How Are Environmental Conditions Connected To Conveyor Selection?

Conveyors are one of the best choices when reliable material handling and throughput are in question. While general conveyors are excellent for tackling normal conveying operations, specific functions require a more specialized form of conveyor systems. In this regard, environmental or climate conditions play a huge role. To elaborate further, here is a look at specific environmental conditions and what type of conveyors are best suited in each scenario.

Connection Between Environmental Conditions And Conveyors

1. Exposure To Water

In some industries, conveyors can be constantly exposed to water, as they are washed or hosed down. This is particularly true in applications where hygiene and sanitation are paramount, such as the food and beverage processing industry. Here’s a look at conveyors that may or may not be suited for this task:

- Since electrical components don’t tolerate water too well, one should avoid conveyors with smart features such as EZLogic or sortation.

- Similarly, O-ring drives are also a bad match as they lose performance with exposure to water.

- Chain-driven conveyors are probably the best choice here as they are rated for these particular conditions.

2. Operating In Freezers

Conveyors are also used in freezers in industrial settings. This poses a new set of challenges as the cold will impact the flexibility, lubrication and functioning of the conveyor drive. Furthermore, if the conveyor passes through the doorway, then it will also create more complications in the form of precipitation due to temperature fluctuations. So, for this environment, belt conveyors are not a good choice as they can get stuck in the bed. Instead, roller conveyors or chain-driven rollers are the superior choice. 

3. Outdoor Applications

Lastly, if conveyors need to be operated in outdoor applications, then the factors affecting their operations increase exponentially. Apart from temperature, dust, and precipitation, one has to also consider long-term exposure to UV light. This might require a more custom approach to building a conveyor system that is designed to operate in these challenging conditions.

For more information on conveyor selection, reach out to us at Norpak Handling today.  We are a proud distributor and system integrator of top-of-the-line general conveyors and equipment in Canada. Apart from general conveyors, we also offer highly specialized material handling solutions such as roller conveyors, belt conveyors, chain conveyors and more. With decades of experience, we can craft highly customized material-handling solutions specific to your requirements. For more details, contact us at 905-885-7674.