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Industrial conveyors are transport machines that are used in many industries around the world. They are a staple in a processing plant, serving like a system of arteries that deliver product to where it is needed. In the food processing, feed processing, and agriculture industries, they are required for carrying bulk product around. This handling equipment can be customized to fit any processing plant or industry process. They can handle most sizes and weights, fit into compact areas, and can travel great distances.
The food processing and agriculture industries make great use of industrial conveyors in most processing facilities. The alternative to this handling equipment is using human labor to transport material around. However, human labor for this purpose is extremely inefficient, and impossible in many situations. It is, for instance, impossible for a person to transport bulk grain without losing much of it in the process. It is also unsafe to require people to lift heavy items continuously, so handling machines are good for ensuring worker safety. This equipment can also transport items to higher or lower levels seamlessly, which maintains optimal flow rate.
There are several types of industrial conveyors, of which many are used in the food processing and agriculture industries. Pneumatic systems utilize pressurized air to move material that is usually light or fine. In some setups though, a pneumatic transport can move heavier items. A pneumatic system that most people are familiar with is the one found at the drive-thru windows of banks. The tubes that carry the money exchanging containers around are part of a pneumatic transport. In the agriculture industry, bulk grains may be moved around with pressurized air. In the food processing industry, food powders or spices may be transported in this fashion.
Vibratory industrial conveyors are common in facilities that must maintain low maintenance and sanitary conditions. These devices come with a trough that is moved by a motor-driven shaft. Material is fed into the trough, which is moved using kinetic energy down the length of the device. Vibratory handlers can move material up or down inclines safely, and come in food-grade sanitary designs. They are also easy to make leak proof and are highly resistant to heat or corrosion. They are often the first choice when setting up a transport system in a harsh environment.
Vertical or spiral industrial conveyors are material lifts that are exclusively used to transport product from one level to another. Spiral transports can do this without interrupting flow. These devices are used often in the food processing and agriculture industry, because they reduce operating costs and can help make better use of space.
Over the years, improvements in transport technology have added additional functionality to the humble material handler. In the past, these devices were only expected to get product from one area to another, but now they can be integrated into sophisticated quality check processes. These quality checks can identify flaws in the product, like abnormal weight or size, and reject them. When handling bulk grains, it’s common for tramp iron and other ferrous waste to make it into the material stream. Magnetic transports can capture these contaminants and prevent them from damaging the final product.
No matter the industry, material handlers can get the product to where it needs to be.
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