5 Things to Consider Before Installing a New Conveyor System
If you’re looking to purchase a new conveyor system, there are a lot of details to consider when planning the installation. Efficiency can make or break your operations, so it’s important to consider every facet of your conveyor needs before diving in head first. Here are our top five things to consider before installation.
1. Perform an engineering study.
Before any other planning can happen, an engineering study is a must to ensure a successful conveyor system is designed and engineered to fit your unique needs. A third-party professional will examine your current line and discuss any future expansions, line changes, product changes, and more to give you and your company the most comprehensive view of your conveyor system installation. Without this crucial planning stage, you run the risk of doubling your cost, running months behind schedule, and other expensive hold-ups.
2. Adjust the application to fit your needs.
When it comes to conveyor systems, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To help you choose and configure the most cost-effective conveyor for your application, take time to learn about the product being handling by your new conveyor system. That might sound like a no-brainer, but a surprising number of conveyors are used improperly due to lack of foresight. Several measurements are critical to determine the type, speed, and capabilities of your new conveyor system. At a minimum, you should expect to evaluate:
- Minimum/Maximum/Average weight of the product
- Size and shape of the product
- Overall length, width, height, and depth
3. Keep your environment in mind
Once you’ve conducted an engineering study and determined the best conveyor for your products, ask yourself: will moisture be present in your application at any time? Other factors, such as industry regulations, may affect the chosen application also, but the presence of moisture is a definitive factor. You’ll also want to consider things like whether sanitation is a concern. A conveyor built with inaccurate specs will lead to headaches, increased costs, and lost productivity in the long run.
4. Understand all control requirements.
Now that the basic details are under control, it’s time to determine how your conveyor will interface with current machines and processes. Understanding the control requirements will help guide your decision to the most efficient and seamless final product. The majority of new conveyors are configured with the ability to increase or decrease the speed of the conveyor to match fluctuating production rates, but each conveyor system is unique and offers specific advantages.
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5. Account for future growth.
There’s a good chance that you’re installing a new conveyor system due to outgrowing your last one, or perhaps a change to your operational procedures. Whatever the cause, it’s important to remember that change is a continuum. Make sure you’re designing your new system with the future in mind. It’s critical that you consider things like:
- Current order volume and expected growth
- The size of your facility
- How many employees you have
- How many shifts do you run
- Any future plans for your company that affect the plant floor
Kundinger has been serving the Fluid Power, Industrial Automation and Process Control markets for more than 55 years. Whether you’re looking for individual components, or a complete turnkey engineered solution, Kundinger can create a customized solution to fill your individual needs.