

• Increase operational efficiency and productivity

Physically transporting goods across a warehouse can be a challenge. It can also waste a lot of time and employee effort, preventing you from achieving your business goals.

Using a truck to move your materials does not work all the time either because large material handling machinery may not be suitable for all types of storage spaces.

Both solutions can lead to operational inefficiency, bottlenecks, loss of productivity, and increased time to market.

Automated conveyor and sortation systems can help you meet your efficiency goals by giving you a solution that can speedily sort through and send goods to their respective stations.

• Provide immense flexibility in material transport

Some companies have a uni-directional conveyance requirement or a need for just straight belts without turns.

Other companies – especially those where the goods undergo a lot of production/processing – need industrial conveyor systems which can offer greater flexibility in terms of the belt dimensions, rotor capabilities, height of the machine, and degree of curvature.

Automated warehouse conveyor systems can give you the type of flexibility you need to ensure smooth operations. Our strategic partnerships with conveyor manufacturers allow for customized systems if your operational needs are unique.

Summing up

As we have seen above, automated conveyor systems can add a lot of value to your firm by:

• Preventing operational bottlenecks.
• Optimizing space utilization in the warehouse.
• Reducing on-site employee accidents & injuries.
• Limiting your labor costs.
• Providing a highly flexible material handling solution.
• Making your entire operations tremendously seamless.

This makes the investment in automated sortation conveyor systems worth it. Before we end, let’s look at a few use case examples which will help you understand just how helpful these systems are.

Use case examples

All industries use automated conveyor systems. Here are three examples of how they do so.

• Automated conveyor systems are used in the pharmaceutical and chemical formulation industries for quality sampling purposes. As the vials are sent along the conveyor belt from the formulation center to the next unit, a robot takes random samples. Instead of stopping the movement of the vials, the precise speed of the conveyor systems allows the robotic arm to reach down and collect the sample for quality check.
• Automated conveyor systems are also used in the food production industry. Here, the food item gets cooked on-the-go, while it is on its journey on the conveyor system. The conveyor system here is fitted with specialized technology to help cook the item thoroughly.
• Automated sortation conveyor systems are used in airports to transport passengers’ luggage to the right flights. These systems offer a high degree of flexibility since they need to carry the luggage all the way across the massive airport.

Contact one of our system solution specialists today to discuss the benefits of automated conveyor systems for your operations.

Unravel what makes a conveyor system automated and its key principles and features that propel industries forward. Discover how these systems, equipped with cutting-edge technology, redefine efficiency, accuracy, and safety in material handling. Explore the innovative landscape where the synergy of machinery and automation converges, shaping the future of conveyor systems.

What Makes A Belt and Tubular Conveying System Automated?

An automated conveyor system utilizes advanced technology to mechanize material handling operations, minimizing or eliminating the need for human intervention. It employs features such as automatic loaders, sensors, and a conveying control system to streamline tasks like sorting, loading, unloading, and maintenance. The core aim is to enhance productivity, ensure workplace safety, and elevate product quality in manufacturing processes.

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In other words, automation refers to using technology to perform a task that a human would otherwise perform. In the case of tubular conveyor and conveyor belt systems, factory automation can refer to the use of sensors, bar code readers, weight sensors, RFID tags, camera systems, and other technologies to track materials’ movement and perform tasks such as maintenance and inventory management.

The Evolution of Conveyor Manufacturing

Some of the first belt conveyor manufacturers appeared in the 18th century, with the inception of the first conveyor belts crafted from leather or canvas and reinforced by wooden frames. Initially, these basic hand-operated conveyors found their primary use in transporting coal and minerals within mines and factories. The transition to the early 20th century marked a significant evolution as steel supplanted the initially delicate materials. 

This transformation substantially elevated the weight capacity and speed of the conveyor belts, enabling them to efficiently transport heavy loads over extended distances and at increased speeds. In the present day, a conveyor belt system boasts a diverse array of materials handling, and even conveyors deviate from the traditional belt shape or function. It’s challenging to envision an assembly line or warehouse without some form of conveyor solution. Moreover, the surge in robotics has led to a growing trend of automation in conveyor systems.

Principles of Material Handling With Industrial Conveyor Systems

While there are no strict rules for conveyor technologies and material handling, there are ten principles set forth by the College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) together with the Material Handling Institute. These principles are the result of decades of research in the field of ergonomics and material handling, and they include:

• Planning principle,
• Space utilization principle,
• Work principle,
• Life cycle cost principle,
• Ergonomic principle,
• Unit load principle,
• Environmental principle,
• Standardization principle
• Automation principle,
• System principle.

The Role of Automatic Conveyor System in Material Handling 

The automation principle stipulates that material handling operations should be automated or mechanized wherever possible to improve productivity, workplace safety, and product quality. In other words, it should be if a task can be done without human intervention (or with very little human intervention).

This is where manufacturing conveyor systems come in. Conveyors can automate many tasks that would otherwise have to be done by hand, such as sorting, loading and unloading, and more. In addition, they can improve safety by keeping workers away from dangerous tasks or areas. Let’s look at which segments of conveying materials in the manufacturing process can be automated.

Revolutionizing Material Handling – Automation in Loading and Unloading Processes

Loading materials onto a conveyor system used to be done entirely by hand. Today, however, there are many conveyor systems that come with automatic features. These features include:

• Automatic Loaders

These loaders attach to the conveyor and can be programmed to load materials at a specific rate. They are often used with sensors that tell the loader when the conveyor is full.

• Automatic Unloaders

These unloaders can be programmed to release materials at specific intervals, making them ideal for tasks such as packaging or labeling.

• Infeed and Outfeed Tables

Infeed and outfeed tables can be used to load and unload materials onto a conveyor system automatically. The infeed table is used to load the materials onto the conveyor, while the outfeed table is used to empty the materials from the conveyor.

Precision in Motion – Automating Sorting Tasks With Conveyor Systems

Another task that can be automated with conveyor engineering is sorting. This is often done with sensors that are placed along the conveyor. The ideal type of conveyor for sorting is a belt conveyor system or a roller conveyor, as it can be equipped with sensors that can detect the presence of an object on the belt. 

Once the object is detected, the conveyor can be programmed to sort it into the correct category. This means that facility workers no longer have to spend time sorting materials by hand. Instead, they can focus on other tasks, such as quality control.

Streamlining Operations – Automation in Labeling and Packaging With Conveyor Systems

Labeling and packaging are two more tasks that can be automated with a conveyor system. A conveyor cannot label or package materials on its own, but it can be used in conjunction with a labeling or packaging machine.

For example, a product that needs to be labeled can be fed into a labeling machine by a conveyor. Once the product is marked, the conveyor can move it to the packaging machine. The same process can be used for products that need to be packaged.

Dynamic Control – Automation in Speed, Start-Stop, and Directional Changes

Increasing or decreasing the conveying speed, stopping and starting the conveying system, and changing the direction of the conveying system are all tasks that can be automated. They can be pre-programmed into the conveyor system or motor, or they can be controlled by an operator.

In terms of controls, there is a wide range of alerts and alarms that can be automated with a conveyor system. For example, an operator can be alerted if the conveyor is overloaded or if there is an obstruction on the belt or in the conveyor tube. In addition, an alarm can be set to go off if the conveyor system is not working properly. This helps to ensure that the system is always operating at peak efficiency.

Optimizing Efficiency – Harnessing Performance Data in Conveyor Systems

In order to understand how a conveyor system performs, it is important to track its performance data. This data can improve the system’s efficiency and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.

Some of the performance data that can be tracked include:

• Speed – How fast the conveyor is moving materials,
• Distance – How far the conveyor is moving materials,
• Belt or tube load – The amount of material that is on the belt or in the tube.

This data can be tracked manually or automatically. Automated tracking is often done with sensors that are placed along the conveyor. These sensors can track the performance data in real-time, which is helpful for instantly addressing any issues that might occur.

It is also possible to track the performance data of an automated conveyor system over time. Typically, some type of software is in charge of automated tracking, a program designed specifically for this purpose. This software can be used to generate reports that show the performance of the conveyor system over time. This data can be used to improve the system’s efficiency and identify any trends that may emerge.

Efficiency Beyond Operation – Automated Maintenance in Conveyor Systems

Some conveyor systems are equipped with automated maintenance features. These features can be used to perform tasks such as lubricating the conveyor belt or cleaning the conveyor tubes.

For example, Cablevey Conveyors utilizes a pneumatic tensioning device to ensure that the cable in our conveyors is properly tensioned. This device allows an operator to easily and quickly adjust the tension on the line, which helps to extend the life of the conveyor.

In addition, our conveyors are equipped with a self-cleaning feature that helps to keep the tubes clean and free of debris. Cleaning conveyor belts is an important feature, as it helps to ensure that the conveyor system is contamination and germ-free.

Explore All Additional Features

Conveyor systems can also be equipped with additional features that make them even more automated. These features include:

• Bar code readers – Bar code readers can track the movement of materials through a facility. This information can be used to improve inventory control and management.
• Weight sensors – Weight sensors can be used to weigh materials as they are being conveyed. This information can be used to track the movement of materials through a facility and calculate the shipping cost.
• RFID tags – RFID tags can track the movement of materials through a facility. This information can be used to improve inventory control and management.
• Camera systems – Camera systems can monitor the conveyor system and the materials being conveyed. This information can be used to improve safety and track the movement of materials through a facility.

Cablevey Conveyors Is One of the Conveyor Systems Manufacturers That Provides Total Automation

Automated conveyor systems are gaining popularity across diverse industries, presenting several advantages compared to manual counterparts. These benefits encompass heightened efficiency, improved accuracy, and enhanced safety measures. Moreover, these automated systems have the flexibility to be equipped with various features, further enhancing their convenience and overall efficiency.

For those seeking a conveyor system that goes beyond the conventional, inquire about the available automation features. Whether it’s incorporating tubular conveyor or belt conveyor systems or ensuring meticulous conveyor installation supervision, Cablevey Conveyors stands ready to provide cutting-edge solutions that save both time and money. Contact us today to explore the world of advanced and automated conveyor systems tailored to your specific needs.

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