Conveyors are the industrial systems that help in the transportation of different types of materials and goods from one part to another. These systems are considered as the lifelines of various industries as they significantly reduce the human efforts, time and ultimately the cost and increase the productivity. Moreover, they also reduce the risks of injuries and accidents that may happen when labors are employed to carry heavy materials.
A number of popular designs like conveyor belt, gravity conveyor, chain conveyor, vibrating conveyor and screw conveyor are utilized for different industrial applications. Each of them have different working mechanism, based on which it is used for a specific application. Here are few sections discussing the use of these systems in various industries.
Belt Conveyors
Driven by electric motors running at variable speeds, a conveyor belt is probably the most popular industrial system for conveying materials. They are useful at packaging units as well as at airports for baggage handling systems. Grocery stores and bakeries too make use of these systems. Another popular application is found at warehouses where these belts are used for loading products into or from trucks and other transportation vehicles. Flat and trough belt conveyors are the popular versions in this category.
Vibrating Conveyors
These systems are based on the principle of creating movements using vibrations. They are useful for the industrial applications involving free-flowing materials. For example, food items in the form of granules can be transported using them. Another good example is that of transporting materials that are extremely hot or corrosive in nature. Metal parts that are cast can be immediately transported in this way. Chemicals and wood products as well as products of mining can be transported efficiently using vibratory systems.
Pneumatic Conveyors
Another interesting category is that of pneumatic conveying systems which make use of air pressure for transporting materials. These systems are used in ceramic industry for supplying granulators, chemical industry to feed the mixers, food industry to transport powdered items and sugar and for various other applications in rubber, plastic and cement industries.
Screw Conveyors
A screw conveyor is makes use of a helical shape screw for the transportation of liquids and materials in the form of granules. Wood chips and cereal grains are the two noteworthy examples of the materials conveyed using them. Wet, caking and difficult to move materials can also be conveyed using these conveyors. These systems are also used for applications in snow blowers, harvesters, ice re-surfacers and other machines.
Other Popular Examples
Just like conveyor belt, chain conveyors are also popular. These are widely used in shipping industry for the transportation of huge shipping containers. Vertical and bucket conveyors are used to move the materials along vertical paths. Roller conveyors are used for conveying materials with rigid surfaces. Chute and gravity conveying systems are equally useful as well.