Understanding The Many Uses Of Conveyor Systems
Learning all there is to know about high quality conveyor systems may probably take more than a lifetime
. However, it's always the case that one doesn't need to learn a universe of things when it comes to a conveyor system. Rather, one should understand what these systems are, first of all, and their basic components and attributes.The first thing to understand is that any conveyor system is nothing more than a mechanical means of moving goods and materials along a path where it starts out at one point and ends its journey at still another. It is conveyed, in other words. There are some systems so intricate that there is usually no person that ever touches the item being moved at any point.
Items that are extremely heavy and bulky in nature are great candidates for a system that specializes in conveying them from one point to another. These systems are very popular in industries such as packaging or material handling. There are many kinds and types of these systems, and they can be tailored to meet the specific needs of just about any industry in the marketplace.
The industry that most people think of first when considering conveyor systems is probably the auto assembly industry. Henry Ford himself pioneered the use of a conveyor line, which made it possible for the first time to make automobiles in large numbers. These conveyor lines soon came to be called assembly lines, and he took a bare-bones vehicle at one end and turn it into a complete automobile at the other.
Other kinds of conveyor-type systems can be seen in bottling plants and pharmaceutical facilities. In essence, all such systems take something and then bring it along to where it becomes something else or where it has been packaged and then been made ready for shipment. The most common kinds of systems fall into several general categories, including pneumatic conveyor systems.
How this particular system works is that it moves powdered or pulverized materials along through a system of ducts and pipes. Think of something powdered like cement and how it is blown through these pipes via a strong stream of air, which is the pneumatic portion of the system. The automobile assembly line and the bottling or packaging lines, along with pneumatic systems, make up the bulk of such systems.
As far as what it takes to keep these systems running at peak efficiency, it needs to be understood that most industries that use such systems tend to treat their maintenance needs with the highest priority. This is because if such a line breaks down, nothing is either assembled or shipped and rate amounts of money are lost. Studies show, however, that breakdowns are usually due to lack of lubrication.
Taking conveyor systems and learning how they work and why they are so efficient is only a matter of understanding their basic operation, the industries that use them, and what goes into making sure that they are maintained well enough to keep operating efficiently. One doesn't have to spend a lifetime studying such a system to take advantage of one, in other words.
by: Paul Timmerman