Conveyor system

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This article is about Conveyor Systems. For information on Conveyor belts, see Conveyor belts.

An overhead chain conveyor conveys cars at Mercedes in Germany

A lineshaft roller conveyor conveys boxed produce at a distribution center

A Conveyor belt conveys papers at a newspaper print plant

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. Many kinds of conveying systems are available, and are used according to the various needs of different industries.

Conveyor systems are used widespread across a range of industries due to the numerous benefits they provide.

Conveyors are able to safely transport materials from one level to another, which when done by human labour would be strenuous and expensive.
They can be installed almost anywhere, and are much safer than using a forklift or other machine to move materials.
They can move loads of all shapes, sizes and weights. Also, many have advanced safety features that help prevent accidents.
There are a variety of options available for running conveying systems, including the hydraulic, mechanical and fully automated systems, which are equipped to fit individual needs.

Conveyor systems are commonly used in many industries, including the automotive, agricultural, computer, electronic, food processing, aerospace, pharmaceutical, chemical, bottling and canning, print finishing and packaging. Although a wide variety of materials can be conveyed, some of the most common include food items such as beans and nuts, bottles and cans, automotive components, scrap metal, pills and powders, wood and furniture and grain and animal feed. Many factors are important in the accurate selection of a conveyor system. It is important to know how the conveyor system will be used beforehand. Some individual areas that are helpful to consider are the required conveyor operations, such as transportation, accumulation and sorting, the material sizes, weights and shapes and where the loading and pickup points need to be.