Accumulation Conveyor

About Accumulation Conveyors

There are different types of conveyors. One of the most commonly sought-after types of conveyors is the accumulation conveyor. What exactly does this type of conveyor do? Well, this conveyor is actually used to hold products at a specific place until the proper time to move them comes. Why is there a need for such conveyors?

Well, the first application that people would be able to see would be the feeding of items to a machine. As you may know, some conveyor belts transfer different products from station to station in order to have them worked on by machines or by people. Automated production often requires that the conveyor be timed properly in order for the machines involved to finish processing an item before moving on.

Through this type of conveyor, people are able to control the flow of items so that they do not reach a process station too soon or too late. Items are “fed” to the station at regular and predetermined intervals, thus assuring people of the job quality.

Another use for this type of conveyor is for shipping. Packages are often conveyed to a loading area where a truck would be waiting for them. This type of conveyor is used to prevent the packages from continuing their forward motion and falling when there’s no truck to go to.

How exactly do accumulation conveyors work? Well, there are actually different systems involved. Here are some of them:

1) V-belt – This uses a V-belt underneath the rollers to turn them. The motion of the rollers is slowed down or stopped when the pressure keeping the v-belt against the tread rollers is adjusted. Because of this system, items can be either slowed down or brought to a halt when needed. However, this system is only designed for light and moderate use, so you shouldn’t attempt to utilize it for heavy-duty jobs.

2) Flat belt – This system works pretty much like the V-belt conveyor. However, the use of a flat belt helps it increase its capacity a bit. The same type of pressure adjustment is needed to control or even stop the flow of items.

3) Sensor rollers – In these systems, the motion is slowed down or stopped when an item enters a specific zone. Usually, the entire conveyor belt is divided into many zones or manufacturing stations. Each station has a sensor roller. When the item enters the zone, the weight depresses and triggers the sensor roller in that zone. This causes the movement to cease. It can also be integrated into the machinery so that the process only continues when the sensor is triggered.

4) Photoelectric sensors – In such systems, an invisible light beam is projected along a certain area. When the item reaches a certain zone, it crosses and breaks the light beam. This triggers the cessation of motion and the start of the manufacturing process. The great thing about this type of sensor is that it does not require the items in question to be heavy or have a particular mass. Therefore, it can be used for products which might not be heavy enough to trigger sensor rollers.

There are different types of accumulation conveyors today and knowing the right type to get is definitely essential in making sure that your business goes as smoothly as possible.