Questions to Ask When Selecting a Conveyor System

06 Jan.,2025

 

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Conveyor System

Investing in a new conveyor system, an industrial material transfer or handling application, is nothing to be taken lightly. Conveyor systems are large, complex machines and as much care should be taken in selecting the right one as one would expect when buying a new car, or other major investment. And just like when buying a new car, there are some baseline questions you should ask when selecting a new conveyor.

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These questions can be broken down into two main categories. The first is questions you need to ask yourself so that you know what information to have handy when you begin to shop around. The second is questions to ask the conveyor manufacturers and suppliers you talk to so that you know you&#;re getting your system from a company whose work you can trust.

Here&#;s a quick primer along with a handy infographic on what these questions usually look like, and how to select the right conveyor system for you. 

Preparation: Questions to Ask Yourself

The first question you should ask yourself is, &#;What will this conveyor system be used for?&#; Knowing the application of the system is a necessary, if somewhat obvious, first step in determining the right one. Automated conveyors for food processing applications will have a very different set of requirements than those intended for robotics integration or to simply move small boxes down a packaging line.

Moving on to greater specifics, subsequent questions to have on-hand include the following:

  • What material or materials will be transported? Will specialty belting be required? How wide will the belt need to be?
  • How much space will the conveyor system occupy? How long does it need to be?
  • How fast will the conveyor need to be? How much load will it need to accommodate? These are important ways to determine how strong a motor your system will need.

Depending on the details of your own application, you may need to ask other questions (or answer those asked by your preferred conveyor manufacturer or supplier).

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Conveyor Supplier

After you&#;ve established what you need, the next step is figuring out which companies are capable of supplying it, and which of those you think will offer the best product with the best return on your investment.

Depending on your needs, conveyor suppliers may offer you a pre-existing conveyor system design, or a custom solution. In either case, be sure to ask the following questions:

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  • Is the system modular? How difficult will future modifications be?
  • How difficult will installation be? How much will it cost? How long will it take?
  • What is involved in terms of maintenance? How easy will belt repairs or replacements be? Will specialized labor be involved? How easily can replacement parts be obtained?
  • Has the supplier worked on similar systems in the past? Can they provide any references or case studies?

A reliable, trustworthy conveyor system supplier will be able and willing to help you with these questions and others that may be necessary depending on your specific needs.

If you&#;re in the market for a new conveyor system, or are getting ready to be, get in touch with the team at mk North America. A worldwide leader in modular conveyor systems, custom designs, and other specially engineered material handling solutions, mk North America will guide you through every step of the conveyor design and selection process.

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3 Conveyor Belt Questions to Ask Before You Purchase

When shopping for a conveyor belt for your line, it&#;s essential that you gather as much information as possible. Whether you&#;re considering the physical layout of your operation, the temperature of your products, the ease of the inspection process, or any number of other factors, carefully documenting exactly what you need starts with asking the right questions. As there are thousands &#; even hundreds of thousands &#; of possible configurations, it can be a real challenge to even know what questions you need to ask. Thankfully, when you work with an experienced team, like the team at Great Lakes Belting, you can count on them to walk you through the process. But, in case you&#;re looking for a starting point, let&#;s look at a handful of questions you should be asking.

What color conveyor belting do I need?

Color isn&#;t just an aesthetic choice, it impacts your quality assurance and inspection processes. No matter how you&#;ve configured your line &#; visual inspections, automatic cameras, or any number of other methods &#; contrast is key. Our recommendation is to select a color that doesn&#;t tend to occur in your products. For example, white is great for food processing and industrial applications. The resulting contrast will help you spot and address any leftover materials, residues, and so forth.

Am I moving up or down an incline?

If you plan to move your products vertically, you&#;re going to want a belt with cleats. Cleated belts grip your products better, allowing them to be carried safely upward or transported safely downward. Without cleats, your products could easily collect in problem areas, creating clogs that reduce your productivity and threaten your uptime.

Can my belt be customized?

Sometimes there just isn&#;t an off-the-shelf solution that works. In those cases, you&#;re going to want to work with a conveyor belt supplier that can customize your belt. With a wide range of custom fabrications available, Great Lakes Belting is the industry&#;s go-to source for highly customized, highly specific belting products. No matter what you need, if you can envision it, we can deliver it.

At Great Lakes Belting, we&#;re passionate about offering the absolute largest selection of belting products on the market. Whether you&#;re in material handling, paper converting, industrial automation, or food processing, you can count on us to help you locate exactly the products that you &#; and your operation &#; need. So, if you&#;re considering switching, upgrading, or replacing your conveyor belts, reach out to us today to learn how we can help.

For more information, please visit Conveyor Return Rollers.