Hello! My name is Rob and I live in a small town which is located about 50 miles outside of Sydney. Now and again, I like to visit my brother who works at an industrial plant in the city. When I visit him, my brother lets me into his office and gives me tours around the plant. They produce all kinds of cool things using the tools they have there. However, I recently learnt they didn't always own the things they needed to complete the job and would instead hire them. I learnt all kinds of cool things about hiring industrial equipment. Although I don't work in the industry, I wanted to share what I had learnt with the rest of the world.
If you need to move parts or products quickly around your working environment, you have probably considered a conveyor belt. Conveyor belts move items around rapidly and evenly without the need for your staff to carry them. This makes your business more efficient and reduces the damage that will inevitably come from your employees handling items.
No matter how careful people are, there will always be an element of damage caused by human involvement, and the smaller or more delicate your products or components are, the greater the risk of damage or loss. A conveyor belt provides a quicker, more effective alternative means of transportation for many items.
Which belt do you need?
Having decided that you need a conveyor belt, the most important question you need to address is what type of belt you need for your conveyor. There are a lot of options and you must choose the type of belt that is right for what you want to convey. If you fit the wrong type of belt you risk damaging your products, or damaging the belt by trying to move items that are not suitable for that type of conveyor.
When choosing your conveyor belt you will have to think about the weight, weight distribution and overall size of the product you want to transport, as well as the material the product is made from.
Next you will need to consider how the conveyor will work operationally. How will the products reach the conveyor and be loaded? Where do you want the conveyor to be situated, inside or outdoors? Will the conveyor work on an incline or on the horizontal?
You may also want to think about the speed at which the conveyor will operate. Perhaps you want the product moved as quickly as possible, but maybe you want to be able to carry out some operation on the product while it is moving. By planning your conveyor carefully you can save considerable time on your manufacturing process.
What conveyor belts are available?
Once you know how your belt will operate you are in a good position to choose the right belt for your operation. There are general purpose conveyor belts made of a variety of materials, such as, leather, PVC or nylon, that will fit many purposes.
If you are working in the food or pharmaceutical industry you might prefer to use a plastic, 'TableTop' belt that is lightweight and wear resistant.
If a high level of durability is needed, then a metal hinge belt is your best option. These conveyor belts are commonly used for scrap removal and can handle rough handling and heavy loads with ease.
Taking the time to choose the right belt for your purposes is vital to the success of your conveyor belt operations. Make sure you ask the right questions before choosing a conveyor belt system.