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PLANT MAINTENANCE WORK SERVICE- PRACTICE March 12, 2021

MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT

What is a conveyor?
A system or machinery used to transport goods from one place to the other. This explanation is
exact and applies in all aspects (mechanical engineering). They actually transport bulk material
quickly and efficiently, like the granular products (ore in the underground mining), cars parts in
the manufacturer’s shop etc. They're used also for packaging finished products.

Conveyors are used to move materials over a fixed path. The major types of conveyors are:
Conveyors are used:
1. When material is to be moved frequently between specific points
2. To move materials over a fixed path
3. When there is a sufficient flow volume to justify the fixed conveyor investment

Conveyor refers to the tool which is used to transport products from one location to another.
There are a huge number of conveyors that are used within the packaging industry. In order to
determine the type of conveyor, the major factor that we check is the use of power. The conveyor
allows efficient and quick transportation for huge variety of products due to which they are
commonly used in the industries.

There are basically two types of conveyors among which one is

Powered conveyor Non-powered conveyor.

The power conveyor needs an electrical source of power in order to transport the product from
one place to another place whereas the non-powered conveyor needs gravity in order to transport
the product from one place to another place.

The type of the conveyor depends on the products that is going to pack. The reason behind this is
that the shape and the size of the products is different due to which they require different size and
type of conveyor belts.

A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials
from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the
transportation of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow quick and efficient
transportation for a wide variety of materials, which make them very popular in the material
handling and packaging industries.

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What is a conveyor belt and what is the use of it?

Roller Bed Conveyor Belts

As the name proposes, the outside of this sort of conveyor belt is comprised of rollers that are
chosen to coordinate creation necessities, for example, the weight or required speed of the items
that will move along the belt. More limited conveyor belts that fall under this kind can be
comprised of only two rollers. In any case, as the distance between the two finishes of the belt
expands, more will be required for the belt to work.

A roller bed arrangement is appropriate for when things are stacked onto the belt with gravity.
This is on the grounds that manual stacking
Related Answer

What is conveyor belt material?

Conveyor belt material is the material from which the conveyor belt is made from.

There are two key forms of conveyor belt materials:

Solid Woven Conveyor Belts

Thermoplastic Conveyor Belts

Additionally, modular conveyor belts are made from a form of thermoplastics.

The material used for the conveyor belt will vary depending on the industry the belt is needed for
and the functional requirements of the conveyor belt

, i.e. things such as working in extreme conditions (high heat or cold temperatures), durability to
abrasion and moisture absorption requirements.

Woven Conveyor Belts

What is a conveyor belt?

A conveyor framework is a quick and productive mechanical taking care of contraption for
consequently moving burdens and materials inside a territory. This framework limits human
blunder, brings down working environment hazards, and decreases work costs — among
different advantages. They are valuable in assisting with moving massive or hefty things starting
with one point then onto the next. A conveyor framework may utilize a belt, wheels, rollers, or a
chain to move objects.

How conveyor frameworks work

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Ordinarily, conveyor frameworks comprise a belt extended across at least two pulleys. The belt
shapes a shut circle around the pulleys so it can persistently turn. One pulley, known as the drive
pulley, drives or tows the belt, moving things starting with one area then onto the next.

The most well-known conveyor framework plans utilize a rotor to control the drive pulley and
belt. The belt stays appended to the rotor through the erosion between the two surfaces. For the
belt to move successfully, both the drive pulley and idler should run a similar way, either
clockwise or counterclockwise.

While regular conveyor frameworks, for example, moving walkways and supermarket conveyors
are straight, some of the time, the unit needs to go to convey the things to the appropriate area.
For the turns, there are special cone-formed wheels or rotors which permit the belt to follow a
curve or contort without getting tangled.

Advantages of conveyor frameworks

The principal reason for a conveyor framework is to move objects starting with one area then
onto the next. The plan takes into consideration the development of items that are excessively
hefty or excessively massive for people to convey by hand.

Followings are the types of conveyors

1. Flat Belt Conveyors: It use a sequence of powered pulleys to move a constant

flat belt of regular or synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, or other
ingredients.
2. Modular Belt Conveyors: Modular Belt Conveyor Systems use fastening made
of individual, interlocked segments. These parts are usually made of tough
plastic.
3. Inclined & Declined Belt Conveyors: This type of conveyor has a rough surface
on the belt during incline or decline rather than making use of a smooth-
surfaced belt.
4. Gravity Roller Conveyors :It uses the force of gravity to move a material over a
downward path

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1. Chute Conveyor

Unit/Bulk + On-Floor + Accumulate

Inexpensive

Used to link two handling devices

Used to provide accumulation in shipping areas

Used to convey items between floors

Difficult to control position of the items

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2. Wheel Conveyor

Unit + On-Floor + Accumulate

Uses a series of skate wheels mounted

on a shaft (or axle), where spacing of
the wheels is dependent on the load
being transported Slope for gravity
movement depends on load weight
More economical than the roller
conveyor

For light-duty applications

Flexible, expandable versions available

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3. Roller Conveyor

Unit + On-Floor + Accumulate

May be powered (or live) or nonpowered (or gravity)

Materials must have a rigid riding surface

Minimum of three rollers must support smallest loads at all times

Tapered rollers on curves used to maintain load orientation

3(a) Gravity Roller Conveyor

Alternative to wheel conveyor

For heavy-duty applications

Slope for gravity movement depends on load weight

For accumulating loads

3(b) Live (Powered) Roller Conveyor

Belt or chain
driven

Force-sensitive transmission can be used to disengage

rollers for accumulation

For accumulating loads and

merging/sorting operations

Provides limited incline movement capabilities

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4. Chain Conveyor
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Unit + In-/On-Floor + No Accumulate

Uses one or more endless chains on which loads are carried

directly

Parallel chain configuration used to transport pallets

Vertical chain conveyor used for continuous high-frequency

vertical transfers (cf. vertical conveyor used for low-frequency
intermittent transfers)

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5. Slat Conveyor

Unit + In-/On-Floor + No Accumulate

Uses discretely spaced slats connected to a chain

Unit being transported retains its position (like a

belt conveyor)

Orientation and placement of the load is controlled

Used for heavy loads or loads that might damage a

belt

Bottling and canning plants use flat chain or slat

conveyors because of wet conditions, temperature, and cleanliness requirements

Tilt slat conveyor used for sortation

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6. Flat Belt Conveyor

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Unit + On-Floor + No Accumulate

For transporting light- and medium-weight loads

between operations, departments, levels, and
buildings

When an incline or decline is required

Provides considerable control over the orientation

and placement of the load.

No smooth accumulation, merging, and sorting on

the belt

The belt is roller or slider bed supported; the slider

bed is used for small and irregularly shaped items

In 1957, B.F. Goodrich, Co. patented the Möbius

strip for conveying hot or abrasive substances in order to have "both" sides wear equally [14]

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7. Magnetic Belt Conveyor

Bulk + On-Floor

A steel belt and either a magnetic slider bed or a magnetic

pulley is used

To transport ferrous materials vertically, upside down, and

around corners

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8. Troughed Belt Conveyor

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Bulk + On-Floor

Used to transport bulk materials

When loaded, the belt conforms to the shape of the troughed

rollers and idlers

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9. Bucket Conveyor

Bulk + On-Floor

Used to move bulk materials in a vertical or inclined path

Buckets are attached to a cable, chain, or belt

Buckets are automatically unloaded at the end of the conveyor run

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10. Vibrating Conveyor

Bulk + On-Floor

Consists of a trough, bed, or tube

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Vibrates at a relatively high frequency and small amplitude in order to convey individual units of
products or bulk material

Can be used to convey almost all granular, free-flowing materials

An Oscillating Conveyor is similar in construction, but vibrates at a lower frequency and larger
amplitude (not as gentle) in order to convey larger objects such as hot castings

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11. Screw Conveyor

Bulk + On-Floor

Consists of a tube or U-shaped

stationary trough through which a
shaft-mounted helix revolves to
push loose material forward in a
horizontal or inclined direction

One of the most widely used conveyors in the processing industry

Many applications in agricultural and chemical processing

Water screw developed circa 250 BC by Archimedes

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12. Pneumatic Conveyor

Bulk/Unit + Overhead

Can be used for both bulk and unit movement of materials

Air pressure is used to convey materials through a system of vertical and horizontal tubes

Major advantages are that material is completely enclosed and it is easy to implement turns and
vertical moves

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12(a) Dilute-Phase Pneumatic Conveyor

Moves a mixture of air and solid

Push (positive pressure) systems push material from one entry

point to several discharge points

Pull (negative pressure or vacuum) systems move material from

several entry points to one discharge point

Push-pull systems are combinations with multiple entry and

discharge points

12(b) Carrier-System Pneumatic Conveyor

Carriers are used to transport items or paperwork (e.g., money from

drive-in stalls at banks)

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13. Vertical Conveyor

Unit + On-Floor + No Accumulate

Used for low-frequency intermittent vertical transfers (cf. vertical chain

conveyor can be used for
continuous high-frequency
vertical transfers

13(a) Vertical Lift

Conveyor

Carrier used to raise or lower a load to different

levels of a facility (e.g., different floors
and/or mezzanines)

Differs from a freight elevator in that it is not

designed or certified to carry people

Can be manually or automatically loaded

and/or controlled and can interface with

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horizontal conveyors

13(b) Reciprocating Vertical Conveyor

Utilizes gravity-actuated carrier to lowering

loads, where the load overcomes the magnitude
of a counterweight

Can only be used to lower a load

Alternative to a chute conveyor for vertical

"drops" when load is fragile and/or space is
limited

Can be manually or automatically loaded and/or

controlled and can interface with horizontal
conveyors

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14. Cart-On-Track Conveyor

Unit + In-Floor + Accumulate

Used to transport carts along a track

Carts are transported by a rotating tube

Connected to each cart is a drive wheel that rests on

the tube and that is used to vary the speed of the cart
(by varying the angle of contact between the drive
wheel and the tube)

Carts are independently controlled

Accumulation can be achieved by maintaining the drive wheel parallel to the tube

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15. Tow Conveyor

Unit + In-Floor + Accumulate

Uses towline to provide power to wheeled carriers such as

trucks, dollies, or carts that move along the floor

Used for fixed-path travel of carriers (each of which has

variable path capabilities when disengaged from the towline)

Towline can be located either overhead, flush with the floor,

or in the floor

Selector-pin or pusher-dog arrangements can be used to allow

automatic switching (power or spur lines)

Generally used when long distance and high frequency moves are required

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16. Trolley Conveyor

Unit + Overhead + No Accumulate

Uses a series of trolleys supported from or within an

overhead track

Trolleys are equally spaced in a closed loop path and are suspended from a chain

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Carriers are used to carry multiple units of product

Does not provide for accumulation

Commonly used in processing, assembly, packaging, and storage operations

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17. Power-and-Free Conveyor

Unit + Overhead/On-Floor + Accumulate

Similar to trolley conveyor due to use of discretely spaced carriers transported by an overhead
chain; however, the power-and-free conveyor uses two tracks: one powered and the other
nonpowered (or free)

Carriers can be disengaged from the power chain and accumulated or switched onto spurs

Termed an Inverted Power-and-Free Conveyor when tracks are located on the floor

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18. Monorail

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Unit +

Overhead + Accumulate

Overhead single track (i.e., mono-rail) or

track network on which one or more carriers
ride

Carriers: powered (electrically or pneumatically) or non-powered

Carrier can range from a simple hook to a hoist to an intelligent-vehicle-like device

Single-carrier, single-track monorail similar to bridge or gantry crane

Multi-carrier, track network monorail similar to both a trolley conveyor, except that the carriers
operate independently and the track need not be in a closed loop, and a fixed-path automatic
guided vehicle (AGV) system, except that it operates overhead

Termed an Automated Electrified Monorail (AEM) system when it has similar control
characteristics as an AGV system

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19. Sortation Conveyor

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Unit + On-Floor/Overhead

Sortation conveyors are used for merging, identifying, inducting, and separating products to be
conveyed to specific destinations

19(a) Sortation Conveyor: Diverter

Stationary or movable arms that deflect, push, or pull a product to desired destination

Since they do not come in contact with the conveyor, they can be used with almost any flat
surface conveyor

Usually hydraulically or pneumatically operated, but also can be motor driven

Simple and low cost

19(b) Sortation Conveyor: Pop-Up Device

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One or more rows of powered rollers or wheels or chains that pop up above surface of conveyor
to lift product and guide it off conveyor at an angle; wheels are lowered when products not
required to be diverted

Only capable of sorting flat-bottomed items

Pop-up rollers are generally faster than pop-up wheels

19(c) Sortation Conveyor: Sliding Shoe Sorter

Sliding shoe sorter (a.k.a. moving slat

sorter) uses series of diverter slats that
slide across the horizontal surface to
engage product and guide it off conveyor

Slats move from side to side as product

flows in order to divert the product to
either side

Gentle and gradual handling of products

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19(d) Sortation Conveyor: Tilting Device

Trays or slats provide combined sorting

mechanism and product transporter

Can accommodate elevation changes

Tilt tray sorters usually designed in

continuous loops with a compact layout
and recirculation of products not sorted
the first time

Tilt slat sorters carry products on flat-

surface slat conveyor and can handle wider variety of products compared to tilt tray

19(e) Sortation Conveyor: Cross-Belt Transfer Device

Either continuous loop, where

individual carriages are linked together
to form an endless loop, or train style
(asynchronous), where a small number
of carriers tied together with potential
for several trains running track
simultaneously

Each carriage equipped with small belt

conveyor, called the cell, that is
mounted perpendicular to direction of
travel of loop and discharges product at
appropriate destination

Automatically separates single line of

products into multiple in-line discharge
lines

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