Conveyors are used in a wide variety of industrial businesses, from automotive assembly plants to bottling plants to meat packing facilities. They may look different, but all serve the same function: to move large quantities of material along a fixed path between specific points.
Depending on the type of material being transported, conveyor systems can be located overhead, in-floor or on-floor; they can further be classified by form and function. The simplest and most inexpensive type is the chute conveyor. It allows product to accumulate in shipping or other desired areas. As a drawback, it is difficult to control. Roller and skate wheel conveyors are efficient in moving heavier product, and can be powered by machine or gravity. The belt conveyor is probably the most common powered version. It is one long belt wrapped over a moving chain, making the transport of light to medium weight parts and pallets quite easily, especially if the product needs to be moved under careful control or along an incline. The chain conveyor works on a similar principle as the belt, however instead of being transported along on belts, product is carried directly on the chains. Other kinds of conveyors involve trolleys and slats, each of which is suited for a particular product or purpose.
The transporting of bulk material involves a different kind of conveyor, since the traditional types mentioned would be messy and inefficient at best. For the purpose of moving bulk product, many types of conveyors have been created. The screw conveyor propels dry bulk material, such as crystals, grains and powders, through the rotating blade. The vertical lift and belt/bucket system is used in areas that require little usage of space; product can be transported vertically upward to the proper area.
Certain types of products require specific treatment. Some products need lubricating or washing before they can be packaged for the consumer. In this case, a conveyor needs to have as a base wire (or plastic) mesh instead of a solid surface. Other material, such as hot forged material, needs to be transported by way of a sturdier metal, as a less heat-resistant belt would melt. The needs of the modern industry guarantee diversity and invention. Modern conveyors serve to transport whatever product humanity can create.
