Some important guidelines
Conveyors are an essential part of any internal conveying system handling goods. Typically, the conveyor system is part of a major packaging process that begins with case erecting and ends with pallet securing. We will show you how to choose the correct conveyors and why you should consider SOCO SYSTEM's conveying system.
Choose the right conveyors with these 6 questions!
When finding the right conveyor, there are four questions you must take into consideration:
- Which items must be conveyed?
Weight, size, and shape. - How many items per minute/hour?
- Where to and how?
- Is the transport declining, inclining or horizontal? What happens to the items at the end of the conveyor?
- Requirements apart from transportation?
This could include case sealing, palletising, pallet wrapping, bar coding, data collection, etc.
Once you know the answers to these questions, you are ready to choose the right conveyor for your conveying system. It is an advantage to know the various opportunities we can offer. In the following, we will go through the most common types of conveyors. - Will the conveyor work in an extremely high- or low-temperature environment? Will there be dust, water, or other contamination in the environment? Does the conveyor need to be cleanroom, vacuum, or dryroom compliant?
3 different types of conveyors
We are working with three different types of conveyors: Non driven conveyors, driven conveyors, and belt conveyors.
Non-driven roller conveyors
When transporting goods using non-driven gravity, roller conveyors, the transport occurs manually or by gravity. To ensure an unassisted item flow, the conveyors must be installed with a gradient of 2.5-5%. The exact gradient depends on the weight and surface of the goods. Handling light weight goods with a rough surface will require a larger gradient than when handling heavy goods with a smooth surface.
SOCO SYSTEM can offer non-driven roller conveyors with plastic rollers, steel rollers, and aluminum rollers. In addition, we offer different types of wheel conveyors.
The type of roller conveyor you choose should depend on the item you wish to transport. For example, wheel conveyors are suitable for transport of cartons, plates, and the like. However, a conveyor with a small roller pitch will typically be the most suitable solution for uneven-based items or when the items have passed through a shrink tunnel.
Driven roller conveyors
Transport on non-driven roller conveyors occurs manually or by gravity, it will typically occur using a chain or motor when dealing with driven roller conveyors. Typically, the transport will be horizontal, as inclination is not necessary to make goods move. If you want inclined transport, the use belt conveyors are recommended as the friction between goods and conveyor is greater.
SOCO SYSTEM can offer driven conveyors with drive either in the right or left side.
Belt conveyors
The last type of conveyor is the belt conveyor. Belt conveyors are suitable for both horizontal, declined, and inclined transport. These belt conveyors can have different surfaces and beddings.
As to surfaces, the two primary ones are smooth belts and grip belts. Both are great solutions for inclined transport, but where smooth belts run best with inclinations of up to 10°, grip belts can manage inclinations of up to 28°.
As for beddings, there are also two types, roller bedding and plate bedding. Plate bedding is suitable for transport of light items over a short distance, while roller bedding is best when transporting items more than 5 metres.
Reasons to choose SOCO SYSTEM conveyor system
As mentioned earlier, conveyors often form part of a large conveyor system for handling goods in the most efficient way. When choosing your conveyors, it is also important that you keep in mind the system they are to become a part of. Among other things, you must be aware that the system must be:
- User-friendly
- Reliable
- Ergonomic
- Flexible
- Efficient
SOCO SYSTEM conveyor system offers all this.
Comprising a multitude of standard components, the system can be combined into an infinite number of functional modules which again can be combined endlessly. The flexibility of the components and modules makes it possible to cover practically any demand for a conveyor system in any line of business, as the system is easy to re-locate, adapt, and extend by new modules. In fact, imagination is the only limitation to the number of possible applications of the conveyor system.
In addition, SOCO SYSTEM’s conveyor system is designed keeping in mind user friendliness and ergonomics. Ergonomics and user-friendliness are two of our key priorities, as we know how an ergonomically designed workplace can create job satisfaction and increase efficiency. For that reason, we recommend that you always take into consideration aspects of a work environment such as:
- Noise
- Dust and dirt
- Vibrations
- Climate
- Lightning, colour, and contrasts
As an Exclusive representative and Service Center of Soco System for Bulgaria, don't hesitate to contact us for advice.
