5 Key Uses Of Conveyor Belts In Modern Business: Exploring Their Versatile Applications

Conveyor systems are the lifelines of modern industry, moving goods swiftly and efficiently across spaces and through manufacturing processes. They’re a ubiquitous sight in production lines and warehouses worldwide, reflecting their critical role in contemporary business operations. 

But what exactly can these mechanised marvels accomplish? From streamlining assembly lines to sorting packages with precision, conveyor belts offer a multitude of applications that bolster productivity and reduce labour-intensive tasks.

In this blog we will delve into the dynamic uses of conveyor belts, showcasing how businesses leverage this technology to enhance their operations. Whether you’re involved in retail, manufacturing, or any sector that could benefit from optimised material handling, understanding the capabilities of conveyor belts is key to unlocking new levels of efficiency.

Different types of conveyor belts

Conveyor belts can be used in a range of industries and play a significant role in maximising efficiency within a business operation. They can carry anything from small light packages up to heavy loads of 8000kg when using a powered roller conveyor for example.

It’s important to know there is a different range of conveyor systems, each having their own unique capabilities and can be used for different applications in different industries. Below is a list of the different conveyors that are in use today.

- Roller conveyor

- Powered roller conveyor

- Gravity roller conveyor

- Belt conveyor

- Chain conveyor

- Slat conveyor

- Ball transfer conveyor

- Magnetic conveyor

- Chute Conveyor

- Overhead conveyor

- Pneumatic conveyor

- Screw conveyor

- Vertical conveyor

- Vibrating conveyor

- Walking beam conveyor

- Wheel conveyor

With a range of different conveyors, it’s no surprise they can be used in all industries. Each of these different conveyor systems can be altered for their application and modified with custom pieces that can be added dependent on the conveyor’s use.

Before we jump into the different ways a conveyor can be used in businesses, let’s first have a look at a few of the current statistics and future predictions of conveyor used in industries today.

Statistics and future predictions of conveyor belts used in industries today

Conveyor belt market demand is set to rise to £3.9 billion by 2025

Polymer conveyor belt market set to witness a growth rate of around 3.5% by 2025

Conveyor system market is expected to reach a market size of £7.8 billion by 2025

31% of conveyor market growth will come from E-commerce and 3PL

Food and beverage industry will witness the fastest growth rate due to rising demand for packaged foods with an anticipated growth rate of 4.5% between 2019 and 2025

You can find more detailed explanations on these current statistics and future predictions by clicking on any of the links. But hopefully, you can see that the conveyor market is showing any signs of slowing down soon.

And on that note, let’s look at five different ways a conveyor can be used to give an idea for why the market is experiencing the growth it is today.

Conveyor belts can be used on a manufacturing line

A conveyor system has been a common and integral part of a manufacturing line for over 100 years and was a key innovation within Henry Ford’s T Model production line.

The applications of a conveyor system in manufacturing can include being used on a car manufacturing line, a production line for electrical goods, and a food production line for baked food.

The way a conveyor is used in this environment is by moving the product from one point to the next.

So, when a car is being assembled it needs to go through multiple stages to get to the finished product and be able to function for the customer.

This way a conveyor can speed up the time in which a product is finished as it moves the product to the next section in a constant stream.

Conveyors can be used in baggage handling

If you’ve ever wondered how your parcels are handled in a distribution centre, it’s highly likely that their delivery process involved being put on a conveyor system.

The conveyor system can be functioned, so it holds and moves various weighted and sized items through to the correct department in a much quicker time than by manual labour due to a mostly automated process.

If you look inside any major parcel delivery company, you will see the items going through to different sections which could be using different conveyors.

The sorting section from returned parcels could be using powered roller conveyors while the section for putting parcels on the back of the lorries could be using inclined belt conveyors.

Conveyors are also used for transporting goods and people’s belongings through airports. Notice the next time when you go to an airport the number of conveyors at the bag check security section and in the arrivals when passengers bags come through on the baggage carousel.

Conveyors can be used to transport heavy goods

When large and heavy goods are being transported, it’s imperative that the conveyor moving these goods can hold the weight while not being damaged by sharp edges or heavy loads.

For this type of movement, a heavy-duty conveyor is required which can come in all different variations depending on what needs to be moved. This allows for bigger items to be moved through a process without the material or conveyor being damaged by the sharp, heavier, or coarse materials.

Heavy-duty conveyors can be built for a range of applications from being designed to withstand chemical corrosion to being able to transport large amounts of coal.

While we mentioned earlier that conveyors can be used to move vehicles on a production line, these production lines could well use heavy-duty conveyors, as I’m sure you can imagine, cars can be rather heavy to move.

Conveyors can be used on food and beverages production lines

With food and beverages being packaged on assembly lines at a quick rate, conveyors can be used in such a way that they can quickly move the food and drink from being made to the next process such as cooling the food or distilling the drink, all the way through to the final process of being packaged.

An added benefit of using conveyors within the food and beverage packaging is that they help with ensuring that all the packaged goods are done in a hygienic way. So not only do the conveyors increase the output of packaged goods on their production lines, and as a result, to their customer, it also ensures that the foods and beverages are meeting the hygiene requirements.

Conveyors can be used to elevate products between pieces of a process plant

As mentioned, different conveyors can be used in different ways to ensure the product the conveyor is transporting can go through to the customer, one of which is taking goods and moving them vertically to the next department. This can be achieved in various ways, ranging from a slight incline to a vertical incline.

Conveyors being used in the logistics industry to move parcels, this is a prime example of where a powered belt conveyor would be used at a slight incline for moving items from one process to another.

Wrapping up

As we’ve explored various conveyor types and their applications, it’s clear that conveyor usage can greatly vary to meet the specific needs of different clients and industries. While this blog post covers several key uses, there are many other applications of conveyors that L-A-C Logistics Automation can offer.

If you’re in search of a tailored conveyor and automation solution and haven’t found what you’re looking for in this article, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Reach out to L-A-C Logistics Automation either through the link below or by calling the number at the top right of this page. 

Our team is always ready to provide a complimentary consultation to devise a custom solution that meets your business needs.