The Right Conveyor System Can Streamline Your Warehouse Operation

Warehouse conveyor systems are excellent for improving the productivity of a medium or small warehouse or distribution center. In order to choose the right system for your warehouse, you'll want to consider the up-front costs as well as ongoing costs of maintenance and energy consumption. It's important to take the required throughput of the system into account as well as being aware of the environment it will be in and the noise levels it may increase.

In regard to throughput, determine the speed your operation has to achieve. A low-speed option can run 50 to 150 cases every minute, and a high-end model can run at a sustained level of more than 300 cases per minute. In addition, if the parameters of the warehouse may change within a relatively brief period of time, a modular conveyor may be the best choice because you can take it apart and reassemble it with less difficulty than you would have with an older system, and production can be resumed quickly.

Conveyor systems are available in many different types, some of which are listed below. You'll want to choose the one that best balances return on investment with throughput and ease of operation.

Skatewheel conveyors come with rows of small metal or aluminum wheels. They have no motor, and are useful in bringing bags, sacks, and cartons down a slope. Skatewheels are ideal for moving items to shipping areas for loading onto delivery trucks, generally in accessible areas for short runs. These are a good choice for smaller warehouses.

Belt conveyors have a motor-powered belt on top of a constructed bed. These are popular because they are cost effective and can be used to convey a wide range of light- and medium-range products (regardless of their shape) throughout the warehouse. They also require little maintenance.

Utilizing an unpainted metal surface sliding along a bed, sliding bed systems could be the ideal choice for operations that need to move unstable loads slowly. Used to transport oddly shaped items and small products, they are often found in assembly and load stations.

Models with elongated, adjustable rollers over the conveying bed that are powered by chains, belts or line shafts are called live roller conveyors. These are excellent for use in dirty or harsh industrial environments, and can easily accommodate heavy loads with solid bottoms.

In accumulation systems, sensors direct belts or rollers to start and stop in order to pace cartons without causing a delay in production. These are necessary in operations that require a buffer or are works in progress. The extra motors and controls included in such models up the price, but the flexibility accumulation systems provide offsets the cost.

You will also want to make sure that your conveyor system is relatively easy to access and repair, so that your warehouse operations will not be seriously affected when maintenance is required. Since the expense in running the operation is also an important factor, note that a belt system is the least expensive, and a high-voltage, motor-driven option usually costs less than the motorized roller-conveyor type.

When making a purchase of a piece of equipment as important as a conveyor belt system, it is highly suggested that you do some research and then talk to a business that can assist you in making the correct purchase that will best suit your needs and expectations based on your budget.