A belt conveying system consists of two or more pulleys with a loop of conveyor belt that rotates around them. One or both of the pulleys are powered in order to move the belt forward. In industry there are two main types of belt conveying systems:
- Those used for general material handling
- Those used for bulk material handling
Conveyors are durable and reliable components used in automated distribution and manufacturing. When used in combination with computer controlled pallet handling equipment, conveying systems can allow for more efficient retail, wholesale and manufacturing distribution. Belt conveyors are considered labor saving systems because they allow large volumes of product to move rapidly through a process allowing companies to ship and receive higher volumes with smaller storage space necessary and with less labor expense.
Belt conveying systems consist of a metal frame with rollers at either end of a flat metal bed. The conveyor belt is looped around each of the rollers. When one of the rollers is powered, the belting slides across the metal frame bed, moving the product it is meant to carry. When the conveyor system will be used in heavy applications the bed which the belting is pulled over is typically replaced with rollers. These rollers allow weight to be conveyed and reduce the amount of friction generated from the heavier loading on the belting.
Belt conveyors can be designed to fit any manufacturing need. Rubber conveyor belts are usually used to covey items that are so small that they would fall between rollers, or items with irregular bottom surfaces and bags that would sag between rollers. Belt conveyors can be designed with curved sections that use tapered rollers and curved belting to convey products around a corner. A sandwich belt conveyor uses two conveyor belts that are face to face. This firmly contains the item that must be carried, making steep inclines and vertical lifts possible.
Belt conveying systems are the most commonly used powered conveyors because they are the most versatile type of conveyor. Product is conveyed directly on the belt so both regular and irregularly shaped objects can be transported by a belt conveying system successfully. Belt conveyors can be used to transport product in a straight line, a curved line or through changes in elevation or direction. Belt conveying systems can even be used for static accumulation or cartons.
Bay Industrial Group specializes in solving complex manufacturing problems. The expert automation designers, project managers, fabricators and welders at Bay Industrial Group are highly trained and experienced to work with a wide variety of industries in order to locate and create solutions to problems in their manufacturing processes. For more information please contact Bay Industrial Group today.