Conveyor

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A conveyor is a horizontal, inclined, or vertical device for moving or transporting bulk material, packages, or objects in a path predetermined by the design of the device, and having points of loading and discharge, fixed or selective. Conveyor can be either gravity powered or live.^[1]

Roller conveyor, courtesy of CICMHE/MHIA Multimedia Bank

History

Wheel conveyor, courtesy of CICMHE/MHIA Multimedia Bank

Though it is suggested that ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians used conveyors in major construction projects, the history of the modern conveyor dates back to the late 17th century. These early conveyor systems were typically composed of a belt that traveled over a flat wooden bed. The belt was usually made from leather, canvas or rubber and was used for transporting large bulky items. It wasn't until the end of the Industrial Revolution that conveyors came to be used for a broader range of applications.

Hymle Goddard of Logan Company patented the first roller conveyor in 1908. Its initial applications were not very popular, and it wasn't until it was introduced in the automotive industry that it was able to prosper. In 1919, the first powered and free conveyors were introduced into the mass production of automobiles. The conveyor quickly became a popular means of transporting heavy materials within manufacturing facilities.

Powered roller conveyor, courtesy of CICMHE/MHIA Multimedia Bank

The application of the conveyor branched out to coal mining in the 1920s, where the technology underwent considerable changes. Conveyor belts were designed made of layers of cotton and rubber coverings. During the manufacturing increase of World War II, manufacturers created synthetic materials to make belting because of the scarcity of natural components. Today's conveyor belting is made from an almost endless list of synthetic polymers and fabrics and can be tailored to any requirements. Possible uses of conveyors have broadened considerably since the early days and are used in almost any industry where materials have to be handled, stored or dispensed. The longest conveyor belt currently in use operates in the phosphate mines of the Western Sahara and is over 60 miles long.^[2]

To learn more read an article from The MHEDA Journal

Conveyor Classification

Conveyors can be classified using the following criteria:

Load: The type of product being handled (unit load or bulk load)

Location: Location of the conveyor (overhead, on-floor or in-floor)

Accumulation: Whether or not loads can accumulate on the conveyor

Benefits of Conveyors

Conveyor offers a wide range of benefits, many of which are readily apparent. Before the invention and implementation of conveyors, warehouse and factory workers needed to physically travel with an object from place to place. Not only was this cumbersome for the employee, it was inefficient for the company and essentially, a huge waste of time. The conveyor brings a project to the worker, rather than a worker having to travel to a project. Conveyors can be used to transport parts to workers or locations throughout a plant or warehouse and, eventually, to the shipping dock for delivery.

Besides the obvious benefits of increased efficiency, conveyors can serve to increase quality control at a manufacturing or storage location. The use of automated production lines allows individual parts to be moved to and from automated machinery, allowing workers who were once designated to transporting parts to perform tasks that cannot as easily be automated, such as quality control or or supervision/management processes. In addition, conveyor can increase the safety of a facility. specialty conveyors are designed to transport heavy or hazardous products, keeping workers out of harm's way.^[3]