Types of Belt Conveyors

Roller Bed Belt Conveyor

The surface just under the belt on this version of a conveyor belt is made of a series of rollers. The rollers are closely stacked so that there is hardly any sagging of the belt.

They are suitable for both long and short distance conveying. In some instances, they can be so short that they only employ two rollers for the entire system.

When using gravity to load, the roller belt conveyor is one of the best options to pick. If one used manual loading, the shock would damage the rollers easily since they usually have internal bearings. These bearings plus the generally smooth surface of the rollers greatly reduce friction which makes it easy for conveying.

Roller bed belt conveyors are used mainly where there is hand sorting, assembling, transporting, and inspection. Examples include in:

• Airport baggage handling
• Courier items sorting including postal offices

Flat Belt Conveyor

The flat belt conveyor is one of the most common conveyor types. It is typically used to transport items within a facility. Internal conveyance requires a series of powered rollers/ pulleys to pull the belt.

The belts employed for the flat belt conveyor vary from fabrics, polymers to natural rubbers. Because of this, it becomes versatile in terms of materials to be transported. It is also very easy to align with the tail pulley usually mounted so it can be adjusted to align the belt. It is generally a low speed conveyor belt.

The flat belt conveyor applications include:

• Slow assembly lines
• Washdown applications
• Light dusty industrial assembly

Modular Belt Conveyor

In contrast to flat belt conveyors that use a “seamless” loop of a flexible belt, Modular Belt conveyors use a series of interlocking rigid pieces commonly made from plastic or metal. They function more like a chain does on a bicycle.

This gives them a huge advantage over their flexible belt counterparts. It makes them rugged because they can work over a wide range of temperatures and PH levels.

When a section of the belt becomes damaged, one can easily replace that particular section alone rather than the flexible belts where the entire belt would have to be replaced. Modular belts can travel, using only one motor, around corners, straight lines, inclines, and declines.

As much as other conveyors can do the same, it comes at the cost of complexity and funds. For applications that may require the “unorthodox” width greater than the length, type of conveyor, modular belt conveyors will achieve that feat much easier.

Since they are non-metallic, easy to clean, and porous to gas and liquids, modular belt conveyors can be applied in:

• Food handling
• Fluid handling
• Metal detection

Cleated Belt Conveyor

Cleated belt conveyors will always have a barrier or cleat in their design. The cleats work to separate equal segments on the belt. These segments keep particles and materials that might otherwise roll back or fall off the conveyor during inclines and declines.

The cleats come in different shapes and sizes which include:

Inverted Capital T

This cleat will be standing at 90 degrees to the belt to give support and flexibility to delicate items. It is most suited to do light jobs and handling small parts, packaged goods, and food products.

Curved Belt Conveyor

This conveyor uses a frame that is fabricated already curved so as to carry items around tight corners. It is used where space is limited and winding conveyors would save space. The curves can go as steep as 180 degrees.

Modular plastics with interlocking segments are used but only if the conveyor has a straight run before it curves. Flat flexible belts will be used if the belt is primarily only curved.

Incline/Decline Belt Conveyor

Incline conveyors require tighter tension force, higher torque, and traction on the belt surface to prevent items from falling off the belt conveyor. Thus, they will incorporate a gear motor, a center drive, and a take up. The belt must also have a rough surface to allow for greater traction.

Just like cleat conveyors, these also carry items up a gradient not letting the items fall off. They can also be used to boost the gravitational flow of fluids.

Sanitary Washdown Conveyor

In the pharmaceutical and food industries, sterilization and harsh washing usually need to happen, in line with health and safety guidelines. Washdown and sanitary conveyors are designed to handle sanitary procedures of that nature. The belts employed here are usually flat belts that are relatively thin.

Sanitary wash-down belt conveyors are used in items coming from extreme temperatures like freezers and furnaces. Sometimes they have to work in hot oil or glaze. Because of how well they can handle greasy environments, they are sometimes used to offload oil drums and crates from ships.

Troughed Conveyors

A troughing belt conveyor is not a distinct type of belt because troughing can be incorporated in any conveyor type.

Magnetic Belt Conveyor

Magnetic belt conveyors are a transport device used to position and control ferrous metal pieces and parts. They use ferrite or neodymium magnets to transport materials and are ideal for small parts that would not normally fit on a traditional belt conveyor. Magnetic belt conveyors function exactly like traditional belt conveyors. What differentiates magnetic belt conveyors from other conveying systems is their use of magnets to take advantage of material’s magnetic properties.

The magnets on a magnetic belt conveyor are spaced along the bed of the conveyor with sufficient power to resist the effects of gravity. The size of the size the materials has little effect on the efficiency of a magnetic belt conveyor since the strength of the magnets can be changed to meet different conditions and requirements.